Inside The New, Innovative Mascara Surge Driven By Tubing Formulas

Forbes

21-03-2025

Closeup shot of stylist applying black mascara on the eyelashes of the female eye.
Maybe she's born with it... maybe it's mascara. While Vogue claims Gen-Z has abandoned the eye-enhancer, new, innovative mascara launches prove the category isn't slowing down. After all, pop princess du jour Sabrina Carpenter just launched a Pradascope Lash Lifting & Lengthening Mascara collaboration with Prada Beauty at the end of February.
But Carpenter's partnership was just the beginning in a string of innovations in the space. March, especially, is proving to be an exceptionally notable month for innovative mascara. In fact, Makeup By Mario founder Mario Dedivanovic just announced that his voluminous, buildable, first-to-market Master Mascara ($28) will launch on March 27.
'This is the universal volumizing mascara I've always dreamed of creating,' Kim Kardashian's longtime makeup artist said, when asked what inspired the launch. 'The formula is weightless and buildable, providing naturally fuller, longer, and lifted lashes all day without clumping or smudging. It's infused with nourishing ingredients, so your lashes look sculpted but feel soft and conditioned. After 25 years as a makeup artist, this is not only my first mascara—it's the product I've always wanted in my kit. I'm so excited to finally share it after years of development.'
black mascara isolated on white background
Dedivanovic's announcement came a day before the launch of Too Faced's Ribbon Wrapped Lash Extreme Length Tubing Mascara ($29). This is the brand's first major release in the category since its groundbreaking Better Than Sex mascara in 2013, which has spun off into several other variations. In 2019, Too Faced launched a less-hyped Damn Girl! 24-Hour Mascara. The latest release is a first for the brand in the tubing category.
'Think of Better Than Sex mascara as the drama queen: big, bold, and ultra volumizing with its traditional wax-based formula,' says Elyse Reneau, the brand's Executive Director of Global Beauty. 'Ribbon Wrapped Lash is your low-maintenance bestie that delivers insane length without any smudging, flaking or panda-eye drama.'
Tubing mascara, coined in 1995 by Blinc Cosmetics, underwent a renaissance in 2023. Thanks to a slew of innovative mascara launches—including the Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara, Caliray's Come Hell or High Water Volumizing Tubing Mascara, and the MAC Cosmetics Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara—the year proved to be groundbreaking for the modernized polymer technology.
Reneau explains TooFaced's new tubing launch as a formula that 'wraps around each lash like a ribbon to form a flexible tube that stays put all day and slides off effortlessly with just warm water.'
South Asian-owned Kulfi, initially known for its eyeshadows and kajal eyeliners, just launched a tubing product as well on March 20. The brand's debut mascara, known as Badi Lash ($26)—Badi means 'big' in Hindi—is described by its founder Priyanka Ganjoo as a unique hybrid of a volumizing and tubing mascara. Aimed at addressing the need for both dramatic lashes and long-lasting wear, the formula incorporates a nourishing tripeptide complex that targets lash health and high performance.
The new tubing releases follow the launch of RevitaLash Cosmetics' Length Define Mascara, a product that claims to extend lashes up to 300%. The tubing component was a first for the brand, which released a Double-Ended Volumizing Primer & Mascara in 2018.
Set of mascara spoolies
The mascara industry alone is estimated to be worth more than $9 billion, meaning innovative mascara launches are key to keeping afloat in the saturated space.
For Dedivanovic, this meant developing a unique applicator, in addition to a high-performance formula. Calling his first-to-market brush 'one of the biggest game-changers,' he explained that he designed it with a conical shape to make application effortless.
'It coats every lash from root to tip—even those hard-to-reach corners,' he shared. 'In the past, I'd always wipe excess mascara off the wand before applying to avoid a messy look. With Master Mascara, I eliminated that extra step. The custom bristles collect and evenly deposit the perfect amount of formula to achieve clean definition every time.'
Accessibility is a much-overlooked angle of innovation in the beauty space. Selena Gomez' Rare Beauty has broken through with its Made Accessible Initiative, featuring ergonomically designed packaging that makes products easy to open and close. But taking things one step further is Tilt, which positions itself as the brand to ensure everyone can experience the joy of beauty. Founded by psoriatic arthritis patient Aerin Glazer, Tilt is the first beauty brand awarded the National Arthritis Foundation's Ease of Use Certification. Having just launched in February 2025, Tilt included a Lashscape Mascara ($28) as part of its two-product kickoff. The bright yellow tube is designed to lengthen and lift, while featuring an oversized grip and shortened wand for comfy, full-control application.
Inclusivity—another often-overlooked conversation in beauty—is one of the many ways Kulfi has been able to stand out in the busy Sephora aisles. Among its many contributions to the South Asian community, the brand's latest launch proves once again that enough hasn't been done up to this point.
In addition to the innovative ball-tip applicator that allows for precise application on hard-to-reach lashes, 'Badi Lash is designed with South Asian lashes in mind,' Ganjoo says. 'It provides the lift, separation and volume that many struggle to achieve with conventional mascaras, all while being easy to remove and gentle on natural lashes.'
girl with bold pink eyeshadow adds mascara to her eyes
So, what prompted this sudden wave of new mascara launches?
'It's always been a beauty staple, but demand is higher than ever as trends shift toward effortless enhancement,' explains Dedivanovic. 'Everyone wants products that instantly define and lift their natural features, and mascara is one of the easiest ways to achieve that—whether paired with a full makeup look or worn on its own. Performance is also a top priority, driving innovation in formulas and advanced brush technology. People are constantly searching for the next 'holy grail' mascara, and brands are rising to the challenge.'
Consumers are also experimenting more with pigment. Brown mascara is having a moment, as evidenced by its widespread functionality on TikTok. For example, user @minaamouse16 told her 969,000 followers that girls with brown eyes look best with brown mascara. And the visuals speak for themself, as users have shown closeups of their brown mascara application to contrast the color of their eyes. The shade's popularity pushed Ilia to release a brown version of its award-winning Limitless Lash Mascara. The rich, chocolate shade called Before Dawn launches on March 25.
Ultimately, users are craving innovation, as Dedivanovic noted above. Whether that be in terms of inclusivity, application, pigment or formula, brands are more aware of the demand. Ganjoo says her customers have been requesting a mascara that enhances, nourishes and protects—but also works for diverse lash types.
'There've been requests particularly from those with straight, thick, and heavy lashes that are often overlooked by traditional formulas,' she says.
Bottom line? Innovative mascara is only on the rise. 'Mascara is like the magic wand of any makeup routine,' Reneau says. 'It instantly lifts, defines and transforms your entire look. It makes you instantly look awake and more polished. Even on a minimal makeup day, mascara is the secret to drawing people's attention to your eyes.'