L’Oreal Paris Double Extend Tubing Mascara, Black

Let me start out by saying that this product does not need my review. It has to be one of the rare items on Amazon that truly earned every star you see. So at this point, you probably won’t even see this review, and for that very reason I contemplated not writing it. However, I told myself that if, after 6 months of use, this mascara met or exceeded my expectations, I’d write a positive review. Why? Because too many of my favorite products have been discontinued and I never bothered to share with the manufacturer or anyone why they should have kept it on the market.

It’s been 2.5 years now. Yep, I lagged this review, but that means I actually have more details and experiences to share. First, I’ll explain how this mascara works and how to apply it, next I’ll share some pros and cons, and then I’ll walk you through removal.

Mascara Application & How it Works:

If you want to curl your lashes first, do that now. I don’t bother with this step. My lashes aren’t particularly curly, but they also aren’t stick straight.

Step 1 – Nourish & Protect is white and actually thickens and lengthens the appearance of your lashes. You can apply and reapply this step to keep lengthening and thickening. Personally, I have only done it 1-4x max, depending on the day/event. For a regular day, 1-2x is good enough and I do not have long lashes by any means. I’m one of those people with lashes so short and sparse that without mascara it won’t look like I have eyelashes (unless you’re examining me at a close distance). My preferred method is to coat all lashes with Step 1 to get them where I want them before proceeding to Step 2. I do not recommend waiting for Step 1 to fully dry, as that can actually make Step 2 more difficult to apply and potentially more likely to clump. I finish with Step 1 and then immediately apply Step 2 in the same lash quadrant order I applied Step 1. So if I applied Step 1 as Top Left, Bottom Left, Top Right, Bottom Right, that’s the same quadrant order I would apply Step 2. If I add more of Step 1 in select places, I still try to count backward so the 4th to last quadrant I applied Step 1 is the first quadrant I apply Step 2 and the last quadrant I applied Step 1 is the last quadrant I apply Step 2. You don’t have to be that vigilant, but this method helps to ensure the perfect tackiness of Step 1 at the point you apply Step 2.

Step 2 – Tubes Extend Lashes is where you add the black tube mascara, covering the white Step 1 coats. It does add a little bit of lengthening, but not as much as the first step. Layering this step isn’t really the goal. You just want to cover all the white because this is what gives your mascara the staying power. And boy does it STAY.

Cons:
1 ) The Step 1 – Nourish & Protect is white: I know the benefit to this is that you can tell which areas you’ve covered and which you’ve missed, but if you’ve ever missed a spot, or three, or a whole row of lashes, this is super obvious and embarrassing. I think the only way to improve upon this would be for L’Oreal to make the color just a few shades lighter than the intended result. White and blonde might go decently. Brown and black would be alright, but white and black is so stark a difference that someone WILL do a double take or ask you if you’re wearing white mascara. This con is predominantly a non-issue 99% of the time, but when it happens, it sucks.

2 ) Stains: If it weren’t for the fact that this mascara has SO MANY other INCREDIBLE qualities, I would remove a star for this. If it happens to come off, which should be nearly non-existent if you’re removing it before bed, it will stain. I have not found anything that will remove it, but admittedly need to do more research on this. If you are someone who ever forgets to remove your mascara before bed, you will need to switch to extremely dark colored pillowcases and maybe sheets (and your comforter) as well. If you remove this mascara in the shower, while it will not stain your shower, it could permanently stain your light colored towels if you rub your eyes with them and have any lingering mascara on your lashes. I have learned to rub my eyes only with the dark colored portions of a towel. If I see any residue I might be able to pull it off immediately, but once it’s saturated and dries, it seems to permanently fuse within fabric. I should mention that this mascara does have to be in a tacky state in order for it to stain. If it just flakes off dry it will won’t stick unless it’s somehow made tacky again. In my experience, it has never stained any clothing, and as you read further, hopefully you’ll understand why.

Pros:
1) Volume: This mascara is serious about providing thickness and length. The Step 1, as previously mentioned, can be applied and reapplied to get to your desired fullness and length. Is it going to replace your giant falsies… no. But it has given me far more volume than any tubing or regular mascara I’ve tried. And in my opinion, many tubing mascaras suck. Although they have staying power, they don’t add thickness and you’re lucky to get any length. Someone at L’Oreal saw this issue and created Step 1, creating the incredible combo of a stay-put mascara with intense volume.

2 ) Tears-proof: Yes, within the past 2+ years I have cried in this mascara plenty and it hasn’t budged. I can’t even say that I’ve always been careful about wiping my tears, but I do avoid a full eye rub.

3 ) Oil-proof: I have oily skin, brows, and eyelids. All previous “waterproof” non-tubing mascaras will melt or flake below my lower lid by the end of the day. This one doesn’t move one bit. It looks as good at the end of the day as it did at the beginning.

4 ) Blizzard-proof: This is actually what sent me on the mascara mission where I found L’Oreal’s Double Extend. I went snow-tubing with family one day and took a snowy walk on another. These were rather blustery, snowy days. The wind was whipping snow in my face, but I assumed my “waterproof” mascara from another brand was holding up. I was swiftly informed by various family members on multiple occasions that I looked like a raccoon. So I told myself it was time to search for something new; a mascara that was better than all the rest, and could withstand these conditions. THIS mascara has been tested multiple times in snowy, blizzard-like conditions and doesn’t budge one bit.

5 ) Sweat-proof: I’ve worked out and even had sweat stinging my eyes, more times than I can count, but this mascara will not run or smudge or flake. It remains flawless.

6 ) Humidity-proof: I have traveled to humid areas of the U.S. multiple times since having this mascara and it absolutely stayed put. I will say, that one day, when I was outside and the humidity was high and the temperature was around 100 °F, I recall the mascara having somewhat of a sticky feeling. I didn’t touch it with my hands, but my lashes felt a tad gooey. That being said, their appearance didn’t change, and the sensation went away as the temperature declined. This may have been a fluke because I have had experiences with this mascara that were just as hot and humid, yet I didn’t notice any changes in my lashes at all. So it was either a one time thing, or I got used to it and don’t notice anymore. Either way, the mascara stayed put and its appearance wasn’t impacted.

7 ) Waterproof: Mostly yes, but also no. I have been in pools, hot tubs, in the ocean, and of course my shower, and wash my face in the sink. I have been splashed in the eyes in all these places. Just getting the mascara wet, even with hot tub water, will not make it come off. It takes persistent wetness combined with rubbing to make it really come off. Warm water combined with rubbing will break down the mascara fastest. So splashes alone aren’t going to do anything unless you then also vigorously rub your eyes. My head has been fully submerged without any change in the mascara, but I haven’t done laps underwater. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the mascara stayed on throughout goggle-free underwater lap swimming. On occasion, l’ll clean my face while showering, eyes totally getting hit by the stream of water, but perhaps I didn’t rub my eyes, and I’ll get out and say to myself, “Ughh… I forgot to remove my mascara,” because it still managed to survive. It is possible that under these hot shower conditions the mascara could become so tacky and ready for removal, that if you don’t remove it, it could clump. But sometimes I’ve forgotten and my mascara looked just as fresh as when I applied it.

8 ) Sleep-proof: Mostly. Firstly, I am not condoning sleeping in any mascara. You make that choice at your own risk. Everyone’s eyes are different and one person may be fine doing this more frequently than someone with more sensitive eyes. Plus, most Doctors will tell you to never do it. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, yes, I have done this, but the results are likely to be a crapshoot unless you sleep with a giant dome-eyed face mask on. I can’t really be bothered to do that. Also, if you sleep face up, and are able to not move so that your eyelashes don’t touch anything… you may wake up with flawless lashes. But if you’re a stomach or side sleeper, sleep with sheets or covers near your face, or engage in anything where your eyelashes might briskly rub something, especially if your eyelashes also get warm (maybe if you’re a hot sleeper) you MAY wake up with less than flawless lashes. Your eyelashes may become clumped together if something caused them to press together and they were warm. Do not even bother unclumping them without removing the mascara and starting over. It’s futile and you risk pulling out your lashes. Your lashes may also flake a little in your sleep from rubbing against something, like your pillow. In this case they may have lost a little bit of length or volume. You could add Steps 1 & 2 as needed, but you’d likely be introducing bacteria to your mascara, potentially adding visible black flakes to Step 1, and the result likely won’t be as nice as freshly applied mascara. Another possibility, is that you could wake up with irritated eyes. They could be a little more gooey than your normal morning eye gunk. They could be a little pink or itchy. If you leave the same mascara on for multiple days because you kept forgetting to remove it, the likelihood of irritation increases. I definitely recommend taking any irritation as a sign to remove the mascara and start fresh.

9 ) Lasts for a long time: Yes, you already know from various things I’ve said that this mascara is figuratively bullet-proof. But one tube of it also seems to last a lot longer than I expected it to. You’d think with half of the mascara tube being dedicated to Step 1 and the other half being Step 2, that it would last half as long as other mascaras at most. I don’t know if other mascaras are being sneaky or stingy with the volume of product in their tubes, but this mascara seems to last just as long if not longer. I’m sure everyone’s use is different, but sometimes I run out of the white before the black and other times I have run out of the black before the white. So I really can’t recommend that L’Oreal change their volume distribution. I will say that whenever I run out of one of the steps, the other at least feels close behind. Sometimes I will replace the mascara a bit earlier if my eyes get a little irritated on the first day of an application. That means I may have inadvertently contaminated it, or it could have been my travel mascara that exceeded any reasonable shelf life without me realizing it.

So there you go. That’s all the Pros I can think of at this moment, and if you’ve read this far, I’m appreciative and surprised.

Lastly, I want to provide some tips for removal. If this is the only makeup you wear, congratulations, you can save money and stop buying makeup removers and oil wipes. They won’t work on this mascara. What you need is warm or hot water, potentially patience, and a SOFT pulling/gliding motion over your eyelashes. Wait until your water actually gets warm, otherwise you’re going to be splashing your face for nothing and potentially ripping out your lashes, trying to force this mascara off. Really splash that water over your lids until they get super warm, and you feel the mascara getting really tacky. Once it gets super tacky, you can gently clasp the top and bottom portions of a quadrant of lashes, and glide the mascara away from your eyelids and off your eyelashes into the sink. If you feel any resistance, stop! Your mascara either isn’t warm enough or wet enough to be removed, and you risk pulling out your lashes. When it’s ready, the mascara will glide off effortlessly. Repeat as necessary until all lashes are clean. It may briefly look like you pulled a clump of spider legs off your eyes, but then they’ll wash down the drain. I supposed you could also do this removal process with a warm BLACK washcloth, but the mascara will end up on the washcloth forever, so I can’t recommend it. My personal preference for removal is in the shower. I nice hot shower creates the perfect condition for effortlessly removing this mascara. I usually wait until toward the end of my shower routine because trying right away usually means the mascara isn’t fully ready to come off. Waiting until the end, with the building steam of the shower, later combined with brief warm/hot water over my face, tends to be enough for the mascara to glide right off. However, as mentioned previously, if I don’t remember to actually rub my eyes or loosely grip my lashes to glide the mascara off, it will remain on through these conditions.

L’Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara may have a name that’s excessively long (just like this review), and it may not sound very cool or sexy, but it will be the mascara you pray will never be discontinued and the mascara you’ve waited for your entire life.

I’ve had a life long struggle with finding a mascara that doesn’t smudge off onto my eyelids due to extremely long lashes. I had heard great things about “tubing” mascaras, so I thought I’d give this one a try. I honestly thought I’d just try with this one and then go to a more expensive brand if I liked it, but this one is so great why not stick with the one that’s a great price! I love that it has a primer, it helps get a very even coverage and absolutely no smudging, even if i get to bed late and forget to wash it off. Another benefit is that i have absolutely no allergic reaction to it, which is another issue I deal with. I compared the Amazon price with one in a very common store and they are exactly the same, so I will continue to order from here as I don’t go to that store often.

I love it, a bit overpriced but it can last for days if you want it to – is not irritating and comes off very easily when you want. I’ve bought it for my mum and recommend it to all my friends.

As someone who typically gravitates toward high-end mascaras like Lancôme Hypnôse and other tubing options, I was pleasantly surprised by how well L’Oréal’s Double Extend Tubing Mascara performs, especially for the price. This mascara is a dream for anyone who leads an active lifestyle or needs long-lasting wear.

I teach hot yoga classes and also go through intense hot Pilates sessions, and this mascara doesn’t budge at all. I can count on it to stay put without any smudging, flaking, or smearing, no matter how much I sweat. It keeps my lashes looking long and defined throughout the day, giving that beautiful, fluttery look without the hassle of touch-ups.

What’s even better is how easy it is to remove. At the end of a long day, I just hop in the shower, and the tubes slide off effortlessly with any cleanser. No tugging or rubbing required, which is ideal for protecting my lashes. In a hot shower, it’s like the mascara just melts away — but only when I want it to.

Overall, L’Oréal’s Double Extend Tubing Mascara delivers reliable, smudgeproof wear, easy removal, and an impressive lengthening effect that rivals pricier options. For anyone who’s active or looking for a hassle-free mascara that stays put, this is a fantastic find.