There is a category of mascara where the first time you remove it you will think your lashes are falling out. They are not. What slides off into tiny black threads in your palm is not a lash, it is a casing - and that is the whole mechanism.

These are the so-called tubing mascaras, and in summer they have one advantage classic formulas do not: they do not smudge in sweat and humidity.

How they work

A classic mascara is made of waxes and oils. These are not. „They are made of polymers, usually polyurethane or acrylate derivatives, which on drying wrap each lash and form a small individual tube,” explains Nuria López, chief executive of the dermocosmetics company Kuka&Chic.

So instead of colouring the lash, the product builds a thin casing around it. The pigment is sealed inside and there is no way for it to transfer to the skin through sweat, humidity or oil - however long the day lasts.

Removal is the confusing part

„It can look pretty strange, because it looks like you are losing lashes,” says make-up artist Marta Obeo. The casing slides off once dampened with lukewarm water and comes away in fine threads.

The method: soak the lashes thoroughly with warm water, press gently with your fingers so the casing slides downwards, and do not rub or pull. López warns that removing it dry breaks the tube into pieces - which is precisely what everyone does the first time, out of panic.

Who it makes sense for

This is not a product for everyone, and that is worth saying plainly rather than selling it as a universal fix. It makes sense if your lids are oily and your mascara smudges by the afternoon, if you have sensitive eyes or reactive skin, if you wear contact lenses, or if you simply want clean, defined lashes all day.

The result is separated, lengthened, defined lashes with a light finish - not volume. If you are after density, this is not the product that delivers it.

And one important distinction the industry does not emphasise: for a long spell in water, Obeo still recommends waterproof mascara. Tubing is for heat and humidity, not for swimming. Even a product that works well has a limit - and someone telling you where that limit is has more credibility than anyone promising that one tube solves everything.