Mascara has never really been about shade range for me. I have dark brunette lashes, so I’ve always defaulted to black — the standard, the classic, the only option the CVS near my high school carried unless you counted that sad brown tube. Editorial? Hardly. But it’s always been my go-to.
Sure, it’s functional. The only problem is taking it off — the most dreaded part of my nighttime routine because black mascaras always leave me with raccoon eyes. No matter how hard I try to remove the product, there’s inevitably some charcoal residue and stranded hairs. I want length and definition that doesn’t budge throughout the day, then slips off at night without a goth under-eye situation. Apparently, that’s a tall order.
Then TikTok started freaking out over Urban Decay’s new Tube Job mascara. Yes, the formula gives dramatic length (“I need 15 more of them in my drawer immediately,” one user said), but it’s the bleached platinum blonde shade that stole my attention. It’s something that feels genuinely new in beauty — and just eclectic enough to spark its own micro-trend. “The type of mascara that would put clean girls into a coma,” as another user commented. Did I ever think I’d be reaching for a blonde mascara? Absolutely not. But here we are, and honestly, I’m gagged.
Fast Facts
- Price: $25
- Best for: Lengthening and defining lashes
- Rating: 4.5/5
- What I like: The formula is super lightweight, doesn’t flake throughout the day, and delivers on a clean, fast removal process.
- What I don’t like: The wand doesn’t give any extra volume, and the result veers into spider lash territory if you apply more than one coat.
Urban Decay’s Tube Job Mascara
Shade options aside, the formula is really what makes Urban Decay’s Tube Job stand out. As a tubing mascara, it uses polymers that wrap around each lash from root to tip, forming tiny “tubes” that act like protective sleeves — giving separation, lift, and length without the buildup that usually leads to flaking. At the end of the night, those tubes simply loosen with warm water and slide off.
Urban Decay also calls it a “serum-soaked” formula, and the ingredients support that claim. It includes hyaluronic acid to keep lashes hydrated, peptides to help strengthen them over time, and castor oil — the internet’s favorite lash growth hack. Ultra-thin bristles on the applicator wand ensure that every hair gets coated with the serum-formula, so that you get the instant payoff of definition with the extra bonus of lash-care benefits baked into the wear.
My Review
Let’s be honest: The photo speaks for itself. The Platinum shade is very pigmented — as in, it fully blanked out my black-brown lashes in a single coat, something I naively assumed would take a few passes. The thinner bristles made it easy to wiggle the formula in between every lash, and overall the application was smooth.
It did get a touch clumpy at the tips when I went back in for a second layer, but I’ll allow it because the final result was surprisingly editorial without me even trying. (And that’s coming from someone with a five-step makeup routine.) I felt like Mia Goth, but maybe that’s the delusion talking.
If you’re wondering why the mascara also ended up on my brows, it’s because people on TikTok were curious if it could double as a faux-bleached brow product. The short answer? Yes. I pressed the bristle against the natural grain of my arches so the blonde pigment could saturate the hairs, then brushed everything into place with more pigment.
The result convinced me to never bleach my brows permanently — but it’s easier than the concealer brow hack because the formula sets on its own. For a fun, avant-garde moment, I’d absolutely reach for Platinum mascara again. If you’re going for alien glam or full ice-queen frost, the shade will sell the entire look.
In terms of my new go-to mascara, though, I’ll be rocking the Brunette option. It’s a soft darker brown that really opens up the eyes and gives the perfect amount of definition. I do wish that it was a touch more volumizing, but to be fair, that’s not what this formula is built for. This mascara is all about length and hold — plus, a clean removal that doesn’t damage your lashes.
That last part is what really sold me. I ran warm water over my fingers, rubbed them against the base of my lashes for about five seconds, and the tubes slid off in satisfying little clumps — no tugging, no oil cleanser, no leftover raccoon eyes. And most importantly, no more sleeping in mascara out of removal avoidance — it’s that easy.
The Verdict
Will I be rocking frosted lashes everyday? Well, probably not. But Urban Decay’s new Tube Job mascara has more than just shock-factor going for it. Beyond the novelty shades, it’s a formula that lengthens, defines, and stays put without any under-eye flakes — then rinses off at night in seconds with just water. Platinum might be the buzzy, editorial shade that has TikTok in shambles, but the Brunette is the sleeper hit I’ll reach for on the regular.
