Milani's Highly Rated Lash Extensions Mascara Lives Up to Its Name

We put the Milani Highly Rated Lash Extensions Tubing Mascara to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little makeup I wear: Mascara is always a constant in my beauty routine. As a fan of a number of different kinds of mascaras for different reasons, I’m always happy to try a new one—especially when they are from accessible, high-performing brands like Milani. With the Highly Rated Lash Extensions Mascara, Milani is bringing an affordable tubing mascara to the market, and that’s certainly something I needed to see for myself.

With Milani’s mascara promising to mimic the look of lash extensions, I decided to test it out for two weeks, getting a feel for how it worked and seeing if it lived up to its claims. Keep scrolling to read more about my experience.

About My Lashes: Curly, short, and in need of volume

Overall, my eyelashes are easy to work with. Even though they’re a little short and thin, they have a great curl to them, and when I’m using the right mascara, they end up looking really separated, lifted, and voluminous. As a huge mascara fan, I love trying new products and have my own personal checklist when shopping. Most importantly, I like products that add volume and definition; thick lashes that are still significantly defined make the mascara a winner for me. Recently, I’ve been using the Tarte Cosmetics Maneater Mascara, and it volumizes, defines, and lengthens my lashes really well. I was excited to see how the Milani lash extensions mascara would compare to my go-tos as well as other tubing formulas.

How to Apply: Sweep thoroughly from root to tip

To use Milani’s Highly Rated Tubing Mascara, start at the base of your lashes and sweep the wand from root to tip to make sure each lash is thoroughly coated. To prevent clumping when adding a second or third coat, don’t wait for the product to dry—instead, add more mascara when the lashes are still wet until you achieve your desired look.

The Results: Length and definition without flaking or smudging

The Milani lash extensions mascara is solid—it lengthened, curled, and lifted my lashes really well with just one coat. After three coats, my lashes had the length and definition I wanted without looking clumpy or spidery, and I was really happy with the way my eyes looked. The mascara uses a lash-extending tubing technology that wraps tiny tubes around each eyelash to lengthen and lift them, which makes layering the product seamless. I was able to add more length by building on coats while the formula was still wet, and the definition my lashes had didn’t change.

Since I’m a fan of thick, voluminous lashes, I was hoping Highly Rated would deliver in that area. But while my eyelashes looked full, they didn’t have as much volume as I typically like. To be fair, I like a really exaggerated, almost chunky eyelash look, and Milani’s mascara is more defining—it makes sense that the volume was subtle. I wore the mascara in extremely cold weather several times throughout the testing period, and the product stayed put. I didn’t experience any flaking or smudging, and taking off the mascara was super easy—all I had to do was splash warm water on my face and the tiny tubes slipped right off.

The Value: Hard to beat

Milani's Highly Rated Mascara is priced at around $14, and for a tubing mascara, I don’t think it could be priced better. This product rivals popular tubing mascaras that are at least double the price, making results like this more accessible for anyone on a budget. Mascara is such an important beauty staple for me, and while I would add an extra layer for more volume, I would gladly repurchase this one.

Similar Products: You've got options

Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara: An incredible tubing mascara, this incredible tubing mascara ($25) lives up to its name by dramatically lengthening and volumizing lashes, plus it has three shades to choose from. If you need a little more definition from a mascara, stick with Milani.

Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara (in italics): One of my personal favorite mascaras, the Tartelette Tubing Mascara ($25) strikes a good balance between volume, length, lift, and definition. If cost is most important, Milani is the product to go with.