10 Best Tried and True Japanese Tube Mascaras in 2023 (Hair and Makeup Artist-Reviewed)

&be is a brand produced by clue in collaboration with Japanese hair and makeup artist Yusuke Kawakita. This mascara brush has a gentle curve to it that makes it easy to apply, which is also aided by the fact that it dries quickly. Additionally, it's relatively easy to remove, making it ideal for those who don't want to apply too much stress on their lashes.

In our durability test, this product earned an astonishing full score, maintaining our tester's curls even after 8 hours had passed. This makes it best for days where you plan on having makeup on for long hours or days when you're too busy to fix your makeup.

It was able to separate our lashes without any clumping, creating a tapered finish toward the tips, earning it high marks in the finish test. This allows even novices to create a beautiful finish with almost no skill required. This is definitely one of the best Japanese mascaras out in the market today.

This mascara from K-Palette has a unique brush angled at 9 degrees. While the thickness of the brush may not be for everyone, the liquid itself has a silky texture that allows for a smooth application. On top of that, it's remarkably quick-drying, making it perfect for busy mornings.

Its finish is airy and light, almost as if your natural lashes grew on their own, making it perfect for a no-makeup look. Additionally, it separates the lashes without any clumping and is easily removable without the mascara bleeding everywhere, which is convenient for days when you just want to remove your makeup and go straight to bed.

After 8 hours, it began to lose its curl a bit, but this is likely within acceptable margins for most. This mascara has a refined finish, dries quickly, and is easy to remove, making it a mascara that's definitely worth trying out.

Noa Beauty's Kami-Waza Mascara was able to maintain excellent curls even after 8 hours with almost no change, making it great for when you plan on leaving your makeup on for a long time.

With its ability to neatly bundle up eyelashes without any clumping, this makes for a great product if you want more volume and a neat finish. However, some of our testers found it to be a little difficult to remove, so it's best to use makeup remover correctly.

The liquid itself is thick and isn't particularly fast-drying, but its thin, curved brush makes it easy to apply the mascara near the corners of the eyes. We also liked its smooth cap and compact size that makes it perfect for carrying around.

I-ne's Eyemania Innocent Long is a mascara that's compatible with eyelash extensions. Capable of neatly and evenly applying the mascara liquid on all lashes, including those in the corners of the eyes, it creates a gentle yet strong finish. When removing it, it tends to bleed out, so be sure to check in the mirror as you take it off.

Its arched brush, which is slightly on the bigger side, makes it easy to apply mascara on even the finest of lashes. On top of that, the mascara also dries fairly quickly, and it also earned high marks in our curl retention test, with almost no change after 8 hours. This mascara is great for long-lasting lashes on busy days or for days where you plan on being out for long.

D-Up's Curl Keeper Mascara is formulated with 10 beautifying ingredients. D-Up claims it locks in your curls, and we found this to be true: after 8 hours, we saw almost no change in how curled our lashes were. On top of it all, it's fairly easy to remove!

While we were slightly disappointed with how it made the tips of our lashes look a bit split, we were fond of how little clumping there was. Our testers commented that the small and narrow brush made it easy for them to apply the mascara to the corners of their eyes, as well as commented on how the liquid dries quickly, and on how easy the cap was to open. Overall, this mascara was easy to use and has great durability.

Makeup artist Takako Ohashi's original mascara features a whopping 18 different beautifying ingredients. While the liquid is slightly thick, it applies smoothly and dries fast. When it's time to take it off, all you need to do is blend a bit of cleansing oil and it'll fall right off.

Unfortunately, we found that our lashes tended to stick together, but this was offset by the fact that this mascara doesn't clump. Additionally, this earned high scores in the curl retention test, with almost no sagging curls after 8 hours.

I-ne's Carome. Real Volume Mascara is removable with warm water as well as a cleansing oil. While it lost a bit of its curl after 8 hours, it's probably acceptable for most.

In our finish test, this earned high marks, capable of adding volume while separating each individual eyelash. The thickness and length of the brush was fairly average, but we liked how we were able to apply mascara from the corners of eyer eyes in one go, and it was relatively quick to dry. However, this does tend to clump up when multiple coats are applied, so be warned.

ACRO's Amplitutde Extra Volume Color Mascara is available in 8 different colors. While it can neatly separate your lashes well, the liquid tends to accumulate on the tips, so we recommend using an eyelash comb. It's fairly easily removed, so it's perfect for those who don't want to apply any stress to their lashes.

The container is on the larger side, and the thickness of the liquid might not be for everyone, but it dries quickly and opens and closes smoothly, which we liked. Moreover, the curl durability was outstanding, with almost no noticeable change after 8 hours.

Ya-Man's Only Minerals Mineral Multi Mascara can not only be used on your lashes but your eyebrows as well. We weren't too fond of how the mascara didn't apply neatly on our lashes, but it had excellent curl retention, with no change after 8 hours.

It has a fine, loose texture that allows you to apply it smoothly. It also dries at break-neck speeds; even if you blink immediately after applying it, it won't transfer any color where you don't want it. 

The slightly narrow brush allows you to reach difficult spots like the corners of your eyes. This product also earned a full score in the removal test, quickly coming off with just a little bit of cleansing oil.

Flowfushi's Uzu Mote Mascara Vol. 9 is a waterproof mascara that can be removed with warm water. There was nothing outstanding about its finish, and it was overall fairly average. However, we felt that it was difficult to apply and doesn't dry as quickly as other products, making it a bit more difficult to use.

However, where this product really shone was in its curl durability. It was able to fully maintain its curls after 8 hours, with no visible change, making it great for long days. Additionally, by taking your time and gently using cleansing oil, it can be removed neatly. Make sure you use a mirror when you remove it!