Maybelline Sky High vs Sky Tubes: which mascara would I buy?

Sky Tubes is my pick if easier mascara removal is the priority. Sky High Washable makes more sense for its flexible brush and a choice beyond black. Neither is an automatic upgrade over the other. The useful difference is how they fit a routine, especially at the sink.

Both US brand listings put the price at $13.99, so formula and shade come before hunting for an offer.

The two tubes I am comparing

This comparison covers the US Sky High Washable and Sky Tubes Tubing, both in Very Black. Sky High Waterproof is a separate option. Check the full name before buying: searching for Sky High can bring up all three.

US reference prices checked October 29, 2026, before tax and delivery. Retailer offers can differ.

Detail	Sky High Washable	Sky Tubes
Brand-listed price	$13.99	$13.99
US pack size	0.24 fl oz	0.23 fl oz
Brush	Flexible Flex Tower	Tubing Extender with a rounded tip
Removal directions	Gentle makeup remover or micellar water	Saturate with warm water, then gently slide off the tubes
My reason to choose it	Shade choice and the familiar Sky High brush	Warm-water removal and precise work around smaller lashes
Main reservation	Adding more coats can compromise separation	A tubing label does not guarantee curl hold or zero flakes

The Sky High and Sky Tubes manufacturer pages establish the brush and removal differences. Target's listings identify the 0.24 fl oz washable tube and 0.23 fl oz tubing version. That small size difference matters much less to me than the brush.

Why I would choose Sky Tubes

I put a lot of value on a mascara that fits the way I want to remove my makeup. If I specifically want warm-water removal, Sky Tubes is the relevant purchase. Maybelline tells users to soak the lashes before gently swiping the tubes away. Pulling at dry mascara misses the point of that method.

The brush also gives it a reason to exist alongside Sky High. Its small rounded tip is intended for inner and lower lashes. That is the detail I would compare first if a large brush tended to get in my way.

Application needs attention, though. Maybelline directs users to build Sky Tubes while the lashes are still wet. I would work on one eye at a time if that helped me finish before the first layer set. Someone who likes leaving a coat to dry while doing the rest of their makeup may prefer a different rhythm.

Those practical differences interest me more than the promise of up to 24 hours of wear. A maximum wear claim tells me little about whether I will like the result.

Why I would still buy Sky High

Sky High has a clearer advantage when colour matters. The US range includes brown, burgundy, blue and other shades alongside its black options. If I wanted a softer brown lash, I would choose that deliberately rather than buy a black tubing mascara because it was newer.

Its bendy brush is also a preference worth keeping. If I already liked how it reached the lashes at the corners, I would need a reason to change. A launch does not make an existing favourite stop working.

My hesitation is heavy layering. In Reviewed's original Sky High test, Brigitt Earley found that a third coat added impact but also made lashes stick together. That older test cannot settle how every current shade performs. It does make me reluctant to treat more coats as a free improvement.

For a separated look, more mascara is not necessarily better. A deliberately thicker result allows a little more grouping; the question is whether that is the look you want.

What the Sky Tubes reviews disagree on

Marie Claire UK's Lottie Winter liked the separation and removal, but wanted a deeper black and needed extra coats for lift. Emmie's Beauty Life, reviewing the Australian release, also liked the initial definition but reported flakes and drooping later.

Those are individual experiences from different markets, not a controlled comparison of the two US tubes. Their disagreement is useful: initial length, lasting curl and resistance to smudging are separate things. One mascara can do well on one and disappoint on another.

If curl hold were my main complaint, I would not assume Sky Tubes solved it. I would also keep Sky High Waterproof separate when reading reviews. A recommendation for that version is not evidence about the washable one.

Our mascara guide for oily lids offers a wider comparison if transfer is the problem you are trying to fix.

Is Sky High a tubing mascara?

For this buying decision, choose Sky Tubes when you want Maybelline's designated tubing formula and its warm-water removal method. Sky High Washable has different removal instructions. The label is more useful here than trying to classify a mascara from one polymer in its ingredient list.

Is Sky Tubes waterproof?

Maybelline describes it as cold-waterproof while also directing warm-water removal. The temperature distinction matters. Calling it waterproof without that qualification leaves out part of the removal instructions.

Where I would buy them

Target lists the exact versions compared here: Sky High Washable Very Black and Sky Tubes Very Black. Check the selected shade and formula before paying. Retailer offers may differ from the dated brand prices above.

If Sky High already gave me the look I wanted and removal was easy enough, I would finish the tube. Sky Tubes earns a place on my shortlist when I actually want to change the removal method or try that more detailed brush tip.