Index / Tower 28 / MakeWaves Mascara
Tower 28

MakeWaves Mascara.

Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara
Eye Makeup

About this product

A volumizing and lengthening mascara with a felt-tip pen applicator, designed to define and enhance lashes with a natural to moderate finish.

Eye Makeup

The Guru Index verdict

88%

Approved

✓Approved · 88%
Guru Certified
Broad expert consensus
7Reviewers
6Approved
1Mixed
0Skip
#2 in Eye Makeup

What the gurus are saying

The gurus who tested it praise how the felt-tip wand applies smoothly and delivers volume and length straight from the tube without pumping, and that it holds curl well even in humidity. The black shade earns consistent love, though the brown version divides opinion. One key thing to know: some found it dries out faster than expected after a month or so of regular use, which means anyone purchasing should keep an eye on the formula's consistency over time. It's also water-resistant rather than waterproof, so removal is gentle on lashes, though a few testers noted it can turn clumpy as the tube ages.
Synthesized from 7 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Vitamin CVitamin EFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water/​Aqua/​Eau, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/​Cera Carnauba/​Cire De Carnauba, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Synthetic Wax, VP/​VA Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables, Aminomethyl Propanol, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyimide-1, Galactoarabinan, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Shorea Robusta Resin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Ultramarines (Ci 77007)

Where to buy

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Dr. Shereene Idriss
Dr. Shereene Idriss
1.71M subs · 50k devotees
✓Approved
"My tried-and-true Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara is a great product. I usually wear it in black, but I did learn a trick recently that if you get it in brown, you can use it on your eyebrows as well, although I have not yet done that."
All 3 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss
Top Derm Picks for Sephora Holiday Savings Event 2025 | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"My tried-and-true Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara is a great product. I usually wear it in black, but I did learn a trick recently that if you get it in brown, you can use it on your eyebrows as well, although I have not yet done that."
Best NEW Skincare & Makeup of 2023! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"You guys always ask me what mascara I'm using. I've been using for like the past year Make Waves by Tower 28, they're Dark One in jet, I think it's their black one. They came out this year with a brown version called Drift. Very honestly, I don't like the Drift because it doesn't feel like I get all my eyelashes, and the point of the mascara is like to get your eyelashes. The black just hits different. But I do wear brown eyeliner but black mascara. I love the Make Waves mascara."
Sephora 2023 Holiday Sale: Dermatologist’s Top Picks for ALL Skin Concerns! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Tower 28 MakeWaves mascara, it's a volumizing mascara for 20 bucks, is great. It is a felt tip pen and it's just beautiful in how it gets applied."
Mixed Makeup
Mixed Makeup
1.47M subs · 10k devotees
✓Approved
"This is from Tower 28, by the way. It's so cute. And just going to do a couple pumps here."
Top Pick: daytime mascara
All 3 takes from Mixed Makeup
Rating Sephora's Best Selling Mascaras with a Professional Makeup Artist (Honest Makeup Reviews)
"Tower 28 MakeWaves lengthening mascara is a wonderful daytime mascara. It lengthens my lashes, it doesn't necessarily make them look really full but it lengthens them, it makes them stand out, it doesn't get everywhere, and because it's water resistant and not waterproof it's not hard to get off so it's not damaging your lashes. It holds my curl. The one note if I have to give it a little critique is that when it gets to the end and it's a little bit drier it does get a little clumpy, but for me it's amazing. Living in Miami with the humidity and all that, it does really well in that."
Cosmetic Treatments I've Tried: What I Loved, Regret, and Would Actually Do Again (GRWM)
"This is from Tower 28, by the way. It's so cute. And just going to do a couple pumps here."
EMPTIES! Reviewing the Skincare, Makeup, & Body Care Products I've Finished | Beauty with Susan Yara
"My favorite mascara from Tower 28, the MakeWaves mascara in the shade jet. They also have a brown shade as well. I go through tubes and tubes and tubes of this. I love it. I've been trying other mascaras, I enjoy them, but then I come right back to this guy. I love it, it's great for me. I've heard mixed reviews from people, people either love it or hate it. I'm in the I love it camp. It's just so good. In Miami, by the way, in the humidity, it holds up. It doesn't smear all over the place. I just find that it's such a good mascara."
Caroline Hirons
Caroline Hirons
251k subs · 9k devotees
✓Approved
"Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara, totally grail. I'm wearing it today and it just, straight out of the tube, gives you pow. It's amazing, it's good out of the tube, and I hate when something has to be pumped. It's not a tubing one, which matters to me because I can't do tubing mascaras, they don't do anything."
Top Pick: mascara
All 3 takes from Caroline Hirons
Glad We Had This Chat Takes New York - Katie Jane Hughes
"Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara, totally grail. I'm wearing it today and it just, straight out of the tube, gives you pow. It's amazing, it's good out of the tube, and I hate when something has to be pumped. It's not a tubing one, which matters to me because I can't do tubing mascaras, they don't do anything."
S2 Ep22: GLAD WE HAD THIS CHAT TAKES NEW YORK: Katie Jane Hughes
"Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara, holy grail. It doesn't give fibers. I'm wearing it today, and straight out of the tube it just gives you pow. It's not a tubing mascara, and I hate tubing, they don't do anything. It's amazing and it's good out of the tube. I also hate when something has to be pumped, and this doesn't require that."
Katie Jane Hughes launches KJH Brand!
"My current go-tos are Tower 28 MakeWaves and I'm obsessed with it."
Dr. Sam Ellis
Dr. Sam Ellis
851k subs · 132k devotees
✓Approved
"I'm going in with the Tower 28 MakeWaves mascara in the shade Drift, which is their brown shade. This is a waterproof mascara, but the thing I like about waterproof mascara is that it curls your lashes a lot better than non-waterproof and it doesn't flake at all over the course of the day. Look how that just lengthens my lashes and thickens them up so easily, and being a blonde, I just tend to like how a brown mascara looks on my face. This is such a good mascara."
Alexandra Anele
Alexandra Anele
1.42M subs · 29k devotees
~Mixed
"I prefer the wand for this mascara and it does create a really beautiful natural look, like it's very combed out, it's very soft, it's very feathery. For an everyday, simple natural kind of makeup look, I think this is really nice because it does define the eye without being too much. When I wore this the first time and I removed it, it comes off basically with water, like it's so gentle on your eyes. You really don't have to rub hard or anything, which is really nice."
All 2 takes from Alexandra Anele
We’re putting Lisa to the test yall
"I prefer the wand for this mascara and it does create a really beautiful natural look, like it's very combed out, it's very soft, it's very feathery. For an everyday, simple natural kind of makeup look, I think this is really nice because it does define the eye without being too much. When I wore this the first time and I removed it, it comes off basically with water, like it's so gentle on your eyes. You really don't have to rub hard or anything, which is really nice."
The products I recommend in REAL LIFE
"Tower 28 is a little bit more like natural everyday but it's so gentle on the lashes and creates like a really beautiful finish on the lashes without being waterproof, so it's going to be gentle when you're removing it. It's fantastic. I've been recommending it to people who ask."
Beyond50Skin
Beyond50Skin
31k subs · 1k devotees
✓Approved
"I found this and have stuck with it ever since and of course you guys know my new find is the Tower 28 mascara. I love them both but this is my holy grail that I can't live without."
Top Pick: mascara
All 8 takes from Beyond50Skin
The BEST OF CREDO'S SKINCARE & MAKEUP For MATURE OVER 50 SKIN | Friends & Family Savings Event!
"Tower 28 came out with their mascara which was in my best of 2022 finds."
Top 10 Beauty Products I Never Want to Live Without OVER 50
"I found this and have stuck with it ever since and of course you guys know my new find is the Tower 28 mascara. I love them both but this is my holy grail that I can't live without."
Best New Makeup Products For A Fresh, Natural Look On Mature Skin Over 50 / Makeup Minimalist
"The mascara that I use today was Tower 28. I used it one last time before I toss it out."
Empties, Fails and Favorites In Every Beauty Category (Beauty Over 50)
"Tower 28, now this is a bit of a disappointment. My latest tube I can maybe get a few more uses out of this but it dried out so quickly. I'm a little disappointed in this because compared to the Benefits lash primer that I use which lasts forever, this maybe lasted a month, which is not very long for a mascara to dry out. And you can see on the brush it's kind of getting clumpy. This was one of my 2023 favorite mascaras but I'm debating whether I'm going to repurchase it again. There's so many mascaras out there to try so this has kind of gone off my faves and onto my probably not purchase list."
BEST OF CREDO BEAUTY | No Waiting, No Tiers, No Membership | Friends & Family Savings Event
"Tower 28 came out with their mascara which was in my best of 2022 finds."
How to Brighten Mature Under Eyes (Color Correction for Beginners)
"I wore the Tower 28 mascara. I've talked a little bit about this recently that it's getting a little bit drier each tube that I buy for some reason. I'm also getting more fallout than I used to. So the longevity of these isn't what they used to be. I'm going to have to find a new favorite mascara."
Life Update GRWM Chat: Dealing With Unexpected Loss & Grief
"This is getting a little bit dried out I probably need to replace this it's getting a little bit clumpier than I would typically want. It doesn't usually apply this thickly, it usually goes on much better, but I think it's time to replace this."
Fall Beauty EMPTIES, FAILS & FAVES: Skincare, Hair Care, Body Care & Lash Care // And Meet My Mom
"Another lash product that I've been using is my mascara from Tower 28, and it's completely done dried up. This was one of my favorite mascaras from 2022 and I think it's going to be in my 2023 best of as well."
Allie Glines
Allie Glines
830k subs · 36k devotees
✓Approved
"The Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara has been a staple for me. This is actually the one that I'm wearing today. This one gives you a little bit more volume. I love both the black and also the brown shade in this. I use them both like crazy. This one I really love how voluminous it can make your lashes. It's so pretty and I'm still loving it all these years later."
Sponsored
All 14 takes from Allie Glines
FINALLY TRYING THIS NEW MAKEUP...
"I'm going to wear brown mascara to keep things even more soft. I'm going to wear the one from Tower 28, this is the shade Drift in their MakeWaves Mascara."
My PERFECT Makeup for Every Weekday 😍
"I'm going to use the Tower 28 mascara and I'm just applying that to both the top and bottom lashes."
What’s Worth It from the Sephora Sale + My Cart 👀
"The Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara has been a staple for me. This is actually the one that I'm wearing today. This one gives you a little bit more volume. I love both the black and also the brown shade in this. I use them both like crazy. This one I really love how voluminous it can make your lashes. It's so pretty and I'm still loving it all these years later."
My #1 Makeup RIGHT NOW 😍
"I've been using this constantly lately. This is the Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara, which really gives your lashes so much volume. There's something about this color and formula that's just so pretty. It adds such a healthy little detail to any makeup look, how it just makes you look more awake. I'm absolutely obsessed with this."
5 Ways to Instantly Look Better Every Day
"I love wearing brown mascara, especially darker brown tones like this one from Tower 28, their MakeWaves Mascara in the color Drift. It defines the lashes like a black mascara, but it's something softer. In sunlight, the lashes just look cute. It's a magical effect. It really makes a difference. I also feel like it gives your entire makeup look a little bit of warmth, which is great when you just need a little pick-me-up. You're probably already wearing a mascara anyway, so you might as well experiment with something fun like a brown mascara."
The Makeup I'm Thankful For This Year 🥹
"For mascara I'm thankful for the Tower 28 mascara. I've gone through so many bottles of these. I obviously love so many types of mascara but this one is the one that came to mind first. I just really love love it."
If I Took You to Sephora, Here's What I'd Buy You! 😍
"This one's really great, clean formula. I love how buildable this one is. It has a nice curved wand to it as well, which I feel like is nice for getting in those inner corners of the lashes. This is great for every day. It doesn't smudge or flake on me. I'm very picky with mascaras and that one has been great."
The BEST Makeup TODAY.. According to YOU!
"I couldn't believe how many of you guys said the Tower 28 mascara is what you're loving right now. I mean I can believe it because it's such a good formula."
EVERYONE gets 20% OFF at Sephora right now?!
"For mascara my current favorite from Sephora I have to say is the Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara. You guys know how much I love this, especially lately. It's like one of my go-tos at the moment. I'm going to use this on the top and bottom lashes, focusing a lot of the product on the outer edge of the top lash to give more of a lifted effect."
The ONLY Makeup I Need Right Now...
"I need to open a new bottle of this and luckily they recently sent me one. This is one of my current favorite mascaras, it's so beautiful. I'm going to really really go in with this focusing most of the product on the outer edge of that top lash."
The Makeup I'm Thankful For This Year
"I'm thankful for the Tower 28 mascara at the moment. It's just so nice for everyday but also for more glam looks, which I love."
What's ACTUALLY in Lisa J's Makeup Bag?!
"If I want super beef on my lashes, I build up this Tower 28 one. You can go a little bit lighter with it, but I love this one built up. So I save this for more like glam days. It's good for sensitive eyes too. It's gorgeous."
Reusing AMAZING New Makeup 😍
"I'm going to use my Tower 28 mascara on the top and bottom lashes."
My Stress-Free Sephora Savings Guide! 🤗🛍️
"This is so incredible. These two are my favorites at Sephora. I feel like I always talk about them because they're just so good and nothing has really topped them for me from Sephora."
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