Merit’s Clean Volume Mascara Has Zero Clumps, Major Volume, and Never Drips

I’m picky about pretty much every single item in my beauty routine (it’s my job to have a strong opinion), but I’m extra particular when it comes to mascara. I expect zero clumping, no irritation (chronic dry eye and allergy sufferer), no running, long-lasting results, volume, length, and definition. It shouldn’t be too much to ask for (!!). And yet, I find fault with almost every single one that hits my desk. They either look heavy and thick, give me raccoon eyes the second my eyes water, or flake off onto my under-eyes by three pm. My gripes with the mascara market, however, are exactly what make Merit’s new drop so beyond exciting.

On June 25, the brand will release Clean Volume Mascara, a volumizing, tubing mascara that promises extreme length, mega volume, and no clumps. To make the launch even more exciting, our incredible friends at Merit are letting Marie Claire readers get early access. We have a special link that lets you check out 48 hours early, so you can get this formula on your lashes before everyone else. All you have to do is subscribe to MC's newsletters, Face Forward, The A-List Edit, and Self Checkout.

Well, almost everyone. I had the privilege of securing an advanced sample last week and have been diligently testing this formula. Being a beauty editor has its perks. My honest thoughts on the formula—including how it stacks up against my other favorite mascaras—ahead.

The Formula

First and foremost, this is a tubing formula. For the unitiatied, unlike a regular mascara that coats lashes in waxes and oils to build volume and length, a tubing formula “uses polymers that will form little tubes to envelope the lashes and provide a volumized look,” cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously explained to Marie Claire. They are generally better for sensitive eyes (hence my obsession) and result in cylindrical tubes that rinse off with just a bit of water. That being said, they’re typically better at lengthening than volumizing and don’t prioritize locking in a curl.

That’s where Merit’s launch brings something new to market. The brand worked with a cutting-edge Japanese lab to ensure this formula helped lift and densify even thin, short lashes. “Instead of following the traditional beauty industry playbook, we set out to create something different: a volumizing mascara that delivers impact through precision—not excess. The result isn’t heavy, overdone lashes,” says Aila Morin, Merit’s Chief Marketing Officer. “It’s our take on volume—clean, defined, and lifted.”

The Application

The first thing I noticed when I unboxed this mascara was how narrow and slender the wand was. Typically, when a mascara claims to volumize, you’ll find a dense, bushy brush—they’re good for ensuring every lash gets an even coat. But Merit’s Clean Volume brush is this antithesis. It’s delicate—similar to what I look for when I want a mascara exclusively for my bottom lashes. But as soon as I started applying it, I noticed the benefit. The brush is easier to maneuver and doesn’t obstruct my view in the mirror, so I’m able to get the wand very close to my lash lines, which results in a darker finish and more intense payoff. It also has defined bristles that function similarly to a comb, separating each lash as I pull the wand through to the top.

After one coat, my length was maximized. But it wasn’t until the second that I really noticed the volumizing powers in action. It thickened each individual lash, making my overall appearance fuller, denser, and more dramatic. Even with the added thickness though, there wasn’t a clump in sight; every lash stayed in its own lane.

The Takeaway

Application time is honestly less than half the battle when searching for the perfect mascara. The real test is at the end of the day. Did it smudge? Are there flakes? Do I have smudges and raccoon eyes? Are my eyeballs bright red from irritation? When I got home after a long day at the beach—with salt water and humid, sticky weather—to find that my eye makeup looked very much intact, I was genuinely shocked.

It’s also worth shouting out that this does a better job at curling my lashes than any of my other go-to tubing mascaras. Normally, I have to layer mascaras to get this kind of lift and length, but this was such a hardworking multitasker that, between the brush and formula, I was one-and-done. In short, it’s the Goldilocks of tubing mascaras.

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Meet the Expert

Aila Morin

Aila Morin is the CMO of MERIT, the modern beauty brand known for simplifying routines. As a founding team member, Morin has been a driving force in building MERIT into a category-defining business. Prior to MERIT, she was Director of Marketing and GTM of jewelry brand Mejuri, where she drove impactful brand campaigns and expanded the brand into more than 30 countries. At MERIT, Morin leads the end-to-end customer experience across creative, product development, marketing and retail strategy. Her unique combination of creative vision and performance-driven discipline has enabled her to build brands that are both financially successful and culturally relevant.