Volumizing + Lengthening Mascara (Vegan + Gluten-Free)

In all my years of seeking out mascara that’s truly volumizing and lengthening, I’ve finally found a brand that never irritates my eyes. And, beautifully, it happens to be vegan and gluten-free.

Since I travel so much, I strive to keep my makeup as minimal as possible. And because I truly love wearing mascara, mascara is one makeup item that I always want with me.

My desire to highlight my eyes began at age thirteen, when public junior high exposed me to magazines, trends, and makeup—hence, when I first decided that I looked too much like a boy.

While I don’t wish such imprinting on anyone, that was my reality. So that’s when my love of mascara began.

Back then, most mascaras seemed to apply what appeared to be thin wet ink to my lashes. Yet, I was craving plump volume, a fullness I could see.

I wanted my eyes to pop, just by wearing mascara, so I’d not need to bother with eye shadow. I wanted to keep my makeup as easy as possible.

And I definitely thought it was important to present myself as authentically as possible. Less is more. However, I always wanted plump lashes.

I also wanted to easily wash off my mascara—completely. I didn’t want my eyes to experience excessive pressure or scrubbing.

It would be years before I’d find a volumizing and lengthening mascara that truly provided volume and length. It took even longer to find mascara that was also vegan and gluten-free.

And brown mascara, to be exact. That’s when I began to love mascara even more.

Then, last year, when my old mascara ran out, my eyes put down their foot—my eyes demanded an irritant-free mascara.

Thus, this is the year that I finally found a volumizing and lengthening mascara that truly plumps and lengthens, is easy to wash off, comes in brown, is GF + vegan, and never irritates my eyes.

This is how I love to travel through life. My eyes don’t itch. There is no redness. Just lashes I love that do no harm.

“Hi! I’m Amy Liu, founder/CEO here at Tower 28!

“I've had sensitive skin my entire adult life. After 15+ years working in the beauty industry, I was frustrated that my chronic eczema meant I was stuck using boring, clinical brands that often didn’t even work.

“I wanted to create accessible, irritant-free, high-performance, FUN products designed for all skin types (esp sensitive!).

“Tower 28 is named after a real lifeguard tower in Los Angeles. For us, it’s a literal sign of safety + community, healthy fun, and clean living.

“All of our plastic product packaging is made from at least 50% PCR (post-consumer resin, aka recycled plastic!), which helps divert waste from landfills and reduce the end-user responsibility associated with recyclable or compostable materials.

“This clean mascara is lightweight + endlessly buildable without getting crunchy or clumpy. It's also easy to wash off keeping eye irritation and lash breakage at bay.

”Earth Sensitive Pledge: MakeWaves™ packaging is made from 78% PCR (aka post-consumer recycled plastic) as part of our commitment to sustainable packaging.

“Dermatologist Approved, Clinically Tested, Hypoallergenic, Ophthalmologist-tested.

“Fragrance Free, Essential Oil Free, Gluten Free, Silicon Free, Alcohol-Free, Water-proof/resistant, Vegan, Cruelty-Free.”