Essence VS Fenty Mascara

The first: a Tik Tok favorite. Since I’m not loyal to one specific mascara, I had to try it.

I am, however, picky about my mascara. I like them dramatic. Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara definitely does that trick. It’s thick and messy just the way I like it. A good mascara to me requires a q tip to clean up some residue.

You all know I am a mascara girl. If I were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one beauty product, you’d find me batting volumized, jet-black lashes at the rescue helicopter, courtesy of my trusty mascara. I’ve tried them all—from drugstore gems to luxury splurges. Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara is definitely in that first category.

What I love about it? Well the price for starters. It’s the same as a cup of coffee. A fancy Starbucks coffee, sure, but still a mere $5-ish is practically free in mascara land. Secondly, this stuff gives my beloved drama. As mentioned above; I like my lashes slightly messy. I’m not refined when it comes to them, or not much else when I think about it.

The down side? It may just be my perimenopausal self but there are days where I look like I have been crying during a windstorm. It will be all over my face. Nothing a little tissue can’t take care of.

For that same reason my sister buys the waterproof version of the Essence mascara. I have a love/hate relationship with waterproof mascara. I can never seem to remove it properly which results in clumpy layers when I attempt to reapply my mascara in the morning. And I feel like I have tried some of the best removers. Although I will admit that I will not spend big bucks on these either.

What about the luxury brand mentioned above you may wonder? Well, I did splurge a bit on Fenty. I wanted to love this mascara for the $24.00 but also because, I mean, it’s Fenty. Rihanna could release a line of glittery nose plugs, and I’d probably buy them. But, alas, Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara fell flat. In her defense; this is the perfect mascara if you like clean, well separated, perfectly neat lashes. That’s just not my cup of tea. My lashes looked fine, not bad, not great.

So, here’s the moral of the story: sometimes the best things don’t come in fancy packages. Sometimes they’re $5 and sitting on the bottom shelf of your local drugstore, waiting to transform your lashes into works of art. A messy, dramatic piece of art.

I do have another new favorite however. I told you I’m a hussy when it comes to my lashes! Stay tuned.