REVIEW | Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara

I've been on a hiatus from using the L'Oreal Lash Paradise. The formula isn't doing anything for me anymore, so I had been looking for a new mascara. Enter, Essence's Lash Princess False Lash Effect mascara. Some of the few YouTubers that I watch (JAMBeauty89 and RachhLoves) adore it. The girl at the Ulta checkout raved about it when she saw that I was buying it. It's only $4.99, and usually sold out because people love it so much. Those all seem like indicators of a great mascara to me. 

A NOTE ON MY LASHES
I have very straight, borderline downturned eyelashes. They're black and are a decent length, but they lack fullness and look sparse without mascara on. I need at least 2-3 coats of mascara if I want them to look like they're actually there. 

WHAT I LIKED
This particular Lash Princess mascara (there are two other kinds) wand is fairly small and the bristles are tightly packed. You know when you're using a mascara wand and you can feel a slight tug on your lashes? That's how this one feels. And I love that feeling because I know the wand is coating and separating my lashes really well. The formula is in the goldilocks zone – it isn't super wet and it isn't dry, either. A lot of mascaras are too heavy for my eyelashes (which, by the end of the day, turn droopy), but this one has been really good at holding my curl throughout the wear time. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I often forget that less is more with Lash Princess. Beyond two coats, it gets clumpy really fast. If too much product is applied, the formula will also flake a little bit and leave flecks on my face. When this happens, I can definitely salvage my eyelashes with a lash comb, but I need to be quick and precise. On a less important note, I'm not fond of the packaging. Essence's aesthetic has always seemed kind of childish to me, and this mascara's packaging is no exception. 

FINAL VERDICT
Essence's Lash Princess False Lash Effect mascara delivers on its promises: with every use, my eyelashes are curled, lengthened, and voluminous the entire day. I've been using this for a few weeks now, and I haven't reached for my Lash Paradise mascara at all. The drawbacks, clumping and flaking, are preventable. When you find yourself at the two-coat mark, ignore the voice in your head that taunts, one more coat. 

My (Kind Of) Everyday Makeup | DRUGSTORE + HIGH-END

I'll admit this: I'm not a BB Cream, one-step makeup routine person (if you are, that's honestly great!). Even if I'm not going anywhere, I tend to wear a full face of makeup every day. I actually enjoy the time in the morning I get to apply my makeup, because I just feel so much more put together after that. 

I titled this my "kind of" makeup routine, because I don't use the same products every single day. Below, I'll be sharing what is typical for me to use (give or take a few products). Some of them are recent finds; others I've been using for a while. I don't like to cut corners with my makeup, so it's a pretty well-rounded list. 

1. BASE: WET N WILD PHOTO FOCUS MATTE FACE PRIMER | $4.99

After moisturizing my face (I use the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion) and waiting for roughly five minutes, I prime my face with a pea-sized amount of Wet N Wild's Photo Focus Matte Face Primer. I focus mainly on areas where I get oily throughout the day. 

2. FOUNDATION: BECCA ULTIMATE COVERAGE COMPLEXION CREME IN BAMBOO + MAYBELLINE SUPER STAY FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION IN SUN BEIGE | $44.00, $11.99

Once my primer has set, I use a mixture of the Becca Ultimate Complexion Crème foundation in Bamboo, and the Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage foundation in Sun Beige. These are both very full coverage foundations, so I apply them in thin layers and find that I don't need to use a lot. 

3. CONCEALER: MAYBELLINE FIT ME! CONCEALER IN MEDIUM | $6.99

So, it turns out I forgot to include this in the picture! As stated above, the foundations I use are both full coverage, so they can sometimes make my face look pretty flat. I like to use concealer to highlight areas which need brightening. 

4. SETTING POWDER: MAYBELLINE FIT ME! LOOSE FINISHING POWDER IN LIGHT MEDIUM | $7.99

To set my foundation and concealer, I use a damp blending sponge to press the powder into areas of my face where I'm most likely to get oily. 

5. BLUSH: NYX BAKED BLUSH IN IGNITE | $6.99

This blush has a subtle gold shimmer, so I like to sweep this over my cheeks and towards my temples. The nice thing about this blush is that even though it has shimmer, it's so understated that you can also use a highlighter with it.

6. HIGHLIGHTER: BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR POURED IN PROSECCO POP | $38.00

I use this on high points of the face: my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, and sometimes my cupid's bow. It also works well as a brow highlight. 

7. EYESHADOW: NYX NUDE MATTE EYESHADOW SINGLE IN BLAME IT ON MIDNIGHT | $4.99

This eyeshadow single from NYX is one that I love using in my crease to give my eyes some depth. You can use it as a way to contour yours eyes, which is what I do every day. Sometimes I'll highlight my brow bone with a matte eyeshadow in a vanilla type shade. 

8. EYEBROWS: ESSENCE LASH & BROW GEL MASCARA & ELF EYEBROW KIT IN DARK | $2.99, $3.00

I comb the Essence Lash & Brow Gel Mascara through my eyebrows to hold them in place before defining them a little more with my Elf Eyebrow Kit. I already have dark eyebrows which don't need a ton of filling in, so I don't go to town with this stuff. It's just nice to have a little more definition in my eyebrows because they frame my face better that way. 

9. LASHES: ESSENCE GET BIG LASHES! VOLUME CURL MASCARA | $3.99

I use two coats of this on my upper lashes and then a gentle coat on my lower lashes. For an everyday look, I don't do any dramatic eye looks, so I love my lashes to be full and curled. 

10. LIPS: NYX SUEDE MATTE LIP LINER  IN LEON & NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM IN LEON | $3.99, $6.49

I'm a huge fan of NYX's soft matte lip creams paired with their lip liners! I use either this combination or their SMLC in Rome with their lip pencil in Mahogany. The SMLCs aren't long lasting, but they're so comfortable to wear and they smell like cupcakes. :) 

The finished look! Using many products does not equate to an "overdone" face.