I’ve said it before and I’ll proudly say it again — when it comes to mascara (whether drugstore, premium or luxury) Essence’s Lash Princess formula, is hands down my favorite of all time. When I found out the drugstore beauty brand was launching a new member to the Lash Princess collection, I knew I had to get my hands on it STAT. While I love the original Lash Princess Falsies Effect Mascara and have been using it for over five years (I always use the waterproof version), I simply had to give the new Lash Princess Curl Mascara a review.

Essence decided to launch this new addition to the Lash Princess lineup because fans had been requesting a curling formula for years — the collection already includes False Lash Effect (my tried and true holy grail), Sculpted Volume, and Volume formulas — each designed with different formulas and brush shapes to help create the desired result. The Lash Princess Curl Mascara is designed with a peanut-shaped wand, which allows you to get from root to tip and build volume while maximizing the curl factor. Best of all, this formula doesn’t flake or clump — sure, sometimes I do like that look, but on the daily — not so much.

Courtesy of Essence.

Buy: Essence Lash Princess Curl Mascara $4.99

Compared to the other mascaras in the Lash Princess line, the Lash Princess Curl Mascara definitely adds more of a lift and curve, but the difference is subtle. With that being said, the formula is still stellar and it wears all day without smudging, smearing, or transferring — and yes, I did try the non-waterproof version and it held up like a dream. For reference, I applied this mascara at eight in the morning in ultra-humid Austin Texas weather before boarding a flight back home to Los Angeles, which made for about a twelve-hour day, so I’d say it passed the long-wear-friendly test without a doubt.

Courtesy of Mia Maguire.

Above see the difference between my bare lashes (left) and two thin coats of Lash Princess Curl Mascara (right).

Buy: Essence Lash Princess Curl Mascara $4.99

Full disclosure: my best pandemic beauty habit was being consistent with my brow and eyelash serum (I swear by both the GrandeLASH and GrandeBROW formulas, BTW), so my lashes are already in good shape, but this mascara really did tighten the curl without having to use an eyelash curler. In comparison to its fellow Lash Princess counterparts, the Curl a drier, thicker consistency, which I personally think helps add more volume to the lashes as opposed to solely length.

Unlike the Sculpted Volume formula, however, the Curl doesn’t allow you to build up as many layers without clumping, but that’s the price you pay for that extra curl. Overall, while the Lash Princess Falsies Effect will remain my ride-or-die, the new Curl Mascara has definitely made its way into my go-to mascaras drawers and you best believe I’ll be taking it with me the next time I travel.

I’ve said it before and I’ll proudly say it again — when it comes to mascara (whether drugstore, premium or luxury) Essence’s Lash Princess formula, is hands down my favorite of all time. When I found out the drugstore beauty brand was launching a new member to the Lash Princess collection, I knew I had to get my hands on it STAT. While I love the original Lash Princess Falsies Effect Mascara and have been using it for over five years (I always use the waterproof version), I simply had to give the new Lash Princess Curl Mascara a review.

Essence decided to launch this new addition to the Lash Princess lineup because fans had been requesting a curling formula for years — the collection already includes False Lash Effect (my tried and true holy grail), Sculpted Volume, and Volume formulas — each designed with different formulas and brush shapes to help create the desired result. The Lash Princess Curl Mascara is designed with a peanut-shaped wand, which allows you to get from root to tip and build volume while maximizing the curl factor. Best of all, this formula doesn’t flake or clump — sure, sometimes I do like that look, but on the daily — not so much.

Courtesy of Essence.

Buy: Essence Lash Princess Curl Mascara $4.99

Compared to the other mascaras in the Lash Princess line, the Lash Princess Curl Mascara definitely adds more of a lift and curve, but the difference is subtle. With that being said, the formula is still stellar and it wears all day without smudging, smearing, or transferring — and yes, I did try the non-waterproof version and it held up like a dream. For reference, I applied this mascara at eight in the morning in ultra-humid Austin Texas weather before boarding a flight back home to Los Angeles, which made for about a twelve-hour day, so I’d say it passed the long-wear-friendly test without a doubt.

Courtesy of Mia Maguire.

Above see the difference between my bare lashes (left) and two thin coats of Lash Princess Curl Mascara (right).

Buy: Essence Lash Princess Curl Mascara $4.99

Full disclosure: my best pandemic beauty habit was being consistent with my brow and eyelash serum (I swear by both the GrandeLASH and GrandeBROW formulas, BTW), so my lashes are already in good shape, but this mascara really did tighten the curl without having to use an eyelash curler. In comparison to its fellow Lash Princess counterparts, the Curl a drier, thicker consistency, which I personally think helps add more volume to the lashes as opposed to solely length.

Unlike the Sculpted Volume formula, however, the Curl doesn’t allow you to build up as many layers without clumping, but that’s the price you pay for that extra curl. Overall, while the Lash Princess Falsies Effect will remain my ride-or-die, the new Curl Mascara has definitely made its way into my go-to mascaras drawers and you best believe I’ll be taking it with me the next time I travel.

As winter slowly turns into spring, most people turn their thoughts to warmer weather, flowers in the park and, probably, the birds and the bees. These are all good things to welcome, in my view.

But what I really like in the late spring, right up to the summer solstice (21 June) and beyond, are the long light evenings. Taking a walk when it is officially night-time – 9 p.m., say, but it feels like a slightly odd daytime – is very special. Even better when it is a warm evening.

There is something very soft and peaceful about such an evening. I find it very calming. And it feels like a bonus in your day, a little ‘extra time’ that is not usually available.

Winter Nights

Let us go back a step. The opposite of a summer light evening is the winter period around the solstice (21 December) when the nights are long and intrude heavily into the day.

Some people love the winter evenings ‘drawing in’, but not me. I am very, very uncomfortable at this time of year – from mid-November to late January or so in London, where I live.

It can become dark well before 4 o’clock in the afternoon – indeed, at the exact point of the winter solstice, the sun goes down before then and dusk comes even earlier.

Although the streetlights come on, I find it hard to see where I am. Often, the air is murky, which makes it worse. Yet this is a time when we need to be out and about doing things.

I feel disoriented and uneasy. I invariably arrive home in a bad mood.

And I worry especially for those older children who are making their way home in the dark. Many are wearing dark coats and trousers and they are certainly not very visible to drivers when crossing the street at this time.

Summer Nights

But let us come back to the late spring and summer, when I can see clearly and have no worries for the safety of children.

The precise length of the day on the summer solstice differs according to where you live, of course. In England (which is further north than many people think), the days can be very long.

In London, my research tells me, the sun rises at roughly 4.40 a.m. and sets at roughly 9.20 p.m. at the height of the solstice, but of course, it can remain light for much longer. Even at 10.00 p.m., the sky is not completely dark.

In New York, to give one comparison, the sun rises almost an hour later and sets nearly an hour earlier. This gives New Yorkers a long day as well, but not as long.

But the real point here is that it is lovely for all of us. If the day has been hot, you can go for a walk in the gentle air of the evening. Or you can sit in the garden with friends. Or the park.

The atmosphere is completely different from that of the day. It is evening but not evening. I find it magical.

Light Mornings

Those readers who were watching carefully – or who, like me, don’t sleep well through the night – may note that another effect of the summer solstice is a lot of very early light.

In London, you can wake up to sunshine well before 5 o’clock. This can be a problem if you need darkness to sleep.

But for me, it is a small price to pay for the long languorous evenings. I consider that to be our prize for putting up with the winter darkness.

Sun Standing Still

The word solstice means the sun standing still in Latin. It seems like a small pause before the change of the sun’s seasonal movement.

That makes sense to me. And it is a time when we can all stand still and ponder.

Do you look forward to long light evenings? How do you spend those extra hours of light? Or do you prefer the long winter nights? What do you like to do in the long summer evenings? Please share with us!

Leaving the neighborhood felt momentous.

In 15 months, we’d ventured beyond our city limits once, to an AirBnB in the local mountains where we’d brought our own food, avoided almost everyone, and wandered outdoor trails.

So that practically didn’t count.

This trip was different. We were hitting the freeway for three days away. We’d stay in a hotel. We’d see other people. We’d eat in restaurants, albeit outdoors. But that was fine. It’s hard to say “no” to dining al fresco in our neck of the woods. 

My husband and I were on different ends of the spectrum. Once we were fully vaccinated, he was ready to make plans. He had a wish list of locations to visit and things to do. I, on the other hand, was willing to discuss going out to lunch. 

So, even with years of vacations behind us, this felt like the trip of a lifetime.

It’s Okay to Tiptoe Back into Travel

We agreed to go to Santa Barbara, about a three-hour drive from home. Ideally situated between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, it was the perfect place to celebrate life after 2020.

From the comfort of our car, I was able to both take in the view and avoid crowds. Many of us are still hesitant about being in large groups of people. We’re feeling the after effects of all those days and weeks when we were afraid of our groceries or packages from UPS. 

It will take some time for our nervous systems to adjust. So we must be gentle with ourselves as we venture out. It’s okay to do only what feels right or to take things slow.

There’s Life Beyond the Back Yard

I live in a wonderful place, and my home surroundings sustained me in 2020. 

But even though we weren’t ready to head to an airport, we were eager to experience someplace else. Feel a different breeze. Hear other sounds in the early morning. Gobble up scenery from other vistas.

It took my eyes a while to adjust. It had been a year since I’d seen sunlight dancing on the surface of the sea. Or seabirds diving in search of dinner.

I remembered what it feels like to appreciate our home and be inspired by other locales. The two things aren’t mutually exclusive. One makes the other more precious.

Unexpected Emotions Can Bubble Up

I thought I was prepared… for the interactions, the sense of “newness,” the joy of reclaiming life beyond our front door. I was taking it in stride, comforted that people were still courteously wearing masks or being mindful of their distance from each other. Happy to see others enjoying time with friends and family. Elated to be moving around in the world.

I was delighted by how eager people were to engage with us, to ask where we were from, to smile. The sun warmed us, the sea breeze cooled us, the promise of better days ahead uplifted us.

Then my sandwich arrived. 

We were seated for lunch at an outdoor table overlooking the ocean, listening to the waves wash up and back along the shore. The waitress set my plate down, and I began to cry.

I shed quiet tears for which I apologized. I couldn’t control this unplanned reaction, and I didn’t try. It was a lovely sandwich, but that of course had nothing to do with how I felt.

Gratitude for everything poured out. Relief flooded through me. 

It’s in these moments that we fully realize the power of our resilience and the fragile balance in which each day magically unfolds. We’d like to bottle our appreciation and drink it when we become complacent. We want to remember how to release the fear so we can bask in the warmth of hope.

My husband and I didn’t travel far, but we were transported.

We were given a new frame of mind, a fresh outlook… one we hope to carry with us in the months to come as the world continues to open up, and we continue to do that, too.

How is it feeling to travel again? What has your experience been as you’ve re-entered the world? Please join the conversation!

I’ve said it before and I’ll proudly say it again — when it comes to mascara (whether drugstore, premium or luxury) Essence’s Lash Princess formula, is hands down my favorite of all time. When I found out the drugstore beauty brand was launching a new member to the Lash Princess collection, I knew I had to get my hands on it STAT. While I love the original Lash Princess Falsies Effect Mascara and have been using it for over five years (I always use the waterproof version), I simply had to give the new Lash Princess Curl Mascara a review.

Essence decided to launch this new addition to the Lash Princess lineup because fans had been requesting a curling formula for years — the collection already includes False Lash Effect (my tried and true holy grail), Sculpted Volume, and Volume formulas — each designed with different formulas and brush shapes to help create the desired result. The Lash Princess Curl Mascara is designed with a peanut-shaped wand, which allows you to get from root to tip and build volume while maximizing the curl factor. Best of all, this formula doesn’t flake or clump — sure, sometimes I do like that look, but on the daily — not so much.

Courtesy of Essence.

Buy: Essence Lash Princess Curl Mascara $4.99

Compared to the other mascaras in the Lash Princess line, the Lash Princess Curl Mascara definitely adds more of a lift and curve, but the difference is subtle. With that being said, the formula is still stellar and it wears all day without smudging, smearing, or transferring — and yes, I did try the non-waterproof version and it held up like a dream. For reference, I applied this mascara at eight in the morning in ultra-humid Austin Texas weather before boarding a flight back home to Los Angeles, which made for about a twelve-hour day, so I’d say it passed the long-wear-friendly test without a doubt.

Courtesy of Mia Maguire.

Above see the difference between my bare lashes (left) and two thin coats of Lash Princess Curl Mascara (right).

Buy: Essence Lash Princess Curl Mascara $4.99

Full disclosure: my best pandemic beauty habit was being consistent with my brow and eyelash serum (I swear by both the GrandeLASH and GrandeBROW formulas, BTW), so my lashes are already in good shape, but this mascara really did tighten the curl without having to use an eyelash curler. In comparison to its fellow Lash Princess counterparts, the Curl a drier, thicker consistency, which I personally think helps add more volume to the lashes as opposed to solely length.

Unlike the Sculpted Volume formula, however, the Curl doesn’t allow you to build up as many layers without clumping, but that’s the price you pay for that extra curl. Overall, while the Lash Princess Falsies Effect will remain my ride-or-die, the new Curl Mascara has definitely made its way into my go-to mascaras drawers and you best believe I’ll be taking it with me the next time I travel.