Why Is Everyone So Obsessed With This $5 Mascara?

I’m pretty discerning when it comes to advocating viral TikTok products and trends, generally speaking, but when I discovered that my favorite $5 Mascara from the drugstore was getting the spotlight on social (not to mention ranking as a top Amazon best-seller in the beauty arena), I had zero doubt in my mind. While I’ve been using this volumizing and lash-lifting mascara for years, it never occurred to me to a full Essence Lash Princess review.

While there are undoubtedly a few prestige mascaras on the market that I stan (Urban Decay’s Perversion comes instantly comes to mind), I always find myself returning to my good, old Lash Princess False Lash Effect tube. And TikTokers aside, I’m definitely not alone in my loyalty to this mascara—it’s got thousands of glowing reviews, tons of jaw-dropping before-and-after pics, and a near five-star rating on Amazon. There a few different types of Lash Princess Mascara: the O.G. Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara (black and green tube), the Lash Princess Sculpted Volume Mascara (purple and black), Lash Princess Volume Mascara (black and orange tube), and their waterproof versions of each. Each of the formulas has a different shaped wand—but more on that later.

“Omg best mascara I have ever brought, and I have brought a lot. I like lengthy lashes. I like the look of false lashes without having them, and this delivers,” says one customer. I couldn’t agree more, but for me, the best part of this mascara is that it doesn’t dry instantly, which allows you to build up the product without it clumping and flaking—I call my method “lash sculpting,” and Lash Princess allows me to achieve this. This same testament is echoed in another five-star review too. “This has [become] my favorite mascara. It lasts & doesn’t dry super fast so you can build it as much as you want,” she says.

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Courtesy of Mia Maguire.

Another reviewer brought up an additional (and often underlooked) reason why I ~also~ love this mascara so much—the wand. The original formula has a conic-shaped fiber brush, which allows you to build and extend multiple layers without it flaking, while the Sculpted Volume comes with a tapered brush that coats each individual lash for a more defined and separated effect. Finally, the regular Volume version features a curved applicator which allows you to easily get from root to tip for major fullness, all without losing precision and control. This one happens to my favorite of all the Lash Princess varieties, though I do love and use each of them on the reg.

As you can see in the images of me above, I’m using the original Lash Princess False Effect Mascara in waterproof (hence, the blue lettering) and I applied two coats to get the effect on the right eye. I do have naturally long lashes and have been using an incredible Lash-enhancing serum for the past month, so I do have a good base to work of, but the result is undeniably more voluminous, curled, and lengthened. Obviously, the $5 price tag is a major selling point for the Lash Princess mascara, but TBH, I’d use this even it was $25—so yes, it really is that good.