Why Do People Buy And Wear Those Things? Essence Volumizing Lash Powder…Vavoom Your Lashes!

Essence Volumizing Lash Powder.

I can’t say enough good things about this product. I picked it up at my local Ulta store while browsing their meager Essence endcap. I really wish they’d carry more of their products for a larger selection. Cruelty-free, minimal cost and I’ve had luck with the majority of them. Sometimes I think if we’d do a blind test on products with the label removed would the reviews be the same? Or do labels/price/name make us believe that a product is better?

I’m a mascara junkie. It’s my favorite part of my toolbox. When I saw this product, I was fascinated that Essence came out with it at such a low price-3.49 USD- I thought that was a steal. Compare that to Too-Faced Better Than False Lashes at 35 USD and now full, longer lashes are available to the mass market at an affordable price.

It will take some getting used to using this product. Use common sense. Don’t put it on with your eye open. If you do, of course fibers can fall into your eyes. I think Essence should have put an explanatory diagram with pictures into this packaging and that would have stopped some of the complaints about fibers falling into eyes, but a more detailed explanation of how to use a product helps some consumers.

I have tested Essence’s volumizing lash powder with 17 different mascaras to see what the results would be like in my own comparison study. Mascaras vary in performance. Some lengthen, some darken, some give volume, some curl, some give a more spidery effect, some separate, some thicken your lashes, some are wet, some are dry. There are those mascaras that nourish your lashes. Some mascaras make your lashes brittle while others keep your lashes soft. I am writing this in this review because it is important to realize how your mascara behaves before you decide to change its behavior. Mascara’s take on identities all their own.

If your mascara already performs beautifully and provides you with full, lengthy, thick lashes, then be prepared for an outrageous experience. If your mascara is so-so, and gives you a natural look, then expect your lashes to look much fuller than you’re normally expecting. If you have short, stubby lashes, and you use this correctly, then be prepared for a product that will delight you and make you wonder how you ever got along without it.

My instructions for using the powder are pretty explicit:

1. Since the powder comes in a tiny jar with a little wand, it’s not very convenient. I take the jar, place it upright in a larger plastic container with the lid off. I then take the wand, dip it in, and circle it 360 degrees until there is a faint amount of fibers on it. Not a huge amount, but enough that I know will transfer to my lashes. I tap off any excess on the side of the jar, and the excess falls off into the plastic container, which I save and then collect for later usage. None is wasted that way. I still keep the original jar in the original packaging along with the wand, but I keep the excess in this small plastic container. You’d be surprised how much excess can tap off the wand that you can pick up with the spoolie just out of this larger container for another time.

2. Coat your lashes with your desired mascara. You have your choices of wands, formulations, etc. The wetter the mascara, the more work you will have in making the powder successful. However, the wetter the mascara, the longer your lashes will become, and also, there will be a longer drying time. If you decide to go with a wet mascara, bear in mind you will need a mascara comb to separate your lashes so you don’t have a spider effect. If you use a drier mascara, your lashes will look much more natural, but you will have to work a little more quickly, too. You might still have to use a comb to reduce any clumping, but that’s on your mascara’s behavior.

3. With your eye closed shut, coat your lashes with the powder. Run the wand through your lashes. The wand will coat both the upper and lower lashes at the same time while your eye is closed. If you wear mascara on both your upper and lower lashes, and you have coated both your upper and lower lashes already, then the powder has now adhered to both sets. Don’t open your eye yet. Make sure you can see the white powder on your lashes, so you know the fibers are there. You will get some fall-out. That’s a given. Have a tissue/cotton pad handy to quickly wipe the fibers off your cheek.

4. Now with your eye still closed, very gently and slowly apply mascara to your lashes in a sweeping motion to the tips covering the fibers. You will see that the white disappears. Now open your eye. Begin applying more mascara accurately to your lashes in an upward motion to the uppers and downward to the bottom.

5. Comb through if you see any spider-effect or clumping.

6. Tissue/Cotton Pad off any residue. You can also use a hair dryer on the lowest setting if you want really quickly at a distance from your face if you feel you must.

7. You can seal with a waterproof mascara or whatever type of product you’d like if necessary.

8.  Repeat to the other eye.

By keeping your eye closed until you actually put the first layer of mascara on, you stop any incidence of fibers from falling into your eyes. I also make sure that I remove the residue immediately so I don’t breathe it in.

From my personal stash of mascaras:

Best effect with no clumping/no spider effect/looks natural: Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For The Mascara; Essence I Love Extreme: E.L.F. Lengthening & Defining; Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment; Wet ‘n’ Wild Megalength; Wet ‘n’ Wild Megawink.

Fuller, thicker lashes, but needs separation with comb: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting; Clinique Lash Doubling; Essence Stays No Matter What 24H Volume; Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme; Clinique High Impact; Wet ‘n’ Wild Mega Volume.

Long, spiky, spider lashes needing comb-thru: Buxom Amplified Lash; Jordana; Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume; L.A. Colors; E.L.F. Wet Gloss Clear.

I remove the product with Elizabeth Arden’s All Gone Eye And Lip Makeup Remover and Shiseido’s Facial Cotton with no lash loss.  It’s become a routine makeup staple for me. Using my mascaras without it makes them pale in comparison. 5 stars & a backup jar. An interesting alternative to false eyelashes.

Essence can be located here http://www.essence.eu/us/usa/products/where-to-buy.html or here http://www.essence.eu/us/.

Peace.

Sorceress.

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