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I can't stop wearing Amazon's top-selling mascara — and it's only $5

The Essence Lash Prince Mascara is beloved by over 260,000 fans and makes an excellent stocking stuffer.

As a beauty lover, I'm very passionate about what's in my makeup bag and rarely stray from my go-to products — especially when it comes to mascara. I've always been loyal to my favorite Benefit Roller Lash, but when I saw that over 260,000 (!!) people on Amazon gave the Essence Lash Princess Mascara a five-star review, I had to investigate. Surely a $5 mascara can't be worthy of all this hype, right? Right???

Amazon's No. 1 bestselling Lash Princess Mascara features a conically shaped fiber brush that gives a false lash effect.

$5 at Amazon
Explore More Buying Options
$5 at Ulta Beauty$5 at CVS Pharmacy

Why is this a good deal? 💰

Not to spoil the ending for you, but Essence Lash Princess Mascara is absolutely worth the hype. I now see (with eyes framed by lush lashes) why it's the No. 1 bestselling mascara on Amazon. First of all, the $5 price can't be beat. I admittedly love the pricier prestige mascaras, but even my other favorite drugstore mascara costs nearly double what this lash lengthener does. Second, it's actually really good.

Why do I need this? 🤔

Let me open your eyes with an Essence Lash Princess Mascara review.

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I was fully ready to judge the cone-shaped fiber brush because I typically prefer a rubberized bristle. (I think it provides a clump-free experience and — typically — is superior for coating and separating each lash.) But I have to say, this brush really did live up to the product claims that it sculpts individual lashes effortlessly. No need for any glob control. My lashes looked dramatically lifted with plenty of volume that lasted all day without any flaking or smudging.

It seriously does give the look of instant false lashes, which is great because I hate fighting with lash glue. Apply one coat of this stuff and you're good to go, or you can amp it up with two to three coats for an extra voluminous look. (For the record, I have two coats on in the below photo.) this little wonder will make an ideal stocking stuffer for the beauty maven in your life.

A photo of the writer wearing the mascara next to a photo of the product itself.
This thing's gotten over 260,000 five-star reviews — that's over half a million very happy peepers! (Katie McBroom/Amazon)

I fell in love during this Essence Lash Princess Mascara review before even realizing there are three other kinds in Essence's Lash Princess family. Whhhaaaaat!

There's also the Sculpted Volume Mascara and Curl Mascara, both equally affordable at less than five bucks. At that rate, you can grab one for yourself and a couple for the beauty fans in your life — they are great high-quality, low-priced stocking stuffer ideas.

What reviewers say 💬

Now, let's talk about those hundreds of thousands of perfect five-star reviews. I mean, there is a reason why this mascara is a top seller at Amazon.

Pros 👍

Reviewers of all ages love the falsie effect as much as I do. "At almost 70, my eyelashes are nowhere near as lush as they were when I was younger," wrote this five-star Amazon reviewer. "This mascara is amazing. I usually curl my lashes, apply the mascara in two brushstrokes, wait a second or two, then recurl, and do two more sweeps of mascara. After doing this, my eyelashes are long and full. It almost looks like I'm wearing fake eyelashes. I am extremely happy with this product."

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Essence mascara wears well, too, thanks to a high-quality formulation on par with more expensive brands. "I was worried about purchasing mascara with such a reasonable price tag as if it couldn't be as good as an expensive name-brand mascara," admitted a second customer. "I was wrong to worry! This mascara is amazing! It's so flattering, doesn't clump, goes on smooth, no flaking or smudging. I have received so many compliments about my lashes since I started using this mascara. It really makes my eyes pop, and I find I don't need as much eye makeup to do that like before."

"I've been wearing it ALL day for several days now without any problems," explained a happy mascara fan. "It doesn't smudge or flake and it's buildable. ... It gives hella length! I don't have any issues with clumping either."

The same reviewer also shared some quick tips about applying it: "I give it a few seconds to dry some before I apply again. ... I always use an old dry mascara wand to go over my lashes after each application (for any mascara I wear) and that always takes any clumping away if there is any. But, if you apply mascara the way it's intended (wiggle the wand back and forth as you apply) clumping shouldn't be a problem."

Cons 👎

A few customers loved their Essence mascara until they end of the night, when they complained of "smudgie 'racoon eyes.'" One reviewer admitted, "I typically use tubing mascara so maybe it’s not a fair comparison."

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A few others claim it "flakes...after long use."

This bestseller makes the perfect holiday stocking stuffer for the beauty lovers you know.

$5 at Amazon
Explore More Buying Options
$5 at Ulta Beauty$5 at CVS Pharmacy

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.