July 19, 2012

Essence Voluminizing Lash Powder Review

Essence Voluminizing Lash Powder ($1.99) has proven completely out of my reach. I have an Ulta located about, mmmm, an hour away from me? If you’re from New York you probably know the one I mean. The only way I get there is when I head to Woodbury because it’s just too much of a bother just to go there to hit up Ulta.

Ulta carries Essence but anytime I go there I never find cool products like the Voluminizing Lash Powder.

One of the best parts about blogging beauty is you meet and become friends with so many fantastic people. This review wouldn’t be possible without my fellow geeky gamer Cult of Taupe. She gifted me with this recently, completely unexpectedly.

Thanks Crystal

Let’s take a peek at this!

I’m quite eager to get to the review.

As you know I’m in LOVE with Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Nylon Lash Extension. I actually used up ALL the fibers it came with. I said it before, I’ll say it again, Too Faced, start selling them separate dude.

Luck would have it Crystal sent over Essence Voluminizing Lash Powder and they aren’t nearly as nice as Too Faced’s version but they are a close second to awesome.

These are mere two bucks…seriously, two freaking dollars. How awesome is that?

So what are they?

Well, they are basically little pieces of cotton fiber. The concept is pretty much the same as what Too Faced offers but it’s a little messier during application.

It comes as a set that includes a pigment jar of fibers and a spiral mascara wand for application. You simply apply any mascara you like and proceed to follow up by dipping the spiral mascara wand into the fiber, swiping them on lashes, and following up with more mascara to set. Simple!

I’m always terribly scared of fiber mascaras or primers, etc…because I feel like I have an eyelash in my eye after using them. I had no problems with these at all. They have a natural, weightless feel that doesn’t leave my eyes itchy or feeling uncomfortable.

My issue with them is the fact they kick up a fair bit of dust during application. Unlike the Too Faced version which feels kinda like a spider web texture, these have more of a powder puff like consistency that’s quite loose. This wouldn’t be an issue if they came in a tube of some sort. Housing them in a jar and dipping into them with the mascara wand does cause you to lose a fair bit of product as it tumbles out of the jar.

Outside of this problem they are fantastic.

They add a good deal of volume as well as length to every mascara I tried them with. If you have whimpy, shorter lashes you’ll love how this adds extra fullness and length to your look. It kinda takes old boring mascara to a new level.

I think Too Faced proves the better option in terms of packaging and formula but at $1.99 these are brilliant and work just as well.

Awesome product!

Muse Approved for purchase.

I believe Crystal got them at Ulta. I haven’t personally seen them there or online for that matter but check out your local store and see if you can find them.

Well worth a pick up!

Tried ’em?

I’d love to hear what you thought!

And do post where you located them, it might just help someone in your area!

I receive a small commission if you shop through my link.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Llorandare

    And yes, it’s not in the right language, but there’s pictures. I really have SHORT eyelashes.
    I pretty much wrote what you did tho. What a steal!
    If I have time, I put a couple layers on. Works really well.

  • Amy Amethyst

    When I worked at Merle Norman we had Tweezerman Fast Lash fibers. I never used them on myself but did use them on clients sometimes. I hated it though! Just seemed too messy and annoying and not enough pay off to bother with. It did help build volume but you had to do it right and not let mascara dry too much in between coats or it would turn into a clumpy mess. Ah memories!

  • Melissa

    Maybe you coud transfer the powder into your old empty Too Faced fibre wand container some how?

  • Crystal S

    I am glad you liked them! Hey, do you think you could mix these in a tube of mascara and take some of the mess out of it?? Make your own premade fiber mascara?

    • the Muse

      you can but getting them into the tube might me messy crystal and more hassle than it’s worth!

  • Phyrra

    I’ve gotta look for them. I LOVED the Too Faced fibers, but the mascara itself was so so for me.

  • Ashley

    BAH I tried this the other day and I am so confused… Are we supposed to dunk the whole brush into the fibers or sprinkle it on? There is waaay to much fall out when I dunk it into the jar. A lot of it doesn’t get onto my lashes after anyway. BAAAH ><

    • the Muse

      I dunk but yes quite messy ashley :-/ it gets all over the place!

  • Becca @ The Beauty Sample

    wow–this is so strange/cool. Haven’t tried the Too Faced version either, so this is definitely new for me. I’m also scared of it irritating my eyes, but if it has your seal of approval, I’ll definitely look for it next time I’m at Ulta!

  • Petitez

    This is so interesting! I’ve never seen these before! I wonder if they are sold here….

  • Kiss & Make-up

    Essence has some great products and it costs nothing, I like this brand alot. I haven’t tried this lash powder out, though. Haven’t seen it in stores either, but maybe I just didn’t notice it.

    It does seem to leave your lashes a bit grey & powdery-looking, doesn’t it?

  • Kaitlin

    The selection of Essence products at my Ulta is woefully small. I want to try these!

  • Jenny

    You have tempted me with this Muse! Although here in Europe (Spain) the price is a little higher (3,49 euros, like 4,50 dollars) it might be worthy because the Too Faced one (I read your fantastic review on it) it�s a little expensive for me.

  • Tina

    I love Essence products. this one seems interesting. Thanks for the review.

  • Cindy

    I’ve been going to Sephora more often, standing in front of the Too Faced Lash Extension display fighting with myself! I always leave without it, and now I have a happy (and much cheaper) alternative! Now I can try this with a few different mascaras and get the best results. Woo for saving a lot of money!

  • Catherine

    I commented on your Two Faced post about these. I think I sent a link too. I’m glad you were able to try to them out!

    • the Muse

      hi catherine! I’m not sure I got to your comment yet, sorry about that, I wish I could have found them locally! but thank goodness for great friends :D!

  • Caitlin

    As silly as it sounds, im dying to try these and there isn’t a Fred Myers or Ulta around here in NY for hours. I guess ill just have to stalk the Ulta website and pray for a miracle. Great review!

  • Michelle

    I finally got these at my Ulta in Chattanooga Tn today:) can not wait to try it out!! I’ve been looking for this at every Ulta I come in contact with. Also picked up the new eye primer & 2 new eyeliners.

  • Camille

    Omg I was SOOOO mad at you for publishing this for a while! I looked HIGH AND LOW for these. I searched the websites of drugstores that carry Essence, Ulta’s website, ALL KINDS of foreign websites that carried Essence and (of course) my Ulta store. I couldn’t find them ANYWHERE. I checked about once a week and was always disappointed.
    I finally saw them in stock at my Ulta a couple days ago and totally freaked out and bought them! Going back to buy some more since I love it so much. I have Better Than False, but I use sparingly so I don’t use up all the fibers. I would recommend that you try using the wand that came with the Too Faced fibers, since it grabs fibers better than the one that came with the lash powder. Also the best mascara I could find out of my 15 was the Better Than False mascara too, since it’s so wet. Do you know of another mascara that works really well? 🙂

  • Tracey

    For anyone living in Canada… The Essence Products can be bought at Shoppers Drugmart.

  • Sarah

    I’m a little late to this party, but… I’m really interested in this sort of product because I have no lashes, but I wear contacts, so they do scare me a lot. I’m afraid little cotton fibers are going to get stuck in my eyes, behind my contacts, which, as all contact-lens-wearers know, is pure pain! So, Muse, do you wear contact lenses and if so, how do these work out for you, or have you heard from any contact wearers about their experiences with this or the Too Faced product? Thanks so much! I am loving your blog, by the way!

    • the Muse

      hi sarah I don’t wear contacts unfortunately so can’t really say the experience you’d have with this. perhaps someone else will reply and give the good (or bad word) and let you know! aw thanks so much glad you enjoy Musings!

  • Caroline

    So I’ve had this product in my bathroom cabinet for probably a year and had used it exactly once. This morning I saw this post and decided to give it another try. Alas, the experience was exactly as I remembered: The fibers get EVERYWHERE – up my nose, all over my face, on my shirt, in my mouth…seriously, everywhere! The effect once I get them on my lashes looks great, but I think I’d rather skip this and just use a mascara that’s good on its own!

    Oh, and to answer the above question: I wear contacts, and weirdly enough this product hasn’t bothered my eyes! It seems to get everywhere else and probably COULD get in my eyes, but so far I’ve had no issues.

    • Isabella Muse

      oh no not good. I didn’t have the issue to be honest, although the new PF one I have that problem when I’m using it with a different mascara than it came with 🙁 oh no so sorry!

  • Belle

    I love this stuff! I’m surprised to see that you’ve actually reviewed it since it’s kind of an uncommon product 🙂

    I’ve gotten the best results from using clear mascara as a base, rolling a clean spoolie in the fibers (less fallout than dipping), and then setting the whole thing with Maybelline Full and Soft. It’s a little messy, but not too bad. Worked out much better than when I used a regular mascara base and when I dipped the brush any other way. The clear mascara is wetter and stickier but dries quickly.

    Ulta carries this online now if you’re interested in trying this again!