Is Lash Powder the Secret to Making Your Mascara Look Amazing?
This extra layer goes a long way.

If I'm going to add yet another step to my daily face beat, it's got to deliver.
So when Essence Lash Powder landed on my desk promising a falsies-like effect, I was intrigued. Baby powder has always been a secret weapon for makeup artists who want to amp up fringe, so this seemed like a more portable, intentionally-formulated alternative.
I skipped curling my lashes (as always because I have yet to conquer my fear of the silver tongs), smoothed on one layer of Benefit's They're Real! Macara on, then proceeded to the powder step. I sprinkled a tiny amount of powder into the palm of my hand, then used the lash wand that came in tow to pick it up. To apply it, I wiggled the product from the root of my lashes through the tips, and repeated this until they were sufficiently coated i.e. chalky looking. I then layered another coat of mascara on top to seal in the product/make my lashes inky again.
The end result? I was feeling it. I was worried that the powder layer might yield a caked-on look, but instead my lashes looked naturally thicker and longer. They were so full to the touch, it was nuts. And compliments from a few friends only reaffirmed the the va-va-voomness of it all.
If I'm being honest with myself, I'm bound to skip this step because #life, but anytime I find myself with a moment to spare, I'll be heaping this stuff on. Oh, and at $3.50, it's an utter steal.
Essence Voluminizing Lash Powder, $3.49; ulta.com.
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Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.