Essence Mascara Review: Beautiful Lashes… But At What Cost?!

 I hate writing negative reviews because I genuinely LOVE finding affordable beauty products that perform just as well as luxury brands. I am all about saving money where I can, especially when it comes to makeup and beauty products. Unfortunately, this experience did not go the way I had hoped at all.

If you know me, you know I am a savvy shopper. I LOVE a bargain, a sale, a deal — basically anything that helps save a few dollars while still getting great quality products. So when I kept hearing rave reviews about Essence mascara being affordable while performing like high-end mascara, I was immediately interested.

I ended up purchasing several different formulas and styles because the reviews were SO positive, and honestly, I could hardly wait to try them.

Well… yesterday was finally the day.

The moment I applied the mascara, I was seriously impressed. My lashes looked amazing. It gave me volume, length, lift — all the yummy things you want from a high-end mascara without the luxury price tag. At first, I thought I had found the holy grail budget mascara.

But then I noticed something strange.

The base of my lashes started feeling itchy. Not unbearably itchy at first, just enough to notice. I honestly didn’t think much of it and never even considered that the mascara could be causing it. Throughout the day, though, I kept rubbing and scratching around my lashes because they were driving me CRAZY.

The following day, because I loved how the mascara looked, I wore it again. Big mistake!!

The itching started almost immediately, but I still didn’t put two and two together. I wore it all day long. Later that evening, while my husband and I were having dinner, he suddenly asked me if I was feeling okay. I thought it was such a random question at the time and told him I felt completely fine.

Then I noticed that my eyes looked swollen — like REALLY swollen. Puffy, irritated, and with redness forming underneath my eyes.

When I removed my makeup before bed, I finally saw how bad it actually was. My eyelids were swollen, underneath my eyes were puffy, and even the tops of my hooded eyelids looked irritated and inflamed. Let’s just say… it was definitely NOT a “take a selfie” kind of moment. 😂

Today, my eyes are still incredibly itchy around the lashes, lids, and under-eye area. Trying not to scratch has honestly been a challenge.

So far, I’ve tried:
Washing my eyes thoroughly
Using cold compresses
Taking allergy medication

While those things helped slightly, the itching and irritation are still hanging around.

Sadly, I think this mascara is going to be a hard pass for me moving forward. As much as I LOVE the look it gave my lashes, no mascara is worth the swelling, itching, and discomfort. I’ll definitely be going back to my more expensive mascaras because, at least for me, they don’t irritate my eyes.

This experience also reminded me that just because a product works beautifully for someone else doesn’t always mean our skin or eyes will react the same way. Beauty products are SO personal.

Let’s Chat 💬
Have you ever had an allergic reaction to a mascara or makeup product before?
If you have sensitive eyes, what mascara works best for you?
What do you usually do to calm swelling or irritation around the eyes?
Have you ever loved the LOOK of a product but hated how it made your skin feel
Wish me luck that this swelling and itchiness disappears soon!