Okay, so this is a clever little product:

Still, if you get up close, you’ll see Essence’s new-ish volumising powder isn’t really a ‘powder’, but really unbelievably teensy little lash fibres. To use use them, you’re to apply a slick of your own mascara followed by a sweep of Essence’s fibres over your lashes using the mascara wand that comes along with it. Next, you seal the deal by using your own mascara again on top of the fibres.

Here’s my eye with just one coat of mascara:

Here’s the same set of lashes with two coats of Essence’s volumising powder:

To avoid creating a clumpy look, the trick is to use a mascara that’s quite wet (not dried out) so that fibres really stick to it. I also looked better if I did two or three coats of less lash fibres at a time then slapping on loads of them in one big wallop, if you get what I’m saying. Afterwards, you will have a zillion little fibres lying on your cheeks but that’s nothing that can’t be solved with a blast of the hairdrier.

If you like fibrous-looking mascara, you’ll probably really like this. If you don’t and prefer a more defined-looking lash line, this won’t be your friend. Either way, for a mere R39,95, you can totally afford to find out.

Love, love

Leigh