I Tried the Newest Version of This $5 Cult-Favorite Mascara, and I'm Blown Away

Like basically every person I know, I love a good bargain. I, also like many people, love shopping on Amazon for beauty products. If you consider yourself to be a member of both of these parties, you've probably tried, or at least have seen, the Essence Makeup Lash Princess Mascara sitting in the No. 1 spot on Amazon. Now, as of June 15, there's a brand-new formula being added to the Lash Princess lineup called the Lash Princess Curl & Volume Mascara, and yes, it's still only $5.

This new family member promises the same amazing lashes as the brand's current bestseller — the Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, which has over 159,000 reviews and a 4.4 rating on Amazon. The difference is this formula lifts and curls your lashes without the need for a lash curler. Sounds like a dream, amiright?

It comes in the signature black tube, so it's easy to recognize right out the gate and has a hourglass-shaped fiber brush that helps grab and coat each individual lash in the curl-enhancing formula.

I've been a longtime fan of the Essence Makeup Lash Princess Mascara collection, specifically the False Lash Effect version. (For $5, how could you not be?) So I couldn't wait to try this new product. The product feels very familiar to its cult-classic big sister, but the results are more of a wide-eyed, lifted look, rather than the length you get from the original (but that's not to say it doesn't still lengthen, because it does).

See a before and after of my eyelashes with the Essence Makeup Lash Princess Curl & Volume Mascara ($5) ahead.