Sky High is the length mascara and Lash Princess is the volume one, and honestly, that settles most of the decision. Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High has a thin, bendy brush that reaches every lash and pulls it long, and it comes in nine shades. essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect has a fat fiber brush that piles on thickness, and it costs about $5 next to about $11 for Sky High. So if your lashes are short and straight, we’d start with Sky High, and if they’re long but sparse, Lash Princess is the one to grab.
Length or volume
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High is all about length. Its thin spiral brush coats each lash evenly and separates as it goes, so lashes look longer and more defined. Extra coats do build volume, just slowly. If your lashes are short, straight or point down, this is the one most likely to make them actually show up.
essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect is all about volume. The wider brush lays down more formula at once, so your lashes look noticeably thicker after a coat or two. That’s perfect if you already have length but not much fullness. Wipe the wand on the rim of the tube first, because a heavy first load is how volume mascaras end up clumpy.
Our best mascaras guide files Sky High under lengthening and Lash Princess under volume plus length, and our Too Faced Better Than Sex review names Lash Princess as the cheap dupe for that famously big volume mascara.
Bendy wand or chunky fiber brush
Sky High has the bendy one. It’s the mascara that made the flexible wand famous. The Flex Tower brush is a slim spiral on a stem that gives, so when you press it into the base of your lashes and sweep up, it bends instead of jabbing your lid. That give is what lets it reach the short corner lashes a stiff wand usually misses, and it’s a lifesaver if you have deep-set eyes, hooded lids or a shaky morning hand. If you like to press hard and wiggle, it can feel a little floppy, so try gentle upward sweeps instead and let the brush do the work.
Lash Princess has the chunky one. It’s a cone of short fiber bristles, wide at the base and pointed at the tip, so the fat end loads on thickness while the tip handles the tiny corner lashes. Hold it at the root of your lashes and wiggle it side to side as you pull up. It’s quicker for volume but harder to steer on your bottom lashes, where a big brush can smudge onto skin, so turn it and let the pointed tip do that part.
Whichever one you pick, curl first if your lashes are straight, since mascara holds a curl much better than it creates one. Our lash curler guide shows how to do it without a crimp.
Formula and sensitive eyes
Sky High is the gentler bet for touchy eyes. It’s lightweight and buildable, with bamboo extract, and it’s made to hold up to 12 hours without fallout. It’s ophthalmologist, allergy and dermatologist tested and suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, which really counts if new mascara tends to make your eyes water.
Lash Princess is the clean, simple formula. It’s vegan, gluten free, paraben free and oil free, essence is PETA-certified cruelty free, and there’s no fragrance in the ingredient list. It’s made to give dramatic volume and sculpted length without clumps, and to wear without flaking or fading. The one thing to know if your eyes are sensitive is that it skips the ophthalmologist-tested claim Sky High has.
Shades
Sky High is the fun one here. You get nine shades: Very Black, Blackest Black, Cosmic Black, True Brown, Blue Mist, Navy Records, Burgundy Haze, Plum Twilight and Green Altitude. If you’re fair or blonde and black mascara feels like a lot on you, True Brown is the one to know about, and the blues and burgundy are a sweet way to play with color without committing to liner.
Lash Princess keeps it simple. It comes in black, plus a separate Black Brown if you want something softer. There are no blues or burgundy in the lineup.
Washable or waterproof
Both come in two versions, and choosing the right version matters even more than choosing the brand.
Sky High’s regular formula is washable, and a gentle makeup remover or micellar water takes it right off. The waterproof version, Maybelline Sky High Waterproof, keeps the same Flex Tower brush, adds fibers to the formula, comes in Very Black and Brownish Black, and needs an oil-based remover.
Lash Princess has a waterproof twin too, the essence Lash Princess False Lash Waterproof, in black, with the same conical brush and the same vegan, cruelty-free formula as the original. essence’s Remove Like A Boss Waterproof Eye Make-up Remover is made to take off both versions.
Waterproof is great for a beach day, a workout or a wedding where you know you’ll cry, but it’s not the best pick for every day. It takes more rubbing to get off, and rubbing is exactly what pulls lashes out. Our waterproof vs regular mascara post goes deeper.
Whatever you wear, be gentle when it comes off. Hold a soaked pad on your closed eye for several seconds, then wipe down and out instead of scrubbing. The FDA’s eye makeup advice is short and practical: don’t share mascara, and don’t add water or spit to a tube that’s drying out. If you get an eye infection, stop wearing eye makeup and toss whatever you were using. Mascara usually needs replacing two to four months after you open it, too.
Price
Sky High runs about $11, and it’s $13.99 on Maybelline’s own site. Prices change often, so it can dip lower on sale.
Lash Princess runs about $5, and it’s $4.99 on the essence site. Since you’re swapping mascara every few months anyway, that gap adds up over a year, which makes Lash Princess the easy call if you go through tubes fast. If you don’t, the difference is just a few dollars a tube, so pick on the brush and the shade.
Sky High or Lash Princess for your lashes
If your lashes are short or straight, go with Sky High. The thin bendy brush reaches the tiny lashes and pulls each one long, which is exactly what short lashes need.
If your lashes are long but sparse, go with Lash Princess. You already have the length, so let the fat fiber brush bring the thickness.
If your eyes are sensitive or you wear contacts, start with Sky High, since it’s ophthalmologist tested and made for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. If it still bothers you, try a tubing formula, and see a doctor if the irritation keeps up.
If you’re fair, blonde or want a softer look, grab Sky High in True Brown. Lash Princess Black Brown works too, but Sky High gives you more shades to play with.
If your mascara always ends up under your eyes by lunch, skip both washable formulas and try Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky Tubes, which come off with warm water and a gentle swipe. Tubing mascaras wrap each lash in a little film instead of painting it, so they’re less likely to print onto oily lids, and they slide off without scrubbing. You won’t get the thick, inky volume of Lash Princess, but you also won’t get raccoon eyes.
Want more ideas for your eyes? Browse the rest of our makeup archive.
Wearing the waterproof versions? Soak, wait and then wipe, and our guide to removing makeup properly covers the eyes.
