Mascara is one of those beauty products that even the most low maintenance women reach for from time to time because as cliche as it may sound, a few swipes of the inky black formula have the power to change how you look and feel. While there are mascara offerings at every price point that range from silicone wands to micro sizes and so on, sometimes all you need is a $6 version to perk up your face—and Kim Kardashian agrees.

Kardashian recently took to her app to share that she has been using L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black ($6; amazon.com, target.com, or lorealparisusa.com) “for years.” She also references her long-time makeup artist and friend Mario Dedivanovic, saying, “it’s one of his fav too—we use it all the time.” What she likes about this drugstore formula: “It’s the perfect shade of black and it really lifts and separates each lash.” She even elaborates about how you can use it, too. “It’s perfect for an everyday look or you can layer on multiple coats for a more dramatic eye,” she says.

Of course, when I heard that KKW uses this mascara, I had to give it a go, too. Upon removing the wand from the matte black tube, the brush seemed familiar. It has a classic tapered shape with wider bristles on one end that come to a point, designed that way so that you can easily add length on the outer corners, but can also use the tip to get into the inner corner and coat those hairs as well.

I wiggled the brush back and forth from root to tip and noticed that while my lashes were separating in a way that I liked, there was also added volume—a combination that I almost never come across, which leads me to use multiple mascaras. While the formula was a little drier than what I typically use, it didn’t bother me and I didn’t find it to flake or get messy—a win in my book.

After a few swipes on the top and bottom lashes, I was thoroughly impressed. This bargain buy lengthened, darkened, and volumized my lashes exactly the way a pricier mascara would. Like Kim, I think this will become a staple in my makeup bag, too.