Make-Up Monday: I'm Lovin' LASHES

Anastasia Steele snagged Christian Grey's heart by constantly looking at him through hers... Iconic movie stars always had long, thick fringes... yes - I'm talking eyelashes. 

Longer, thicker, non-clumping eyelashes can be all your need to finish off your look - or all you need at all to look your best. Think about this. Currently, women in the US spend 7 billion dollars on make-up each year; Breaking it down, the average woman will spend over $13,000 on make-up in her lifetime - with over $3,000 dedicated to MASCARA alone.

We have a thing for lashes. As we should. Our eyes are the portals to our souls - don't we want our souls to be dressed properly? 

So, how does a girl get fabulous lashes?

Masacra and Lashes by hipmamab featuring shu uemura

Mascara:

Every beauty expert agrees that if you put ONE thing on in the morning, it should always be mascara. It's the easiest, cheapest way to get amazing lashes. While make-up artists around the globe swear by Maybelline's Great Lash mascara, my personal favorite is Volumin' Express Falsies. I also love the Votre Vu Eiffel Power and of course, Dior Show. With so many great products at different price levels you really have no excuse not to use mascara daily. 

Grow 'Em:

Latisse is an amazing product. When I used it a few years back my lashes were so long I actually need to trim them. But other products have popped up claiming the same results without the Rx. French beauty company, Talika claims longer lashes in 28 days with it's Lipocils Expert. This lash enhancer was actually discovered in 1948 and is all natural with no side effects. I used this product for about 3 weeks and saw noticeably differences in my lashes*. Maybe not as extreme as Latisse, but my eyes didn't get red when I used it and I liked the fact that its more natural. Plus the applicator is fabulous and easy to use. 

 Fake It, Baby

So why did I stop using the Lipocils? Because I ended up going the fake-route. I've been DYING to try eyelash extensions for years. I did them years back when they first came out, but they were the clumps of lashes, not individual ones. A few weeks ago The Dailey Method had a promotion going on promoting a new eyelash salon in the area. While I wasn't going to do it, seeing the lovely ladies I work out with regularly sporting these fab lashes with their lulu's - I HAD to go for it. 

Ali from Ciao Bella Eyelash Studio in Encinitas worked her magic and they are fabulous. My favorite thing is that I can wake-up, put on a little tinted moisturizer and lip gloss and be done with my make-up. I didn't go all out Kim Kardashian, but more natural. They are perfect. 

*Just a quick digression to the Talika product mentioned above. I know that it was working, because when Ali was doing my lashes, she had to use the longer ones on me, citing that my natural lashes were longer than the shorter extensions she normally uses on clients!

*disclosure: As a blogger I get to review tons of products {Squee!} While services and products may have been provided to me, all opinions are my own. 

Batting my lashes

A bit of a confession. About 5 months I grabbed one of those San Diego Daily Save deals for Latisse eyelash enhancer. At $49 dollars, this was a STEAL as the goods usually go for about $120. And yes, it worked. And no, it didn't turn my blue eyes brown (FYI: My eyes do have a brownish circle. Always have.)

I have to say, I love Latisse. Singing from the rooftops love. Big puffy heart LURRRVE. 

And I'm out.

Sigh.

I usually have 2-4 different types of mascara on tap. I'm one of those women who can't pick up a prescription at RiteAid without buying a mascara. I also can't walk past Sephora without popping into to try out a member of their ridiculously expensive elite mascaras. Somehow, over the past few weeks, I've run down my selection. I had been alternating between Maybelline's Lash Stiletto (Glossy Black, waterproof) and Anastasia lash lifting, (also Black). 

The issue I have with waterproof is that I can never get it off. Even using the mascara remover from the same company, the Maybelline mascara while FABULOUS on, does not come off. The long term problem with that? I think that not being able to properly remove mascara leads to lash fall out or break off. I end up scrubbing my eyes to hard (SO bad for those of us beginning to face aging concerns) and I can feel my lashes sticking to my eyelash curler when I use it the next morning. 

Facing a drastic decrease in lash fabulosity, at a quick Target run this week I picked up Revlon's Grow Luscious mascara (black). Knowing how well Latisse worked for me, I was hoping that this mascara would be all I ever needed.

With a quick once over of the packaging, I noticed a very bold marketing statement: 

*96% saw instantly longer, lusher lashes

Being on a quick diaper/toilet paper run, I saw the statistic, saw the name, and it grabbed me and I purchased the product. It was only later that I realized the sheer ridiculousness of this statement. I mean, I HOPE that 96% of women using mascara instantly see a difference in their lashes when they apply mascara. Isn't that the point?

Unfortunately, I seem to be in the rare 4% of the population, because post-application I saw NOTHING. Like there wasn't even mascara on the wand. I dipped again. Got a little something. Smeared the wand on my hand and got a black smudge, so I KNOW there is something in the tube... but still, nothing on the lashes.

I have to say in my 22 (or so) years of wearing mascara, I have never encountered one that did so little for my lashes as this product does. Even the clear mascara I wore as a young teen did more than this one.

My advice? Save your $8 and put towards your Latisse savings fund.