However. About a year ago I discovered a lovely little product called Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Serum (on ebay, I restock very regularly from here). I started applying this every night, after moisturiser. I just apply it like mascara, I don't think painting it along the lash line did any good, as it seems to stop shedding by improving the condition of your lashes, but maybe that's just me. Within a few weeks, my lashes were looking a lot more substantial and were shedding less. So began my quest to discover the perfect kit to show them off, and here are my discoveries so far:
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| The kit in question! |
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| I look angry and cross-eyed in close up iphone photos! |
Eyelure 45 day mascara (not shown in photo but easy to find online or in various shops)
Not technically necessary, but I use it anyway as I often wake up late enough to warrant using this... just in case I only have time to pull on some clothes and run out the door in the morning ;-)
Lint free wipes (far left, bought from Amazon for about £3)
If you're going to dye your eyelashes, get these. You can cut a small semi-circle out of them, douse them in moisturiser, and they stick to your face underneath your lower lashes. This stops you getting the dye on your face and works a whole lot better than the pads you get in the lash dye kit, also handy if you use a dye that doesn't come with all the kit, I know I have a few that I want to try. And the lint-free part is great, because the last thing you want when you have dye all round your eyes is fibres getting in them and irritating them! Plus, they're great for scrubbing off sparkly nail polish which can be quite hard to remove, and they're cheap :-)
Eyelash tinting brush (third from right, bought from Amazon for about £4)
Still going along with the lash dyeing kit, get one of these as it's tiny but nice and stiff, and makes the dye coat your lashes, unlike the silly little mascara wand you get with the dye kit! VERY handy.
Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Serum (fourth from right, clear tube)
And you know why this is on the list!
Natural Collection Mascaras (middle, longer white tube)
Yes, they're £2 each. I kid you not, £2 each. And they are better than a whole host of more expensive ones I've tried! Go on, shell out £2 and have a go, I personally love the LashCurl and LashBuild varieties. I have a few mascaras in my kit that I love, but I keep coming back to these. The consistency is lovely, doesn't clump, gives a lovely glossy black look, builds well, I could go on...
Clinique High Volume Mascara (middle, small black tube)
This is awesomeness in a tube. It has a lovely fat brush that feels satisfying to use, as you can really feel it working the mascara right into all your lashes, even the tiny little ones. Again, builds well, doesn't clump, and it lasts well. For some reason I sometimes like to put another mascara over the top of this, and I also use it on it's own with a few coats. Check out ebay for the sample sizes of these. As mascara can dry out quite quickly I don't really see the point in buying a huge tube when this one would last just as long for a fraction of the price.
Clinique High Lengths Mascara (middle, small white tube)
Use this for a completely different look, more separation and definition, rather than the thick, fluffy lashes the other Clinique mascara gives you. You can also use this on your lower lashes, as the brush is so skinny and doesn't paint the mascara all over your face. Again, check out ebay for the little versions.
Maybelline Great Lash mascara (third from right, pink & green tube... in case you don't recognise it!)
I like this in general, but it doesn't make my lashes quite as BIG as I'd like, but it is a godsend for your lower lashes. The consistency is quite thin, but still dark and glossy, so you don't get a lot of build but you get some really good coverage, and the brush is small enough to get to your lower lashes properly, and it doesn't clump either.
Lancome Hypnose (second from right, short black tube)
As I put in a seriously cheap mascara, I have to include this awesome one which is ten times the price, if you feel like a treat then go for this! I got a free sample and it was a little clumpy on the first few uses, but it calms down soon enough. It's super dark, smells amazing (just like all other Lancome products, I just love the smell of them, I have done since I first bought a bottle of Maquisuperbe when I was 15... that was a huge purchase back then!), I just love it. I will be looking for the little size rather than buying the full size when I run out. I got this as a free sample and wouldn't have become hooked on it otherwise!
Metal Lash Comb (far left, bought from Amazon, about £7, Royal & Langnickel)
Yes, a metal one! A nice, sharp, dangerous looking one with the combs placed really close together. Never mind any of that plastic comb nonsense, those things will just brush mascara clumps through your lashes. The metal one will take them out! I don't like mascaras that go clumpy, but if I'm determined to put on 17 coats of mascara it's inevitable, and this will allow you to do that!
Lash Fan brush (second from left, bought from Amazon, about £5, Royal & Langnickel Silk Pro)
I had this in my wish list on Amazon because it looked pretty, but I didn't really know what it was for. I never understood what fan brushes were for. This one is nice and cheap to try them out, although I've heard really good reports about the MAC lash fan brush (check out this video if you're not sure how to use it). I wouldn't be without this now! You do need to clean it often, as having hardened mascara all over it defeats the purpose of what it does. Basically, paint some mascara onto the ends of it, and brush it through your lashes (after mascara to fill in any gaps you've missed, or on its own to get a really natural, understated look). This picks up all the tiny little hairs that you miss, that you don't see when you're using a wand. It's easy to underestimate just how much fuller you can make your lashes look using one of these little beauties. So, if you're curious, check this one out (it's the one I'm using at the moment but the MAC one intrigues me as it looks a slightly different shape that might fit the lash line better, and what looks like slightly hooked ends to the bristles which might make it more effective).
You may be wondering, why no eyelash curler? Personally, I don't feel it helps. As I'm trying to be kind to my lashes so they grow longer, I don't think clamping them into a metal device would help matters, and when I've used them in the past, my lashes seem to return to where they were after about 10 minutes anyway. But, each to their own. If you know of a good one, let me know and I might have another go! They might work for you :-)
So, there it is. I want to try lashesclinic but it's ridiculously expensive, so I'm saving up for it slowly. (If anyone wants to donate me £200 I'll send you my paypal details! ;-) ) When I have the the money saved up I'll see if I'm still that determined to have eyelashes that go right up to my eyebrows ;-) (this is the UK equivalent of Latisse).
Are you obsessed with eyelashes? What are your favourite products? Any random tips you'd like to share, leave a comment!
*** I've listed the products below that I've bought from Amazon, from the places I personally bought them. If it's not in the box below, I didn't buy it from Amazon, I actually left the house and purchased it in a shop, old-school style! All my recommendations are things I've actually used, no randomly generated ads :-) ***
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