Bewdy: 7 ways to get longer eyelashes

Did you know I began my career as a beauty editor? True story. I was 19 and barely knew one end of a mascara wand from the other. My first ever boss, Lisa Wilkinson, took a big chance giving me that gig but in some ways it was very smart. Not because she chose me but because she chose someone who wasn’t entrenched in the beauty world. It’s a fancy place, full of launches and lunches and freebies and functions. Many of it’s inhabitants, however, are jaded. They know lots about beauty but they have often lost touch with what us regular people want to know. So….

I’ve been thinking about including more beauty content in Mamamia and there will be a dedicated section for it in the new site (still working on it, working, working, working….) but each time I’ve posted anything beauty related like this video of my fave products or this video with Zoe Foster (or this one, or this one), the response has been ace.

So because they haven’t got enough to do but mostly because they are OBSESSED with beauty and hair and skin products, MM’s site manager Lana Hirschowitz and site co-ordinator Nicky Champ are going to jump on the beauty bus and bring us interesting news about products, tips and tricks from the point of view of normal people who want to share (you can email them at beauty@mamamia.com.au  if there’s something you want them to find out or something you think they should know about. You can also just leave a comment below.)

Yes, Mamamia Bewdy is open for buisness.

I promise you it’s going to be fun. And fresh.

Let’s get into it with Lana’s  first post about eyelashes. Because she cares a LOT about eyelashes.

You could say that I am obsessed with eyelashes and you would be right.  Unfortunately I am not obsessed with my actual eyelashes but  the eyelashes that I would like to have – you know long, dark, perfectly upturned lashes.  Much like Bambi

My pursuit to have the perfect eyelashes has taken me to many a beauty counter, it’s even taken me to an eyelash salon where I had masterfully crafted eyelashes attached to the less than substantial hairs on my upper eyelid.  I loved the result but I abhorred the application.

And while the results looked beautiful (and fawn like) I was very tempted to pull off what felt like clumpy bits of mascara but was actually eyelash glue.  Note to novice eyelash consumers: if you pull off the glue of your eyelash extensions the extensions and your natural eyelashes will come off.  They will grow back but you may feel a bit self conscious for a week or so.  I speak with experience.

The eyelash extensions were expensive, they weren’t permanent and they were arduous to have applied so I mentioned to a friend that I wanted my doctor to write me a script for Latisse

• Latisse is a prescription drug which clinically grows eyelashes longer and thicker.  The company that makes it (Allergen) actually used to make a drug to treat glaucoma.  One of the side effects they noticed was its ability to grow longer and thicker eyelashes, so  they created Latisse to take advantage of this effect.  Not sure about using this – being prescription and all it sounds a bit full on.  Also I am not the most dexterous person in the universe (strongly evidenced in my attempts to apply false eyelashes) and when I read this warning on their website “Only apply at the base of the upper eyelashes. DO NOT APPLY to the lower eyelid. Hair growth may occur in other skin areas that LATISSE^® solution frequently touches” I got a little scared.  I could imagine myself with hair bags under my eyes.  I don’t like that idea at all.  Latisse is not permanent (good to know if you do get the hairy undereyes) and it is expensive (oh and there is the whole getting a prescription thing)

There are also a number of prescription strength eyelash growth products available without a prescription but that thought made me feel nervous.  If they are prescription strength they should be prescribed shouldn’t they ?

Okay so I just more or less talked myself out of those ones –and dug out some other tips to create dark, long lashes.

• Apply eyeliner close to your lash line. Use an eyeliner colour that’s a little darker than your natural eyelash colour and it should make it look like there is more hair at the roots of your eyelashes than there actually is.

• Curl your lashes. An eyelash curler will give your eyelashes some extra bounce and make them look longer and fuller just by changing the angle of the lashes.  Do your curling before applying mascara so you don’t yank out the lashes. Your eyelash curler may very well be your new BFF.  Hint: Zap your eyelash curler with your blowdryer for a few seconds to warm it before using it.

• Eat foods high in vitamin B , Vitamin A , and Vitamin E. Studies have shown that people with diets high in these Vitamins grow much healthier stronger eyelashes. Geez that may be a bit of a long term process for instant results me!

• Try applying some Vaseline to the lashes before going to bed.  Apparently the nutrients and the moisture really help the lashes grow or if you are not keen on the idea of plopping petroleum jelly on your face  apply a thin coat of olive oil or castor oil to your lashes before you go to.   This sounds tricky but you can just dip a clean, mascara-free wand in the oil and brush your eyelashes from the base to the tip then pat them with some cotton wool to remove excess oil. Leave the oil on overnight and wash it off in morning.  Morning Bambi

• Use thickening and volumnising mascaras – almost every beauty house makes a mascara that thickens, volumnises , primes, magnifies, bulks, and gives just great big lashes by coating the lashes  with , well with mascara.  Although all mascara make eye lashes look longer, look for mascara that contain a volume-boosting component – this it what really makes the lashes look thick and longer.

Some mascaras contain serums, proteins, nutrients or even  moisturisers, some even contain little fibres that stick to the lashes and some contain lash “accelerators ”   I do love mascara,  I really do – even I can apply it and  uou can really see the before and after difference

• Nobody can deny that fake eyelashes make your eyelashes look longer because, er they are longer.  More power to you if you can apply them properly – I can’t.  Even after watching this rather in depth lesson

So what do you use to make your eyelashes long and luscious ?  Is there a product or a trick that you swear by?