Lash love aka Latisse Week 0

Here's a little background on my lashes: I used to have very long, lush lashes with blonde tips. Which just means that mascara really made them pop. Then I got mascara happy in the late 90s/early 2000s. The side effect was that my lashes broke off. Ever since then I've been very careful of the mascaras that I use.

I tried many mascaras over the years, looking for one that is soft yet adds volume. I tried one that vibrates (too clumpy so not an everyday mascara more of a going out mascara), cheap but standards (Maybelline Great Lash) and pro (MAC). The one that I love the best so far is NYX's Doll Eye Mascara. Check out the reviews on MakeupAlley.com  It really is amazing and gives me the look and feel that I want. Light, no clumps, adds volume, stays put, comes off easily at the end of the night. What's not to love?

But like most beauty junkies, I need to try everything out there. Almost two years ago, I visited my first spa show where lash conditioners were THE product. I couldn't avoid purchasing of Revitalash, they almost threw it into my bag! I took it home, used it every once in a while, and then realized that it wasn't for me. Revitalash, like all the last conditioners, needs to be used every day to be effective.

Since I've been working at a MedSpa, I've learned more about lash conditioners, and specifically Latisse. Latisse is one of those products that's been around for a while, even before the lash conditioners came out. It actually has an interesting product history, where Jan Marini (facialist/skin care product company) licensed the main ingredient from Allergan. No one at the company wanted to use the main ingredient cosmetically because they didn't think that women would spend $100 a month on their lashes. Ha! I think the lash conditioner market is now a billion dollar market. Jan Marini was pulled from the shelves because Allergan wanted to start selling the product itself. Because it turned out that women will spend mucho dollars on lashes.

Now the market is flooded with Lash Conditioners, from prescription strength Latisse to OTC versions (Jan Marini and Revitalash are the big players) that use similar ingredients to Latisse, but at lower strengths. Technically, lash conditioners can't (and usually don't) use the exact same active ingredient as Latisse (bimatoprost) because Allergan has a patent on it.

I've wanted to try Latisse for a while, but I've been worried about the side-effects (turns hazel eyes to brown). And I also thought the price-point was out of reach ($100 per month). But I've watched and listened as people at the MedSpa where I work have been prescribed Latisse. First, the increased brown pigmentation of your eye (which comes from an increased Melanin production) is a side effect for a very small amount of people who were using the product in their eye. And secondly, most users of Latisse need to use it regularly the first month and then only once or twice a week going forward as maintenance. Its interesting that Allergan doesn't really talk about that part of Latisse. I know why they don't, they want to sell more bottles. But I think their overall market would explode if they were more honest about the usage habits. Instead of $1200 a year on lashes, it's more like $400 a year.

So here's a picture of my lashes before Latisse that I took this morning (7/15/11). They aren't that bad. I have a decent amount of lashes. I'm just annoyed by the blonde tips. And I would love to have them longer. So I'm actually going to do the work and use the product daily, at least for a month. Then repost!

Just one note, I went lash conditioner crazy at the Spa show in Vegas this year. I bought liquid liner and mascara that has lash conditioners from Beauty Society and Lash Food just to see if they did anything. I haven't really noticed a difference in the month since I started using them. Maybe my lashes are a tad bit fuller. But I want length! That's what Latisse POD (Point of Difference) is. It really does add length. I've seen Latisse lashes up close and personal and honestly its amazing.