Not gonna lie - L'Oreal are not a brand that springs to mind when it comes to lash serums.
I've used lash serums/conditioners in the past, to varying results. The brand I saw the most length with, was insanely expensive. The 'natural' one, yeah, nah. And the thing is - I don't need long lashes, I need more lashes. I have gaps the size of a cotton bud head, in my lash line.
So. L'Oreal's toe-dip into lash serums. What did I think.
The packaging has an insane amount of information on it. It does not look anywhere near as classy as the sleek, branding I'm used to on a lash serum. It cheapens it. The name is 'Clinically Proven Lash Serum' and you know what? I don't mind it. Tells you what it is, and I can pronounce it. No 'is it Lie-, is it Lil?' here.
The tube itself is kind of like a marker pen, with some ominous 'ml' markings, like a medical syringe. You turn the top to dispense serum. The brush is ridiculous. Why not just give us a paintbrush?! Its so wide, I mean, you're not going to miss your lash line with it, that's a positive, the negative is I kept wiping my eyeball.
I had no reactions to the eyeball wiping, btw. And my eyes are quite sensitive so for an eye product, that's a huge win.
Ok, so we've established I like the name, hate the packaging and hate the dispenser. But what were the results?
Fast forward to maybe week 5 of twice a day application. My lashes are thick. Like really, thick. My lashline looks darker due to the increased number of lashes. Length I haven't really noticed a change, they're not suddenly touching my glasses lens or anything. And I like that. I love that I don't need to wear mascara to feel like my eyes look ready for the day.
I am so impressed with the results, I feel bad I prejudged L'Oreal getting into the lash serum game, but I'll make it up to them by buying another tube!
Well, the long and short of it is that this lash serum works.
My lashes are undeniably longer and fuller than they were before. To be honest with you, my eyelashes were in a pretty sad state before I started this trial. I'd always been rather lucky in the lash department but for whatever reason, last year I noticed that they were dropping like flies and the lash line was looking sparse indeed! This trial couldn't have come along at a better time- thank you BR fairy god-sisters!
I've been religious in my application, every morning and night I've spread the pen along my upper and lower lash line. Sometimes, it's felt a touch sting-y, usually if I've applied too much, but not unbearably so. And if I'm honest, deep down I believe in the old mantra, "no pain, no gain," or is it, "beauty is pain..." Anyway! It works.
One downside to this serum has to be the applicator. It's a twist-bottom, pen-like system that squeezes a little product into the applicator with each rotation. The fact is though, on the first twist, you don't get enough, so you twist again, and then you have too much! Or is that just me?
The other problem I've encountered is the consistency. It is more 'gluey' than other lash serums I've used before. When I applied in the morning, it had a tendency to stick around and look I'd been slack at removing false lash glue... Not the look I usually go for when I'm about to head out the door to work. Anyway, a quick once over with a brow spoolie would sort it out and then I'd go over with mascara. Not the end of the world, but definitely something to consider if you're after a low-maintenance lash growth product.
I will 100% continue to use- and buy- this product when it hits the shelves. My lashes are fuller and longer, both upper and lower, and look much better on their own or enhanced with a lick of mascara. Thanks, Beauty Review for letting me try this one!
Tips: Watch out for leftovers on your lashes after the morning application! Can be a pain to get off if you're in a rush.