LashDip

First there were eyelash extensions. Then there was Latisse (check out my early thoughts on it here). In the quest to have lush long eyelashes, there is a never ending search for the best way to take short, nothing special lashes and turn them into luxurious curled gorgeous things that open up your face and dramatize the windows to your soul. The only question has been, do I invest in having extensions attached? Apply a medical ointment nightly to grow my own? Or just stick with plain old mascara for $7.95 a tube rather than some costly treatment.

I suppose the solution depends on how much free cash you have to throw around, and how important your lashes are to you. Personally, I never leave the house without a quick swipe of mascara. I even often wear it to the gym. Why? Because thanks to my Polish anscestry, and fair haired family, I have been genetically gifted with blonde eyelashes (read: they’re invisible sans makeup). Without mascara, my eyes don’t really pop.I would love to have gorgeous lashes without having to apply.

Now there’s the middle ground for those who are freaked out by the idea of applying medication to their eyes, or by having an asthetician attach tiny lengtheners to each individual lash. It’s called LashDip, and it’s essentially a perfectly applied, long term mascara.

You go into a salon, and have the black stuff individually painted onto lashes (both upper and lower if your heart desires). Then you skip using oil based make up removers, invest in an eyelash comb in case they get tangled, and enjoy looking doe-eyed first thing out of bed for six whole weeks!

All you have to do is go in for a LashRefresh touch up 2-3 weeks after the first painting, and apply the LashSeal two or three times a week to keep your fancy lashes clean and maintained. The web site reveals that you can even use LashDip in addition to Latisse if you’re so inclined. They’ll run you between two and three hundred for the first time, then after you’re hooked the price of visits will be dependent on maintainance required. Sounds like a bargain to me?

Lash Extension: The 3 Competitors

So, there have been a lot of recent mascaras claiming to make your eyelashes thicker and longer.  I have sampled three of the main competitors in the race and I will tell you the best in the bunch.

There is Shu Uemura Fiber Extension.  As far as I can tell, this one is the pioneer of mascara that claims to extend your lashes with little pieces of fibers that cling to the lash like individual false lashes, extending them past their typical length.  It is good stuff, but has a little bit of a greasy feel that leaves your lashes, although longer, a little limp and unable to hold a curl.

Then there is Fiberwig mascara, the knock off, which clamps on a little extra lash in much the same manner with one application.    This is by far the best lengthening and thickening mascara.  It is like falsies without the tedious application process.

Then there is the latest: L'Oreal Beauty Tubes, which is supposed to surround your eyelash with a thick tube of faux lash, making your normal fringe more lush and strong.  It's good in theory, but tends to clump and leave extreme gunky residue in the sink.  L'Oreal says that no eye makeup remover is necessary, but it will leave large black chunks in your sink with much scrubbing and not simply warm water removal. 

Shu Uemura comes off easy, but doesn't give results.  Fiberwig comes off easy and has much the same effect as the beauty tubes, making it the winner of this three way test.