Stuff I’m Into: Eye Lashes

Today’s post is a little different than my usual “Stuff I’m Into” post because I’m focusing on beauty.  I’m a girly-girl when it comes to make-up and beauty thing so I’m surprised that it’s taken me this long to share one.

I love make-up, but I’m especially into my eye lashes.  I want them as long and thick as possible (without resorting to fake lashes, which I’ve never tried).  After years and years of trying stuff, I’ve finally found a routine that works for me.  I’ve been following these steps for about six months now and I’m lovin’ my lashes.

Vitamins.  I swear by Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails vitamins.  Over the past year I felt like I was loosing more hair than I normally do.  My mom suggested these vitamins and less than two days later, without any knowledge of that, my mother-in-law actually gave me a bottle because she didn’t like the taste of them.  After about six weeks of taking the suggested dose, I noticed that I wasn’t loosing nearly as much hair as before.  As a great side effect, my eye lashes were getting longer too.  Now I won’t go a day without taking them.

Night Routine.  I use neuLash, an eyelash enhancing serum, at night.  It’s the only eyelash enhancing brand that I’ve tried and I started it around the same time that I started taking the vitamins.  In hind site, I probably should have started the serum at a different time so that I could pinpoint the cause of my new found lashes.  So I’m honestly not sure if it’s really the vitamins that are doing the “enhancement” or the serum or both.  All I know is that I noticed that my eyelashes looked thicker after about three months of using this serum and I plan to continue to use this in my routine.  Even if my reasons aren’t very scientific.

Morning Routine.

Step 1.  I’ve used an eye lash curler since I was in high school.  I think they’re all pretty much the same, so I use one that’s only a few dollars.

Step 2.  When I want maximum volume (which is almost always, duh), I use one coat of a conditioner.  I use Lancome’s Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base.  I love that it makes my lashes look longer and thicker while it conditions them.

Step 3.  I have tried a bazillion mascaras.  Seriously… I’ve tried a ton of brands in a variety of price ranges.  I look for two things in a great mascara.  First, the formula must be spot on.  Second, the brush has to be awesome.  Okay, I admit that’s probably the two things almost everyone looks for in a mascara.  I love, love, love Dior’s Diorshow mascara (in black).  I’ve been using that one for the past two years and it’s my favorite.  A few months ago I decided to try Too Faced’s Better Than Sex mascara (also in black).  I love it almost as much as the Dior one and it’s a little cheaper.  I apply one coat of either the Dior or the Too Faced.  Then I use an eyelash comb to separate the eye lashes that glued themselves together.

I make a funny face when I apply mascara.  Am I the only one?  There are comical contortions involved in trying to not poke yourself in the eye with the wand and to avoid bumping the wand into your carefully eye shadowed lids.

I like to apply a second coat of Urban Decay’s Perversion travel size mascara.  I like using a smaller brush to make sure that I get every single lash possible.  By the way, Sephora carries a variety of travel size mascaras and that is a great way to try a new brand for less money and to get your hands on a micro sized brush.

Also, I’ve used each of the above mascaras by themselves (I always apply two coats though).  I love them and would still recommend them all in a heart beat.  I’m saying this in case you don’t want to invest in two mascaras.

Step 4.  Finally, I use an eyelash comb (again, after the second coat of mascara) to polish the look.  Similar to the eyelash curler, I don’t think you need an expensive one to get the job done.  The point here is to detangle the lashes and to work out any goopy blobs that may have ended up in the mix somehow.

Ciao for now!