Saturday 21 January 2023

On the lash: UKLash Eyelash Serum - a six and nine month update

My by now rather battered tube and box!

Back in July I wrote a "before" and "after" post about my results with UKlash Eyelash Serum, one of the many brands of such products on the market in this ever growing sector about which I was completely ignorant till I started dabbling in it myself at the beginning of May. Here's a reminder of my stubby apologies at the outset:

May 1st, 2022

The last photograph in that post dates from July 3rd, and shows some definite growth, which did surprise me, I'll be honest, as my default assumption tends to be that all beauty product claims are either hyped up or downright false.


July 3rd, 2022

The second photo above was taken about 91/2 weeks in - there is nothing otherwise significant about that precise interval, I hasten to add ;). I carried on using the product regularly till mid-October, and there is still a bit left in the tube, but my trapped nerves kicked in then and lengthening my lashes was the last thing on my mind.

Now I said in July that I wouldn't come back and revisit this topic at the twelve week mark, as I didn't expect anything more to happen, plus I didn't want to scare the horses unduly by posting too many photos of my bizarrely-shaped selfie-snapped phizog. But I decided to do an update after all, as the serum did in fact keep on working...!

So here I am, without make up still, last October - please excuse the very unflattering angle, which makes my nose look like a laboratory flask crossed with Concorde. The difference since July is subtle, but I do think the lashes have grown a bit more:


October 14th, 2022

And here are a couple of shots of me around that time, but with a light application of mascara:


October 7th, 2022

I am at least looking straight ahead in the next one, rather than sporting the demented "Look up!" expression not usually found beyond the optician's chair. I still look a little "scary stary", mind. And veering towards silvery badger in the fringe department, though that is being sorted next week.


October 10th, 2022

So where am I now? I learnt from the comments on my earlier post that the serum merely interrupts the natural shedding cycle, so that the lashes continue to grow. I haven't applied it more than half a dozen times since October due to my neck issue, when you are meant to use it daily to maintain the length or coax the lashes to become even longer. Frankly, by October they were at the height of what I'd call an acceptable length, and starting to grow out in strange directions and develop bent tips like mosquito legs with a kink in them. It was also very easy to create ridiculous doll-like looks with even one "normal" coat of mascara, so even if I hadn't fallen ill, I would doubtless have laid off the serum to stop this relentless sprouting in its tracks. Also, I could almost hear my eyelashes rustling when I blnked, which was a little disconcerting. I'd say my lashes are now back to where they were in early June, say, so really nothing remarkable, but not quite the little stumps of yore.


21st January, 2023

So would I recommend this product?

Absolutely, if longer lashes are a particular quest of yours. To be fair, I do think that even when mine were at their most stunted, they came up remarkably long thanks to the telescopic miracle worker that is modern mascara. But if you don't want to wear make up every day - and I rarely do now - having naturally longer lashes does give you more confidence to go out without shopkeepers asking if you can see properly out of those tiny eyes.





8 comments:

Anonymous said...

So interesting! Does this serum contain the ingredient that is contained in drops for treating glaucoma? This makes eyelashes grow and is used in some beauty treatments for that purpose. I have to use the drops medicinally and the result is that some lashes grow ..... but in the wrong direction! Not pleasant, so I won't try this. I suppose also it's a bit like those hair growth solutions - as long as you use them, you get good results, but they are not permanent cures and stop working when you don't apply them anymore.

Jillie

Portia said...

Hey Vanessa,
I love that you have had this adventure. It's fun to follow.
Fortunately I can just stick my four pair thick falsies on and swan out the door.
Portia xx

Vanessa said...

Hi Jillie,

I think you must be talking about "prostaglandin analogues", in which case I see it does! The one in question in the UKLash serum is Isopropyl Cloprostenate, but there are others. I know what you mean about lashes growing in the wrong direction, though not into the eye at least in my case, just at wild angles pointing away!

Vanessa said...

Hi Portia,

Haha, of course you can wear false eyelashes - indeed your audience would expect nothing less!

Undina said...

I am still using one of the lash serums… when I remember and if my eyes don’t bother me. I haven’t noticed much improvement (mostly because of the sporadic nature of the application), but I’ll continue until either I’m done with 2 tubes that I have or decide that I don’t like the result.

I think your peak-performance lashes were remarkably long. It would be interesting to figure out the golden middle - not to grow them to the caricature look but not to completely go back.

Vanessa said...

Hi Undina,

Interesting that you have also proved the non-effectiveness of these serums when you don't apply them regularly. I quite agree that there is a happy medium to find with this - probably where I was at back in July - by October they were dramatic, but distinctly unwieldy!

Anonymous said...

Amazing results, Vanessa, especially the October pic.

I have sensitive eyes… did you find the serum irritating/sting at all?

Joyce

Vanessa said...

Hi Joyce,

Amazing, if a bit historic now, hehe. That was a key concern of mine because of my history of contact dermatitis, especially in the eye area. I have done posts about the run in's I have had with allergies, which you may or may not have seen?

https://bonkersaboutperfume.blogspot.com/2016/09/quick-and-slow-skincare-fixes-part-2.html

I researched the ingredients carefully of all the ones I considered, and this looked safe enough and am pleased to say it wasn't irritating - the cold serum was a bit ticklish at worse when you applied it. And I really am about the most sensitive skinned person you could meet!