Guys, Brooke Shields wasn’t lying! After the full testing period, I’m thrilled to announce that, yes, Latisse works! It’s like a miracle. Seriously.
Eyelash hypotrichosis, the technical term for having a less than desirable full set of lashes, can be caused by a multitude of factors. Lashes can thin with age, they may fall out due to stress or disease, or they might be ripped out (ouch!) by bad eyelash curlers. Or, maybe you just weren’t “born with it.” Whatever the case may be, Latisse has hit the market to cure our lash ailments. I was skeptical of this miracle sounding product, but I’m happy to admit after testing it for a 12 week cycle that it does meet the advertised claims.
So, what is it? When I’m applying a prescribed solution to my eye area for months on end, I want to be sure I know what’s in it, so I did a little research. Latisse shares its main component, bimatoprost, with glaucoma drug Lumigan, both owned by pharmaceutical company Allergan. Essentially, Latisse is a repackaged ophthalmic solution regularly used to treat glaucoma. This makes sense because of the identical list of side effects. In the case of Latisse, the side effect is also the cure. The safety of the drug has been medically approved in numerous clinical trials, which is more than I can say for most other products I test on my face on a daily basis.
Since Latisse is technically a drug, you can’t just scoop it up from your local beauty supply store. A prescription is required, but don’t let that discourage you. I went to a MedSpa where the doctor took a quick peek at my peepers and hooked me up with a bottle of Latisse in no time. No rigorous medical exam necessary.
Granted, it’s not the cheapest thing to hit the shelves, but one tiny bottle goes a long way. Each nightly application only requires one droplet for each eye. I paid $120 for the bottle, but I’ve been using for about three months and still have about a quarter of the bottle left.
As far as side effects go, I did experience a little bit of eye redness at first, but nothing too crazy. Other listed side effects include darkening of the application area on the skin. This did not occur in my case, but had it happened, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. You sweep the solution on your lids at the base of the lashes, so any darkening would appear in the same place as you’d wear your eyeliner… which would also make your lashes look fuller.
The only real bummer, like most worthy products, is that Latisse does not work over night. You must apply the solution to the eyelid every night as directed on the package. During the first month you won’t see much of a change, but keep using it. The lash growth will become evident around the second month. Then you’ll hit week 12 and thank me!
My after shot (above) was taken after using for 12 weeks. Keep in mind that I had a really dramatic chunk of lashes absent from the center of my lash line when I started. Just think how good the results could be you happen to start out with a full set of lashes!
If you can spare the expense and really want to add some fullness to your lashes, I say go for it. I did. 🙂
Martinis and Mascara 