At some point during the summer, Instagram started advertising eyelash growth serum at me – the kind that gives you spider-leg-length lashes in weeks, according to its breathless copy - on repeat. 'Screw you, Instagram!' I declared, when it first started happening. 'What do you know about my eyelashes, anyway? They’re fine, thanks very much! You will not give me a complex about this one part of my face (having worked your way quite methodically through most of the rest of it in the six accursed years since first I signed up with you). No siree, you will not!'
But Instagram did not hear me. Or if it did, it ignored me. It kept right on, advertising eyelash serums at me; until, lo! I did develop a bit of a complex about mine after all; or at least, a bit of mild curiosity about the potential of eyelash serums. Could I really get spider-leg lashes in a matter of weeks? Regardless of whether or not I wanted them?
Only one way to find out, eh?
To spite Instagram, I decided to ignore the products it kept insisting I buy, and instead test out the two serums all the beauty editor women I know most frequently recommended to me, namely Revitalash Advanced (£74) and M2 Beaute eyelash activating serum (£70). I summoned them forth, and that very night started applying Revitalash to my right eye, and M2 to my left. They’re applied identically, a thin, liquid eyeliner-ish streak is to be delicately smeared across the base of lash-roots (previously and thoroughly cleansed of all make up), last thing at night, ideally in such a way as to not poke yourself in the eyeball with the brush – which, of course, I do. My eyes sting, but right themselves pretty quickly; and I go to sleep in full expectation luxuriant bushels of lashes will sprout on my lids overnight! They do not, which is reasonable, given that the instructions included with both products promised no such immediate results. I keep going faithfully, not least because, of all the things I do to my face and bod, this is probably the lowest maintenance and least time consuming. Within 10 days, I begin to see (or at least imagine I see, which is basically as good), a thickening in both sets of lashes. They don’t look longer, but they do look denser. Within three weeks, they are incontestably thicker, blacker and longer – and definitely not just in my active and quesionable imaginings. By now – as in, right now, as in, today, four weeks in - I can confidently declare there’s something spider leggy about the top middle section of both!
Can I determine which is more powerful of the two products? Honestly: no. I can only say they both absolutely do what they’re supposed to do in the time frame they’re supposed to do it, I wish everything worked this obviously and predictably; but I do really like the eyelash cleansing wash Revitalash sent me to try before applying their product.
Would I spend my own money on it?
Hells, yeah! I can’t stop gazing at my mega lashes, I will not give these up for no bank manager, no way, no how.