Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic Welcome to our new weekly column on the YOU magazine website, www.you.co.uk Below you will find the current question and our advice, with a list of where to source the products mentioned. To look at past columns, click here. And for lots more solutions to your beauty dilemmas, visit Q&A, just click here.
August 2nd, 2009: Lash Conditioners
Q I have very long lashes but as I get older they seem to be changing. I've read about a conditioner for eyelashes but I can't remember where or what - do you know of a good product please.?
A Lash conditioners are a whole new beauty category. (Occasionally these emerge out of the blue - remember life before daily self-tanners…?) First of all, we’d like to say that these lash conditioners are firmly on our radar, and we will be organising a special Beauty Bible Tried & Tested - as we do for all new product categories that the industry dreams up. So the bottom line is that in a few months’ time, we’ll be better placed to give you a definitive answer on whether they work - or whether they’re just a waste of money. Traditionally (and Joan Collins certainly swears by this!), Vaseline has been used by women as a lash conditioner. But in 2009, the formulations are becoming more sophisticated (and much pricier!)
The idea is that you sweep one of these new conditioners onto lashes once or twice a day, and your lashes will become more lustrous and thicker as a result - in between two to four weeks, is the general promise. But what we would say is that because these products are pretty innovative, we’d apply the precautionary principle here. The only lash conditioner that Jo’s trialled - which cost over £50! - made her eyes itchy and red, which would have been a complete waste of money if she hadn’t been given the product for free. You don’t have that luxury, and trial and error can be pretty expensive. The following advice should help minimise risks…
• Make absolutely sure that the conditioner is ophthalmologically-tested. It will say so on the packaging), and ideally is endorsed and backed by eye care professionals.
• Have patience. Most lash conditioners suggest nightly, or twice-nightly application for maximum results. Use as ritually as you would a cleanser, toner or moisturiser. No product will work if it isn’t used diligently!
• Stop immediately if you do experience irritation. It’s not ‘normal’ for eyes to be irritated or to become sensitive, or for you to experience any form of blurred vision. If this does happen, we suggest you contact the manufacturer immediately, and press for a refund.
• Be careful! Most of the products are swept along the lash-line using a fine brush, rather than mascara-style; be careful not to get the product into the corner of your eyes, and don’t apply if you’re wearing contact lenses. If you’re using lash conditioner in the morning, allow it to dry 100% before applying anything else.
Having said that, here is a shortlist of the leading lash conditioners that you might want to try. As we say, we can’t promise results, but this at least is a starting point. (Click on names to find them on-line immediately.)
• Talika Lipocils Eyelash Conditioning Gel, £19.57, on-line at www.spacenk.co.uk
• Revitalash, £95 (available online from www.HQhair.com. Don’t forget your special 10% discount with online orders)
• Paula Dorf Lash Conditioner, £13.95 (www.pauladorf.co.uk)
• Lashfood, £75 (this is said to be the most natural of the options out there, with amino acids biotin and arginine, plus iris extract), available from www.beautyexpert.co.uk (where you get a special 10% discount)
Meanwhile, have you thought about changing your mascara? Maybe it’s time. Is it the appearance of your lashes without make-up that bothers you, or the finished effect? Our top tip is probably to try one of the new ‘vibrating’ mascaras before you swing for a lash conditioner, as these deliver truly astonishing results, in our experience. (We’re converts!) The brushes vibrate, so they ‘wiggle’ the product from lash to tip, mimicking the way a professional would wield a wand if he or she was sweeping it through your lashes. We particularly recommend Estée Lauder Turbolash, £28, and Lancôme Oscillation, £28.
And you might, too, just want to follow Joan Collins’s advice and use Vaseline as a lash-conditioner, before you spend fifty times as much on a proprietary version. Scrupulously clean an old mascara wand and leave it to dry (soaking it in baby oil and then washing with hot, soapy water works well). Invest in a tube of Vaseline Lip Therapy, £1.15 (the unscented version), and squeeze a little onto your clean mascara wand. Apply nightly, and if - as Joan swears - you end up with thicker, more lustrous, healthy-looking lashes, be sure to let us know pretty darned quick!
We  . . .
 Gillette Venus Embrace, £6.84. We’ve long been devoted to Gillette’s Venus razors for maintaining stubble-free shins and pits, and this is their best offering yet: five blades make for a super-smooth shave, while the razor also has what they call ‘ribbons of moisture’, so it doesn’t leave skin papery. (The suction holder for the shower could be a bit sexier-looking, but it’s also useful.)
Beauty Bible Beauty Clinic - Archive
July 26th, 2009 - Spa Treatments
July 19th, 2009 - Organic Tinted Moisturiser
July 12th, 2009 - Hair Protection
July 5th, 2009 - Cellulite
June 28th, 2009 - Sexy Summer Scents
June 21st, 2009 - Eyeliner Tricks
June 14th, 2009 - Natural Suncare
June 7th, 2009 - Anti Ageing Skin Care
May 31st, 2009 - Natural Nail Polishes
May 24th, 2009 - Body Polishing
May 17th, 2009 - Rosacea
May 10th, 2009 - Manky Feet
May 3rd, 2009 - Makeup Makeover
April 26th, 2009 - Facial Hair Removal
April 19th, 2009 - Teen Skin
April 12th, 2009 - Swimmers Hair
April 5th, 2009 - Make-up For Damaged Skin
March 29th, 2009 - Are Sunbeds Safe?
March 22nd, 2009 - Weak, Flaking Nails
March 15th, 2009 - Puffy Eyes
March 8th, 2009 - Camouflaging Red Cheeks
March 1st, 2009 - Hair Colouring in Pregnancy
February 22nd, 2009 - Thinning Eyebrows
February 15th, 2009 - Acne
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