How many times have you tried a makeup or skincare product that had amazing claims about reducing wrinkles, evening out our skin tone, reducing pores, etc. – but which ended up being a total bust? Well, I imagine it’s happened to all of us more than once, and it’s definitely happened to me more times than I’d like to admit.
My guess is that most of us now look at product claims with just a bit of healthy skepticism. And when a product actually does live up to its claims, I always feel like I want to shout it from the rooftops. So, today we’ll take a look at the results I’ve had testing four products to see if they actually live up to the hype.
Many of us experience some very definite changes to our eyebrows and eyelashes since age and changes in oestrogen make the follicles weaker – which leads to lighter, thinner, shorter and less dense eyelashes. So, the thought of having long, full lashes again and eyebrows that are no longer invisible is pretty darn enticing.
But unfortunately, my experience in the past with an eyebrow and eyelash growth serum was definitely not a positive one. Don’t get me wrong, the serum definitely helped my lashes look longer and my brows look fuller. But, there was another issue. When a couple of small blood vessels in my eye broke, I didn’t pay much attention, but one day I actually heard a loud pop in my eye when a large blood vessel broke.
That got my attention. So, I immediately decided to stop using the eyelash grow serum that I’d purchased, did some research and found out it contained prostaglandins which can cause some problems. It was so hard to discontinue using that product since I’d had such great results, but I thought discretion was the better part of valor.
A Product That Works
I recently decided to try the Eyelash growth serum from the Swedish company Sweed Beauty since it’s a clean beauty brand. This eyelash growth serum definitely packs a powerful punch. And by that, I mean it works! Sweed Beauty actually tested it on a group of 50-year-old women and found it does work for those of us with mature skin. In fact, they actually won an award for “the serum that actually works” as a result of this study.
According to the company literature, the Sweed Pro Eyelash serum promotes the appearance of visibly longer and fuller looking eyelashes in only 4-6 weeks. And – it can also be used on eyebrows. Best of all – the clean ingredients are vegan and free from prostaglandin analogues. 99% of the serums on the market do contain prostaglandins which can cause pigmentation or irritation as I found out.
Since I’ve had four eye surgeries in the past year, I decided to test it only on one eyebrow – rather than on my eyelashes – since I feel I need to be extra careful around my eyes. After about five weeks, I definitely saw more brow hairs growing in on my left eyebrow and the hair that did grow in was dark brown and not grey or white. So I can personally attest to the fact that it does live up to its claims and does work on eyebrows. And if any of you have tried it on your eyelashes, I’d love to hear your results.
It’s definitely a product that you need to keep using to maintain good results. However, the company does say that once you get the amount of growth you want on your lashes or brows, you only need to apply the serum three to four times a week rather than every night.
Two Other Good Eyelash Products
In addition to the Pro Eyelash Serum, Sweed also has two award-winning mascaras which are staples in many makeup artist kits. And I can understand why after trying them. Their Lash Lift Mascara lifts, lengthens and separates and unlike most mascara brushes that leave the first third of your lash roots bare, the skinny brush starts coating each individual lash from root to tip.
Their Cloud Mascara creates maximum volume as well as beautiful length. And the unique wand precisely separates each and every lash from root to tip for a dramatic fan-like effect. I love both of these mascaras and they work beautifully on my super sensitive eyes.
Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 50+. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Another Good Help for Eyelashes
And I also want to share with you another product that’s recently come on the market to help our lashes. As we all know, false eyelashes have been around for years – in fact, since 1911. They can certainly look beautiful but there’s definitely a learning curve with the application process. Plus, as I’ve gotten older, I often feel like a full band of eyelashes really looks too heavy on my eyes and actually makes them look smaller.
But the latest false eyelash product definitely piqued my interest since it has an adhesive band which can simply be pressed onto our lashes. I have the impress press on falsies from the brand Kiss. Each box contains 12 mini eyelash clusters – six are a medium length and six are a bit longer – that are self-adhesive which can be applied in a one-step process. There’s no glue or special magnetic eyeliner required. And they supposedly have 24-hour hold.
When applying them, you have to be careful to avoid touching the band area on the top of the lash that has the adhesive on it. Then you place the clusters underneath your natural lashes, being careful to make sure they’re applied to the bottom of your lashes and not to your waterline.
I have to confess that I really loved how they looked. However, it took me about 30 minutes to get three lash clusters attached to my lashes. First, I learned the hard way that even though the instructions on the back of the box say to remove the lashes by using the applicator, that does not work. At least I couldn’t get it to work. Instead, I had to remove them with my fingers. One cluster that I applied was actually touching the waterline and I could definitely feel it since it was a little irritating.
Overall, I’d say that if you have the patience to practice a bit with these, they do look gorgeous. The individual lash clusters also look more natural than traditional false eyelashes. But personally, I think I’m going to just stick to eyelash primer and two coats of mascara since patience is not my long suit.
Does This Product Reduce Fine Lines and Wrinkles?
Founded by David Bean, a mechanical engineer who built his career on developing laser technologies, Nira launched its flagship product, the Nira Precision Laser tool, in 2019. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this device, it’s the first and only painless at-home laser device with a small enough tip to target hard to treat areas around the eyes and mouth.
It’s FDA cleared and is clinically proven to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. It works by stimulating natural collagen production to create younger looking skin in 90 days. It takes time for the collagen to rebuild, but the company says that you can expect to see visible wrinkle improvements within 60 days and dramatic results after 90 days with regular use. In the accompanying video, I’ll show you how the NIRA device works.
The Results
To be honest, since I’m 76 – which is considerably older than most other beauty YouTubers – I wasn’t expecting to see dramatic results. But the results I have seen have really surprised me. After 57 days, the 11 lines between my eyebrows have almost disappeared, my nasal labial folds are less pronounced, the vertical lines around my mouth have also become much less pronounced and even the lines under my eyes and my cheekbones are less noticeable. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing my three-month results since that’s the period of time needed to see the most dramatic outcome.
It’s definitely nice to know that there are interesting and innovative products out there in the beauty world that do indeed work!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you tried any beauty tools such as micro current devices or lasers? If so, what’s been your experience with them? Have you tried false eyelashes or an eyebrow growth serum? If so, how did these products work for you?