Shiseido Lash Serum & Mascara- long lashes with no side effects

Shiseido Lash Serum & Mascara- long lashes with no side effects

Every woman who is passionate about or has a barebones interest in make-up knows that the right mascara can often stand alone and/or greatly enhances your overall appearance. Nothing perks up a face like properly curled lashes with a nice coat of high quality mascara.

Before we get to the mascara part though, let’s tackle what to do to take care of our lashes. It’s one of the most overlooked part of a skincare and beauty regimen. We spend time, effort and money taking care of our skin and hair to ensure its hydration, smoothness and firmness yet for most of us, other than coating mascara (which counts as make-up, not skincare), what do we do to ensure that our lashes get proper hydration and care, the way our hair does?

For years there have been several famous products on the market promising to deliver longer, thicker, fuller lashes but every one of them came with a long list of side effects, many of which made one question who was more insane- the makers or the buyers of those products? I’ve tried two of those products (each one I tried two days in a row) and could not continue beyond the first couple of days. My eyes burned until I was in tears and while I enjoy make-up and looking good as much as the next woman, no amount of “good looking” is worth destroying my vision for.

When the Shiseido team was kind enough to send me the Full Lash Serum they created, I was skeptical at best. The first night I applied the lash serum (following the instructions very carefully to glide the applicator tip along the top lash line and then wipe the tip on a tissue or clean towel before dipping into the tube and reapplying to the other eye’s lash line), I was squinting viciously at the anticipation of a burning or stinging sensation.

Dutifully, I applied one eye’s lash line at a time, squinting in the mirror, simultaneously trying to apply the serum while both eyes were closed. I’m certain I looked crazy. I waited a full minute while doing the hand fan over both eyes. After a minute I slowly and gingerly peeked one eye open and when I didn’t feel any stinging sensation (or any sensation at all), I opened the other eye.

With both eyes fully open, I leaned in to the mirror to see whether I had applied the serum correctly. Since I didn’t feel any burning or stinging, I wasn’t sure what to make of it but there it was, the thin line of clear, slightly wet gel along my lash lines. Another minute or so later, the wetness had dried up completely leaving no residue or crustiness.

I went about my usual make-up routine, curling my lashes, eyeliner and finally the Shiseido Full Lash Volume Mascara. The brush on this mascara is exactly what I look for- it thickens, separates and elongates with a lush, deep black hue. No clumping in sight. This mascara works well for layering as well and does not end up looking like spider lashes.

The real test of this Full Lash Serum and Full Lash Volume Mascara came after several weeks of testing. We’re supposed to use the serum morning and evening (yes, you wear it to sleep). I was pretty diligent about this though missed a couple of applications here and there. After one month, it was in pictures that I came to fully notice the difference in my lashes.

In pictures, it appeared as if my lashes reached halfway up to my eyebrows (I have a lot of space between my lash line and my eyebrows so reaching halfway up is a huge thing for my lashes). It almost looked like I was wearing falsies, which I’ve experienced twice in my life (and hated for its horribly drying effects on my natural lashes).

This Shiseido Full Lash Duo works remarkably together though you have to be patient and allow the two products to work in tandem over time. Don’t expect some magical mile long lashes overnight; I’d be suspicious of a product that promised that or actually accomplished that as no doubt, there would be terrible side effects.

The Full Lash Serum is formulated with Arginine, an amino acid that helps to promote healing time of damaged tissues. Its sponge tip applicator glides on smoothly with no harsh tearing and the best part of this serum, other than its efficacy, is that there are no side effects I can speak of after two months of use.

Paired with the rich Full Volume Mascara that does its own job masterfully, we’ve finally got a pair that hydrates, conditions, strengthens and lengthens our delicate lashes.

Shiseido reports the following results in Consumer Testing:

Denser-looking lashes:
80% after 16 weeks*
65% after 8 weeks*

Fuller-looking lashes:
79% after 16 weeks*
65% after 8 weeks*

Lashes became visibly more beautiful:
84% after 16 weeks*
71% after 8 weeks*

At US $35 for the Full Lash Serum and US $25 for the Full Volume Mascara, both of which last a solid 3 months, this is the deal of the year for those who want longer, fuller lashes with no stinging, burning side effects.

Visit Shiseido