Hey guys! I’m excited to announce that my second BzzAgent campaign is underway, this one being a challenge & for something I’ve been working on… lash enhancement!

So my campaign kit came last week and it consisted of:

New from L'oreal: Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum (Left) & Double Extend Mascara (right)

&

BzzAgent guide featuring the lovely Freida Pinto

Alright, so before you think I’ve sold out, I want to make sure you all know that I’m doing this for free (literally, unless you count the 101 surveys I had to take to “get matched to the perfect product” for BzzAgent.com) and although I didn’t pay for this (except with the endless clicks), I’m not going to get all gloaty or anything. Also, excuse the in-depth product information. Yes, it’s more than I would have usually done for a product review (I mean, I FLIPPIN’ TOOK A PIC OF THE INGREDIENTS, which I never do), but as part of being a BzzAgent I’m supposed to help spread the word about the product… so there.

So this new from from L’Oreal is the Lash Boosting Regimen. It consists of two products that will be widely available in major retailers come this January (or should I say, next decade?): the Concentrated Lash Boosting Serum (around $15USD) and Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara (around $13USD), which comes in two black shades: Black and Blackest Black.

Or you can get the Starter Kit, which claims to be a steal at a suggested retail price of about $25USD and includes both the serum & mascara.

The line claims to work by using a complex of pro-keratin amino acids (which, according to the guide, is the stuff your hair & nails are made of) that’s supposed to reinforce and protect lashes. This also has a plant extract called centella asiatica is supposed to help condition lashes, making them grow, thicken, lengthen, and more resistant to fall out during makeup removal. (A quick Google of centella asiatica shows it to be promising: accordingly, the plant is popular in Asia & India as a medicine, both in traditional cultures & modern day science, treating things like hypertension &  promoting scar tissue healing.)

Even with the fancy shmancy plant extract, this twenty dollar drugstore fix doesn’t sound as luxe as the $80+ lash enhancing products from brands like Tarte, Latisse, Fusion, etc., but if it does what it claims at the price it’s sold at, then I think it’s worth a shot trying. (It’s much less messy than castor oil and comes with a staple like black  mascara… how can you really say no?)

The Challenge

So as part of being a BzzAgent (which you guys really need to check out!) we have to try out the goods & report back with our findings. Well, this was a little different. Like the Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions campaign, we do have to try this out ourselves, but the twist is that we have to do this every. single. day. The regimen, which I’ll discuss in a minute, is a nice challenge: I do get in the habit of wearing mascara daily (big win for my roomies!) and washing my face regularly (big win for me! seeing as how I don’t always comb my hair.) In short, it’s a challenge to stop being so lazy.

The challenge is to take before/after pics of the lashes & compare them after using the regimen daily for 4 weeks, to see if they really work or if it’s just a gimmick.

The regimen consists of several applications a day: two of the serum (one in the morning, before applying any eye makeup, and one at night, before going to bed) and one of each the primer and mascara. This ensures that the products are always on your eyes, for what they call the “24hr technology.” (I’m hoping that was a typo.)

Application guides are posted clearly on the back of the package, with written details to accompany. To use the serum, you use the flocked applicator:

It’s curved with a tip. Use the tip like a liner & apply to the base of lashes, then use the curve to swipe a coat under and over the lashes. On the package this says it wasn’t “designed for use on the lower lashline” so until I do a little more research into the ingredients, I’m not using it there. It dries clear, and is supposed to be used under a coat of mascara during the day.

The mascara works in the same manner as most other mascaras.

Apply the primer, let it dry, then apply the mascara.

Before Photos & Photos of the Product on Lashes

Bare Lashes

More bare lashes.

Last pic of bare lashes, I promise.

Now, with products from the regimen:

With the serum.

Serum + primer

Serum, primer, & 2 coats of mascara.

First Impressions & Notes

I’ve been wearing the profucts daily for about a week now and have a few things to say about the formula: it’s clumpy. This might have those yucky itty-bitty fibers in it that help visually lengthen lashes by adhering to ‘em, like with Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension Lengthening Mascara. It’s only annoying after the first 2 coats; then, THEN the lashes become thick, spidery, and crunchy. So it does give nice and thick lashes, but with annoying sharp-looking tips that can get scary. The primer doesn’t dry clear, but then again I haven’t seen a mascara primer that does, and if you don’t let it dry thoroughly between coats (which can take upwards to 5 minutes — who has time for that?), putting the mascara over the primer can make it clumpier. Another gripe is applying a black mascara over a white base: the spots you miss look white and dirty. Going over gives clumps and crunch. Not going over leaves eye goobers on your lashes. This might be fized by going over with a clean spoolie or lah comb, but as for everyday use, this gets kind of inconvenient.

Reactions to the product have been good. My lash loss did go down, from about 3-4 a day to 1-2. And I’ve had one person tell me that they look like false eyelashes.

One more area I want to go into is durability… ’cause in mascara, durability is the bomb: this wears beautifully. No smears or flakes since I’ve worn it, and the only damage after sleeping in it (because as a student, you sometimes will) was a few flakes around the lower lash line. I brushed those off, applied a fresh coat, and went to town!* Very nice indeed!

*Don’t really recommend you do this.

Ingredients

Serum ingredients.

Primer & mascara ingredients.

 

Giveaway

 

BzzAgent must have accidentally entered me into the system twice ’cause I got two packages of this stuff, one the day after the other, and since they’ve given samples for me to pass out in the past but not with this, I’m going to give this to one lucky reader. To enter, e-mail me. Or comment. Winner will be chosen at random. I don’t care what you say, just be tasteful (no ass kissing, either, about how you’ve been a devoted reader, ’cause I haven’t seen YOU comment on anything.)

Alright so if you read away to the end, I’m surprised, thankful, and proud of you. They always did say you would prove them wrong.

Edit: I *just* noticed that I forgot to link my e-mail & provide specifics on when the contest will end & when the winner will be notified. So, to be clear:

  • Either comment on this post or shoot me an e-mail.
  • Giveaway is open to international readers.
  • Giveaway ends January 31st, 2010 midnight Pacific Time
  • Winner will be notified February 7th, 2010 via e-mail.

Good luck! ‘N sorry about the mix up.