The second most popular question I get asked is about mascara and healthy lashes

Recently I wrote about the question I am asked most often when people find out I am a beauty & lifestyle blogger… how to attain great skin. This week I’m going to talk about the second most asked question – lashes and mascara, and what the secret is to maintaining healthy lashes. And believe me, it doesn’t entail not wearing mascara!

First up, there is no secret. It’s just discipline/good habits and working with whatever you have been blessed with. There are some serums that help with lash growth and condition, which I am an avid user of. I have used rapid shield for years on days when I don’t wear mascara, so at least once a week. I now use Hi Brow growth & conditioning serum on my lashes at the weekend – I am convinced these serums help reverse any damage done by wearing mascara every day. The Hi Brow formulation contains keratin which we all know is great for thickening and repairing hair, and caffeine which has been shown to stimulate hair growth (isn’t there a male balding shampoo/treatment containing caffeine from Germany that has been proven to work?!).

So, apart from feeding lashes, it is also important to give them a break from mascara. At least 8 hours a day, and that means removing eye makeup every single night. Invest in a good quality eye makeup remover, or a micellar water (I’m using Caudalie at the moment), which also removes eye makeup gently and effectively. I also end up applying some of my face oil to my lashes by virtue of massaging it all over my face….my face oil contains sweet almond oil which is a natural method used by Indian women for centuries to keep lashes in good condition. Just think about how hair on your head breaks when dry…the same goes for lashes and mascaras can be drying.

We all long for thick lashes – alas I have been blessed with fine ones which I tease into elongation with thickening mascaras, and several coats of it. I don’t use false lashes because I do not have a clue how to apply them – except once as bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding as it was a special occasion, but her makeup artist applied them for me in this instance. I am also not brave enough to have eyelash extensions, mainly because you hear all the horror stories about lashes thinning out afterwards, or eyelids being glued shut, and terrible reactions to products used.

My workaround is to invest in a great mascara (I am using Chanel’s Le volume ultra noir de Chanel at the moment) and then spend time applying it (there is a how-to video in there somewhere), after which I use a clean disposable eyelash brush (that’s the black handled brush you can see in the photo) to break up lashes and spread the mascara between coats. I apply a couple more coats but only when the mascara has dried a bit, making use of my eyelash brush after each application. It helps with stopping lashes from looking too spidery and brushing away any spare mascara that isn’t needed.

So, my top tips for healthy lashes – remove mascara every night, and feed lashes with a serum or sweet almond oil. A good mascara should be conditioning too, preventing lashes from drying out with every wear.

Do you have any top tips for keeping lashes in good condition?