Talika Lipocils

you know how sometimes you use a new shampoo and get fabulous results, but after you've been using it for about a month or so it seems to not work so well? that's because your hair adjusts to it, and gets used to it, and then you have to go find another formula to get those amazing results again. i'm hoping that eyelashes work the same way, because i've been faithful to Mavala Double Lash Eyelash Conditioner for over a year now (read about it here) to get longer, thicker, stronger lashes, and have recently decided to try out a new lash conditioner, Talika Lipocils Eyelash Gel. although my beloved Mavala hasn't stopped working for me, i'm curious to see if Talika can give me even more length and take my lashes to the next level. i'm thinking that maybe the new, different formula will kick-start my lashes into another growth phase? maybe i'm delusional, but i'm testing it out anyways, and it's just been a few days but i will gladly give you my initial findings.

Talika Lipocils promises longer, stronger lashes in 28 days from using their formula which contains soy lecithin liposomes that are said to stimulate lash growth. a few points from Talika's website that make their claims promising:

• Lipocils is the only lash product on the market to rightly claim and prove eyelash growth. It is the only product ever to be authorized in France to advertise this claim
• Lipocils can be used everyday and is suitable even for the most sensitive eyes (Except in the extremely rare event of an allergic reaction)
• Effects are proven by clinical tests

from my own preliminary testing of the product, i can tell you that i really like the delivery system of the Eyelash Gel. instead of coming in a little glass bottle like Mavala Double Lash, Talika comes in a regular mascara-like plastic tube which is much more user friendly. the mascara brush applicator that you use to apply the gel is much bigger and more densely bristled than Mavala's, making it easier to coat all your lashes thoroughly with one quick sweep of the brush. compared to Mavala's whitish tinted product, i prefer Talika's lighter, clear formula because in the morning when i wake up i can't even tell there has been anything on my lashes. with Mavala, sometimes i will wake up and find tiny little white flakes on my cheeks from where the product has dried and fell off during the night. so formula and packaging-wise, i already prefer Talika. however, the most important thing to me is that what i'm using promotes eyelash growth and keeps my lashes strong and healthy, and i know Mavala does this well for it's $18 pricetag. Talika is over twice as much, clocking in at $40 (eeek! i know!), so it had better show me some significantly more noticeable results if it wants to become a permanent member of my beauty arsenal. stay tuned for updates on how it's working out and whether or not you should splurge on your own tube!

have you ever tried Talika Lipocils? if so, what was your experience?

Miracle Grow!

i thought since i got a shout-out from Pursebuzz (one of my all-time favorite beauty bloggers) thanking me for her new fabulously long lashes, it was only right that i post about our little secret. the product that is pictured above is hands-down one of my top three most valuable beauty possessions IN THE WHOLE WORLD! it's called Mavala Double Lash and ladies, it has changed my life! now i know i sound overly dramatic (which i definitely am!), but i have been lusting after long, thick, gorgeous eyelashes for as long as i can remember. unfortunately, i was born with lashes that are barely average, and that's being generous. they're totally transparently blonde, not very thick and hardly medium in length. nothing that would garner a second glance! so, as you can imagine, i have been trying every eyelash curler, primer and volumizing, lengthening mascara i could get my hands on since roughly the age of 12. little did i know that this miracle serum was floating around out there in the world for the very reasonable price of $20! (that's about what it comes to with S&H).

this little lifesaver comes from Mavala, a Swiss company that's been in business for forty years. i've never been able to find it at a store, but it can easily be ordered from various cosmetic e-stores online (i always order mine from Strawberry Net and it comes wrapped like an adorable birthday present!) for around $15-$20. it's packaged in a little glass jar with a mascara wand attached to the lid, and you apply it to clean lashes, just like mascara. the serum itself is a cloudy liquid that goes on clear and can be worn alone or under mascara, but i only apply mine at night before bed. within about 3 weeks of nightly use, your lashes are completely transformed! they're softer, stronger, shinier, and LONGER! i'm telling you, and this is NOT an exaggeration, my lashes grew CENTIMETERS within the first two months of using Double Lash! and if you think about it, adding centimeters to the length of your lashes is a very noticeable difference. this is definitely NOT a product where you'll be looking into the mirror going, "hmmm...i might notice a little something, but i'm not sure...?" there is a very apparent difference in the quality and length of your lashes after using this product. not only are your lashes longer and stronger, you may even get new lash growth that thickens your lashline! i noticed a few new lashes growing where i know i didn't have them before. and, you know how when you remove your mascara, wash your face, or rub your eyes, sometimes a lash will fall out? well when you're using Double Lash, that's a thing of the past.

now when i curl my lashes, they touch my eyebrow area, and that NEVER happened before! i'm proud to say that the picture on the left is my very own set of natural eyelashes, loud and proud (and enhanced by Too Faced Lash Injection!). and, i have been using Double Lash regularly for over a year now, and the effects have never tapered off or disappeared. the considerable length and healthiness i achieved during those first few months of use has stayed put. i also had a little bald spot on my eyebrow where i had gotten too tweezer-happy and applying the Double Lash there nightly has helped the little hairs grow back quickly and evenly. so you can use this on your lashes AND your eyebrows! not only that, but one little bottle will last you atleast six months, no joke. this stuff takes forever to use up, making it very cost-effective.

i don't want to give you unrealistic expectations, because Mavala Double Lash will not take your lashes from measly to ultra-lush and false looking, but it will definitely help you out on your way to a more glamorous fringe. i beg you to give this a try, you won't be disappointed, and you can come back here and thank me (like Pursebuzz did) for sharing this fabulous secret with you! now go on, order away!

(for anyone who cares, in the picture i'm wearing MAC Nocturnelle eye shadow on my lid and Bare Escentuals Cultured Pearl Glimmer below my bottom lashline)