Girl Talk: Lush Lash Secrets

If eyes are the windows to the soul, does that mean that lashes are the curtains of your inner essence? Ok, maybe that's a little overdramatic, but you see where I'm going. Long, luscious eyelashes make you look awake even when you're not, show off your pretty peepers, and serve as one seriously effective flirtation tool. Is it any wonder that women spend so much time and money making their lashes just right? Or that so few women are forthcoming with their lash improvement routines? Hmm...

Dior Diorshow Mascara
$23.00
Available at: Amazon.com

Luckily I know a few women who are ready and willing to share their best beauty secrets. I called in the Stiletto Jungle Girl Talk panel to dish on how they get their lashes in top form. So, ladies, what are your lush lash secrets?

"One word: Dior," says Michelle, a 40-year-old Huntington Beach nurse. "I hate to admit the [amount of] money I've spent on mascaras I've thrown in the trash after one use. Then I decided to spluge and try Dior Diorshow Mascara (photo left) and I fell in love. No clumps; no smduges half way through the day. It is so worth the money!"

A product endorsement that enthusiastic is powerful, but it is made even harder to ignore when it is backed up by a second endorsement. Dior's Diorshow Mascara is also a favorite of Girl Talk panelist Pearl.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
$18.00
Available at: BergdorfGoodman.com;
Nordstrom.com

"I don't usually go all out with my lashes, but I never, ever leave my home without curling my lashes," offers Pearl, a 28-year-old LA-based music industry coordinator. "I've learned that [curled lashes] make me look more awake as well as compliment the length, so I use my Shu Uemura eyelash curler (photo right). That's usually all I use, but on the random occassion I decide to whip out the mascara, I use Dior's Diorshow Mascara. To keep the clumps away, you can always use an eyelash comb. Sephora makes a great one."

Wait, you go mascara-free most days? I don't believe it. Your lashes always look so plush. Any other secrets you'd like to confess?

"I usually do a nightly mask of the Oil Cleansing Method Method (OCM Method) when my face is dry. It's a mixture of castor oil, tea tree oil, almond oil, and grapeseed oil. I usually condition my lashes with the mixture as well as the rest of my face-- leave on for 2 minutes, then wash off before bed," offers Pearl.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
$2.99
Available at: Amazon.com

It just as much about technique as product for Kim, a 23-year-old from La Jolla, California. "I swear by Fresh Supernova Mascara... But, in order to bring about Fresh's ultimate potential, I always apply mascara last in order to have gained some volume from my eyeshadow when it sits itself on my eyelashes [after application]," says Kim. "When I'm going out to a super important function I always apply two different kinds of mascara. I apply L'oreal Voluminous Mascara-- in black of course-- and then apply Fresh afterwards. The good thing about Fresh is that it doesn't dry as quick so you can reapply later, unlike other mascaras that dry up and you are unable to fix the clumpy look."

A special technique is also the secret weapon for Jennifer, a 31-year-old Long Beach nurse. "I prefer the cheap mascara in the pink bottle with the green top, in black. I am not sure what the name of it is," offers Jennifer.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
$4.99
Available at: Amazon.com

It's one of the all-time classic makeup products, Jennifer: Maybelline Great Lash (photo above left)! You're in good company-- it's also the choice of more than a few big-name makeup artists.

"I always apply it to the bottom [in addition to the top lashes]," Jennifer continues. "Then I use the blow dryer to dry it and apply a second coat. I use a regular eyelash curler and curl at the base then the tips-- this adds more of a curl. Applied during the day it lasts all night."

Don't feel like throwing down $20 or more on mascara or working through an elaborate lash routine? "Random Chick" has a great tip up her sleeve.

"Yeah, my eyelash routine is pretty simple: one coat of black mascara and that's it," admits "Random Chick," a 31-year-old freelance writer. "I've never used curlers... they feel funny, look scary, and I don't think they make a big enough difference to make them worth it. So I just make my lashes long and pretty with Clinique Long Pretty Lashes Mascara, give a wide berth to anything that might cut or burn them, and yeah, that's pretty much it. I did find out recently that apparently there was a mascara shortage during WWII, so women would rub a tiny bit of Vaseline on their eye-lashes to make them them look darker and longer and shinier. Pretty handy tip if you're going somewhere you might not want to have mascara on, but still want to be cute. Like the beach. Also fortunate since my fave lip balm is Vaseline Lip Therapy: one product does two jobs so I'll have that much less with me, and I will never be that girl. You know, the one putting on make-up at the beach."

No, "Random Chick," you will never be that girl. You always have the best tips! I can remember my mom telling me the Vaseline trick when I was a teen, but I never knew the origin. I'm definitely resurrecting that one the next time I hit the beach.

Click on any photo or linked text to link directly to where you can purchase that lash enhancing product online. Don't miss a single Girl Talk discussion. Subscribe to Stiletto Jungle and get free updates by e-mail or RSS.

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