Esmeralda's Road

I’ve always had great lashes. Don’t hate me, there are maaaany things I don’t have so I appreciate what I do. Anywho, from the time I was a teen I’ve always been asked if my lashes are fake. I was 26 when one day while doing my makeup I took a closer look. While still a beautifully curled length, I noticed the ends were not as full as they once were. 

Shortly thereafter I had some friends visit and their daughter had lashes like mine once were. I complimented her on them and she said “thank you! I use castor oil.”  At 18 that little girl had already begun maintaining that which she naturally had. Later that day I googled “castor oil lashes” and got something like: Even though castor oil won’t grow lashes, it still can make them healthier and have more luster. Castor oil, in general, is a safe lash and brow product. Of course it is best to be wary of any allergic reaction, eye irritation, or acne breakouts.

Castor Oil 

From that day on I began using castor oil every evening. I translated it to Italian and went to my local pharmacy to ask for “olio di ricino.” Each time I remove my make up, I notice the mascara leaves an eyeliner-like residue, on my bottom lashes especially. While the look might be considered appealing to some, I don’t think letting that residue build up on my lower lash line will help in the long run. Even before the oil, I would take a cotton swab (it took all I had to not say Q-tip, teehee!), swirl it onto some moisturizer and remove it. 

Given the routine I already had, it was easy to insert castor oil into my skincare routine. I began dipping the swab into the oil (swirling it inside the bottle to remove excess) and using that to remove that remaining mascara or eyeliner. I ran it across my top lashes and brows before doing so. I used the other side of the swab and did the same on my other eye.

It took a few weeks to see any improvement but little by little I began noticing the lustre return! Then years later I still use this step every time I remove my makeup. 

Sleep Masks

One year ago, I noticed they began looking haggsies (cute way of saying haggard teehee). Not only less full but even brittle. In the words of Alexis Rose, “ew!” I thought maybe it was the makeup test runs I’d been doing in preparation for my sister’s wedding. I was applying false lashes each time thus damaging them. So I decided I’d gotten the look down enough to stop practicing. 

Even after taking a long break though, my lashes were still not improving. I racked my brain for anything that could be causing this extreme change. One day while getting into bed, I put on my sleep mask. I’d recently started using one in order to improve the quality of my sleep. My psychiatrist/neurologist had been pushing for me to try things in order to do so. He said poor sleep often worsen ADHD symptoms. But as I slipped on my sleep mask, which I applied tautly on my face in order to block as much light as possible, I realized my poor lashes were being squished onto my face. Aha! The sleepmask was the culprit! 

When I went to buy the first sleep mask I’d seen the ones with concave eye area but they were, of course, more expensive. But there were a few with great reviews that cost only €15-20. So I got one. From that moment on I began to see improvement. Weeks later my lashes were back to their long and lustrous length. Huzzah! The improvement didn’t stop there though. After months of wearing the concave masks, which not only blocked out light completely but were also much more comfortable, I noticed my lashes looked even better. Longer, thicker, fuller. 

I realized the mask protected them even more because sleeping on my side or stomach meant my face was pushed up against my pillow. Now, I often pause to admire my lashes and when putting on mascara they truly look false! 

All this to say, to all those who wish they had “better” lashes, try at least one of the above and see if it doesn’t help.

Unsponsored Links

Italy: Medi Grade – good at blocking light but would sometimes move and allow light in. Elastic, velcro strap eventually got very loose. OnaEz, best one I’ve tried in Italy, elastic band quality could be better. Still does the trick.

U.S.: MZOO hands down the most reviewed sleep mask on Amazon. It’s almost identical to the OnaEz one.