1 / 6
What you want: thick, long, Bambi-esque lashes. What you could do without: sticky glue, tricky application, wonky lashes, looking fake. As such, a lash extending mascara would seem like the perfect halfway house between your regular mascara and a set of false lashes, but do they deliver on their lash plumping promises? We put five to the test...
2 / 6
Price: £25
Feedback: “If a sixties aesthetic appeals to your inner love child, the feathery effect of this mascara/ lash fibre duo will be most welcome. If lush, glossy lashes are more your thing, however, you may be disappointed. ‘Better than false lashes’ in the sense that there’s a lot less faff, no fishy smelling glue (ALWAYS reeks of fishies in my opinion), trimming to fit, heavy feel or risk of collapse, but I’d argue that the finished look, while undoubtedly fuller and more voluminous, does not achieve the drama or fullness afforded by a high quality faux flutter. The lash extending fibres (applied as the second stage of a three step process) are white and wooly; they undoubtedly create the kind of length that a mascara alone couldn’t achieve, but I couldn’t help thinking that they’d be easier to disguise and blend with lashes if they were black. You have to be quite careful not to get flecks of cotton like fibre in your eye when you apply, but thankfully no fibres flaked throughout the day. Also on a positive note, the mascara in the set is great; it’s silky, picks up lashes at the root and creates a lovely fanned finish.
Score: 7/10
Reviewer: AH
3 / 6
Price: £16.99
Feedback: "I love a pair of false eyelashes, I really do. However, there have been far too many nights where the fear of them ending up halfway down my face has hampered my full enjoyment of my fuller flutter. I also love a good mascara, so a hybrid of the two is akin to striking beauty gold in my opinion. This particular fibre mascara surprised me (such is my allegiance to my favourite falsies) - it really delivered in terms of length and volume."
"It works in three stages which can be repeated to achieve your desired volume. The Extension Mascara creates a solid black base while the the fluffy Lash Fibre end (think cotton candy-esque realms of poof), adds that extra special touch of length. A final coating of the Extension Mascara completes the look. It didn’t smudge during the day and wasn’t as much of a nightmare as I had anticipated when it came to removal - I just made sure to soak my cotton pad with a slightly more generous application of remover than I normally would."
"A couple of words of caution - a few flakes did fall and irritated my eyes slightly when compared to my normal daytime mascara and while the effects were hugely noticeable, I would say it’s best reserved for a big night out when you have a bit more time to spend perfecting it. Best for length and volume rather than curl, I would also advise using a good eyelash curler beforehand to maximise its impact. That being said though, I was hugely impressed and would definitely use it again."
Reviewer: AM
Score: 9/10
4 / 6
Price: £6.50
Feedback: “With a name like Lash Vegas, I was expecting the sort of garish fake lash effect that would make me look like a showgirl. I was surprised, then, to find a very small, delicate brush at the end of the hot pink wand. If you’re looking to double down on lash length, this could be the ace up your sleeve. It lifts, separates and elongates each individual hair with a fine coating of blackjack black. It’s not quite a full house for me: I personally prefer volumising mascaras, and I found the fibres created a somewhat “spidery” effect. But if you’re looking to raise the stakes when it comes to longer lashes then at under £7 this is a safe bet."
Score: 7/10
Reviewer: IB
5 / 6
Price: £24.99
Feedback: “I think it's fair to say any of these lash extenders will require a little getting used to before you have the knack, but this one didn't take as long as expected. A rather flash silver box containing the Magnetic Mascara and the separate Lash Builder, the process is as standard: mascara first, fibres second, sealed quickly with lashings of the mascara before allowing to dry. As a sensitive soul with quite pathetic natural lashes I was fearing clumps and itchy eyes; I had neither. Though pricey, this kit is worth every penny for the impressive mascara - it seems to condition lashes as it glides on, leaving them feeling (and importantly, looking) soft and fluttery rather than brittle and overloaded, which you'd expect given how much you're using. Jet black and very wet, it's the perfect base for the fibres, which are equally good; they dispense well across the wand so you don't end up with those feared clumps and with some careful wand-wriggling they add length and density to sparse lashes (even my mother, who has very few lashes, found this worked well for her). Best of all, it looked pretty realistic, and my eyes stood out more than usual behind my daytime glasses. Cheaper and quicker than extensions - I'm sold.”
Score: 10/10
Reviewer: JJ
6 / 6
Price: £39
Feedback: “Brush on eyelash extensions is never something that has appealed to me, and at first glance this Cherry Blooms fibre lash extensions mascara is no different. There are 2 brushes; a transplanting mascara gel, and the fibre brush, which just looks like a furry wand - and the fact that I have to spread this furry wand onto my lashes? I'm still unconvinced.
However, looks are deceiving! This lash extending duo is super easy to use for a complete novice like myself. I had to firstly coat my lashes with the mascara wand and secondly with the fibre brush, before then once again applying the mascara gel to hold the fibres in place, I had noticeable longer and fuller lashes. Be careful to only apply the fibre brush half way along the lash and not too close to the eye like I did, as it can be a little irritating on the eye area otherwise! It was a great effect for something different, and it definitely have the appearance of false eyelashes (if you have short lashes this would be a great product to easily lengthen) and I would probably use it for a more glamorous night out, but everyday? I'll stick to a good ol’ fashioned mascara I think.
Reviewer: SM
Score: 7/10
