1 year ago I conducted a 3 month long experiment. I put inexpensive eyelash serum on ONE eye for 3 months because I figured that was the best way to see if it worked. These are the initial results and my one year follow up.
I can probably just stop the post here and head right into the sales pitch. You don't need to squint, guess, or get out a measuring tape to know which eye I put the serum on.
I wasn't expecting such obvious results but a cheap Amazon eyelash serum actually worked and it worked really well. If that's all you wanted to know you can go ahead and buy it. No need to read further.
If you think you have no reason to believe me because I'm a blogger on the Internet, you're right. I could lie, I could Photoshop, I could do so many things and you have every right to question me.
Background Check
This has been a decade long venture for me, on and off trying to lengthen my eyelashes. My hope being that if I have luxurious lashes no one will notice if I have wrinkles in my shirt, dirty fingernails, gum in my hair ... you get the picture.
In 2017 I tried magnetic lashes which resulted in a decidedly psychotic look.
In 2019 I bought very expensive Latisse, prescription eyelash growth serum. It worked well but it was expensive and inconvenient to get because I had to have a prescription and drive half an hour to pick it up.
I'll only dedicate hours to growing my own potatoes - not eyelashes.
The Results
Results were so gradual they were barely noticeable. But by the end of 3 months the results were pretty extraordinary.
- Visibly longer lashes
- Noticeably more lashes
My results were from using the product once a day (their recommendation is actually twice a day) in a real life, haphazard manner. I was militant at first, then started forgetting to put it on, then got back on board ... In other words, I wasn't even terribly regimented about putting it on and it still worked well.
It boasts "Natural" ingredients, but you and I are educated. We know that statement is useless (much like the perforations on any cardboard, press your thumb here, box.)
This serum doesn't contain hormones or other things that are generally considered bad by people in lab coats.
Ingredients
For you science loving types, this is a list of the ingredients in the Terez & Honor lash and brow growth serum:
(But first to reiterate, this post isn't sponsored and I'm not faking the results)
Aqua, Glycerin, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Aloe Ferox Leaf Juice, Wedelia Calendulacea Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arginine, Panthenol, Biotin, Panax Ginseng Root, Biotin/Folic Acid/Cyanocobalamin/Niacinamide/Pantothenic Acid/Pyridoxine/Riboflavin/Thiamine/Yeast Polypeptides, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum
3 Types of Lash Growth Serums
Lash growth serums are built 3 different ways.
Chemical/Hormonal compounds
These are the ingredients in prescription serums, like the I tried, Latisse.
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- Prostaglandin serums: Use hormone-like compounds, banned in cosmetics by Health Canada.
- Available only by prescription from a doctor.
- Sold as medication, not cosmetics, due to lack of long-term testing.
- Potential side effects: drooping eyelids, skin darkening, iris color change. (really quite rare occurrences)
- Long lashes last only with continuous medication use.
- Key ingredients: Prostaglandin (Bimatoprost) or analogues.
Botanicals
- Botanical extracts can improve lash health.
- Botanical products may cause allergic reactions in sensitive skin.
- Natural products have shorter shelf life after opening.
- Beneficial botanical ingredients include DHT blockers: Natural Grape & Pumpkin Seed Extracts, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Panax Ginseng Root.
Peptides
- Peptides promote lash growth by lengthening growth cycle.
- Different peptides serve different purposes targeting each phase of the lash growth cycle for.
- Look for listed peptides like Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, and Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1.
- Peptide serums often contain conditioning and moisturizing agents: Biotin, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Panthenol, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacinamide, Arctium Majus Root Extract.
This Terez & Honor serum is a combination of botanicals, peptides and a bunch of other things like pumpkin seed extract that deep down you'd never believe would actually make your lashes longer and fuller.
But it works, and I wanted to tell you about it.
🇺🇸
TEREZ & HONOR
Enhancing Eyelash Serum
$30 US (but now on sale for $25)
Update 1 Year Later
- It still works. 🤷♀️
- You need to remember to apply it a few times a week to maintain the length. Otherwise you'll wake up one morning with a bald eyeball.
- They now apparently make a different version of the same lash serum that's exclusively for eyebrows with a different applicator.
If you're really hard core into lashes THIS is information you need to really understand everything about how eyelashes grow.
Eyelash Growth Cycle
👁️ 👁️
- Active Growth (Anagen Phase) :
- This is when the eyelash actively grows from the follicle.
- Duration: 30–45 days.
- 35–40% of your upper lashes and 15% of lower lashes are in this phase at any given time.
- Transition Phase (Catagen Phase):
- Active growth stops, and the follicle starts to shrink.
- Duration: 2–3 weeks.
- This phase ends when the lash is fully detached from the blood supply.
WEIRD, RIGHT?! Did you ever think of your eyelashes as having a blood supply?
- Resting or Shedding Phase (Telogen Phase):
- The lash is fully formed and remains in place until it naturally falls out or is shed.
- Duration: 4–9 weeks.
- A new lash begins to grow underneath the old one, eventually pushing it out.
- Each lash follicle operates independently, so your lashes don’t all grow, rest, or shed at the same time.
- The entire growth cycle, from growth to shedding, takes approximately 3–4 months per lash.
If you tried this serum when I first mentioned it almost a year ago, let me and everyone else know what your experience was like. Did they lengthen? Did it itch? Did you smartly apply it to both eyes?
SH
I started Jan 1st and noticed significant difference by mid-March. (the Ides!) My eyelids droop so much that they cover my upper lashes, so I applied only to the lower ones. But I noticed a little bit of improvement to the upper lashes so I suppose blinking transferred enough to affect them too. But it really, really works.
Lynne
Hi Karen!
I bought it last year when you recommended it and have zero regrets. LOVE it. It works! Thanks for the reco ! Lynne x
Karen
Lynne!! I'm so happy you tried and liked it! I use the little white vase you sent me at Christmas a few years ago allll the time. ~ karen!
Viv
Hi Karen,
I used your link but it only took me to Amazon and not the product. Don’t know if you’ll get credit for this!?
Karen
Hi Viv. That's odd. Don't worry about it. Could have been some weird glitch. ~ karen!
Susan Schlub
An additional thought. My eyes WERE my best feature. They are blue and I used a purple mascara which help give a small shift of blue to a slight green and to almost a violet. Of course I had luscious lashes. Now that I am old my lashes look like a used artist hog bristle brush. What happened? In your research did you come across anything that explains what happens to lashes over the years? I read your list of types of lash serum, with one group being hormonal. So now we've gone through hot flashes does our estrogen level betray us again?
Karen
I don't know exactly what happens, I just know hair goes wonky during menopause. And you lose hair, so yess - let's blame it on estrogen. Good call. ~ karen!
Susan Schlub
You mean I have hair loss to look forward to yet!!!! AAARRRGGGGHHHH
Susan Schlub
I am soooo happy to learn that all lashes are on a different life cycle from each other. We all could have ugly looking eyes for a long time until they all start regrowing. Ain't nature grand!
Eden
First things first. Karen, it never crossed my mind that you would lie or photoshop. You are as honest and genuine as they come. You're priceless :-)
Also, I tried it! And it works. It doesn't irritate my eyes. It's a wonderful product and I would never have known about it were it not for your blog. I do use it everyday, but sparingly. I can make the tube last quite a while. Thanks for sharing your discovery with us.
Karen
Hi Eden, I'm glad you liked it! Yes, it genuinely works. See a difference with the naked eye, works! ~ karen
JDMiss
Tried both types last year when you talked about them. My use is slap dash at best but I actually have eyebrow regrowth AND eyelashes you can see now. No side effects I’m aware of and am now encouraged seeing yours to try to be more regular!
Carswell
OK - I'm going to give it a shot. My eyelashes and eyebrows are nearly non-existent at this point.
Other Karen
Approximately how long does one tube last? Wondering if I should be ordering two at the sale price?
Karen
I'm average as far as how diligent I put it on. Sometimes I do, sometimes I forget for a week. At that rate 1 tube lasts 3 months. ~ karen!
Other Karen
Thanks Karen!
Spike
Hi Karen,
At first I used the more expensive one (a non-prescription similar to the first one you recommended) and it worked great but made my lash line a bit red and itchy but my lashes grew. So when you recommended this cheaper one I tried it as well. It doesn’t cause redness or itching and I’ve started applying it twice a day and my lashes do look so much better-thicker and longer. Thank you for testing and recommending! I wouldn’t have tried them otherwise.
Karen
You're welcome! I was so amazed that it worked so well. ~ karen!
Bambi Mayer
Karen, I wanted to alert you to the fact that the link you share takes the reader to the eyebrow, not the eyelash, serum. This is in the states. It may work fine in Canada. There is an eyelash serum available from the same company.
Karen
Hi Bambi, thanks! That was my fault, I'll fix it now. That link does still take you to the lash serum page, there should be a choice of two products, the brow or the lash that you can add to your cart. I'll go fix it now though. ~ karen!
Jane Smith
I ordered from your Amazon US link and it stats for eyebrows not for eye lashes. Is this the same product?
Karen
Hi Jane. There were 2 products to choose from on the buy page. One is for eyebrows specifically and one is for eyelashes. I think it's the same product with a different applicator (you'd have to check the ingredients side by side) but would be much easier to use with the right applicator so I would return it for the other one if you can. ~ karen!
MARY TOGNAZZINI
WHY TWO OR THREE TIMES WEEK, JUST MAKES THEM THICKER AND NOT REALLY GROWING?? SAME WITH THE EYE BROWS? MY EYE BROWS ARE MOSTLY GONE.
Karen
Hi Mary. The serum makes your eyelashes longer. I feel like it also encourages hair follicles that aren't producing hairs, to start growing hairs. This makes your lashes actually thicker and actually longer. ~ karen!
Leslie K Russell
I bought it immediately! I've been using it about a year too And it works just as well as latisse. I buy the generic from India (shhhh). I wish I could say I have more eyelashes but I don't but the ones I have are thick and long. Thanks for the recommendation!