Luscious Lashes: Latisse v. RevitaLash

Dramatic, beautiful eyes make for dramatic, beautiful wedding photos. And nothing makes for wow-worthy eyes like an enviable fringe of lashes. So just how do you get these aforementioned picture-perfect peepers, Houston bride? Your best bet is to enlist the expert assistance of a professional makeup artist. A talented makeup pro will know how to enhance your natural assets to best effect so that your bridal eyes look as gorgeous in person as they do in photos—with nary a mascara-streak in sight!

That’s the artist part of the picture. Here’s a tip on the canvas: To give your chosen makeup pro the best possible material to work with, you may want to consider revving up your lashes beforehand.

By now you’ve probably encountered Latisse. Print ads for this FDA-approved “treatment” for hypotrichosis (a medical term for the, um, condition, of “inadequate” eyelashes) feature the lovely Brooke Shields lowering her long-lashed lids and singing the praises of this prescription-only solution. We’re not sure how Brooke’s lashes looked pre-Latisse, but we’ve gotta say, they sure do look full, feathery and pretty darn fabulous in those pix.

If you choose to fill out your sparse lashes with Latisse, you’ll need to start four months pre-wedding, and apply the solution every night, as directed, to get the full results in time for your big day. Of course, as with any medical treatment, there are a few potential side effects: These may include red or itchy eyes, possible eyelid-skin darkening and—gulp!—hair growth occurring in spots where Latisse comes in repeated contact with skin surface (steady hand, Houston bride, steady hand).

All that said, Web chatter among eye docs and Latisse users alike, and Latisse’s own before-and-after clinical trial gallery, seem to indicate that the stuff does work to boost lash growth.

Looking for a little lash oomph, but not quite ready to go the medical route? RevitaLash may be the beauty secret you seek. This eyelash “conditioner,” developed by an ophthalmologist as a gift for his wife, who had lost eyelashes as a side effect of breast-cancer chemotherapy, purports to thicken existing eyelashes while “encouraging” new eyelash growth. Like Latisse, RevitaLash requires that you start well ahead of your wedding—three months or so—to get the best results. And like Latisse, RevitaLash has some potential side effects like eye irritation and discoloration. Users report mixed results, but those who love the stuff REALLY love it AND their newly lush lashes. Might you, too?