By Kate Lally,Shawna Healey

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Those who are blesses with naturally long, dark lashes are lucky. Even with mascara, my eyelashes leave much to be desired and have been a source of insecurity for as long as I can remember. When I first started working, I began getting lash extensions on a regular basis and they became my war paint. In fact, I hated going anywhere without them on. My sister suggested taking a break from my falsies to try and grow my lashes, but even during lockdown when appointments were non-existent, my lashes were still barely there. I love how my lashes look after a fill, but carving out time for the appointment is a bit of a faff, not to mention it’s pretty expensive. READ MORE: Superdrug shoppers can get £47 DKNY perfume for £5 – offer ends soon READ MORE: John Lewis shoppers can get bottles of Molton Brown shower gel for 16p – offer ends soon I had been thinking about trying out a lash serum but wasn’t convinced to make the initial investment until I saw the incredible reviews on UKLash’s Lash Growth Serum . It typically costs £38 but shoppers can pick up a full-sized tube with a 30% saving, now £26.60. Providing a kinder alternative to eyelash extensions, the serum contains a blend of ingredients to stimulate lash growth.The growth serum is said to be “the answer to long, full lashes, without falsies”, and “packed full of essential vitamins that boost your lashes growth, fullness, and length”. I was utterly sceptical, having had almost invisible eyelashes since I can remember, but I followed the instructions and put the serum on both eyes once a day. After a month, I was astounded. While my eyelashes probably didn’t look long to anybody else, they had clearly grown and were much more visible. And now, having used the serum for 12 weeks, they look just like my fake ones did (when I apply mascara). Someone asked me which brand of falsies I was wearing this weekend, and I have to admit I was very happy when I could answer “none, these are my own”. UKLash’s Eyelash Growth Serum is on sale for £26.60 down from £38or a 3ml tube. While this doesn’t sound like a big amount, I have only purchased one tube and there’s still plenty left. Elsewhere, The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum is on sale for £11.36 down from £14.20. A volume-boosting serum formulated with a powerful blend of peptides, it gets to work at improving the health of the hairs whilst also encouraging ticker brows and lashes. Alternatively, the RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum is available at LookFantastic for £27. Enriched with Hexatein 1 Complex, a uniquely-concocted blend of six high-performance ingredients: peptides, biotin, amino acids, panthenol, soybean oil and pumpkin seed extract, the nourishing formula coats each fibre in a conditioning veil to protect against excess shedding. Back at UKLash, it’s not just me who is obsessed with the Eyelash Growth Serum , with the product boasting an overall star-rating of 4.8 out of five based on more than 52,000 reviews. One satisfied shopper said: “Fantastic, amazing product. My 61-year-old sparse stubby lashes ave thickened up and grown I’m amazed.” A second wrote: “Saw this all over TikTok and thought it was hype – it’s not. I’m on week four and even my boyfriend noticed. The formula doesn’t sting like another brand did and it fits my busy life. One swipe and done. Game changer.” “I initially bought the lash serum just to see what the hype was about,” a third penned. “A little background on how bad my lashes were… I used to have extensions for a good year and I used to pick at my extensions and also my natural lashes, after extensions I decided to get false individual lashes which I’d take off by ripping them off – as you can probably guess my lashes were incredibly damaged. “In just four months of using this product, they were so long especially when I put mascara on, I’d get compliments from friends and family. So if you’re struggling with incredibly short and damaged lashes, I recommend buying this serum.” One shopper, however, gave the Eyelash Growth Serum a three-star review because they were yet to see any ‘thickening results’. It reads: “I have been using this now for two months and have seen little difference in the length . My lashes are thicker but not longer, unfortunately.” But another loved their latest UKLash serum , adding: “I honestly didn’t think this would work, but having been using it daily after a shower for around two months, the results speak for themselves.”