Physicians Formula Eye Booster Instant Lash Extension Kit Review

I recently purchased a new (to me) mascara, the Physicians Formula Eye Booster Instant Eyelash Extension Kit.  It's actually two products: a mascara and a tube of fibers that claim to make your lashes longer, hence giving the appearance of eyelash extensions.  I'm honestly not sure what prompted this purchase; we'll call it an impulse buy.  It retails for around $14, but I found mine on sale at King Soopers for $11.99.  I've never tried a lash extension kit, but I know that there are some on the market including the Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes (retails for $29) and the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Extreme (retails for $35).  I figured that since this was a cheaper alternative to those two, and since it was on sale, I'd give it a whirl.

As with most Physicians Formula products, the packaging on this one is adorable--it also makes some outrageous claims, such as "WARNING!  Life Changing DIY Lash Extensions" and "May cause: serious lash envy, DIY lash extension addiction, and random compliments from strangers!"  I think most of us know that this is hyperbole, and I hoped for good results but didn't expect anything life changing from this product.

The instructions are as follows:

I first curled my eyelashes.  The mascara has a nice curved brush and was a nice formula.  On its own, it didn't provide much volume or length, but it went on smoothly.

Curved mascara wand

One coat of mascara (no fibers yet) vs. bare (curled) lashes

Ok, now for my thoughts on the extensions--they get EVERYWHERE!  Right when I pulled the wand out of the tube, I saw the little black fibers fly out in all directions.  Annoying!  And this wasn't even the worst part.  When I started applying it to my lashes, the fibers got all over my face and created a huge mess.

Fiber wand--if you look closely at the picture, you can see some of the fibers that flew out onto the countertop

One coat of mascara and fibers vs. bare lashes.  You can see excess fibers on the side of my nose.

I don't think there is any way of stopping this from happening.  The second time I wore this mascara, I tried to learn from the first time and held a tissue over my face below my eyes with one hand as I applied the fibers with the other.  That was better, as the tissue caught most of the fallout, but I still had some fibers on my face that I had to brush off.

I followed the procedure twice (on the top lashes only).  Following it once gave me a nice, fluttery look.  The second application gave me more volume and length.  On my bottom lashes, I used one coat of the mascara only.  Since you are supposed to apply the fibers while the mascara is still wet, I completed both layers on one eye before moving onto the other eye.

Two layers of the mascara and fibers (with even more excess fibers on my face) vs. bare lashes

Two layers of mascara and fiber vs. one layer (and once again, excess fibers on my face)

As I was applying the product, some of the fibers got into my eyes!  It was slightly irritating for a few minutes.  The irritation did stop, but throughout various times of the day, I could feel some of the fibers in my eyes for a minute or so.  I wouldn't say it was horrible or unbearable but more of an annoyance.  I also discovered that when applying the fibers, they had fallen onto my clothes.  This wasn't super noticeable, but I did find it a bit annoying.  As far as the mascara wearing throughout the day, I was pleasantly surprised with its longevity.  It stayed on all day without flaking or doing anything weird (other than the fibers getting into my eyes every so often).  I even worked out with it on, and it was able to withstand that.  It removed easily with my Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, which I use every night to remove my makeup prior to washing my face.

Final look with two coats of mascara and fibers on both eyes with the excess fibers brushed off my face

Final look with face makeup done

So, what are my final thoughts on this product?  I am quite happy with the final look using two layers.  I like the length and volume it gave me.  I was also impressed by how well it held a curl and how it held up all day, even though a hard workout.  However, it is a bit time consuming, and it is extremely messy--I would definitely recommend doing your face makeup after you've used this product and cleaned the excess fibers off your face.  I don't think I would be willing to put up with it on a day-to-day basis, but it might be nice to use every once in a while when I really want  my lashes to stand out.  I've never had lash extensions, but I do wear false lashes every once in a while, and false lashes still take the cake for providing the most dramatic lash look in my opinion; however, this is a nice alternative.  If you are interested in trying out a lash extension system like this, I would recommend trying this one since it is half the price or less of some of the higher end ones.  I would also like to mention that I have really sensitive eyes and wear contacts, and even when the fibers got into my eyes, I never found them to be overly irritating.

If you've tried this or anything else like it, I'd love to hear about your experiences.  Thank you for reading!  I hope this post was helpful.