#UltrabondChallenge

I love falsies. Whether to add a bit of drama to a look, or just to give that perfectly polished feel, there's no end to what lashes can do for your eyes and for your confidence. I don't, however, like the tricky process of applying. Once they're on, they look fantastic, but trimming them to size, making sure they match, and getting them to stay put are a bit of an ordeal that I usually just reserve for special occasions. Thankfully, Nouveau Lashes have formulated a great latex free glue which makes the lengthy application process a little more worthwhile. And last Bank Holiday weekend, I joined 50 bbloggers taking part in the #UltrabondChallenge, in which we put the Ultrabond Strip Lash Adhesive through its paces, spending 48 hours looking glam in our false lashes. Documenting the challenge in a couple of selfies, I'll be the first to admit, I was extremely sceptical, but I was far from the only one who made it to the end. So, here's to an amazing new lash glue, and let me tell you how I got on. 

Day 1:

After a busy day at work, I came home and applied the Nouveau Lashes. The glue is a little different than a normal adhesive, as it takes a while until it's ready to go on the lash line, and remains slightly tacky after application. Once I'd gotten used to this, however, I was away. The lashes themselves were great; super lightweight, and the perfect lash for dressing up for evening or just wearing casually throughout the day. It's a good job too, as I would be wearing them day and night for the duration of the weekend! After carefully taking off my makeup at the end of the night (the part I was most apprehensive about), the falsies hadn't budged.  Granted, I did use a micellar water and a very gentle touch, and I did have to remove a little cotton pad debris from the lashes. Still, an impressive feat for any lash glue.

Day 2:

The following day, I was pleased to wake up and discover that my lashes were still in place. After a very tentative shower, I readied myself for a 12 hour shift at work. And apart from a few comments about getting a little too dressed up for a day of serving drinks, the shift was uneventful, and the lashes behaved themselves for the whole 12 hours. Though the rest of my makeup was struggling by this point, my lashes were still going strong as I locked up for the night. 

Day 3:

The lashes were starting to come away at the corners by this point, but I managed to disguise this with some artfully placed liner. They comfortably lasted through a meal with friends and a sunny day at Southbank, and, after my final selfie, off they came. I used my normal Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish on my lids, and just gently cleansed until the lashes came off. It did feel good to really clean the mascara off after 48 hours of being super careful. I'm so impressed with how long the glue lasted, and the fact that the lashes looked almost as good on Day 3, as they did on Day 1. Understandably, they were looking slightly worse for wear, but overall, an amazing result from a wonderful glue.

Why would you want to wear lashes for this long, you might ask? The glue is actually formulated for those who suffer hair loss; the long lasting glue means that they will be able to wear lashes for days with none of the hassle of reapplying every morning. For those of us who just love a strong lashy look, however, I think this glue would make the ultimate addition to any festival make up bag. Even if you don't quite survive the weekend frivolities, your lashes will. 

The winners all received the generous prize of 5 pairs of Millie Mackintosh Lashes. With my new go to lash adhesive, I'll definitely be getting a lot of use out of these beauties! A huge thank you to Nouveau Lashes and Amazing PR for organising this fun, slightly different blogger challenge. If you want to read more about the glue and how other #bbloggers got on, just search #UltrabondChallenge on Twitter and Instagram. There are plenty of other great reviews to discover. The lash glue costs £12.95, and after testing it for a weekend, I can promise you that it's well worth the money.