So I mentioned a few times already that I have a hard time with mascaras, and switching to green ones hasn't helped. All mascaras smudge, flake or rub off everywhere on me leaving me with racoon eyes. All except tubing mascara, which is partly made out of liquid plastic so that's not great either. A little while ago I was looking at a beauty salon and saw that they offered a vegan and a plant-based eyelash tint option. I was quite intrigued.
I did quite a bit of research on the process, trying to find before and after images, claims or reviews, and to be honest I found almost nothing. I've heard of lash tinting before but never figured there was a green option out there. I saw a good few beauty youtubers talking about how it makes their lives easier since their "natural" lashes now look darker and fuller. Immediately I thought it might be great for going on holidays, being in an out of the pool etc. How great would it be to just skip mascara? So I gave it a try.
MAKING THE APPOINTMENT
I contacted a Dublin salon called Skinful Affairs, it's where I'd heard of the treatment and I know they carry a lot of greener brands. I spoke to someone on Instagram which was so nice and convenient. I asked all my eyelash tint related questions. She explained to me that in fact, the vegan tint is a regular one and the plant-based would be the greenest option. In Ireland when booking some kind of colouring appointment, you need to go in for an allergy patch test 48h prior. So I did that.
When I went in for the patch test though, I had a bit of a weird conversation with the girl there. And let me just go on a little rant for a second. I asked if patch tests were required by law (out of curiosity, we don't have that in Canada!). She told me that all salons do it, but that they didn't really need to since their products were vegan and therefore the ingredients were better. Hold on there. Vegan means something contains no animal products or by-products. Vegan doesn't mean it has no toxic, dangerous or irritating ingredients. Lemon juice is vegan but I wouldn't put that anywhere near my eyes. Ok rant over, I went with the plant-based tint to avoid any doubts.
THE PRODUCT USED
So the salon uses a product called Refectocil Sensitive, and on me we'll be using their black dye. After a quick search online I realized it's pretty much the only green option out there. So let's have a look at the ingredients, I'll highlight the ingredients rated 3 or above on EWG :
Aqua, Alcohol denat., Calendula Officinalis (Safflower Flower), Achillea Millefolium Flower/Leaf/Stem (Yarrow), Vaccinium Myrtillus (Vitex Agnus-Castus Fruit), Rhus Chinensis Gall (Walnut Husk), Camellia Sinensis (Nettle Leaf), Juniperus Communis Leaf/Stem, Horse Chestnut Nut, Dichroa Febrifuga Root, Grape Seed, Acacia Catechu Wood, Goldenrod, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Carbomer, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide.
Alcohol denat : It gets its rating of 3 because it's toxic to ingest. There are however no concerns when used on the skin.
Achillea Millefolium Flower : This also gets a 3 rating because apparently Yarrow is a well known allergen, which is probably why they need to do a patch test.
Sodium Hydroxide : This however get a 3-4 rating depending on usage. The concentration seem to be restricted by law as high quantities can be toxic. However it is the last ingredient on the list and has no environmental concerns so I think it's okay for me.
THE CLAIMS
Before we actually go in, here's what Refectocil claims about their eyelash tint :
- Sensitive – no burns or irritation
- 2 Step application and 3 minute pause time
- Doesn't smudge and waterproof
- Lasts up to 6 weeks
I did have a chat with the lovely lady who did my treatment, and she was very honest with me. She told me that the plant based dyes don't always develop so well on everyone. There's a strong possibility I might have to go back a second time to do it again. Also the plant-based dye is usually more recommended for eyebrows because it's also good for staining the skin and makes the area look more filled in. She says it might or might not last 6 weeks. I really did appreciate her honesty though. She advised me the regular vegan one might be more effective, but I really wanted to try the plant based.
GETTING THE EYELASH TINT
Step 1 : The lady started by cleaning my lashes of any mascara or make up leftover and making sure everything was perfect.
Step 2 : She then proceeded to apply vaseline around my eyes to make sure the dye doesn't transfer to my skin.
Step 3 : She stuck little protector pads under my eyes, and started applying the first part of the dye to my lashes (the process has two different parts).
Then this wasn't an actual step, but there was a maybe 5-8 minutes wait after this, and she offered me a head massage to pass the time and it was GREAT.
Step 4 : The lady removed the first product (the colour) with a dry cotton round, and applied the developer gel. The wait wasn't as long for this part.
Step 5 : We removed all the product and tried to clean my skin as well as possible, but it was quite stained.
The whole process took maybe 15 to 20 minutes. The woman who worked on me was lovely, she was also very clear and careful and warned me when I needed to keep my eyes shut or open. I was very happy with the overall process! The treatment cost me 18€.
THE RESULTS
To be completely honest, I was very underwhelmed with the results. The eyelash tint worked and I could see that my lashes were black, but it just didn't have the effect I expected. Mind you, I have thin, sparse and short lashes. The result might be stunning if you have long full lashes. My lashline was also stained REALLY bad, here's a photo from the next morning. I tried cleaning it with a few makeup removers, and the warmth from the shower and nothing worked. The full stain took almost a week to disappear completely. To be fair I was warned this could happen, but it did give me a "smudgy" mascara look for almost a week.
In terms of claims, I think both the company and the salon were truthful, although the company should mention how staining can be a problem. Nothing burned, I had to wait a little longer than 3 minutes. For the lasting power, I think it depends on your own lashes. It's been 6 weeks now, and I can still see it on the few longest lashes I have, but I think most fell out.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?
Sadly, no. The results weren't impressive enough for this to be a mascara replacement. On top of this, I think they should remove the plant-based EYELASH tint and keep offering it just for eyebrows. The lady was really unsure at first and really tried to push the vegan one because she was afraid of staining my lash line. Which did happen. If the product stains so much it's probably better for brows and to keep it away from lashes. I'm still happy I tried it, I just don't think it was worth it for my lashes.
I would recommend the salon though, they do non-toxic vegan manicures, pedicures, facials and all kinds of treatment!
10 comments
Thanks so much for this review. I was looking into vegan natural eyelash tints and this post was super informative! I, like you, would have hoped for a replacement for mascara, so it’s good to know that the plant-based option is not that great. If I decide to try it, I’ll look into the regular vegan version one instead. Thanks again 🙂
I have my lashes tinted regularly with same tint in same salon. Completely agree with your review. However, am delighted that it’s a vegan product. Your eyelashes are magnificent by comparison to mine. Can totally recommend the salon, facials are wonderful.
I had been using the Roux Lash & Brow tint for years with No problems! But I just found out it has been discontinued. I loved it! It was easy to use with incredible results! My eyelashes and eyebrows are thick but so light that they appear clear. The Roux turned them jet black so I didn’t even need mascara. I found your review of this product in hopes of finding out it worked great and was easy to use. The Refectocil is quite expensive (the Roux was 40 uses for $25 dollars at Sally’s). I am so disappointed to find out the Roux was discontinued and probably because people just didn’t use it right. Anyway, thank you for your review of the Refectocil. I don’t know if I will try it or not, but I appreciate your review.
Looking for a good vegan lash tint for my office and stumbled upon this. I’ve been an aesthetician for 6 years doing last tints and I hace to say this woman did a horrible job. Tint should never be left on the skin like that. When I do tints I always apply a barrier above the lash as well and clean up as I go, to make sure the skin is not stained. I’m sorry that this was a bad experience for you.
Tara, I never comment on posts like this but I felt the need to say exactly what you did! I’m also an aesthetician and am surprised the woman didn’t do a barrier or use a stain remover! She didn’t apply it very carefully either…
Your salon should have used Belma Shield – it is a natural shield for tinting and is almond oil ad beeswax based. Vaseline is petroleum based
Thanks for a great detailed review of the product, pretty untidy job however.
I always use this brand for my eyebrows. I had a dreadful allergic reaction from a Benefit salon eyelash tint – my eyes swelled up so much I could hardly see out of them. This had happened once before but to a lesser extent but after the second experience I knew I would have to find an alternative. This really works on my sparse brows, I don’t use it on my lashes as too fiddly to do myself. I did buy the special stain remover by the same brand and that sorts any staining issues out. If your eyes are sensitive, this is a great option
I had my eyelashes tinted in a studio a few times and noticed inconsistencies with the results across my lashes and i also ended up with staining. Then I decided to order my own tinting product and do it myself, bc I’m a cosmetologist and more importantly I’m careful with the application and quickly cleaning up excess product. Another perk of at home application is you can do touch ups if any lashes don’t get colored. So my results at home were perfect without staining!! I definitely recommend using a timer and following instructions precisely & using gloves to not stain your nails & the eye pad things plus Q-tips, a lil stir stick to put s thin line of the mixed product & the clean mascara wands to coat your lashes evenly & again the TIMER to not damage your lashes!
Thank you so much for this brilliant informative information of your experience. The photos especially were excellent. I’ve been dying my eyelashes for the past 20 years & was interested in the options you described and this helped me make my decision to keep searching for safer options. My eyelashes are now very sparse (I’m 64) and I think I need to stop dying them so regularly to be honest. Thank you.