'I thought lash serum was a scam until I tried this $26 one — and now I’m converted.'

Let me be real with you: I have trust issues. Specifically, with lash serums. 

We've all seen the claims — longer lashes in seven days! Fuller brows overnight! Apply this mysterious liquid and wake up looking like a Disney princess who never over-plucked in 2005! — and I, like many, have fallen for them. More than once. 

But in my experience, lash and brow serums tend to go one of three ways: they sting;  they cost $150 and do absolutely nothing; or they're so complicated I immediately get over using them. 

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Despite all of this, I still want the dream. I want low-maintenance, lush lashes and well-behaved brows. I want to wake up and look vaguely human before coffee. But I also want zero effort (no offence to my seven-step skincare routine). 

Even when my very kind, very honest brow tech gently suggested that maybe I should start using a brow serum — "Have you ever noticed your hairs are growing back in a slightly… chaotic direction?" — I smiled, nodded and lied. Told her I'd started using one weeks ago, actually. She definitely knew. She absolutely judged me. And she was right to.

So when I started using this $26 natural lash and brow serum by INCIA, I honestly did not have high hopes. I expected it to smell kind of weird, feel kind of sticky and soon secure a permanent spot at the back of my bathroom drawer with the other failed beauty promises. 

Reader: I was wrong. 

What is INCIA Natural Eyebrow and Eyelash Care Serum?

Image: Supplied.

This eyelash and eyebrow boosting natural serum is, quite simply, one of the gentlest, simplest formulas I've ever put near my eyes. Made entirely from plant-based oils — castor, almond, sesame, apricot kernel and vitamin E — there's nothing in it that stings, itches, or makes you wonder if you're potentially sacrificing sight in exchange for longer lashes and bushier brows.

So, what are each of these oils actually doing? Castor oil is known for promoting hair growth and reducing breakage, thanks to its high concentration of fatty acids. Almond oil softens and strengthens hair while helping to reduce inflammation around the follicles, while sesame oil brings antibacterial and antioxidant properties, making it ideal for sensitive skin. Apricot kernel oil is lightweight and nourishing, and vitamin E? It's your classic damage-repairer, protecting against environmental stress and helping to condition dry or brittle lashes and brows.

No chemical enhancements or sketchy ingredients you can't actually spell (let alone pronounce). Just actual oils doing actual work — gently, effectively and without any drama.

How do you use the lash serum?

It also doesn't come with a complicated wand or a six-step application process. You literally just add a drop to your fingertips and rub it into your lashline and brows. That's it. No fancy dance. No sacred ritual. Just fingers and a face. 

(Though if you wanted to light a candle and make it a whole thing, go for it. Personally, I slap it on in ten seconds while I'm half-asleep and wondering if I remembered to feed the dog.)

Just a little bottle full of lash-loving goodness. Image: Supplied.

The thing I love the most about this serum? It's not promising miracles. It's not going to give you cartoon-level lashes by Thursday. Instead, it supports your natural lash cycle, nourishing from the follicle up, helping to reduce breakage and fallout over time. Think of it as helping your lashes and brows be their very best selves. 

Which is all I'm really asking for. I'm not trying to wake up looking like a Bratz doll. I just want to stop looking vaguely exhausted when I forget to wear mascara (which happens… a lot). 

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The results (so far).

I've been using this serum for a few weeks now, and while I'm not fluttering my lashes at strangers or raising my brows like a soap opera villain, I have noticed a difference. 

My lashes feel softer. Less brittle. Less prone to snapping off mid-mascara application. They look fuller, too — and not in a fake lash kind of way, but enough that I've started skipping mascara on purpose and can still feel human in photos. 

My brows? They're less patchy, more consistent, and edging closer to 'Cara Delevingne in her soft era' rather than 'bored year 9 student with a magnifying mirror, tweezers and no parental guidance'. 

And the best part? No irritation. No weird residue. No chaos. It's oily in a nice, nourishing way — the kind that makes you feel like you've done something wholesome for your face, even if you've spent the rest of the day eating Shapes in bed. 

So has it changed my life? No (mostly because that is a very silly claim to make). But I've used it. Repeatedly. And I'll keep using it, which is more than I can say for about 90 per cent of my beauty drawer or any other lash and brow treatment before.

At $26, it's one of the few products that actually delivers without making ridiculous promises or asking for too much in return. Effective. Lazy-girl approved. And maybe, just maybe, the thing that'll finally stop my brow tech from judging me. 

Worst case? You lie about using it and she still knows. Best case? You've found the one lash and brow serum actually worth the (very minimal) effort. 

Feature image: supplied.