We Tried The Ordinary’s $15 Brow & Lash Serum

From microblading and hyperrealism brows to lash extensions and lifts, the sheer amount of brow and lash treatments available proves that plenty of us want a little help in the hair growth department. But these treatments can become an expensive and tedious habit. That's where targeted brow and lash growth serums come in. Enter: The Ordinary's Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum.

With ingredients like peptides (hair-strengthening proteins), biotin (or vitamin B7, which is known to stimulate hair follicle growth), and hyaluronic acid (which hydrates brittle hairs), brow and lash serums by brands like RevitaLash, LashFood, and GrandeLASH-MD have become viral sensations. The millions of TikTok tags and countless before-and-after pictures point to some impressive results. So what makes The Ordinary's new formula different?

"Our team saw that there was a gap in the market for an honestly priced lash and brow serum," Ruth Jayme, research and development principal scientist at The Ordinary and Deciem, tells Refinery29. "Additionally when our Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density achieved virality on TikTok, we were flooded with questions about using it on the eyebrows and eyelashes — however that serum was specifically formulated and tested for scalp use." At $14.50 per tube (a fraction of what similar products on the market go for), the prospect of finding an affordable yet effective lash and brow treatment was honestly game-changing.

"Our lab challenged themselves to rely on the power of peptides to achieve thicker, fuller, and healthier-looking eyebrows and lashes," Jayme adds. "Two standouts are acetyl tetrapeptide-3 and biotinoyl tripeptide-1, which support increased density and thickness whilst nourishing and protecting lashes and brows." Ahead, read along as four R29 editors test out the innovative product.

For around two months, four R29 staffers have been putting the serum to the test. This is the effect it had on their lashes and brows.

"I adore The Ordinary's products and would gladly buy the Niacinamide 10% & Zinc 1% serum in gallon-size bottles if I could. (Pro tip: I also use the glycolic acid toner to help with KP on my arms.) When I heard that The Ordinary was developing a lash and brow serum, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a tube. If it was as good as everything else I've tried from the brand, I knew this would be a total game-changer.

Thanks to my parents, I've been naturally blessed with long, dark lashes and equally healthy brows. However, because I came of age in the 2000s, I was not immune from the skinny-brow trend — and went through an ill-advised over-tweezing phase. Luckily, my bushy brows couldn't be tamed and grew back almost entirely, with the exception of a small patch toward the inner corner of my right eyebrow. (It's barely noticeable — and nothing a little powder or pencil can't fix — but if you look at the inner corners of my eyes, my right brow is not quite lining up.) After nearly two months of using The Ordinary's Multi-Peptide Lash & Brow Serum, I'm starting to see the faintest new growth sprouting up toward the inner corner of my brow.

I applied the stuff before bed almost every night but can't say for sure that I've noticed dramatic growth yet. Like I said, I love how my lashes look already and mainly want a product to keep them healthy and strong. (I don't wear mascara daily, and I am extremely careful with removing eye makeup at the end of the day.) I feel like I noticed less fallout while using the serum, which is a great sign. If you have short or sparse lashes, it will probably take longer to see dramatic results if you don't go the prescription route. But as they say, patience (and consistency!) is a virtue."

"As a hay fever sufferer, each time spring and summer roll around, I don't like to wear as much mascara because of the eye-rubbing, watery mess that inevitably follows. I've been desperate to try a lash lift or enhancing treatment for my lashes for a few years now, but I've never got around to it, either because of time or money. So when I heard about The Ordinary's serum, I jumped at the chance to try an affordable alternative.

The instructions on the packaging simply say to apply the product to your lash line after cleansing. After spending a confusing couple of days trying to work out whether the lash line was on the top or bottom of the lashes, I got into the swing of things and used it every day and night for two weeks. [Beauty editor's note: Apply to the upper lash line, like you would liquid eyeliner, so as not to get any inside your eye.]

At the two-week mark, I was convinced I was seeing signs of growth or lengthening, and I was definitely experiencing less fallout. But then life got in the way, and my routine flew out of the window. My more or less consistent approach ended up being less consistent. I've heard that products like these strengthen the way the root is attached to the lash line, which prevents fallout and lets your lashes grow longer. So when I stopped using it consistently every day, it did stop working. If you're very diligent I would definitely recommend it. Alternatively, I have been practicing TikTok's Vaseline lash lift hack as a way to lengthen my lashes on the daily and to avoid mascara. I swear by it."

"As a very hairy person and given the size of my eyebrows (plus the effort it takes to tame them), you'd think I'd never struggle in the eyelash department. But I do. Somewhere between childhood and my teenage years, my lashes stopped growing. Now, they're short, fair, and have no semblance of a curl. I'm known to wear two mascaras (one for lengthening, the other for volume) to give my lashes a helping hand. I've also tried a lash perm yet I suffered a legitimate panic attack at the thought of having the perming solution so close to my eyeballs.

A friend with eyelashes so long they touch her eyebrows has been preaching about the benefits of growth serums for a while but I've always doubted they'd work for me. Attempting to be a little more optimistic, I've been using The Ordinary's lash serum morning and evening for almost eight weeks, and to my surprise, I can see a difference. Now, it's a very microscopic difference and likely only I can tell (but that's all that matters, right?). Still, the magic happens when I apply my daily mascara and it becomes more visibly noticeable that my lashes are longer and curlier — as if I've had a subtle lift. I will keep using the lash serum because a little improvement has gone a long way in making me feel better about my lash length."

"Being Asian, I've become used to my eyelashes being a little on the sparse side or pokily straight. What's more, I've been known to be a little rough with makeup removal. Micellar water goes on a cotton pad and then it's rub, rub, rub until I get the desired result — at which point there's many an eyelash casualty. On top of this, I wear contact lenses, and after a particularly scarring eye ulcer (yes, it's a thing — beware!), I'm always a little wary of any sort of cream or gel going near my eye. But in the name of lush lashes, I was willing to be a guinea pig!

I liked the minimal, no-fuss packaging. Every night (I avoided it in the daytime because of the aforementioned contact lenses) I'd apply the serum to the root underneath and brush up into the lashes. Sometimes it would get in my tear ducts and burn, but as time went on, it got less fiddly and slipped straight into my daily routine. [Beauty editor's note: Avoid the area underneath your upper lash line, so as not to get the product inside your eye. Instead, apply it on top.] The first week I didn't notice anything and then suddenly my eyelashes seemed bushier, thicker, and a smidge longer. I don't know if the pics do it justice, or maybe it's a placebo effect, but I'll definitely use this until it's empty and then invest in a more expensive one, which may promise more impactful results."