6 Ways To Make Your Latisse Last Longer

No doubt about it: many women love Latisse for the way it lengthens their eyelashes. Eighty five percent of our community has given it a thumbs-up, with some serious raves to boot. But Latisse will have you shell out more than your average mascara: about $130 for a two-month supply, if used as directed. That means one drop on one applicator brush for each eye for 60 days.

Still, everyone from RealSelfers to our experts to beauty bloggers have been finding creative ways to make their precious drops of Latisse -- and their dollars -- last a little longer. Here's what they're finding:

1. Use only one Latisse drop -- in the cap -- each day. 

The directions tell you to apply one drop directly to the brush for each eye. To avoid waste, RealSelf's ever-resourceful Eva has crafted her own method: "I put one drop in the cap, and dip the brush in the cap. This way, I can do both eyelids with one drop and one brush." Eva used Latisse to get lush lashes before her wedding -- and said they were "ridiculously long" after three weeks.

2. Use the Latisse brush for two consecutive days.

Another problem with Latisse -- you get 60 applicator brushes to use, and that's it. New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr. Eric Joseph says he suggests that patients use one brush for two days straight: "It can be rinsed with water in between uses, and left to air dry." This way, you can get a full four months out of your prescription.

3. Use your own brush.

Beauty bloggers Beauty in the Bag -- which seems to absolutely love Latisse -- thinks a "skinny eyeliner brush" is the way to go rather than with the ones that comes with the package. BITB claims this will also lessen irritation and hyperpigmentation.

4. Cut the Latisse brush in half.

Along the same lines, some docs are telling people to give the little brushes that come with Latisse a chop. This way, you'll use less product -- and what you do use will be applied more carefully and efficiently.

5. Apply only as much Latisse as you need. 

Even though Allergan says you need one drop per eye per day, the consensus seems to be that a full drop is probably more than enough. Of course, this depends entirely on how long you want your lashes to be, and don't forget that Latisse's effect isn't permanent -- once you stop using Latisse, your lashes will revert to their original length and thickness.

6. Find discount Latisse or Latisse rebates.

Many doctors are offering Latisse at the suggested retail price -- about $120. But there are definitely some out there who are giving pretty sharp discounts -- even some, like Dr. Corey Maas of San Francisco, at cost -- so make sure to shop around for a good price. And several docs have mentioned they're giving discounts in conjunction with other treatments, or are participating in the Latisse rebate program, which can shave $10-$20 off the price.

And one more thing you should know ...

Some of our members have tried Lumigan -- which is the glaucoma drug that, in a lower concentration, inspired Latisse -- as an alternative (and cheaper) way to lengthen their lashes. However, as Houston plastic surgeon Dr. John LoMonaco cautions, Lumigan is not FDA-approved for eyelash treatment, and you (and any doctor that tries) are likely to run into some pretty thick legal issues if you try to get a script for Lumigan, but don't have glaucoma.

Any other tricks to share that have worked well for you? We'd love to hear in the comments below!