I’ve always been a bit of a lash addict. Strip lashes, lash extensions, underlashes—you name it, I’ve tried it. But last month, I made the ultimate rookie mistake: I forgot to use lash remover when taking off my underlash extensions, and in one swift (and horrifying) tug, I ripped out almost all of my natural lashes. Yep, completely gone – and on both sides, because in a panic I did nearly the same to my right eye.

Panic set in immediately. Would they ever grow back? Would I be doomed to a life of relying on falsies forever? I frantically Googled ‘how long do eyelashes take to grow back?’ and the answers were… bleak. Some sources said three months, others said up to six. With a holiday just around the corner, I didn’t have that kind of patience, and I also didn't want to glue more underlashes on to plaster over the problem.

Then, a beauty editor friend of mine (who always has incredible lashes) told me about . She swore by it, saying she gets complimented on her lashes all the time. I was desperate. I needed a hero product, and if there was even the slightest chance it could speed things up, I was all in.

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I started using every other night or so—, just a thin sweep along my lash line. At first, I was sceptical. Could a lash serum really make that much of a difference? But within a week, I noticed tiny baby lashes starting to appear At this, I upped my serum useage to nightly. By the end of the second week, they were visibly growing in. And by week three? I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Not only had my lashes completely grown back, but they were longer than they’d ever been before. Even my boyfriend noticed.

When I say they doubled in length, I’m not exaggerating. My lashes, which had always been on the shorter, stubbier side, suddenly looked like they belonged to someone who’d been naturally blessed with a bit of flutter. Of course, they aren't as thick or dark as underlash lashes, but for the first time in years, I'm happy with how they look with just a coat of mascara. I even went on holiday without false lashes, which is a miracle.

In both the before and after shots, I'm wearing one coat of (excellent, by the way, if you have sensitive eyes). I used mascara because my natural lashes are so fair in colour that you wouldn't be able to fully see the effects of the serum otherwise.

has officially earned a permanent spot in my beauty routine. I never thought I’d be the kind of person to be evangelical about a lash serum, but here we are. If you’ve ever overdone it on extensions, had an unfortunate glue incident like me, or just want longer, healthier lashes, trust me—this little blue tube is worth the money. It usually costs £99 for a 2-month supply on Debenhams, but the retailer currently has a 20% off promotion on it, .

if you're hunting around for other options, I'm also tempted to try Molly-Mae's hero buy that she keeps raving about on her . The star revealed she's been using the , £45, and swears by the results. This conditioning serum stimulates the lashes, helping to make them longer, stronger and darker.

"My friends can't take any more of me going on about my lash and brow growth, but I can't stop," she penned just the other week. "My brows and lashes have never looked like this. This was 2.5 weeks ago. I didn't even take this as a progress pic, it was actually a pic of my skin, but I'm just in shock at the growth?!"