Plume ELITE Lash & Brow Serum Review

There’s been a lot of conversation about prostaglandins in the beauty industry in recent years, and the demand for efficacious lash and brow serums that are formulated without those specific ingredients has soared. I’ve tried dozens of formulas—both with prostaglandins and without—and some definitely stand out among the rest. One of those is Plume ELITE Lash & Brow Serum ($150).

Founder Lauren Bilon started the company and created the serum after suffering from postpartum hypothyroidism and losing a lot of her hair and lashes. Postpartum hair loss shows up for millions of women in different ways, and our eyelashes are often impacted just like the hair on our heads. Our lashes also follow a hair cycle that involves natural shedding, so at certain times they may seem more sparse. And then of course there’s the natural aging process (our hair gets thinner everywhere) and the side effects of certain medications, which can also include hair loss.

The Benefits of This Lash & Brow Serum

I was a fan of Plume’s first Lash & Brow Serum when it hit the market back in 2015, but since then, the brand launched a more advanced ELITE version to its portfolio. The key difference between the two? The addition of Plume’s proprietary Q5 Peptide Complex, which the brand tells me “contains more active peptides than any other lash serum on the market.” Among the five is a peptide called Oligopeptide-251, which is proprietary and exclusive to Plume, and helps “repair and reinforce the molecular bonds with the lashes for stronger, healthier growth.” The other four in the mix are myristoyl pentapeptide-17, hexapeptide-16, myristoyl tetrapeptide-12 and biotinoyl tripeptide-1. They work in tandem to create stronger, fuller, more beautiful lashes and brows.

The peptide-packed formula makes this serum stand out for sure, but the thing I love most is that it achieves incredible results (fuller-looking, thicker-looking lashes and brows) without the use of prostaglandins. These ingredients are hormone-like lipid compounds that have been linked to negative side effects, but they’re super effective at producing brow-grazing lashes and fluffy brows, and usually within just a few weeks. As such, they’re usually the go-to ingredient in traditional lash and brow serums.

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However, because of their link to hormone disruption, as well as a host of other downsides (eye irritation and redness, fat loss around the eyes, and even a darkening of the iris), prostaglandins get a bad rep. Plume’s ELITE Lash & Brow Serum offers an efficacious alternative that’s also super gentle for sensitive eyes, including contact lens wearers like me. In a comparative study with 85 participants that was supervised by an ophthalmologist, 100 percent of users reported zero side effects, with 96.6 percent seeing visible lash enhancement within just three weeks. There were also no adverse effects reported.

How to Use It

It’s so easy to use: On clean skin, just swipe the applicator across your upper lash line on each eye every night. You can also apply it to your brows (make sure all makeup is removed), focusing on sparse areas like the arch and tail. Plume says most users start seeing noticeable improvements in less than three weeks, with dramatic results visible by week six. However, full results are typically achieved after eight weeks of daily use. The 3-milliliter bottle provides a two-to-three month supply, while the 6-milliliter bottle lasts four to six months.