Out With the Old? But Indian Summer is my favorite movie!

Alana Mitchell, Licensed Esthetician, Day Spa Owner

Normally I only privately indulge in celebrity gossip but since this drama involves a skin care product and the iconic Brooke Shields, I thought I’d make an exception. In hopes of targeting a younger audience, the makers of the eyelash-boosting drug Latisse are ditching their celebrity endorser Brooke Shields, 46. At first I was upset- she’s BROOKE SHIELDS! Her eyebrows alone have more fame than most of today’s actresses! So why the replacement? SECRET- Keep reading, and the end of the page I will give you a secret link to help you save money on lash enhancement products.

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Caroline Van Hove, spokeswoman for Irvine-based Allergan, which makes the drug said, “Since the launch of the advertising campaign, our ads featuring Brooke Shields have been received very well with our target audience for Latisse.”

Women bought $74 million worth of Latisse in 2009 when it launched and $84 million the next year. The problem? The clients were between the ages of 30 and 60. Van Hove says they are simply going for a younger audience and, “We frequently rotate our brand spokespeople to appeal to the different demographics within our target population”

Which brings me to my next thought, is it a good idea to target younger women for a treatment like Latisse? Dermatologist Dr. Lorrie Klein of Laguna Niguel said, “They are gearing their advertising toward younger women because it is a huge untapped population for cosmetic treatments.”

Plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow of Newport Beach said, “My average patient age using Latisse is 35. Younger girls have not flocked to the product hence the need for a younger spokesperson.”

As a teenager I would have KILLED for longer, thicker lashes. However, I wasn’t necessarily in the best frame of mind to make wise decisions about more serious beauty treatments. Getting highlights is one thing, possible eye damage is another.

Is Latisse safe?

The FDA label for Latisse says the drug warns the product may darken the skin around the eye and possibly the iris. WHAT?! I was happy to read that side effects occurred in only 2.9 percent of patients and most of them were taking the drug Lumigan to treat glaucoma. PHEW! It would appear Latisse is using younger and light eyed models like actress Claire Danes, 32; model Sarah Mutch, 26; and young model Mekenna Bree to set the record straight! I can’t blame them!

The side effects listed are:

Turning patients’ irises brown.
Darkening of the eyelid.
Hair growth wherever Latisse “comes in repeated contact with the skin surface.”
Contamination of Latisse or its drug applicators, potentially causing bacterial infection.
Absorption into soft contact lenses of the chemical benzalkonium chloride, which is contained in Latisse.

I’d love to hear from some of you- young and old- how do you feel about out replacing Brooke Shields just because of her age? Do you think it’s a good idea to go after a younger audience in the first place? Have you or would you use Latisse?

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