Thicker, Longer, Fuller

'Thicker, longer, fuller', characteristics promised by so many ads for both mascara and male potency. I have rather less experience of the latter, but was persuaded to go in for mascara after an imaginative sales assistant at a cosmetics stand complimented me on my 'lovely small eyes' (there being little else to compliment, presumably). Increase the size of those eyes, and there would be a corresponding increase in their loveliness; a little mascara seemed the easiest way to go. But wait! It's true that brushing mascara onto the lashes is marginally easier than the poke-in-the-eye that is the eyeliner pencil, but a heavily blackened set of lashes performs like velcro. Only last week, a woman was admitted to hospital here in the U.K. with her eyes glued shut after years of repeated, heavy application of the cosmetic. It was feared that her sight might be lost; fortunately, prompt surgery saved the situation. Dr. Ashok Patelski, a lash and tear duct consultant at the Royal Eyeball Hospital in Marylebone, London, was quoted as saying, "This is the first time we've seen such a severe case of mascara damage, although there have been an increasing number of problems with false eyelashes and laceration of the cornea from the over-enthusiastic use of eyeliner pencils. Women should be more aware of the risks that can result from using cosmetic products close to the eye."  
 A bad case of 'eyes wide shut', and a cautionary tale for us all.