April 23, 2018

LASH EXTENSIONS: THE VERDICT

So you’re thinking about eyelash extensions…

I bit the bullet and got mine done by Lashes by Lanae and let me tell ya, they did NOT disappoint!

Whenever a new trend comes out that affects my face, skin, or body, I always have major questions before hopping on board and eyelash extensions were no different! I imagine many girls have the same questions and concerns as I did about 1. are they going to damage my current eyelashes? 2. will they look super fake? and 3. are they going to fall out immediately and leave my eyes looking bald? After doing a little bit of research and a thorough conversation with my lash technician Lanae, I realized that getting my eyelashes done the right way, I wouldn’t have to worry about any of those previously held notions and concerns.

The biggest thing you should consider when getting eyelash extensions is who you’re putting your trust in to do them.. I admit, I was very nervous about it because I’ve heard horror stories of girls getting eyelash extensions only to have their actual eyelashes fall off after just a couple days leaving them with nothing left… W T F can you EVEN imagine???? The truth is, this is the case far too often because there’s many self-proclaimed “technicians” who claim they know what they’re doing meanwhile they have no more legitimacy than a YouTube tutorial as experience and a few poor guinea pigs (I mean ladies) who unknowingly volunteered their lashes for testing purposes… That being said, the key to getting a good lash job iss doing your research and finding a professional technician! I found Lashes by Lanae, the most lovely lady ever and a qualified lash professional! Lanae is a certified lash technician, meaning she’s obtained legitimate eyelash extension education and really knows her stuff!

What alerted me immediately that Lashes by Lanae would be a great choice and someone I could put my trust into was that Lanae was able to answer all my questions and hesitations with an honest response! She let me know the process of lash growth, and how your natural lashes naturally fall out as part of their normal growth cycle, but that the process of your natural lash growth should never be affected by lash extensions, meaning that your lash extensions shouldn’t cause your natural lashes to break or fall out more than normal, or else your technician isn’t taking the necessary precautions and only applying extensions that your real lashes can handle based on their current length and thickness. Anything too heavy for your lashes to handle, or the use of too much glue or adhesive will cause breakage.

So what’s the process like?

Basically, I spent two hours lying down with my eyes closed, chatting with Lanae about anything and everything. And it was SO relaxing as my eyes had to be closed the entire time in order for Lanae to apply the lashes… it was basically hot yoga without all the heat and the sweat… if that doesn’t sell ya I don’t know what else to tell ya.

The application

First, pads are placed underneath your eyes and you close your eyelids for the duration of the application process. Lanae applied individual, semi-permanent synthetic lash extensions on my natural lash line, one by one, with the number and thickness of the lash extensions that are applied depending on the current state of your natural lashes & what they can handle, as well as the look you’re going for: whether that’s more natural or super glam. The extensions are glued to your lash line, with some form of permanent, non-skin irritating glue. For the next 24-48 hours (I chose to go with Lanae’s recommended 48 to be on the safe side), you can’t get your lashes wet or use any form of oil-based product near them, and avoiding steam showers and oil-based makeup is essential to allow the lash glue to fully dry and adhere to your skin to ensure they won’t fall off.

How long do they last?

Typically, lash extensions will last 3-5 weeks, but the actual duration depends on a few things: the natural oiliness of your skin, the products you use, and the way you take care of them. I have naturally oily skin, but I didn’t find that to impact the duration they lasted! In fact, I found that even as the extensions did begin to fall off, they STILL looked really nice, just less full! I take care of my skin well and I tend to be rough in washing my face, sometimes going a little hard around my area causing a single lash or two to fall out when washing makeup off around the eyelash region. However with or without lash extensions, we shed 1-5 eyelashes per day as per the natural lash cycle to allow for new lashes to grow in. This is why fills may be required every 2-3 weeks to keep your lashes full if they are something you want to keep up with consistently.

The verdict

Going mascara free was a game changer! I always felt wide awake and put together, regardless of whether I had makeup on or not. While there’s a significant cost to maintaining lash extensions, you’ll absolutely save time and money: it’s one less time consuming step to worry about as part of your morning routine, and there’s no need to buy mascara as your lashes will be full and long enough as is!

Key takeaways

Make sure your Lash Technician is CERTIFIED and EXPERIENCED like Lanae! DON’T risk your lashes by getting them done by an amateur just to save a couple bucks!
Don’t go for too many/too full lashes! They will be too heavy for your natural lashes to handle and will end up damaging them, plus they’ll look way less natural when they begin to fall out.