Lash Extensions: My Experience + The Aftermath
Lash Extensions - to do or not to do, that is the question. I for one had been debating on lash extensions for the longest time - and after having them for almost 2 months time, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts with you. There were definitely perks to having lash extensions but there were also downsides. I thought since I've had my lashes done 3 times I wasn't a complete newbie, and maybe I could even give some of you out there a tidbit of advice. For those who are interested in getting it for special occasions or here and there, maybe you'll find this post helpful.Let's run through my experience!
So I wanted to get lash extensions for my trip to Asia - half because I wanted to have those extra voluminous and fluffy lashes in my photos, half because I wanted to just be able to wake up and roll out of bed and basically be ready to go. In addition, that would mean less makeup to carry + less skincare / makeup removers / to lug around. I knew a lot of people said that lash extensions take some time to get used to: learning to sleep on your back (very much a struggle for a side/stomach sleeper like myself), not rubbing your eyes, and being sure to brush out your lashes with a spoolie (mascara wand) to make sure they didn't get all tangled up. I decided to get my lash extensions about 2 weeks ahead of my trip to take them on a test run and get used to them. I went for a more natural look my first time around and I was slightly disappointed with the results. While they were definitely longer than my natural lashes, they didn't give that extra oomph that I wanted. The second time around and right before my trip, I decided to go a bit more voluminous and also added in a curlier lash. This time around it was definitely more noticeable and I felt pretty glam just rolling out of bed. I refilled them once more after my trip and it's taken me a while, but now I'm here writing this post.
The process itself is pretty relaxing - you just lay there for about 40 minutes to an hour (depending how long your aesthetician takes). You can either chat with them or just take a nice nap (I'm usually guilty of falling asleep). Since it's recommended not to get your lashes wet 24-36 hours after they're applied, it's best to go in with a clean and makeup free face. They'll put little pads under your eyes and tape your eyes closed so there's no movement during the application process. Overall the process is pretty pain free - do speak up to your aesthetician if anything feels uncomfortable. I did get poked maybe once or twice in the eye by what I'm guessing was a lash, but other than that I never felt any discomfort. Don't feel bad about examining the work that was done either - right before my trip I was looking at my lashes and noticed a tiny gap. My aesthetician didn't feel bad at all and happily taped my eye back up and filled in the gap.
On the plus side, I was feeling that extra confidence in going out makeup free. I know it may seem a bit sad that sometimes we need that extra something to boost our confidence, but whatever works. Right? I felt a lot more comfortable in my skin and just brushing on a bit of Glossier Boy Brow on and walking straight out of the house. Something about voluminous lashes just makes me feel so much more done up. I've gotten used to seeing my face without makeup and it's not all too bad. Plus the amount of time I saved each morning getting ready was definitely much appreciated - those extra minutes of ZZZs definitely helps.
But with all of these pros, lash extensions aren't something I'm going to continue to maintain. For one, I love rolling around in my sleep and with lash extensions I would wake up in a panic if I was on my side or on my face (lol). I didn't want my dog licking my face in the morning because lashes were too important - but I will always want all the dog kisses - every. single. one. of. em. And the main reason (that my esthetician thought was the weirdest) was being able to do my skincare routine and clean/rub my eyes. As a total skincare junkie, I love cleaning my skin and face - eyes included. Although I wasn't wearing any eye makeup, I still like the motion and feeling of being squeaky clean - everywhere. I have a jar of the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm which has just been sitting in my drawers waiting to be used and once I finish up some of the (many) cleansers I have on deck, I'm going to be able to do just that. I've made quite a dent as per my last Empties post, but there's still quite a way to go. I do give it up to lashes because I think I am a bit more comfortable going makeup free which is something that hadn't happen in a while. I've been so accustomed to an eyeliner of some sort, and a cat-eye for the better part of the last 3ish years. I'm ready to be a bit more adventurous with my eye makeup as I'm used to seeing my eyes without liner on it just now. In general I just need a good tweezer to keep my brows in nice, tip top shape - I have a pair from Rubis* that are luxe and easily grip onto hairs to pull them out with ease. They have little grooves on the tweezers to help you get a better grip and not slide around.
While I did like lashes, I don't think they're worth the price. I'm perfectly comfortable doing my own eye makeup and for the most part, my eyeliner takes me less than 2-3 minutes to apply. Some people validate the cost by saying they save that much in makeup each month - but the cost of lashes actually vastly outnumbers the amount it would cost to buy my eye makeup for a year (and that's just in one go). Overall I didn't find that the lash extensions damaged my natural lashes. I'm quite blessed to be of Asian descent with long and thick lashes. They used to have a curl in them but they straightened out over the years 😒. I kinda see lash extensions to the equivalent of gel nails - they look beautiful while on but the growing out process looks like sh*t and the aftermath is pretty meh. Just like how your nails can look a little damaged after gel nail removal your lashes can be a bit weaker and/or be pulled out of removed incorrectly. Towards the end of my lash extensions I kinda wanted to test everything to see what worked/didn't. I used my cleansing balms to remove my makeup and to my surprise most of my lashes did not fall off like I believed they would. Sure a few here and there, but the balm didn't dissolve the glue. TBH I got kinda impatient and ended up ripping a lot out (I know - don't judge me). It was like popping a spot - once you start you can't stop *shrugs.* In the process I did end up ripping out a good amount of my natural lashes, but thankfully y lashes have all grown back since and they're looking quite like their old selves. I do have to give a hand to the next little product I'm about to talk about.
About two-ish months ago I was contacted by LASHFOOD. They were kind enough to offer me their Eyelash Enhancer* which I jumped up at the chance to test. I had seen eyelash enhancers for a while and post eyelash extension, I definitely was in the market to find one. This came at quite the opportune timing! I've been using this every night (or every other night as I'm quite forgetful), and I'm actually quite impressed with the results. My lashes were already growing back before I started using this, but after about a week or two there was a moment where I was curling my lashes and I thought - WOW, my lashes look good. I've always had relatively long lashes, especially for someone of Asian descent, but I do think that the eyelash enhancer did give that extra boost. Curling my lashes these days is good enough for me and adding mascara gives that extra oomph I need - I highly recommend this if you're looking on strengthening your lashes! I did know LASHFOOD has an Eyebrow Enhancer, so I did try using a little bit of the eyelash enhancer on my brows (idk - thought I'd give it a try). And surprise surprise, it has! There was an eyebrow waxing fiasco that happened a year-ish back that butchered my brows. The waxer took wayyy too much off of my under brow and unfortunately it's never grown back it's original thickness. I started applying a little bit of the eyelash enhancer in the sparse eyebrow patches and while they haven't fully grown back in, they have gotten a bit thicker/fuller in those areas!
Overall I did like lash extensions, although I think I'll just save lash extensions for my next big vacation, simply for the ease. What are your thoughts on lash extensions? Have you ever had them? If you have any additional questions, feel free to comment / email me and I'll get back to you if I can :)
* Products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions remain my own.