For a lot of ladies out there, fake eyelashes are the stuff of beauty nightmares. First, you awkwardly smear a glue of questionable composition onto cartoonishly long falsies (do you cut them? do you leave them? oh no, you cut them and now they’re uneven!). Next, you attempt to delicately use those plastic tweezers to place them on your lashline before the glue crusts over...
*panic*
Finally, you end up frantically pushing them down with your fingers instead. Hopefully, by the end of the night both lashes have stayed relatively in place, but there’s a possibility
that one fell off into your cocktail...
*cringe*
The good news? You never have to do that again.
Luckily for those among us who want a more glamorous or just more enhanced lash look, but have thrown in the towel on drug store offerings, there are definitely better options. For a quick glam upgrade there are no-nonsense magnetic lashes, but for a long-lasting way to make your everyday look so much more luxurious than nature intended, you should look into lash extensions.
What are Lash Extensions?
Lash extensions are semi-permanent lashes applied one at a time to your existing eyelashes using a gentle and sanitary adhesive and then expertly formed into the most flattering shape to complement your face type, eyelash health, and personal vision.
The materials used can be silk, faux mink, or synthetic, each with their own unique benefits like lightness, softness, or overall dramatic appeal to consider. But you shouldn’t have to worry about figuring it all out on your own; any reputable lash stylist will always consult with you before your first lash application to go over all options and temper any unrealistic expectations.
Not every eye or face shape can handle Kardashian-level lashes and not everyone’s existing lashline is healthy enough to support extreme weight and length. Any stylist worth their salt may shatter your reality-star dreams by telling you “no”, but it’s only in the best interest of maintaining your healthiest possible lashline. Extensions should never damage your lashline. The only reasons why this happens is poor sanitation, abrasive glue, or the stylist ignoring their expert judgment, which means that finding someone you can trust is essential.
Your stylist will also consult with you to determine what length, thickness, and even curl type will make your eyes seriously pop.
The lashes themselves will go with the aid of delicate tweezers one at a time. It’s meticulous, it’s precise, it….. takes a little bit of time. But in the end you are left with weeks and weeks of seriously stunning “I just woke up this amazingly gorgeous” lashes.
What’s the Best Way to Care for Them?
As your natural lashes fall out so do the extensions attached to them. To keep up with the normal shedding cycle you’ll want to get fill-ins every 2-3 weeks to best maintain your desired shape and thickness. You can wait a bit longer in between, but it will mean more time (and $$) spent at the salon to get back to normal. And if you wait too long you’ll have to start from scratch with a new full set.
For day-to-day care, avoid water or steam on your face for the first 48 hours and do your best to be gentle with them after. Try not to aggressively rub your eyes and go lighter or just completely eliminate eye makeup like mascara and the use of an eyelash curler. It may seem jarring to go without, but any well-done extensions will eliminate the need for extra makeup on a regular basis.
If you do use makeup, take a little more caution when removing it. Don’t violently rub back forth or yank on lashes, and steer clear of oil-based cleansers.
And to go the extra mile in extension care, use a clean spoolie brush daily to comb your lashes and make sure they stay tangle-free. Look into vitamins, supplements, and lash conditioning serums for an even stronger and healthier look. And just like with caring for curly hair, a silk pillowcase can be a huge help to keep matting and damage to the curl at bay.
Whether you want more vivacious wedding and honeymoon lashes or just crave a fresh and elegant upgrade to your daily look, extensions can do amazing things for the wearer. False lashes don’t have to be a nightmare, you just need to treat them right and find a lash specialist you can count on.