I’m surprised its taken me this long to do this post. I got lash extensions in September and I was hooked and so obsessed! Before, I had long lashes but they could never hold a curl and were always flat. I also didn’t do fake lashes because I couldn’t put them on to save my life. So my lashes were my lashes, always good but not great. When you get lash extensions most places offer classic; this is the most natural with one lash per extension, volume; this is the most dramatic with 3 lashes per extension (think 3D looking) to add more ahem volume and drama, and hybrid; which is usually a mix of single and 3D lashes or the classic and volume lashes. I went with volume and oh it gets me giddy just thinking about it! It completely changed my face! I had these flirty, gorgeous fluttery lashes that every girl dreams of. As you can expect, I became OBSESSED.
Once you get your lash extensions you learn of all the rules that go along with them.
- no mascara.
- no face oils.
- wash the lashes everyday. I used this soap, (always baby shampoo so it won’t burn your eyes) and this brush.
- sleep on your back.
- try to avoid eye makeup.
- brush out lashes daily with a spoolie.
No mascara is easy enough. I missed my face oils especially having dry skin. I was good at the beginning with washing my lashes daily then that slowly slipped into every other day and so on down the slope. I am a PSYCHO sleeper and can’t sleep on my back let alone spend the night like that. I always wake up with lashes in bed. You don’t have to 100% avoid eye makeup but it helps the lashes to stay longer. I’m not a huge eyeliner or eye shadow person and the lashes are enough eye makeup but I missed being able to. Especially with all the cool glitter and glossy eye makeup trends. Brush your lashes is easy.
PROS:
- They cut your makeup routine in half or more. You wake up looking awesome so you don’t have to wear makeup.
- For me, they just made me feel good! I loved looking in the mirror and seeing my long, fluttery lashes.
- The feeling after a fresh lash fill. SO PRETTY.
- If you do a full face everyday, lash extensions add to the full, Youtube/Instagram makeup, beat face look.
CONS:
- Lash extensions are expensive and there is a ton of upkeep. Once getting lashes you need a fill every 2-3 weeks. I would go 3 weeks but between my crazy sleeping, oily eyelids and wearing contacts I needed to go in every 2 weeks.
- Lashes take a long time to do, 2-3 hours initially and 1 hour to fill.
- It’s a huge commitment with time, money and upkeep.
- A beat face isn’t my look. I like something more natural and with full makeup lash extensions give the look of a lot of makeup.
- High maintenance! Lots of rules to follow.
Left is just mascara, right is lash extensions!
I kept my lash extensions September to December and then let them fall out over Christmas to give them a break. Lash extensions can harm your real lashes but mine actually grew longer! My lash girl even noticed when I went back in January to get them back on. For some people giving your lashes a break from daily mascara and curling, I went ham on my lashes before, will allow them to grow. You aren’t supposed to wear mascara with lash extensions but when I was in the process of letting them fall out I wore mascara and it looked like I just got a fill. I got my lashes back on in January and I’m in the process of letting them fall out again. Quite frankly the upkeep is very off-putting to me at the moment, not sure what changed but as a college student with other expensive habits I totally could use that money I’m shelling out every 2 weeks to get them filled. I also have a Pinterest board full of eye looks I’d love to try without lash extensions. ahem glitter and glossy eye! So at this point I’m letting them fall out which brings me lash extension removal!
Lash removal:
There are 2 ways to do this. You can go get them professionally take off for around $20 or you can do it with coconut oil for free which is basically what they do at a salon because oil makes lashes fall out. At home it may take a little longer.
Like I said above, I’m in the process of letting my lashes fall out. When I let them fall out I just leave them and wear mascara. I love the look of over mascara over lash extensions! At this point I have some empty spaces and less then 50% left but the mascara makes them look full and voluminous.
TIPS for lash extensions:
- If you’re going to get lash extensions find a good person to go to and look at their work! You will see them often and will spend 1-2 hours with them each time. You’re either going to talk the whole time or fall asleep so you want someone your comfortable with! You also want to stick with one salon because lash fills at new salons with different lashes always cost more. They’re usually called ‘outside fills.’
- If you want lash extensions but aren’t sure if you want to commit then try them for a big event like a wedding or prom! You can get a taste for them and then decide to commit or not. At the very least your lashes look extra amaze for your event and a few weeks after.
- Some people can be allergic to lash glue! It gets really bad and you have to take them off. Try to be cautious if you’ve had allergic reactions before or are sensitive. Maybe do a glue test. Talk to your lash person!
- Get multiple spoolies to have for brushing out lashes. They’re easy to lose!
Overall I can say I loved my lash extensions! I just don’t like the $$$, maintenance and upkeep they require. I can 100% say I know I will have lash extensions again one day lol. I just love the way they make my face look. I also like changing it up and giving my lashes a break. Like I said, I’m very into the Stila glitters that are so popular at the moment and glossy eyes. I’d love to give those a try! As a beauty blogger I missed trying out new mascaras. I just got the new Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara and I’m really enjoying it with my extensions. I’ll do a review of that on my instagram or on the blog this week. I’ll miss my lash extensions but it will be a nice break!
