Everything you need to know about eyelash extensions
I’m typing this on the flight home from a glorious two weeks in the Philippines. It’s been a treat of a trip which I’ll be writing about in more detail in another blog - consider that a threat or a promise as you choose. But there are two particular things about it that made it stress free in a way no holiday has been for me in the past.
One I frankly should have worked out for myself long ago. The other - the eyelash extensions that are the subject of this blog - is something I was invited to try by a friend and which I wanted to thoroughly test before reporting back to you.
Let’s get the really-what-took-you-so-long one out of the way first.
My natural curls being given the windswept treatment at the Chocolate Hills in Bohol
I have spent, for which feel free to read wasted, so much time on holidays in the past trying to tame my natural curls. Fighting against the heat and humidity that send my follicles into a frenzy of coils. I’ve tried dozens of different products, spent/wasted hours with straighteners and dryers. All with what I now see as practically comical lack of success.
Not this holiday (or ever again). For the first time I let my hair do its natural curly thing. I didn’t pack any product or equipment other than my shampoo, conditioner and a post-sun masque treatment which I used a few times during the trip. Of course I wore a hat during the day, but the rest of the time it was liberating beyond belief to just leave it to dry completely naturally. Never mind the difference it made to the weight of my luggage. What a revelation.
Now then, to those eyelash extensions.
My eyes are probably my favourite feature - the competition isn’t exactly fierce, I’m typically self-critical of most of my others, though I do think my boobs warrant a runners up mention. But as I’ve got older my lashes have inevitably become thinner and more sparse.
I’ve been successfully combatting that courtesy of a brilliant product that I wrote about in this blog post. Then at the fabulous retreat I went to in France last summer (which you can read about here), I met eyelash technician and all-round gorgeous woman, Vera, an accredited Beauty Guild Trainer who’s been a lash stylist for 7 years. It took us a while, but eventually, just before Christmas, she introduced me to the wonders of eyelash extensions.
Vera preparing to start applying my lash extensions
The tools of her trade ready to go
Surely they’ll be too fiddly and fragile?
I’d seen and admired these eyelash enhancers on other women (the well-done ones that is, not the ridiculous cartoon ones you see on some celebrities) but always assumed they would be too fiddly and fragile for me to manage or be bothered with.
And won’t they look fake?
Also, I was worried that it would look as if I was wearing false eyelashes, and that they would surely damage my natural lashes.
Not so, insisted Vera as I lay on her portable couch (she does all her treatments in her clients homes). And during the two hours it took her to painstakingly and expertly apply 90 individual lashes to each of my eyes, she explained why.
No to both. Why in a mo, but first the process
My turn to be prepped now
Vera started by taping my lower and upper lids to keep them separate and get the best possible access to my lashes. An odd but not uncomfortable sensation. Then she applied the lashes, alternating between each eye to give the glue time to dry.
The most important part
Each extension was carefully attached to just one of my natural lashes, which Vera explained is the most important part of the treatment. If the extensions are clumsily or inexpertly attached to more than one lash, as they grow they start pulling, which is not only irritating and itchy for your eyes, but causes damage to your natural lashes.
The life cycle of your natural lashes
As she worked, Vera explained that our natural lashes have a 90 day lifecycle (by comparison - our head hair has a 3-5 year lifespan). They have three different stages of growth - anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen is the first phase - the baby lashes - which are too fragile and short to support extensions, so the extensions are only attached to lashes at stages two and three in their growth cycle.
Vera painstakingly applying the extensions to each of my individual lashes
Lashes naturally shed at the end of their cycle so that’s why the extensions shed, because the natural lash falls out. If the eyelash treatment is performed correctly, it won’t interfere with this natural cycle of growth.
Matching the extensions to your own lashes
The extensions come in a variety of thickness, length and curl, and Vera selects which she uses according to how sturdy and long the host lash is so they won’t be too heavy. On mine she attached 3-4 very fine extensions on each of my lashes to create more, natural looking, volume.
The lashes come in a variety of length, thickness and curl
Once they’re on, you can’t touch them can you?
I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking that, once applied, the extensions would need extremely delicate handling and couldn’t or shouldn’t be touched.
Wrong again.
The lashes, it turns out, are so securely attached they won’t pull out if you touch them. Indeed, you’re encouraged to use a spiral brush on them regularly to keep the strands separated.
Only two things will cause your extensions to come out before they’re shed naturally.
The two things that will cause the extensions to come out
The first is using any oily product directly on them. So your eye make-up remover needs to be oil free. And whilst you can use a cotton pad or wipe on your lids, avoid your lashes because the strands get caught and can pull the lashes out. To remove eyeliner or power applied close to your lashes, dip a make up brush in your remover and run it along your lash line. Job done.
It’s fine to use oily products on the rest of your face, but if you use an eye-cream, it’s best to do that only in the morning, not at night because it can rub off on the pillow and get into your lashes that way.
The other threat to your lashes is rubbing your eyes.
Oh oh!
I’m an inveterate and unthinking eye-rubber, so this one worried me. Vera allayed my concerns by showing me that I could still continue my habit - as vigorously as I wanted - but by rubbing underneath or on my eyelids, just as long as I avoided rubbing the lashes directly.
She also emphasised the need to keep washing my face normally, explaining the importance of doing that for my eye health. But drying off afterwards, I needed to dab rather than rub with a towel around my eyes.
How long do they last?
As she gave her work a final check and brush, Vera explained the extensions would last up to 5 weeks and that after 3-4 weeks I should ideally have infills to keep them looking their best.
Handing me a mirror I was able to examine my luscious new lashes for the first time.
I was thrilled
Before…
….and after
They looked gorgeous and generous, and yet really natural. As if I was wearing very good, but barely visible mascara. And with the addition of a swift sweep of mascara on the lower lashes they made my eyes look bigger and more awake.
Here’s before again from a different angle…
….and after
I hadn’t told anyone other than my daughters that I was having the extensions done, and I mean it as the biggest compliment to Vera’s skill when I say over the course of our family Christmas celebrations, no-one remarked on them.
Ready for Christmas with my new lashes
But what about having them on holiday?
A big tick so far then. But how would it be having them on holiday? How would they stand up to the rigours of swimming, snorkelling and sun cream?
Well, I’m happy to report that not only did they survive all that (with the aforementioned natural shreddage), but because they continued to look so good I happily wore virtually no make up the entire holiday other than in the evenings when I just used a little mascara on my lower lashes and my usual eye-brow filler (the trials and tribulations of perfecting that is another blog for another day).
It’s all much easier than I imagined
I’ve found the maintenance and care of my lashes far easier than I thought I would. And even now that they’re thinning out, they still look good. I only really have one complaint about them.
And that is that I’m now addicted.
You can see more of Vera’s work on her instagram page and contact her through her website or here She will be launching her own lashes company IMACULA sometime very soon.
What’s your favourite beauty treatment? Have you tried eyelash extensions? And if so, what do you think about them?
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