7 Things You Should Know About Lash Extensions
I was an extensions newbie. Here’s what I learned.
It’s pretty surprising to find someone who has never tried lash extensions in my line of work. I remember when they started getting big in the early 2000s. I worked at Redbook; my then boss got them for her wedding and they looked amazing. I declined offers to try them for a couple of reasons. 1) I liked the volume my lashes got from mascara, and I was afraid long, wispy lashes wouldn’t be enough for me. 2) I didn’t think I could sit still for the almost two hours it would take to get them applied. Fast forward to 2021. Depending on the lash style you choose, you can get volume in addition to length. And as a mom of three young kids, you don’t have to ask me twice to lie back with my eyes closed for two hours. So when Envious Lashes in Commack invited me to come by for a set, I was all in. I loved the look, but I found out there is a little bit of a learning curve that comes with maintaining that fabulous fringe. Here’s what I gleaned from my faux lash experience.
1. Your appointment should start with a conversation
Here are my bombshell lashes. Also, this concealer is not my color.
I told my lash tech, Jennie, that I wanted my lashes to look somewhere in between a really great mascara and a believable faux lash, but not like my lids had awnings. I also told Jennie that my eyes droop down a little, so I wouldn’t mind a visual lift. She understood the assignment and picked a lighter version of their Bombshell lashes, a voluminous set that has a subtle cat-eye shape, visually pulling my eyes upward at the outer corners. She assured me that they only choose lashes your natural hairs can support, and they mimic the natural lash growth—shorter in the inner corners and gradually longer toward the outer corners. Phew. No awnings for me.
2. It really does take that long
Here we go!
A full set of lashes takes about one-and-half to two hours to apply. I’d say mine took the whole two hours. Why? One eye can have as many as 150 lashes—applied one by one. As I said above, I didn’t mind the downtime. The process was painless. There were times we chatted about beauty (the very fabulous owner, Clementina, was in the room, too), and there were times I just relaxed—something I don’t get to do very often.
3. You may need to change your sleep position
Lash-saver: Don’t sleep like this.
I’m a side sleeper, but I tried my hardest to stay on my back to avoid my lashes rubbing against my pillow. You can also switch to a satin pillowcase to reduce the friction if your lashes do make contact. I joked about sleeping in goggles because on my first morning, I instinctively started to rub my eye. I ran to the mirror and wanted to cry when I saw a couple of stray lashes on my cheeks. Then I remembered Jennie said not to get my lashes wet for the first 48-hours. There’s no crying in lash extensions!
4. Make the switch to oil-free everything
Oils will break down the glue faster, so switch to a water-based eye makeup remover (Envious Lashes has their own Gentle Oil Free Makeup Remover). If you use an oil-based facial cleanser or eye cream, you’ll want to put those on the shelf for a bit, too, and use oil-free versions. I used facial towelettes to cleanse for the first few days to avoid water and unnecessary tugging on my lashes.
5. Extensions may cause you to level up your makeup game
I know; one of the fringe benefits of lash extensions is that you don’t have to wear a lot of makeup, and I enjoyed rolling out of bed looking semi-done. But having these bombshell lashes triggered my smoky-eye-loving alter ego. I did extra glam makeup on more than a few occasions during my two-week stint with lash extensions.
6. Conditioner saves natural lashes
The team at Envious Lashes sent me home with their Luxuriating Lash Conditioning Serum, too. I thought it was for after my faux lashes came off. (Pro tip: Read the instructions, Krista.) But it turns out you can use it while you have your eyelash extensions (after 48-hours). And you should use it to protect and nourish your natural lashes. I lost some lashes as my extensions fell out, which is normal, but my natural lashes looked pretty skimpy afterward. I’m using lash serum to speed up my regrowth, but next time I will apply it to my extensions, too.
Warning: May cause smoky eyes.
7. Fill in the gaps
If you choose to keep your lash extensions going, you’ll want to get a fill-in from your pro every two to three weeks to replace what has fallen out. I loved my lashes but decided to back to my natural fringe for now. So around the two-week mark, which coincided with the Thanksgiving holiday, I had some sparse spots. I used KISS Falscara Lengthening Wisps to bridge the obvious gaps. These are lash clusters that I found very easy to place into my lash line.
Where’s the lie?
So will I get them again? For a special occasion, a vacation, or just to feel incredibly glam, you bet!
