Eyelash Extension Do's and Don'ts

     My name is Elizabeth and I am a mascara-holic. It began in the 90's when I first started wearing Voluminous by l'oreal. I was hooked on the stuff. And not just one coat, either. Coat after coat after coat, until I had thick spider's legs hanging off my eyelids. It has been 17 years since then and frankly, while the brands have changed, the amount of mascara I put on has not. Bad, bad, bad! One cannot be a polished woman with thick gobs of goo clustered on her lashes. I had to make a change. But I liked the lush full lash look. I entertained the thought of falsies, but every time I tried, I nearly look out my eye. They would come out crooked, or too disco. I needed a professional. I needed a lash extension expert. 

     Because we are talking about my eyes...the very things that I see out of, I wanted to do research. And plenty of it. I used Yelp and word of mouth. Anyone who had them, I pumped for information. Are they comfortable? How is your field of vision? Who is good in the business? Who is bad?

This is what I found out:

1) DO NOT get them done at a Nail Salon. They don't have the training and they might just seriously mess things up. 

                      - Lady who had her eyelids glued shut at a nail salon and they used a strong solvent to                     

                        pry them apart. 

2) DO NOT go to a place that will do them for $45.00. That is much too cheap and you will get a bad job done.

                    - Lady who looked like a Drag Queen after her treatment

3) DO NOT have them done in a dirty studio. 

                 -Count Von Obvious

4) DO use Yelp as a resource. What is Yelp, you ask? "The Best way to find local businesses" they state. It helps one whittle out the crap when looking for a new dentist, restaurant to try or a lash place as it may be. 

5) DO ask your friends and colleagues and facebook chums about their experiences. 

6) DO follow your gut. If the technician looks sketchy, then turn tail and run!

7) DO ask the technician questions galore. How long have they been doing this for? What kind of lashes and glue do they use? Do they have Cats? If so, how many? What are their names?

8) DO talk to the technician about any sensitivities you may have. Perhaps the glue or the synthetic lashes will be too much for your eyes. A good technician will recognize the signs, or at least remedy the situation in the days that follow, quickly. 

     I went to The Studio By Mika Does Makeup. It is easily my favorite place in the city for any sort of aesthetics. They know hair, waxing, makeup, nails, facials, and lash extensions. I did my research and learned that Joanna is the best in the West. We chatted about what sort of look I was going for and what   my lashes could realistically handle. We decided on dramatic, which I love. I am a big girl, so I like big lashes, bags, jewellery, et al. to balance me out. 

     Joanna taped down my bottom lids to make sure that no glueing of my lids together would happen and she went to work. We chatted about all sorts of things and before I knew it, an hour and a half had flown by and I was done and ready for a peek! Wow! I looked so good! I knew that my spider's legs days were over. Joanna also let me know that anything oil based would loosen the lash glue and to avoid it. She also cautioned against water contact for 24-48 hours. That meant baths and water based eyeliner. It has been 5 days and I have only lost 1 lash. However, I only sleep on my back, now. They are supposed to last for 4 weeks, with fills recommended every 2-3 weeks. It cost $70.00 not including tip or tax. The fills are $40.00. Quite reasonable. 

    I find the lashes to be pretty comfortable. I am used to wearing a lot of product around my eyes, so this is par for the course. Thankfully, I have not had a reaction to the glue or the lashes. They are not for everyone, but they are for me! I can now just put on a little liner, fill in my browns, put on some gloss and blush and I am DONE! Wooot!

Here are the before and after pics!

Give them a shot! But only if you do not have sensitive eyes.

Have a great day!