Eyelash Extensions
My journey with eyelash extensions started just about 2 and a half years ago when I had considered getting them for my upcoming wedding. I knew so many people at the time who had them and envied their long voluminous lashes on the daily. I’d never had long lashes (I blame my Asian roots- HA!), so figured what better time to try? I did a lot of research, found a local place that I felt I could trust, and got my initial set. For a year after that, I never took them off and certainly never looked back. I’ll be honest, after a year, I decided to take a break for financial reasons. It was one less thing I had to spend money on monthly. I had heard horror stories about getting them taken off and also vividly remembered how short my lashes were, to begin with. I also knew it would be a task to regrow my lashes again, but in hindsight, really didn’t know what to expect. My impatience got the best of me and I started using baby oil on my lashes to make them fall off. I also would pick at them (A HUGE NO NO) for lack of my better judgment. I had failed my lashes miserably and was now at a point worse than I was a year ago before I got my first set. I used lash serums for the following year/ year and a half to help my lashes grow. While it did get them back to their original length, I, unfortunately, saw no growth past that. I was right back at square one. I constantly wrestled with the decision. Did I want lashes again? Do I feel like its worth the monthly financial commitment to maintain them? This time I knew what to expect. I knew what I was getting myself into and I would do it RIGHT this time. Now, here I am back with extensions and have never been happier. You could say I’m PRO lash extensions, but also am willing to agree to 3 very important commitments: the financial commitment, the lifestyle commitment, and the maintenance commitment. I also touch on my experience with two different lash serums at the end of this post. I hope this helps you on your potential lash extension journey! Feel free to message me with any questions!
the financial commitment.
What a lot of people don’t tell you, is lashes are expensive. I’m not sugar coating anything today, and I won’t hesitate to tell you the truth. Lash extensions are a financial commitment you have to be ready for. Your original set can range anywhere from $75 (if you can find a deal) to upwards of $300. This completely depends on where you get them done, but regardless, it can get pricey. Your fills range anywhere from $40-$200 depending on where- but we will get to this later. Jaw dropping, I know. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, that’s all? To that, I say, “Awesome! This may not be as big of a commitment to you”. But to the others that are saying “You want me to pay HOW MUCH?!”, I can relate and am here to tell you that this doesn’t mean it’s not an option for you. Checking off the next two commitment boxes will be key in determining whether or not the financial commitment, while it may be a stretch, is worth it. The good news: some places have contracts that you sign basically giving you a members price, but you have to commit so many months/years. This doesn’t need to scare you unless you don’t know if you’ll like your lashes or have maybe never had them before. I was stuck in a contract the first time I ever got my lashes but thankfully loved them. You just don’t want to get stuck paying for a service you’re not even sure you’ll like. You may be getting a better price, but just be careful when it comes to signing your lashes away. There are plenty other places that don’t make you sign contracts and are either the same price or just a little pricier. Weigh the PROS and CONS before you decide!
the lifestyle commitment.
Do lash extensions fit into your daily routine? “Well that’s silly Emily, everyone has lashes!” I know I know, but what you need to consider is WHY you’re getting them. If you wear a lot of makeup, love lots of eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara, I’ll be honest and say these may not be for you. While you can absolutely wear makeup, eyeliner, and mascara with lash extensions, I’ve experienced that the application and removal on a daily basis can be harder on your lashes, causing them to fall out quicker which means more frequent trips for fills and more money spent. See where I’m going with this? Just keep this in mind! I personally don’t wear eyeshadow, liner or mascara at all when I have my lashes. This is just a personal preference, but also saves me loads of time that I had previously spent on my daily routine. Lashes are ideal for those no makeup days where you want to feel somewhat pulled together the moment you hop out of bed. The extensions totally do that! Having extensions already gives you a sense of feeling like you have makeup on. I’ve told this to my husband who basically looked at me like I was craaazzzyyy, but even if it’s just all in my head, it’s an allusion worth paying for in my book. No matter your lifestyle/routine, you can make the lashes work, I’ve just noticed that these circumstances have given me a better sense of deciphering whether extensions are right for me.
the maintenance commitment.
Alright. What do you really have to expect on a daily basis? I’m happy to report, not much. Once you have your initial set, fills come as often as you want them. If your rough on your lashes, or notice they fall out faster, you’ll have to go in for a fill more often. I can usually go every 3 weeks to get mine done, and that’s pushing it. It’s honestly more ideal for me to go every 2 weeks if I really wanted them to consistently look full. Again, this varies person to person. If you find that you are needing to go more often than every 2 weeks, somethings not right. Do you tend to pick at your lashes, sweat really hard often, or as I mentioned before, wear a lot of makeup daily? These are all factors that could determine your lash fill schedule. Just like the rest of our bodies, we hold onto dirt and bacteria in our lashes, which is why it is s important to keep them clean. When it comes to cleaning your lashes, a lot of this comes naturally, just avoid being too rough. I usually wash my face and then let the water run over my face and the soap run over my lashes. If I’m in the shower, I shampoo my hair and wash my face at the same time, then let the soap and water run over my lashes as I rinse. When I get out of the shower, I blot them with facial tissue (avoid Kleenex that has any lotion) and then comb through them on the top and bottom. When you wash your face, you will have to consciously think about rubbing around your eyes, rather than over them, but this becomes natural with time. I promise, your willingness to give your lashes the TLC they deserve will set you up for success!
Post lashes.
When you’re over it, tired of the financial commitment, or just need a break, you’ll want to take your lashes off and may even think you can do it yourself. Whatever you do, DO. NOT. DO. THIS. You’re looking at the biggest dummy in the world right here who can speak from experience. Don’t listen to the “at home lash removal” articles or anything anyone else tells you. For me, it was the worst decision ever and honestly, I freaked. What little lashes I had before, weren’t there anymore and I had no idea what to do. *Cue the lash serum experience* I legitimately googled “how to make your lashes grow” and saw Neulash pop up. I’ve never purchased something so quickly. Below I’ll share with you the two different serums I have used and my honest review on both!
Neulash.
I found this one on Nordstrom’s website and the reviews were incredible. People raved about this product and how it had changed their life. I felt pretty good about making the roughly $100 purchase in attempt to get back any sort of eyelashes I could. Per instructions, I applied Neulash to my lash line every night before bed. Surprisingly, I could see a difference after about 1-2 months and felt like my lashes had basically grown back to where they were before the extensions by 4 months. Unfortunately, I used it for a whole year and never really saw additional growth after that. To this day I would say it was worth it but was disappointed that it didn’t give me more length. Thankfully, I never had any adverse reaction to the product, so overall I don’t have any other complaints and would still recommend it to others as I know many who have seen results. At this point, I was already wrestling with getting extensions again (I missed them so much!). This is when I learned about Rodan and Field’s Lash Boost. Again, had heard raving reviews and thought it was worth giving a try before I committed my life to extensions all over again.
Lash Boost.
After hearing friends with personal stories talk about how Lash Boost changed their lashes for the better (with pictures to prove it), I felt like this was it. Finally, my ticket to long voluminous lashes! (I guess you can already tell that this didn’t end the way I wanted to.) After using it for a couple of weeks, I started having severe irritation and redness along my lash line and my lid. I did everything my R&D consultant told me to do and even pulled back on how often I used it. Unfortunately, it never went away and I had to stop. At this point, I was back at square one. I’m honestly giggling to myself as I type this because I’m well aware of how dramatic this post may come off. You’re maybe thinking, “They’re just lashes, Emily. It’s going to be fine.” I know this because that’s what my husband told me at least 50 times through this whole process-HA! And the even funnier thing is, I’m currently sitting here with a fresh lash fill, drinking my favorite Starbucks latte, with no regrets on my decision to start my lash extension journey yet again. So CHEERS, to choosing what’s important to you and nobody else! 😉
XO,
Emily
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