Now, I’m not one to toot my own horn but I do have some pretty long lashes. So when I told all my friends that I was getting lash extensions, the responses I got were “Why? You have such long lashes, you don’t need them” and then: “Let me know how it goes because I want to get them done”.
You may recall that I attended a beauty event at Caryl Baker Visage in the Exchange Tower. I got to see a live demo of their Xtreme Lashes service. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to get a set of my own. My appointment was set with Farnoush. I was a little nervous as I sat in the chair filling out documents. I get squeamish when it comes to anything being close to my eyes, especially tweezers. Farnoush was so professional and kind. She walked me through the whole process and what steps she would be doing. Even through the process, she told me exactly what she would be doing so I wouldn’t be surprised. The one awkward part for me was when the pad were being places under my eyes, it was a weird feeling to me. Once she got into her zone, I also got into mine…a nice 75 minute nap. The whole process was done in under two hours, from me filling out forms, to explaining the steps, to wiping and cleaning my lids and lashes, to the actual application to me just opening my eyes and getting used to the weight of my new lashes.
Let me tell you that when I opened my eyes, I felt like I was just born and opening my eyes for the first time. I felt like a new woman and a beautiful one too. My lashes was magnificent, outrageously long and lush, I could not stop looking at myself in the mirror. I was absolutely in love with them.
It took some time to adjust. It was hard to wear my glasses or sunglasses since the lashes kept hitting the lens. I was so careful when I went to sleep (I was warned that the lashes on the side I sleep on will likely fall out faster). I couldn’t continue with my cleansing oil and facial oil as it may loosen the glue. I had to try not to rub my eyes.
It was hard to take care of because I wanted them to last. After the first week, I got used to the change in my daily routine and relaxed about the whole thing more.
Week 1
– I did notice that lashes were quickly falling out from my right eye – the side I sleep on
– My face broke out because I switched cleansers and moisturizers
– I received numerous compliments on the extensions
– I got used the weight of the extensions after three days
Week 2
– More lashes were falling out and I could see that my own lashes were coming out with them
– I went back to my regular skincare routine but was careful to not use any oils around my eyes
Week 3
– This would be around the time for a refill but I opted out of it since this was just a trial
– Many lashes had fallen out and I was getting self-conscious that it looked uneven
Week 4
– Most of the lashes had fallen out with only a few in random places. It looked very odd and was bugging me so I started to wear mascara
– It really started to bug me so I rubbed where the glue is and let the lashes come off
In conclusion, I absolutely 100% loved the lash extensions. Would I get them again? No. The reasoning is I can’t afford to spend the money to maintain them and I don’t like the look of when you allow them to fall out on their own (Removal is $40).
Because I pulled on them and some fell out on their own, my natural lashes have to grow out again and right now, they are not as they used to be. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they end up growing into the long lashes I had before. To sum up my experience, here are my pros and cons:
PROS:
– added fullness and volume
– no need to curl or wear mascara
– lights up face, no need to wear any eye makeup
CONS:
– dealing with lashes falling out
– getting them refilled every 2-3 weeks
– natural lashes not looking the same after
Even though I wouldn’t get them again, if you’re looking to get lash extensions for a special occasion I would highly recommend going to see Farnoush at Caryl Baker Viasge because she is a lovely, talented professional who makes the whole experience a dream.
For more information about their service and their Xtreme Lashes, check out their website here.