Eyelash Extensions - Are They Worth it?

We all want thick luscious lashes and many of us spend a lot of time and money curling, combing and swiping copious coats of mascara to achieve that fluttery look.

Some of us may be genetically blessed enough that not much work is needed to achieve eyes framed by fluttery lashes. For the less fortunate like yours truly, we relegate to using false lashes for those special occasion but they can be so fiddly to apply at the best of times and looks, well, just too fake.

In recent years, the use of false lashes has created an industry of false lash extensions using either individual acrylic or silk lashes. This is where individual lashes are semi-permanently glued to the base of your natural lashes, blending in so that your lashes are instantly thickened and depending on the length you use, lengthen slightly or dramatically.

Eye lash extensions can lasts for up to 3 weeks depending on the care you take with your lashes (ie. no rubbing of eyes, and not using oil-phase makeup removers to clean your eye makeup, not taking hot showers or gong to saunas)
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I recently gave lash extension a try at a local lash bar in North Melbourne, hoping to get a natural but fuller, longer lashes that would shorten my morning makeup routine. The process to fill my lashes with acrylic lashes took about 30 minutes as it was my first time but I’m told when getting refills where you are reapply on areas where the false lashes has fallen off, the time is shorter.

I opted for the classic or natural look which I thought would be more suitable for daily wear, especially in the corporate environment.

Your eyes are closed (they are actually taped) the whole time your lashes are applied and there is no discomfort at all, you feel a bare wispy touch on your eye lid when the technician is apply them onto the base you’re your lash.

When done, I can see a subtle but noticeable difference to my lashes but it was not dramatic enough that you could pin point that I had extension to my lashes, which was exactly what I wanted. My lashes were now longer, more defined and fuller but very natural looking and there was no tell-tale sign of the thick lash band that one gets with strip lashes.  I looked like I was naturally blessed with fluttery eyes.

Lash extension 2 weeks later - longer and fuller than my original lashes

For me the Pros of lash extensions were clear

• No need for mascara for full lashes, which is a blessing for someone like me with Asian heritage and short stumpy lashes. Just curl the lashes with an eyelash curler and away you go
• No more panda-eye due to smudge mascara as you don’t need to use one. Oily eye girls will understand this and rejoice at this benefit.
• Much better and realistic looking than strip false lashes (I find that they can look very tacky and reserve them for use during big night outs only)
• Last a few weeks (up to 3 weeks) before refills are required. 

Classic eyelash extension - fuller and longer lashes compared to my natural lashes

The negatives of lash extensions were becoming apparent after the first day as well.  The lashes need to be dry for the first day for the glue to set, so don’t go into the salon with heavy eye makeup and definitely gon’t go splashing water all over your face when washing, which felt very weird for me.

Further, my eyes, initially not used to the extra weight of the lashes, felt heavy and it felt like I had to lift my eye lids consciously just to keep my eyes open and even though it’s most likely my imagination, it took a day to get used to.

I stopped using my favourite go to eye products (namely eye-liner) as that requires the use of oil-base makeup remover to take off the product and that would risk dissolving the eyelash extension glue pre-maturely.  My eye shadow makeup also took longer to remove used water based makeup, meaning that the time I saved in the mornings are now going toward the time taken at night to take makeup off. In fact, after a week, I ditched all forms of eye makeup all-together when just going to work as it was more trouble than it’s worth during removal (the very reason I has lashes done in the first place was to save time!).

I also experience some digging of the lashes into my eyes when I blinked which caused some irritation but that was resolved by curling my lashes again so the angle is greater and less likely to irritate my eye. (I’m thinking then that I should have gone for silk lashes which would be softer  but also more delicate and fragile).

As the days went, I started to notice some small issues. Within 3 days, my first lash extension fell off. Actually, it snapped off along with my natural lashed as it was permanently glued to it. Within the first week I think I counted about 4 more lashes falling out. All this happened despite the extra care taken to avoid weakening the lash glue. My own lashes always snapped off with each breakage as well, meaning that when the extensions fall out, my eyes had fewer lashes than I started off with.

To sum up, the cons were:

• Temporary heavy feeling of eye lids. This would be especially the case when getting longer and more dramatic extension so bear that in mind if you are just going for an everyday look. 
• Extra care required for makeup removal and inability to use oil-based makeup remover. Extra care is also required when facial cleansing around the eye area. 
• Cotton pad fibres getting caught in the lashes during eye makeup removal. Extra care is require otherwise you’ll need to spend extra time tweezing out these fibres.
• Occasional digging of lashes causing irritation to the eyes, resolved by re-curling lashes. 
•  Weakening of own natural lash due to weight. I suspect long term extension would unduly stress out natural lashes so it would be a good idea to give extensions a rest for a few months to let the nature lashes recover and strengthen itself again. 
• Expensive. A full set  of extension can set you back about A$99 (I paid half that as I had a voucher) and refill are less but given that you need to top up every month, it can become very expensive habit very quickly. 

For me, the biggest negative is the inability to use smudge proof liquid liners (a must for me as I have very oily eye lids). Unless I got more dramatic lashes, I feel that eyeliners can dramatise and play up the eyes more effectively than my “classic” full lashes could.

Not all is lost though. I enjoyed my experience of eye lashes and enjoyed the smudge free eyes for the past 3 weeks but I won’t be going back any time soon as I see lash extensions as more of a special occasion treat, given the cost and the cons above.

I’d highly recommend them for important photographic event such as weddings, engagement etc (much better than applying false strip lashes and you don’t want your wedding photos marred by those garish spines of those lashes). For everyday use, I’d stick with my trusty eyeliner and mascara to widen and dramatise my eyes.

Have you tried lash extensions? what are your experience with them?

Review: 3 Trees False lashes

My reviews on lashes were temporarily pushed back by other pressing matters (hello MBBE), but as the dust of the event begins to settle, I'm finally catching up and finishing off this series of reviews.

So to wrap things up, I want to showcase the lashes I've tried over the past week. These lashes were purchased from eBay sight unseen.

Each style comes in a set of 10 lashes, plenty for you to play around with until you master the application and ensures you can achieve lashing looks many times over.

This is set B

The lash bands are made from black threads and wax so they are softer and more flexible to attach to eyelids, allowing them to be more natural looking without copious amounts of eyeliner to hide the band. This is a big plus as many other false lash band are usually made of plastic and are harder to achieve a natural looking lash line due to their thickness.

Surprising, they are very good quality and are all handmade pieces. The only negative about them is that they come in paper cardboard box and can easily crush in transit/storage. Also some lash band thread ends ( the part that threads through the holes to hold the lashes in place, not the actual lashes itself) seem to be stuck at the edge to the cardboard at the back so there is a bit of effort to pry them out for use.

I found these lashes to be the right length for my eyes and didn't need any trimming (other than the ends of the lash band thread that extends beyond the false lashes. If you have large doe-like eyes, these lashes may not be long enough for you (but then again, you probably don't need them to begin with you lucky things).

They come in 6 styles, from flirty criss-cross, to lengthy defined styled, to vampy full fluttery lashes and dramatic serrated ones.  There's something for every occasion - naturally enhanced to the full-on dramatic.

All of these lashes are symmetrical in shape at both ends. If you are after lashes where the outer end is more flared out, then these aren't for you.

(T- B): Set E with mascara, Set F no mascara

The shorter varieties (eg. set D) would make good lower lashes if you cut them up individually and apply and apply them to your lower lash line.

Final Thoughts
Quality at an phenomenal price point, I love these lashes. My favourite are the A, C, E sets (you can tell I like them dramatic). If you haven't already, do read my tips on how to master the application of false lashes.

Rating: 9/10. Some lash ends were stuck onto the packaging glue of the cardboard backing and was fiddly to take out, but overall still a great quality product. A pack of 6 sets (so 60 pairs of lashes) with the Colour Soft lash glue thrown in is a mere US$8.78 shipped. I bought them here.

How To: False Eyelash Applications

I have a confession to make. I was a falsie virgin until recently.

Yes, it's shameful - in the three decades of my existence, I've never really bothered to look into false lashes. Sure painting on colours with eye shadows and liners is OK with me but attaching things to my eyes? No Way!

I think it was the fear of sticking something so close to my eyes and the risk that clumsy me might poke my eye out that held me back. For that reason, I'm also a circle lens virgin. I can't imagine sticking my finger into my eye no matter how safe or harmless it really is (thank goodness I don't need glasses/contacts or else I'd be in trouble).

I am very happy to report though, I've since overcome my fear and have been trying to master the art of false eyelash application as I've come realise how much it can transform your eye and looks - more so than any eye or face makeup colour alone can. It really opens up and enlarges my relatively small eyes, allowing me to achieve looks I didn't think was possible before.

Being a newbie with lash application, I've had lots of trouble and found a few things that helped and thought I'd share this with those who also find it tough to apply these little suckers.

Tips for easy and successful eyelash applications

• Before application, make sure you measure the lash against your eye to check for fit and cut it to size.
• Flex and bend the lash band of your falsies around your index finger for a good 30 second to make it flexible so you'll have an easier application where the lashes will follow the natural curves of your eyes
• The type of eyelash glue you use will make or break your application (not to mention test your patience). The little tube of  glue usually included with most false lashes are rubbish and will just frustrate you during use so toss it out and buy a proper lash glue. Don't think about skipping this step to save a few dollars because it is not worth the grief (trust me, I learnt this the hard way).  Most people use Duo lash glue but I find that Asian lash glues with its thin brushes gives the easiest application. 
• Apply a thin layer of the lash glue directly onto the lash band and wait 20secs for it to slightly dry and become tacky. Then it's ready to be applied to eyes.
• Some people use tweezers to apply the lash to the eye, but I find fingers and the slanted end of a wooden orange tip more helpful with pressing down the lash band againt edges of the eye and helping it stay put. Brush on a little bit more glue if the edges are sticking up and then press it down for 10 seconds.  
• Use liquid eye liner AFTER appication to hide the edges/ends of the false lashes by extending the line slightly beyond the ends of the eye. If you are using liner before lash application, it will just smudge off with you adjusting your lashes around during the application. 
• You can tight line your waterline before application.  After putting the falsies on, line your eyes over the area where the false lash band meets your lash line to hide/blur the line to give the illusion these are your real lashes :D
• Use an eyelash curler to curl your real and false lashes so they blend in together. A coat of mascara helps achieve this even more. 
• Highlight the inner corner of the eye with a white/light highlight colour to brighten your peepers. 
• Your eyes may feel slightly weird initially as there is now a foreign object fluttering against it but if you applied the lashes right, it should not hurt or feel uncomfortable. 
• Removal is easy with a waterproof eye makeup remover as it will dissolve the glue from the lash band and any mascara you have applied.
• Store used lashes in a small plastic container if you plan on re-using them. If you clean the false lashes well (with waterproof makeup remover) and don't rip it during removal, you can get a couple uses out of it before it starts to look mangled and needs to be tossed out.  

Dramatic lashes - va va voom!

As you can see from the photos above, my eyes are totally transformed using a set of falsies. If you are like me and are scared of false lashes, don't be - they are fun and with a bit of practice, you too can master it and create exciting new looks that just can't be achieved with colour alone.

I'll be doing separate review posts on the lashes and lash glue so be sure to look out for those.