Eyelash Extensions: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Eyelash Extensions: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
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I’m all about using mascaras on a daily basis.

But, let’s be honest.

It can get a little tiring to have to go through the whole process of waiting for your lashes to dry in between 3 coats of mascara and then washing the product off with multiple pumps of cleansing oil at the end of the night.

Sometimes, a girl just wants to simplify her beauty routine to be a little more efficient and hassle-free.

And who doesn’t want to save time in the mornings, right?

To really get lashes that are totally va-va-voom, nothing beats a pair of falsies or eyelash extensions!

I love wearing falsies because they can really make a look pop.

However, the weight of the lashes sometimes bother me and I also constantly worry that my lashes are lifting at the ends.  Having half of your fake lashes flapping from your eye is just really not cute!

To reach a happy medium, I decided to venture into the realm of eyelash extensions.  They’re super popular these days and everyone and their grandma are getting them done left and right.

I also heard from a few friends that they loved their results so I naturally wanted to give them a try myself too!

To get lashes that are totally va-va-voom, nothing beats eyelash extensions! Although they are beautiful and glamorous, they are also very high maintenance. Read this post to find out if getting eyelash extensions is right for you.

My Experience With Eyelash Extensions

After getting eyelash extensions done twice so far, I can honestly say that I have a love-hate relationship with them.

On one hand, I absolutely love the beautiful results that eyelash extensions give me and a part of me wants to get them done over and over again.

But on the other hand, the maintenance, upkeep, and cost are all just too much for me to handle 365 days of the year.  I’ll explain more in detail about why below.

Lash Customization

There are a variety of choices to choose from when you get your lashes done including the length of the lash, thickness, total number of lashes, type of hair, and type of curl.

What you choose will depend mostly on the size of your eye and the specific look that you are looking for (ex. more sweet looking, more dramatic, more flared at the ends, etc).

I didn’t know what I was doing the first time I got them done so I left it into the hands of whatever the lash stylist who applied them for me suggested.

She ended up applying mink lashes with 11 mm j-curl lashes which resulted in an extremely natural looking result.

Seeing how it turned out the first time, I knew I wanted my results the next time to be less natural and more noticeable.

For my second time around, I chose a 12 mm lash length with a c-curl.  The c-curl gave my lashes a more glamorous look.

Although the second time was more noticeable than the first, it still wasn’t dramatic enough for my tastes.

For the next time that I get them done, I know that I will be getting a lash length that is 13 mm or longer!

Types of individual lashes:

Photo credit to Lash Affair Lounge

Lash Application

Overall, the lash application was a pleasant and relaxing experience.

The application took about an hour in total to complete.

After choosing the type of lash, I was instructed to lay on a nice spa bed.  A white pad was secured under the eyes to protect my bottom lashes and then the lash stylist applied each individual strand one by one with a tweezer and glue.

It took about 45-50 minutes to apply all the lashes to the eyes.  I was instructed to close my eyes for an extra 10 minutes to let the glue bond to the natural lashes.

Eyelash Extension Application
Photo credit to Purpledoll

When you get home, you want to make sure to not let water touch your new extensions for a few hours after application.

Maintenance

Eyelash extensions are not a low maintenance practice.

It’s not like when you get your nails done where you’re good for the next 2 to 3 weeks until the nail regrowth shows!

You have to constantly brush your extensions, be very careful and gentle when you wash your face, and keep your hands away from your eyes (especially those who like to rub their eyes).

So keep all of these points in mind before you decide to get your lashes done.

How Long Will Lash Extensions Last?

How long your lashes will last you before you need to get a refill will depend on a variety of things.

The first is how well you treat and maintain your lashes.  The better you take care of them, the longer they will last.

Secondly, finding a good last stylist to apply the extensions is very important.

Some stylists don’t use a good technique to apply the extensions, they’re sloppy, or they lack experience.  I can’t stress enough that you need to make sure that you research the salon you are interested in going to to see if they have any good or (more importantly) bad reviews.

With my first experience, the lashes lasted me a good 3 weeks before I had to get a refill and I was very happy with how long they lasted.

The second time around, I foolishly decided to try another lash salon because they had an attractive price promotion going on.  This time, they ended up only lasting me a measly one week!  You can probably guess that I’ll never go back to that salon.

Now let’s move on to talk about what I liked and didn’t like about these extensions.

The Good

1.  They look oh-so-natural

Once you get them done, it probably won’t be an uncommon thing for someone to come up to you and ask you what’s the secret to your beautiful long lashes.

They’re so glamorous yet so natural looking, like a pair of false lashes without the dreaded thick strip at the base.

No more checking in the mirror to see if the ends of your falsies have lifted!

2.  You don’t have to wear mascara anymore

That’s because once you get lashes, it provides enough volume and definition so that you can finally skip this step in your makeup routine.

No mascara means less time wasted in the mornings, which means more time to snooze in the mornings…well, at least for me it does!

It’s actually not recommended to wear mascara once you get eyelash extensions unless the mascara is water-based and oil-free.  This is because an oil-based mascara can dissolve the glue that bonds the lashes to your natural lash line.

I tend to wear water-based mascaras when I get extensions because I like having the choice of either transforming my lashes to look a little bolder or just leaving the extensions naturally.

3.  You can get away with not wearing makeup & still look put together

The best part is that if you don’t have time in the mornings to do your makeup, your lashes will already help to define your eyes.  It’ll look like you have natural eyeliner on!

The Bad

1.  They’re very expensive

If I had a bottomless bank account, I would probably get these done every few weeks.  Money doesn’t grow on trees for me (sadly!) so getting my lashes done is usually a treat.

Prices for eyelash extensions will depend on how many lashes you get for each eye and the material of the lash (either synthetic or natural).

A full set usually starts at around 50 lashes but can go up to 120 lashes, depending on how much extra you are willing to pay for the added volume.

There are lots of Groupon discounts on the market so you can always try it for a cheaper price first to see if you like the results.

2.  The lashes eventually start to shed sporadically & they can get out of control if they’re not brushed

There’s no doubt that eyelash extensions look really beautiful when they’re first applied to the eyes and for about a full week after that.

But once you hit the one week mark, the lashes will start to fall out here and there when your own natural lashes start to shed.

The lashes may also go haywire depending on the position you sleep in.

If you like to sleep on the side of your face or face down on the pillow, your lashes in the morning will probably come out looking like they’re sticking out in all directions.  And that’s definitely not a pretty look.

This is what you want your lashes to avoid looking like:

Photo credit to HonoluluEyelashStudio

To always make sure my lashes look groomed, I use a clean spoolie to lightly brush the lashes so that they look tidy and in place.

3.  You have to get them re-done every 2-3 weeks

Once you reach this time period, your lashes probably will look a little strange and quite barren.

By then, most of the lashes will have fallen out and you’ll be left basically with a few long strands here and there, which again is not a pretty look.

This signals that it’s time for you to get a refill!

4.  You can’t use an oil-based makeup remover

Not being able to use this was the real kicker for me that really made me re-consider getting lash extensions for an extended period of time.

It’s very important for me to cleanse my skin thoroughly at night in order to remove all of the waterproof makeup that sits on my face during the day.  To do this, I normally use The Body Shop’s Cleansing Oil to cleanse my skin.

But when I have lash extensions on, it’s not possible for me to do this because the oils in the cleansing oil break down the glue that bonds the extensions to my natural lashes.

I usually reluctantly resort to using a regular makeup remover, which doesn’t take off my eye and face makeup as well as cleansing oil.

5.  Some people get allergic reactions

I’ve heard scary stories of how some people get horrible allergic reactions to the glue that is used to keep the fake lashes attached to your own.

Then there are other testimonials of people claiming that their natural lashes started to fall out and never grew back as full as before they got extensions.

Take these stories with a grain of salt but they are all things that need to be taken into consideration as you won’t know how your body will react until you get them done.

Conclusion

For now, I think I’ll be sticking with mascaras and falsies regularly.

I really love the look that eyelash extensions give me and I often get the itch to get them done once every few months or whenever I get lash envy from seeing other girls with beautiful long lashes.

However, the high maintenance, upkeep, cost, and inability to thoroughly wash my face just isn’t something that I’m interested in dealing with constantly to achieve perfect looking lashes.

I will definitely consider getting them for special events, such as a wedding or going on vacation, but it’s probably not going to be in my full-time beauty routine just yet!

Have you ever tried lash extensions?  If you have, feel free to share your experience!

20 Comments

  1. adele miner says:

    I have always been interested in getting these, thank you for posting this it is actually really helpful! Your blog here is so lovely by the way, I love finding new blogs like yours to read! x

    1. I’m glad you found this post helpful, Adele. Thank you 🙂

  2. I’ve always wanted to try lash extensions at least once. They look so beautiful and natural, though they can be extremely expensive. Thanks for the informative blog post!

    Joanne

    1. If you can find a good Groupon deal in your area, you can give that a try to see if you’ll like them 🙂

  3. Mackenzie says:

    This is such a great and honest review! I feel the same way as you. You are sooo lucky that yours only took an hour to put on… Mine took 3 hours, and then my eyes were bloodshot for 3-4 days after! I think I either got some of the glue in my contacts (would have been nice if the lash specialist told me to take them out) or I was allergic to the glue… Because of that, plus the fact that they’re so expensive, I’m super apprehensive to get them again. I love waking up looking pretty with them and not having to scrub off mascara at night, but I’m like you in that I think I’ll be sticking to mascara. Great review lady! xo

    1. Mackenzie, that sounds horrible! 3 hours is such a long time but I’ve only ever gotten the minimum number of lashes required for a full set so that could be the reason why mine only took an hour to apply and yours took a little longer. I’d be so scared of getting extensions again too if my eyes were bloodshot. Hopefully if you ever try them again in the future, you’ll have a better experience!

  4. Jessica Mari says:

    Love this! I also have a love-hate relationship! When I removed mine I was suffering from sever alopecia from having them for over two years. With no breaks in between. I’m now using Latisse which I had to get prescribed from my Dr. because they just weren’t growing back. 🙁

    But they do look sooooo pretty!!

    1. Oh man! That’s what I’m scared of when I get lash extensions. I hope your lashes grow back using Latisse!

  5. Great information! Thanks for sharing, so much I didn’t know about lash extensions before

  6. Sharon Glascoe says:

    I love the look of extensions but I do know that they can be expensive. It was great hearing about a first hand experience.

    1. I’m glad this was helpful! I wish they were less expensive!

  7. I would love to try this, but I know I wouldn’t be able to keep up with maintenance. Maybe some day!

    1. They’re definitely high maintenance and not for everyone!

  8. Julie Estrella says:

    I tried lash extensions a long time ago but just couldn’t stop picking at them! Lol. I love the idea of them though!

  9. Celeste Wright says:

    I never wanted eyelash extensions because I’m worried they bother my eyes

  10. Melissa Cruz says:

    It seems like it’s worth the experience or they are good for a trip. i want to get extensions next month but I’m not sure where to go. I’m scared of going somewhere that has a promotional price because I’m not sure if they are going to do like it’s supposed to. Anyway, no one can’t say they look bad hahaha

    1. Check reviews from other people for sure. Sometimes places that have promo prices are really great even though they are heavily discounted. Good luck!!

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