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So I have reaaaaalllyyy long lashes. Like the kind that hit the top of your eyelids or hit your sunglasses long. It's definitely a blessing and people always ask if my lashes are real or if they're extensions. Well, the blessing of having long lashes also has a downside. My lashes are so long that they don't stay curled! (Yes, I am aware that there are actual problems out there but this is a beauty/lifestyle/everything else blog right?!) They're so heavy that they get weighed down and lose their curl even after using a lash curler or even after applying multiple layers of a curling mascara. I tried everything from waterproof mascara (that worked more than regular mascara but eventually my lashes got weighed down again) to expensive $30+ mascara tubes. Nothing left me satisfied because shortly after applying mascara, my lashes would begin to lose their curl (but if I have to pick the one that got the closest to achieving the lift/curl I wanted, I would say Chanel's Le Volume Mascara was a goodie). Applying mascara to my stubborn, long lashes literally added an extra 10-15 (if not more!) minutes to my makeup routine and all that work is for nothing because shortly after, my lashes lose their curl. Womp womp.
But really, who has time to spend so much time applying mascara?!
It got to a point where I started getting frustrated that I was spending significant extra time getting ready because of my stubborn lashes. My frustration lead me to do one of my favorite things, research. I began to research any possible methods that would correct my lashes lack of curl. The first thing I stumbled upon was lash extensions. The results looked absolutely amazing but I was hesitant because I've heard that some people experience severe lash fall out after getting lash extensions. Plus, my logic here was that I already have long lashes, I don't need extensions — I just need them to curl. Alas, I stumbled upon lash lifts!
First time getting a lash lift (2016) before and after results
My most recent lash lift before and after (September 2017) PS: Don't judge the brows — growing them out to reshape them!
It was a god-send when I found Laura of Beauty by Laura, Laura has been doing lash lifts for over 23 years and is a trainer for elleebana. There’s several different brands of lash lift products lash artists can use and Laura uses the elleebana tools, products and trains other lash artists using the elleebana method. I’ve been seeing Laura for my lash lifts for over a year now and there is no way I’m going back to my pre-lash lift ways. Last year, before reaching out to Laura, I did extensive research on lash lifts because the lash lift almost seemed to good to be true. I had lots of questions too but let's be real, when don't I have lots of questions — just ask my boyfriend.
After about a month of doing research and stewing on the idea, I finally reached out to Laura with you guessed it — questions. Shocker.
Laura was extremely patient answering all of my ridiculous and multiple questions. This was one of the main reasons I decided to go forward with getting the lash lift done. I felt like I was making a big decision and I wanted to go somewhere where I felt I could trust someone. I also wanted to go to someone who was experienced and not someone who just started doing this process recently. Laura checked all of these boxes, she patiently and clearly answered all my questions, I felt as I could trust her because of her experience and she genuinely cared about easing any of my worries in regards to the process. She assured me it was a safe process and that I would not experience significant lash fall out (natural lash fall out is normal and all of our lashes go through natural lash fall out during our lash cycles).
Let's dive into my first time lash lift experience.
1. As requested, I arrived to my appointment with no eye makeup on. Be sure to be respectful of your lash artist and do not come with eye makeup on. Especially waterproof mascara of anything of the sorts.
2. I laid down in the chair, closed my eyes and got ready to get the process going. I was so excited but had no idea what to expect. Although I came with no eye makeup on, Laura used a gentle eye makeup remover to cleanse my eye area to ensure there was no residue or leftover makeup.
3. The process took about 45 min- hour and I experience zero pain or discomfort. The rods used were soft and didn't hurt my eye area. It definitely is a weird sensation to have your eyes propped slightly open for that long but I got over after the first five minutes.
4. The entire process felt like someone was just brushing and combing my lashes (albeit, brushing them while my eyes were slightly opened). The brushing/combing sensation was the result of the curling solutions being applied to my lashes.
5. Before I got the first look of the results, a clear mascara was applied to my lashes.
6. TA- FREAKING- DA! When I saw my lashes in the mirror, I was blown away (the black and white image above is my lashes before and after). They were PERFECT, BEAUTIFUL and CURLED!
So as you can tell, I loved the lash lift and am hooked. I've now gotten them on a regular basis and don't see myself stopping. The lash lift is great for everyone who wants beautiful lashes not just those who have long but stubborn lashes like me. The biggest perk is that since they look so beautiful, I feel waaaaaay more confident without any makeup on because I feel like the lifted lashes make me look awake, put together and gives the appearance of wearing mascara without wearing it. What I tend to do now, especially if I'm in a hurry is just pop a quick layer of clear mascara on and go on with my day.
Before going to my last lash appointment, I posted in the Skinny Confidential Facebook group about doing this blog post and asked the members if they had any questions. Below are a few of those questions plus some other information that I feel anyone considering a lash lift should know. If you have any other questions that aren’t answered here, leave them in the comments and I’ll make sure you get an answer.
Important lash lift fyi’s:
Immediate post lash lift recommendations: No heat, steam (even steam from cooking can affect your lashes), no jacuzzis/sauna time, face wash, makeup removers on lashes for 24 hours directly after your lash lift.
Products: Absolutely zero waterproof mascara use. You also can't use any eye products that have oil (so most of your traditional liquid eye makeup removers are a no-go) in them because it will begin to breakdown the curling solution and you will lose your lift. This was big for me because I was using coconut oil and other oil based makeup removers to take off my eye makeup. Laura recommended using a gel based eye makeup remover.I found an amazing gel based cleanser that removes all of my eye makeup and also cleanses my face. When I am using heavier eye makeup, I will usually repeat the cleansing around the eye area one more time to ensure I remove all makeup. An added perk is that I ended up loving this cleanser because it didn't leave my face feeling tight after cleansing (worst feeling!) but still left it feeling squeaky clean. It maintained my face clear and complemented the cleanser that I use in the morning. In case you're wondering why I use a different cleanser in the morning — it's because in the morning, I don't have to remove my eye makeup so I use my cleanser from Lush that is meant for balancing the skin, preventing breakouts and reducing oil throughout the day. At night, I have to remove my eye makeup so I need to use the gel cleanser on the eye area. You also can't use makeup remover wipes. This was big for me because I was guilty of resorting to wipes when I was too lazy to wash my face. This actually ended up being a blessing in disguise because now I have no alternative but to wash my face even when I am lazy/tired because I know how damaging the wipes are to the lash lift.
Time frame: The lash lift should last you anywhere from 6-8 weeks (elleebana states that the lash lift can last anywhere from 2-3 months but everyone’s lashes are different so 6-8 weeks i is a good average). I started noticing them start to get straight around the 7 week mark. You can only get your lashes lifted every 6 weeks. Laura recommends wait till 8 weeks after your last lash lift but she also says it is completely safe to come in after 6 weeks.
Safety: The lash lift is definitely safe for those who have sensitive eyes. I personally have incredibly sensitive eyes — my eyes get teary if the air condition hits to close to my eyes or if there’s something smoky being cooked or if I get product stuck in my eye (basically everyday of my life I get something stuck in my eye). I asked Laura about the safety of the lash lift, especially for those with sensitive eyes and she assures that the products are hypoallergenic, vegan and safe for the eye area.
Is everyone a candidate?: The short answer is no. Some people can experience a not so perfect lift because they are not an ideal candidate for the lash lift. Laura explains that if you’ve never had to use a lash curler (umm, lucky) you might not be an ideal candidate for a lash lift because you’re lashes are already naturally curled and adding an additional curl could cause them to curl too much or curl backwards into your eyelids. Also, there are curling rods for every eye shape so don’t fret about that — there’s definitely not just a one size fits all curling rod which is great because the lash lift will be customized to your eye shape.
Mascara use: Again, don’t forget, no waterproof mascara. Laura recommends to still use mascara even though your lashes will look perfect without them. She says that using mascara will act like a sealant and maintain your lashes. In other words, the mascara will essentially train your lashes to stay lifted and curled. During my first lash lift, Laura gave me a great tip that I think truly makes a difference. She says to pop a layer of mascara on right after taking a shower while your lashes are still wet. When your lashes are wet, they re-shape themselves into their ideal shape and popping mascara right away will ensure that you get your lashes to look their best possible.
Sleeping: After your lash lift, your lashes can still shape shift so it is recommended that you avoid sleeping on your side or face and instead try to sleep on your back. This is SO hard for me and honestly something that we don’t have much control over but at least it is something that we can try to be mindful of.
Price: Price obviously varies by lash artist, experience, salon etc... You can find Laura and her team's pricing here.
If you want to see a video of the lash lift process, check out the video on my Instagram!
Let me know what you ladies think of the lash lift process, if you've ever gotten one or if you're thinking about getting one. If you have any question's that were't covered above, leave me a comment and I'll make sure I answer it.
xo,
milleniGAL #1
