Lash Lift : Do Your Lashes need a Lift

For natural definition

Shhh. I have a little secret I want to share with you.

Over the past few months, I have been transfixed by the weird and wonderful eyelashes I have been noticing creeping around on the faces of young ladies everywhere. I’m sure I can’t be the only one who’s noticed the gradual increase in eye maintenance. Eyebrows that were once plucked within an inch of their lives, are now bold and beautiful and in some cases permanently etched on to unwitting foreheads. As a woman who plucked my eyebrows to a fine line in the early 90s, I’m afraid eyebrow tattooing is a step too far out of my comfort zone.

I have to admit however, that I have been seriously tempted by eyelash extensions as my poor eyelashes have faded from their once voluptuous form to a shadow of their former selves. However, just a quick Google search and a chat with a couple of girlfriends made me realise that it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.

First, there’s the cost, it can be anywhere in the range of $100 to $500. Then there’s the time it takes, usually an hour to two hours. Now, for that amount of commitment I’d really require these lashes to be pretty permanent, but most lash extensions only last around 2 to 3 weeks. Maybe 4 weeks if you take great care of them and that’s no small task. Whilst sporting your new lashes you may not use any oil-based cleansers and must avoid getting them wet wherever possible, especially in the first 24 hours after application. Ok, you may be thinking, not quite as low-maintenance as you’d thought, well hold your horses, I haven’t even gotten to the tricky part yet.

Eyelash extensions tend to clump after they’ve been wet, so ladies and gentlemen, you need to blow-dry them to prevent them from turning into damp, hairy, baby tarantulas on your eyelids. So forget about going to see ‘Lion’ with your new boyfriend unless you can casually sneak out to powder your nose and dry your eyes before the theatre lights come back on!

Apart from the possibility of turning from a princess into a frog with changing weather conditions, the other little problem is that having extensions may also damage your own lashes, which may in turn reduce your ability to have extensions and therefore could, in the worst case scenario, leave you without any eyelashes at all. Now, I don’t know about you, but that’s a commitment I’m just not ready for.

But what’s a girl to do when she wants that same lush look without all that responsibility? Well, here’s my little secret. Today I discovered the ‘Lash Lift’.
After booking in with the gorgeous Steph at The Beauty Emporium, I was so excited to try out this potentially life-changing treatment! I could hardly contain my delight as I made my way up the stairs of the beautiful salon and took in the hushed tranquility of my surroundings. Steph led me to a peaceful room and as I lay on the lush bed I had to resist the urge to fall fast asleep.

Steph explained the procedure to me in great detail, answering all of my questions with patience and knowledge. I immediately knew I was in safe hands. Let me tell you exactly what happened. I had arrived without any make up on, so Steph just lightly cleansed my eyes. She placed a little pad under my lower lashes and then ever so gently paced a little silicone ‘rod’ on top of my upper eyelid. This weighed very little and actually felt really quite pleasant. She explained she uses a honey like substance to stick the lashes to the rod whilst she applied the ‘perming’ solution. I was expecting to remember the smell of fumes from my disastrous hair-perming days but there was only a slight whiff and it wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as I was anticipating.

It’s at this point I was expecting to feel slightly squeamish as I could feel her gently tease each lash into position and lightly coat them with the magic solution, but strangely enough it felt quite therapeutic and relaxing. After the solution had been applied I rested for about 10 minutes, then Steph gently applied a neutralizer and thereafter a tint. I’ve had my lashes tinted many times in the past and always dread a little of the solution seeping in and stinging my eyes, but I didn’t need to worry in Steph’s capable hands. There was no sting and the solution only needed to stay on for around 5 minutes. After gently rinsing off to tint, I was all done!

The whole procedure took about 40 minutes, but honestly I could have stayed there forever. I asked about maintenance and Steph explained that there’s really none. I can swim, shower, do cartwheels (OK, I can’t really do cartwheels), and these beauties will stay looking fabulous for at least 8 weeks, probably even up to 12 weeks!

And the result? Even if I do say so myself, pretty darned gorgeous! My lashes look like they’ve had a fine coat of mascara and I haven’t seen them look so sprightly since I borrowed my oldest sister’s eyelash-curler-thingies when I was 16!

I went to school pick-up without any make up and no-one told me I looked tired and… wait for it… even my husband noticed! I am most definitely a fan and will be back to see the beautiful ladies at The Beauty Emporium next chance I get. Thank you girls!

Niamh x