The instant I saw a girlfriend of mine rocking eye lash extensions, I’ve been intrigued by the whole idea. She looked sensational and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her eyes. She looked glamorous, happy and rested. She has three active boys and I know she is chronically exhausted, I was basically staring at a cosmetic miracle.
When I was first allowed to wear makeup (at the age of 16) I used mascara. Clinique makeup has been my “go to” brand, including their mascara. There’s nothing extraordinary about their mascara, the mascara goes on as expected and does the job. It is ophthalmologist tested, and paraben free. And that’s important to me when using any type of makeup around my eyes.
It may surprise you that one of the main reasons that I use Clinique mascara is because of the eye make-up remover. I believe that as much care should go into removing makeup as putting it on. I may be wrong, but I think that Clinique designed an eye make-up remover that is designed especially for their cosmetics. They know the ingredients that go into their make-up and logic would lead you to believe that they’d know exactly what ingredients should be used to effectively remove it. It quickly and easily removes the mascara with a cotton ball and I feel confident that it is the gentlest method for my skin.
All of that was a precursor to this: I have taken excellent care of my eye lashes, and I only use mascara on special occasions (about once a week) because I want to avoid assaulting them. So, when the Amazing Lash Studio reached out to me and offered a complimentary set of eye lash extensions, I was on the fence. One side wanted the glamorous look that I knew would frame my eyes and deepen the color without the hassle of applying and removing mascara. The other side was nervous about the procedure and whether it would do any damage to my lashes that I have been so mindful about.
Here is a link to the Amazing Lash Studio in Fairfield, Connecticut where I got my fabulous new lashes done. The team could not be nicer!
Eye Lash Extensions: Before and After Photos
After speaking with the lead technician at the location where I ultimately got it done, I decided to take the plunge. I learned that the process involves adhering eye lash extensions to your eye lashes and not your eye lid (as I previously thought). I made my appointment and took some before and after photos to show you. I really like how they turned out although it did take me a couple of days to get used to looking like I was wearing mascara 24/7 (not a bad thing).
The following two photos were taken with my iPhone immediately after the application, while I was at the studio.
The process itself is completely painless and actually quite relaxing. Once you have chosen the look you want (Natural, Cute, Sexy or Gorgeous) and the degree of fullness (light mascara look or a heavy mascara look) you wash and dry your eye lashes and head to a private room. You lie down on what looks like a padded massage table, you are given a blanket, the lights are dimmed and music is played softly in the background (I was told that many clients actually take a cat nap!).
Once you are settled in, the technician sits in a chair behind you and gets to work. She first applies a hydrating collagen under eye patch to cover your lower eye lashes to prevent them from sticking to the upper eye lashes. Then, a small piece of tape is used to pull up your upper eye to help separate the lashes. After all the prep work is done, the technician wears reading glasses to magnify your eyes and she begins to glue the extensions onto your eye lashes – one by one. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes for a touch-up (we all lose natural eye lashes every day) to 90 minutes for a first full-set.
After your extensions are put on, there is a 48-hour after care protocol that suggests you avoid getting the lashes wet, working out/sweating, using eye make-up, sleeping facing down or on your sides and any facial treatments like eyebrow waxing, etc.
Thank you to Amazing Lash Studio for gifting me my new lashes! All opinions are my own.