Happy FRI-YAY, friends! I have been on a quest to simplify my mom routine as much as possible when it comes to getting ready in the morning. I started with microblading (spoiler I’m obsessed with it) and fell in LOVE with how easy it made doing my makeup. SO I thought I’d take it a step further and test out lash extensions! I’ve heard awesome things about it, and when LaVonne from Extensions by LaVonne reached out and asked if I wanted to try it, I said UHM, YES PLEASE! I’ve had my lashes on for about 3 weeks now, and feel like I have a pretty good idea on how to care for them and what the experience is like. Let’s jump into this.
Lash Extensions: Simplifying The Mom Routine – PART TWO!
So, I want to start off with a little disclaimer like I did in the micro blading post. These are higher cost non-necessity, cosmetic enhancements. Do what is best for YOU at the end of the day!
I have always dreamed of being able to say #Iwokeuplikethis but that just hadn’t always been the case. My lashes aren’t super long on their own and my skin is really oily on my lids. This means I’ve ALWAYS had mascara end up smudging on my eye lids and lower lash line. I don’t think there has ever been a day I’ve worn mascara in which that has not been the case. I fixed that a little bit when I started wearing false lashes all the time (which I loved the look of). Unfortunately, I’ve started having a reaction to even my latex-free glue, so my eyes burn and water any time I’m wearing false lashes.
Once I realized those two options were kind of a bummer for me at the moment, I turned to lash extensions to see if they’d help me in my quest for easy mornings with my toddler. I’ll never feel 100% without a little bit of makeup on #thanksacne BUT if I could eliminate the eye makeup on most days, it’s honestly a 5 minute process for the rest of my face.
About the process.
When you get to the lash extension room (I go to Paint Nail Bar and see Extensions by LaVonne), LaVonne has you lay down (masks on of course) and she puts tape on your lower lashes. This is to keep the glue from sticking! Then you close your eyes and she gets to work adding the extensions to your lashes.
The entire process for your first set takes about 2 hours depending on how thick your natural lashes are. They feel a little bit heavy the first day, but then you get used to it. For lash fills, they take about an hour and should be done when you’ve lost about 50% of your lashes. The extensions last longer the better you take care of them.
About the maintenance.
A bit of a disclaimer, this is something you have to keep up with. It’s an every 2-3 week commitment if you follow the rules AND it’s kind of a bit of an upkeep at home.
You do have to use a special soap to wash them and you have to be SUPER gentle. Before I went in for my fill, I thought I had done such a good job taking care of them and when LaVonne was done filling the lashes, I realized just how bald they actually were coming in.
You are supposed to be able to wear liner and eyeshadow with them, but I found if I did too much extra with any kind of eye makeup besides the bare minimum, the lash life was pretty shortened.
It’s very easy to clean them. You use a fluffy makeup brush and foaming cleanser (LaVonne sells them to her customers) and gently swirl to clean. Then you pat them dry. You never want to use anything with fibers that could catch on the lashes (think: paper towels, toilet paper, cotton balls, cotton rounds, q-tips).
Would I continue to get them?
I do not think this is going to be an always-and-forever thing for me even though I LOVE THEM when they’re on, and they absolutely make my mornings go by so much faster and easier. It’s an amazing thing that I instantly look more put together and confident.
My biggest problem is it’s quite a bit of upkeep. You can’t just wash your face at night and go, it’s a full process. You have to be EXTRA careful when putting makeup on that you don’t accidentally get any mascara from your lower lash line on them or foundation when your are blending it out. Plus, you have to go in every 2-3 weeks to fill them (and it’s about $90 for the fills each time).
This is 100% something I would do for a vacation so I don’t have to worry about doing a ton of makeup or bringing a lot of extra things in the morning. It’s also something I’d just do in the summer time when I hardly wear any makeup anyways! I tend to wear more eye makeup in the fall and winter, so I think it’d stick to my typical mascara or throw on the occasional lash during the time of year.
I think if you are somebody who do NOT wear a lot of eye makeup or makeup in general and you are looking to totally eliminate that from your routine altogether, this is the way to go. Definitely. It’s beautiful and you instantly look like you are put together and ready for the day. For those of you who love doing eye makeup, this might be one thing to skip on for now.
If you are looking for a place to get your lashes done in the STL area – I highly, highly, highly recommend LaVonne. Not only is she absolutely DARLING, but she is SO talented at classic lash extensions. I took one look at her instagram portfolio and has instant FOMO and needed lash extensions immediately. She truly is the best. Be sure to mention my name if you pop in – you’ll get 10% off your first appointment!
Have you ever had lash extensions before?! What were your thoughts?!