PROS AND CONS OF EYELASH EXTENSIONS – MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH LASH EXTENSIONS

So in this post I’m going to be sharing all about my first experience with eyelash extensions, what I think of them, and a bunch of stuff about them that I didn’t read online before getting them.  Hope this helps anyone that’s thinking about getting them done!

This was my very first time getting eyelash extensions.  I thought about getting them for a long time because they are EVERYWHERE.  Just about every blogger on Instagram has eyelash extensions.  And they just look so perfect, and full, and effortless.  I would dream about waking up in the morning with a lash line full of long, thick, black lashes, which I most definitely do not have naturally.  So I did a lot a research and debated getting them for a long time because from what I read, they’re pretty pricey and a lot of maintenance.  So when Danielle over at Wildflower Beauty Studio contacted me about getting my lashes done, I took it as a sign and said hellz yeah lets do this.  I didn’t have anything important coming up so I figured this was a good time to try them out and see if I even liked them.
In this post I’m going to talk about where I got mine done, what my experience was like, when and why you should/shouldn’t get them done, what the maintenance is like, and what to consider if you have also been thinking about getting eyelash extensions.

Where I got mine:
Wildflower Beauty Studio in East Meadow, NY (Long Island)
Danielle was so sweet and so patient.  She made me feel super comfortable and we talked a bunch!  You can check out some of her work on her Instagram @wildflowerbeautystudio.

What kind of lashes I got:
150 Silk lashes per eye

What the process is like:
It took about 2 1/2 hours to do both eyes.  I laid on a raised up bed the whole time and was super comfy.  I did not wear any makeup of course. So next Danielle just cleaned up around my eyes and put on these stickers under my eyes to keep my lower lashes out of the way.  Next she turned on some relaxing music and got to work!  It’s a very tedious process because each individual fake lash is glued onto one of your own lashes. So that means 150 fake lashes delicately placed onto 150 of my own lashes. On each eye!  And because the process requires a lot of patience and focus for the technician, we didn’t talk so that Danielle could concentrate.  The process is absolutely painless, you pretty much feel nothing.  But it can get a pretty boring because you have to lay there with your eyes closed and not moving for 2+ hours. I almost fell asleep!

How long they have lasted:
I got them done on Friday, July 7th.  Without getting any touch ups, it’s been a little over a month and I still don’t really need mascara.  For the first 2 weeks, only 1-2 lashes would fall out a day (between both eyes.) And with so many lashes, it didn’t really affect the look of them. They looked perfect for the first 2-2 1/2 weeks.  Around week three is when I started to notice the lash line begin to thin out, but it was really only something I could notice.  My lashes just went from glam to a little more natural, which I was totally okay with.  At this point, it’s been about 4 1/2 weeks, and they still look pretty pretty long and there are quite a lot of them left, but they definitely have thinned out a lot in the past week.

Do you feel the lashes on your eye?
I do not feel them.  I assume if they are done correctly you don’t feel them there.  And every once in a while I’ll feel a lash that’s coming loose, but that’s a quick fix with a spoolie brush.  You can just brush through your lashes with it and the lash will either come out or go back into place.
Also, I could see the lashes.  Which might sound weird lol but I could literally just see like a blur of black lashes above my eyes. And I don’t mean in the mirror! I mean like when I look up or look out.  But I was used to that by the next day or so.
Another thing I noticed is that if the wind blew in my face, especially in the beginning, it felt like my lashes were gonna fly off.  Or I was going to blow away.  I don’t have a very thick lash line so I’ve never experienced the feeling of the wind blowing my lashes lol.  That took some getting used to.  But I can assure you.  You’re lashes will not fly away with you in the wind.

When to get them:
I would recommend trying them out before any big occasions, like a wedding, because they are a lot to handle and they’re going to take a little bit of getting used to.  You may not like the way you look with them at first or even at all!  I was pretty shocked with them at first because they are A LOT.  They’re a lot to take in.  Especially if you get a full set.  It’s like full-on glam all the time and I just wasn’t used to seeing myself with lashes like that.  However, by the next day I was totally feelin it and by the day after that I was completely obsessed.  So maybe get them done a few weeks before any big occasions, take them for a test drive, and if you love them you can just get them refilled right before the occasion (a refill can cost anywhere from $20-$100, depending on where you get your lashes done and what kind of lashes you get.)  If it turns out you get them and don’t really like or want them, you have time to get them removed before hand!
If you are going on a beach vacation and you like to swim, I’m not sure they’re the best idea, especially if you like to get your head wet. Lash extensions are hard to do that with because it’s hard to rub your eyes (idk if I’m weird or what but I have to rub my eyes when I get my face wet.)

Maintenance:
– For the first 24 hours you cannot get your lashes wet (48 hours if you can).  The glue is supposedly still drying and setting so it’s best to not get it wet.  Therefore, makeup/facial cleansing wipes are your best friend when it comes to cleaning your face.  And yes, I know, you’re not really cleaning your face with face wipes but its only for a day or two.  I don’t have the best skin but I actually found that my skin cleared up a bit within those two days of only using face wipes because it was less irritated from being wet and pat dry.
And it is totally possible to shower and not get your lashes wet, but just make sure the water isn’t super hot so it doesn’t steam up the shower within those first two days.

– No oil-based products.  Oil can break down the lash glue and ruin the integrity of the lashes.  If you do use any oil-based products, just be sure not to get them close to your eyes.

– Do not touch your lashes with your fingers if you can help it.  The oils from your hands can leave a residue on the lashes and break down the glue.

– Of course since you cannot clean your eyelashes or lids yet, I wouldn’t use any makeup on your eyes in the first 24-48 hours.  And then even after that I still wouldn’t use any eye makeup.  ESPECIALLY MASCARA.  Believe me, you don’t need it.  Unless its for a wedding or your own wedding.  Then go wild with the eye makeup if you want! But I would imagine trying to remove all the mascara from the lashes, if any, would ruin the integrity of the lashes and make quite a lot of them fall off.  I didn’t try using any eyeliner or eyeshadow but that’s probably a bit easier to get off.  You can just wipe it off with a makeup wipe (oil free of course!) I felt I didn’t need any makeup at all and I didn’t really have any occasions that I felt I needed lots of makeup on so I’ve been eye makeup free since I got them!

– Be careful when using eye creams, especially oil-based ones.  Be sure not to apply them too close to the lash line.  I read that everything on the face eventually travels to the eyes.  I took a break from using eye creams for the first two weeks and I was really careful not to apply my face moisturizer too close to my eyes.

– Sleeping at first seemed to be quite a task because I love to sleep on my side or with my face smashed into my pillow, which I KNOW is terrible for my skin but I just can’t fall asleep laying on my back!  Which is what is recommend if your have lash extensions.  So SLEEP ON YOUR BACK.  Somehow the first week I was able to sleep on my back out of pure fear of ruining my lashes haha.  After the first week I slowly started reverting back to my wrinkle-causing face-in-pillow sleeping position (it just started happening while I was sleeping, I couldn’t help it!) and I was actually pretty surprised by how few lashes fell out.  But I still wouldn’t recommend sleeping like that if you want your lashes to last.  So I repeat, sleep. on. your. back.

– Cleaning your lashes is a big thing.  Throughout the day everyday I try to use a spoolie brush (a clean mascara brush) to just brush through them and make sure there’s no debris stuck in them.  Every night I would use a lash cleanser (I got this one off Amazon) to cleanse the lashes of any debris or  natural face oils that may have traveled onto them.  You can also just use baby shampoo (Johnson & Johnson is cheapest), which I would recommend so you don’t have to spend too much $$ (and which is what I would do if I could go back.)  As for the cleansing process, I do it (almost) every night.  First I squirt the soap into the cap, mix it with some water, dip in my clean mascara brush (spoolie, which you can get at CVS or Sally Beauty Supply), close one eye and brush through the lashes.  Then I wet the brush again with water and start brushing out the cleanser.  Then, to dry off the lashes, I would take a tissue and just lightly blot them from underneath.   Every morning I take that same brush and just wet it and run it through the lashes just to fan them out because they’re usually all stuck together.

Pros:
1.  I love the way I look with them and how little makeup I have to wear (I’ve only been filling in my eyebrows a little with brow powder.)  I love how long and full my lashes are, and to most people, natural looking.  To those that don’t really know me or know what lash extensions are, they look like they are my real, natural lashes, unlike mascara.  Which lead’s me to Pro #2

2.  I literally don’t have to put ANY makeup on my eyes.  I wake up in the morning and I have this full set of thick, dark, long eyelashes.  I step out of the shower and look at myself with wet hair and LASHES.  I haven’t used mascara in a month.  So for that reason I just haven’t really worn any makeup at all because these lashes make me look so naturally finished all the time.  I feel like I just look more awake and vibrant, which has made me feel more confident in my own skin.  Less makeup leads me to Pro #3…

3.   I save a good 10 minutes getting ready every morning because my makeup routine is pretty much done and if you know me, you know 10 minutes in the morning is A LOT of time, as I’m sure it is for a lot of you busy ladies!

4.  You don’t need to wash your eye makeup off at night = less eye rubbing = less eye wrinkles over time 😉

5. They actually last a pretty long time.  And I did not get any refills! I thought after 1 week they’d just start falling out by the masses.  But they didn’t!  The first week I had maybe only like 5-6 lashes fall out between both eyes. And out of 150 lashes on each eye, that’s really nothing.  On week 2 I would have maybe 1-2 a day, depending on which way I slept the night before.

Cons:
1.  Lash extensions are a lot of maintenance, as you can probably already tell.  You have to clean them everyday, brush them out multiple times a day, be conscious of the way you sleep, be careful not to rub your eyes or touch them too much, and be careful of how much makeup you wear with them, if any at all.
But hey, I got used to them and my routine for facial cleansing just changed a little.  Instead of cleaning off mascara every night, I’m brushing through my lashes with a cleanser.  And I’m just being a little more careful in terms of cleaning my skin.  Washing my face did seem to turn into something of a pickle at first because it was really hard to wash AROUND my eyes.  Especially since I use an oil cleanser on my face and you’re not suppose to use anything oil based on the lashes because it breaks down the glue.  But I figured it out, making sure to be really careful not to get too close to my eyes with the cleanser and making sure to wash it off really, really well.  I’ve also just been using face wipes a lot more at night, which has actually made my routine easier and faster.   So really, were the lashes that much maintenance?  It just depends on each individual person and your personal beauty routine.

2.  Extensions are costly.  Especially if you want to have them long term, you are going to have to get them refilled.  A lot of people told me I was going to get addicted to them and after a few days of having them I could already see how one would get addicted to lash extensions.  They just look so good!  Just be aware, an addiction to lash extensions over time is going to cost a lot of money.  But again, that depends on each person, their beauty routine, and how much they spend on makeup, beauty products, etc.  Maybe for you, lash extensions save you the cost of buying a bunch of eye makeup or a really expensive mascara, so in that case they might be worth it! Again, it depends on the person.

3.  They’re not great for swimming and getting your head wet, so they could be a pain in the butt on a vacation if you plan on going swimming lots.  However, if you’re not one to get your head wet when you’re at the beach or by the pool, then by all means get the glammest of the glam lashes.

Eyelash extensions are great.  I absolutely love them, I had a great first experience with them and I would totally get them done again, especially with Danielle at Wildflower Beauty Studio!  Definitely try extensions out if you’ve been thinking about getting them.  See what they’re like, what they feel like, what they look like on you, and what it’s like taking care of them.  I hope my experience and this post helped you out!  Let me know what you thought below in the comments and if there’s any questions you have that I didn’t answer!