Over the summer my sister got lash extensions for the first time. Every time I saw her I thought she had had her make up professionally done. She’s already beautiful but she looked truly stunning at all times. She told me that getting the lashes gave her one of the biggest confidence boosts of her adult life. I mean if I wasn’t sold after that, I would have been insane.
So I made an appointment at a local lash studio (which has since closed, by the way) and got my first set. I walked out of there feeling like a celebrity. I literally stopped in every mirror and reflective surface to stare at my face which is the opposite of my usual self that avoids mirrors like the plague.
The lashes really made me feel pretty and put together, but they came with their own issues, of course. I promised to do a full review after I had a refill and a mini refill so I could speak to everything. In true Type-A fashion, I made a pro and cons list about my experience with lash extensions.
Lash Extension Review: Pros
Confidence booster: I’ve always had a more masculine face because of my Roman nose and lack of lashes. I’ve never really felt feminine and beautiful upon waking up until I had lashes. It was a major confidence booster.
Less time getting ready: Because you don’t have to wear mascara or really any eye makeup, getting ready in the morning was much easier. I would literally put on my Beautycounter liquid foundation, a brush of bronzer and would be ready to go. It would take 2 minutes, literally.
Lash Extension Review: Cons
Expensive: It is very expensive to keep up with lash extensions. I compared prices in my neighborhood and the most affordable option for the first visit was $89 with refills at $69. You generally need to refill once or even twice a month so that could be up to $140/month for lashes which unfortunately isn’t sustainable with my household budget.
High-Maintenance: For the first 48 hours you can’t get them wet which is difficult for face-washing. The third time I went, I realized that I should shower right before I got them done and wash my face then. The next day I would use a cream cleanser on a cotton round instead of regular face wash. After that, you can’t properly wash your face because you can’t rub or really dry the lashes. In addition to the water issue, you have to brush them straight multiple times a day so that they don’t get stuck on each other and pull out. I also felt like I had to sleep on my back which is basically impossible for me but I gave up on that after the first week.
Uncomfortable: The lashes get stuck in your eye which can hurt and it generally just feels weird. The comfort level isn’t terrible but I found myself wanting to rub my eyes more than usual and I couldn’t because the lashes would fall out.
Time-suck: Even though you save time on the daily routine, going to get the refills is a major time-suck. It takes up to 2 hours for the first set and then an hour for refills. And your eyes have to be closed so you can’t answer emails or even scroll through Instagram. Although I have to say it’s incredibly relaxing to lay with your eyes closed for an hour.
Not very clean: I paint my nails and dye my hair so I’m definitely not all about clean beauty all the time but I recently read that there are a lot of crazy chemicals in the nail glue including formaldehyde.
The in-between looks messy: When the lashes fall out between refills, they look messy and sparse.
The final word
I loved the lashes. I felt beautiful and it made my morning routine easier. But at the end of the day, I decided to stop doing them for many reasons but mostly because of the price tag. I will probably do them once in a while for special occasions like holidays or events as a treat for myself.
Although now that my lash extensions are almost all out, I’m missing them already. I might try doing a lash boost next. I’ve heard they’re great and not so high maintenance! Do you have a favorite?
Have you ever done lash extensions? If so, what was your experience like? If you haven’t, would you do them in the future?
