I Trialled Lash Extensions For the First Time

This is a beginners guide to eyelash extensions. What you need to know and whether they might work for you.

If you’re too clumsy to apply fake lashes, or tired of wearing mascara every day, having eyelash extensions could be exactly what you need to make your eyes pop – everyday.

Think of eyelash extensions as hair extensions, but for your eyes.

The extensions are most made from individual synthetic hairs, which are then bonded (by a professional) to your natural lashes. Helping to boost length, fullness and they come in an assortment of colours to either match your natural lash shade, or you can go darker for a natural makeup look. But without wearing any makeup.

They also come in a ton of different thicknesses, curls and lengths. And you can choose the type and style of lash you want. Whether that be natural, curl, fancy or long. The look is entirely up to you.

I like to think of them as a natural face lift and I have always envied other women who wear them, admiring their beautiful, set lashes where very little effort is required day or night, to achieve a nice polished makeup look.

Naturally I have long lashes, so it never really occurred to me to go and get extensions. So, after chatting with a few of my beauty peeps about the benefits of having eyelash extensions, I was convinced I needed to give it a go. And I did.

I walked into Fancy Lash with absolutely no idea what to expect. It doesn’t matter how many people you talk to, or what you read online, no amount of research can prepare you for what comes next.

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Nearly two hours of sitting in a chair, whilst my lash professional bonded individual eyelashes to each one of my natural lashes.

Okay so I am being super dramatic here. But if I’m going to be honest with you, the whole experience itself was very challenging. Sitting in a reclined chair (some salons use beds), with your eyelids taped down and a piece of cloth separating skin from lashes was torture, and I was starting to regret my decision of having lashes about thirty minutes in.

But then, I told myself to relax (in my head of course, cause that would be weird saying that out aloud). Eventually I fell into a light sleep after meditating in my mind and telling my body to relax and chill out. Once the discomfort of having someone work on my lashes went away, I felt comfortable and was happy to sit back and enjoy the down time.

And boy was it worth it. Fancy Lash did the most amazing job and I could not have been more joyful after the experience was over.

My Lash specialist Daniel did a spectacular job, I highly recommend him.

I opted for a natural long lash and I hardly recognised myself. My eyes looked larger, and I loved the shade darker than my natural lash colour, giving me the look of wearing mascara.

The lashes by Fancy Lash are of high quality, British made and owned, which is nice to know as well. Made from natural product, they guarantee no irritation, even for the most sensitive of eyes.

It’s been nearly four weeks since I had my lashes done and they are still there. I have had a few casualties, but most of those were from accidentally rubbing my eyes.

The first few days felt a little strange, adjusting to the sensation, and obviously the care that goes with them.

But after that, I was obsessed and I loved how I could just apply a little foundation with a lip colour and I was done. I looked polished without having to put any effort into my look at all.

I absolutely would go back, and I plan to in the coming weeks. Now that I know what to expect, I am fairly confident the whole experience will be a lot easier.

I didn’t travel this road alone either. BB writer Tara also wanted to trial eyelash extensions.

Tara is a HIIT instructor, so spends countless hours throughout the week, training, working out, teaching and filming fabulous fitness tutorial vids (which you can view here), so mascara for her is a real pain.

Eyelash extensions was a no brainer. But she had to be mindful as she has super sensitive skin.

And I’m not talking you general mundane average sensitive skin either. I’ve seen how quickly her skin reacts when she uses the wrong product on her face. Can someone say swollen black eyes – yikes.

Here’s what she had to say about her first time with eyelash extensions:

“As someone with extremely sensitive skin, particularly around my eyes I was very hesitant to try eyelash extensions for fear of having an allergic reaction. However, in a way it’s almost been beneficial for my skin. I received my eyelash extension from Lady Lash in Newtown, a business that has won awards and competitions for their extensions, so I knew I was in good hands.

I choose to receive a combination of the Classic Full Set and the Classic Glam Set as I wanted the eyelashes to look natural enough to fit into my regular makeup-free, sweaty lifestyle. While the application process was a little bit uncomfortable at first – it made my eyes water a lot because I wasn’t used to it – I imagine it’s a bit like getting your eyebrows waxed for the first time, and it’s just something you would get used to.

The eyelashes themselves looked amazing, and were definitely worth the mild discomfort at the start. They looked wispy, yet natural and were something I felt immediately comfortable with.

My eyes had no reaction to the glue or the application process, and in the aftermath were arguably beneficial for my sensitive skin as I no longer had to apply and remove mascara and hence found myself rubbing my eyes a lot less.

As a HIIT instructor and someone who exercises and sweats regularly, I was interested to see how long the eyelashes would last and hence whether it would be worth spending the $80 on a regular basis. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised.

While the lashes are estimated to only last about 3-6 weeks, mine looked fresh for at least 8 weeks. Overall I have loved my extensions and plan on getting them done again next month. I’ve found they have saved so much time when applying makeup and they instantly make you look more put together, which is perfect for when I am teaching at 5.30am and have just rolled out of bed.”