The news that we needed to baby and pamper our eyebrows hit us about six years ago. Now, we’re onto eyelashes.
Being a former pageant girl, I’m no newbie to the world of fake lashes. I was wearing them at 16 every weekend for various events when people I went to school with thought that meant you were “trying too hard.”
I’m glad we’re past that. I love that anything goes these days: messy hair, bright lips, bell bottoms, crop tops, bodycon dresses, etc. I love that the days of being criticized for “trying too hard” are past us. I mean, girls were spending 30 minutes on a messy bun in 2013 to make it look like they weren’t even trying to look good. Give me a break.
So, bring on this new world of eyelash enthusiasm.
When it comes to eyelashes, I’ve done just about everything over the years: stick-on lashes for one day, magnetic lashes, Latisse, and, now, DIY eyelash extensions. I love doing my makeup and looking put together, but I don’t throw money at my beauty routine. Everything I buy is pretty researched and price compared.
Here’s my opinion about the lash game we’re in today.
1. No, extensions aren’t the equivalent of mascara.
Extensions, whether professionally done or not, are way more natural-looking. That is, unless you go for the huge ones, which is cool, too. For the most part, most people wear extensions for the purpose of making their lashes look naturally longer.
You know that weird look that you can’t put your finger on when you only wear mascara, but not much else? Extensions remedy that.
2. You should invest in an eyelash serum.
Babe Lash is about as close to Latisse as it gets when it comes to products you can get without a prescription. Babe Lash got my lashes growing well recently, but I’m trying cheaper options now.
Also, stay away from any that have steroids. They’re not good for your lashes in the long run and can mess with any extensions you have.
3. Getting your lashes professionally done is only worth it if you don’t wear much makeup most days.
Spending one to two hours and $100+ to get them professionally done is only worth the time and money if you’re willing to take good care of them and keep your makeup scaled back. The more makeup you wear, and ultimately need to remove, the more wear and tear on your lashes.
It’s the equivalent of not getting long acrylics professionally done if you garden every day.
4. When it comes to temporary lashes, stick-on/glue-on lashes are out. Magnetic lashes are in.
Once you get past the learning curve, magnetic lashes are way more likely to stay on for your big event or a night out. I find they do not start peeling at the edges, like the old-school glue-on lashes.
5. DIY eyelash extensions are freaking amazing.
Based on what you use, how well you apply them, and how well you take care of them, they seem to last anywhere from five days to a few weeks.
Five days was originally a turnoff for me. Why do all that work for such little wear time? Fortunately, it only took me twenty minutes to apply them the first time and about ten minutes the second time. Plus, I’m learning how to make them last even longer.
There seem to be a ton of options out there now with a pretty big price range. You also need several tools to get the job done. I’m currently experimenting to see what you can get away with buying cheap and what you should splurge on.
Once again, I think these are only worth the trouble if you are willing to scale back the eye makeup and take care of them. I don’t like to wear a bunch of makeup in the Louisiana summer heat, like most people. It’s fun to work from home with no makeup and have this pop in your eyes that looks so natural. However, I can’t see myself wearing these in the fall and through the holidays because I love wearing a full face of makeup and dressing up during that time.
