To ask about eyelash extensions??

[tiredmama23]

Sorry to ask here but I'm wondering if anyone has had these and would you recommend? I've booked to have them done at a salon this weekend - I don't know anything about it so I'm having the classic ones (as opposed to "hybrid"?!). Anyway... can anyone who has them please tell me -

1. Is it worth the money?
2. Do they need a lot of upkeep?
3. The difference between classic and hybrid?
4. Do you still wear mascara with them?!

Thank you!

Forgot to say I'm paying £38 for them - does this seem reasonable?

I used to have them and loved them for how they made me feel. Unfortunately the upkeep was quite a lot as you have to get them done every couple of weeks and it's not cheap, which is why I stopped. I found towards the next appointment they'd start looking quite ratty and I felt that was worse than just not having any. No mascara needed! I did love them for how they still made me feel good with no make up. Maybe one day when I'm rich I'll go back

Thanks for you reply. Oh god every couple of weeks seems a lot! I'm not sure I'd have the time for that 😂

You'll need to brush them through in the morning, but you don't need mascara with them.
The upkeep is that you'll need to have regular appointment (I go every two weeks for a top up).
Classics = one fake lash is stuck onto your own single lash. I'd generally recommended starting there to get use to them.

I have them. I get them done every 3 weeks and it costs £33. I get classics and keep them the same length as my actual lashes I just get them to add thickness. I wouldn't be without them now, especially as I can't wear mascara. No upkeep needed, just given them a wash in the shower every morning and brush through with a mascara wand.

I've been having mine done and haven't been without lashes for around 10 years now. I love them!

It's a commitment for the up keep though. I pay £35 every 2 weeks for mega volume lashes. When I had classics the infill appointment was maybe £20/25 every 2 weeks. When I was skint I'd stretch it to 3 weekly appts and just be really careful with them. I'm a bit of a picker/fiddler and when I'm stressed I start pulling at my lashes which obviously pulls them out and then can look very sparse by the end of the 2 weeks.

I’ve not had these for about 15 years. I used to have 1 lash per lash but can’t remember what they called them then. I didn’t use mascara. Downsides were feeling naked/mole rat eyed when they’re removed. Also sometimes the feeling against a pillow annoyed me.

They do look lovely and make you feel very pretty and nice, but for me though that's short lived.

I don't like them as they grow out, they can look tatty and uneven, they irritate me and I end up loosing a lot of my own lashes. My sister has a bad reaction to the glues she is also practically eyelash bald from over use.

I think for a special occasion they are amazing and can give a really different look and give the extra glamour. Long term it's a commitment and regular expense similar to acrylic nails.

Thanks everyone. Lots to think about! I'm a bit worried about losing my own eyelashes 😳 is this a common side effect?

Also, can you put mascara over the top of them if you wanted to, for added effect say if you were going on a night out? ( not that I do that often these days 😂 but just curious....) Or would adding mascara to them ruin them?

You can use mascara and it gives them an even more dramatic look but repeated mascara use will cause the glue to break down quicker as it's really difficult to clean your eyes and lashes 100% with them on

You can put mascara on and remove carefully. I wouldn’t for hygiene reasons- it’s harder to keep them clean.
I think I did lose some eyelashes, but they tell you it’s because you forget what you looked like before…I think it’s a bit of both.

I wonder about LVL as an option, but I can imagine perming also damages eyelashes.

Then there’s lash serums, but some people say they can can be your eye colour- I have pale green eyes and want to keep them that way 🤣

I loved having them but they ruined my lashes. I started with classic then moved to Russian. Don't wear mascara. They change your face and are addictive! Love them.

They ruined my lashes because I pulled them out so don't do that!

Very reasonable price. I used to pay £50

Also I never really went for infills and just had a new set every 6 weeks ish

I had a lash extensions on & off for 18 months. As much as I liked the look of the classic set (I wanted a natural look) the upkeep was horrendous.

Aside from the money (I had infills every 3 weeks) it was a lot of time. I tended to not use eye makeup which was great but I did miss the times I wanted to have full eye look. I also like sleeping with eye masks which was problematic even with extension-friendly masks.

I have switched to a combination of Lashify (diy lash extensions that last a week on me ) and strip lashes. I find I can apply these very quickly and have more flexibility.

For what they are, they are expensive (I guess that’s relative). As long as you keep them dry for the first 48 hrs, wear no eyeliner or mascara , sleep on your back so you don’t crumple them you’ll be fine. Mascara will wreck them. Your tech will suggest an extension-friendly cleanser to keep them clean and a spoolie to brush them out nicely.

£38 sounds reasonable for classics.

I have extensions done 2 or 3 times a year.

In answer to your questions:

• Is it worth the money?
I think they look great so for me yes.

1. Do they need a lot of upkeep?

You have to brush them daily and be careful not to sleep on them. Also if you wear eyeshadow you need to be careful removing it. So washing your face can be a bit of a faff.

1. The difference between classic and hybrid?

So you might have heard of Russian lashes. This is wear a fan of lashes (so maybe 3) is applied to each one of your lashes. Giving a full dramatic look. Classic lashes is applying one single lash on each one of your lashes so more natural. Hybrid is a mix of Russian and classic. It's what I usually have and love them.

1. Do you still wear mascara with them?!

No! No mascara needed.

They last me about 2-3 weeks and then start falling out gradually. I have some after about 5 weeks but literally the odd ones hanging on.

I used to have them years ago. I just have my own lashes permed now as its much much easier to manage.

I only had mine done once and really didn’t get on with them far too much maintenance and I couldn’t be bothered.

I do love a lash lift tho so much easier and mine always last a good 8-10 weeks

I bloody loved having my lashes done - when done properly your natural lashes aren't damaged, imo they look better than strip lashes and they last much longer. I only stopped having mine done professionally to cut down on my outgoings and now do my own but they look nowhere near as good as the ones done by a proper lash tech!

Is it worth the money?

As long as you have enough disposable income to ensure that you aren't sacrificing something else, cutting yourself short or anything like that (which I'm sure you've already considered) then yes, absolutely. They are one of the first "treats" I will resume for myself once my financial situation improves. I found that with lash extensions, I didn't need any other makeup other than a bit of concealer under my eyes to brighten them up. Literally nothing else. BLISS!

Do they need a lot of upkeep?

Not really. Just get a lash cleaning foam and a little brush, and very gently clean them every couple of days especially along your lash line. Also brush them after you get out of the shower so they dry nicely. This stops them getting clumped/twisted.

The difference between classic and hybrid?

I'm not a professional but I believe the hybrid are fluffier/thicker? It's what I always went for as the classic style was a bit too minimal for me but still looked absolutely beautiful! Just not the look I was going for.

Do you still wear mascara with them?!

Nope - my technician specifically told me not to wear mascara with them. This is because you don't need to but also because it sticks to the extensions, making them look/appear grubby, bacteria can stick to any mascara you don't manage to clean off and they can shed quicker if you put mascara on.

Every lash technician is different so if you go ahead with getting lashes, one tech's lashes might last you 2 weeks while another tech's might last you 4. Look at reviews etc, photos of previous work etc. I had to go for infills every 3 weeks to maintain my lashes but could have gone every 4 if needed.

Also the first time I had lash extensions, my tech warned me they might fall out quicker than expected (they did) but she said this is quite often the case and after your 2nd or 3rd time, your lashes will begin to "hold" extensions better.

Good luck OP :)

Long story warning!
I had some done (for a big holiday) about 10 years ago and for the first week they were amazing. They prickled a little bit when i screwed my eyes up and i hated the fact you can't give your eyes a good old rub when you were tired or wear mascara ect but they looked good.

During the holiday they began to fall off and by the time i was home they were 50% gone. (i'd followed all the do's and don'ts and looked after them - they just didn't stay on me). I went back and she reapplied loads for free. Again a few fell off every day and i had gaps all the time.

Fast forward to me ordering 2 little pots of 2 different sized individual lashes online - plus the professional glue, a decent magnifying mirror, a decent pair of tweezers and topping them up myself! I did a fab job to be honest! 😂You learn fast.

6 months later i had the feeling i had less natural lashes than before and took off all the falsies.
😳😵
I had so few natural lashes left 🙁

Soooo ... i'm getting to the point .... i bought some £££ lash conditioner (the famous one) and within 6 weeks my natural lashes were back. Within 10 weeks my lashes were sweeping against my glasses and darker than before and lovely!

My desert island product is the lash serum and i've used it ever since. So may people ask me if they're fake. Eye wateringly expensive for a little bottle - but not as pricey as keeping up with extensions and they're real! You can rub your eyes and everything 😜

@Laiste which serum is it

It's Revitalash.

I didn't want to say because i sound like a bloody rep 😂 I'm not on commission i promise! Use this once a day (and give it a good 6 weeks because that is the miminum eyelash growth cycle - you're treating the lashes still to come) and my goodness they grow!!
I guess it feels like a bigger difference if you have sad short, fine, pale natural lashes like mine, but it works.

Definitely no mascara, it ruins them!
Upkeep, I have an infill around every 3 weeks which takes an hour and costs about half the price of a full set. Sooo worth it for me.

AND -can i add - one of 20 something DDs is a professional beauty tech and does beautiful lash extensions (and nails and massage and microblading ect ect) every day of her life at work and would give me a massive discount on L E's but i still won't have them! I'm sticking with my serum.

I had them for the first time last year and absolutely hated them.

They started falling out almost immediately.
They looked excessive when I had no makeup on but also didn't look right when I was fully made up. My own lashes with mascara on look much better.
I couldn't wash my face properly or rub my eyes.
They started crossing over each other and pointing in funny directions despite me brushing them etc.

Ended up removing them myself after a week (and being SO so glad to see my own lashes were unscathed).