thought i'd share my experience with mink eyelash extensions so far..
i've always wanted to try eyelash extensions out and when they began popping up in the coupon community, i decided why not!
on October 2, 2011, i bought a voucher from Groupon to use at sohni skin & hair studio in Calgary. i checked out the reviews (of course) but it was a fairly new place. i always take a look at the company's website too. with all these vouchers popping up everywhere, i've seen a few deals that seem pretty shady. and when there are spelling errors all over the website or images you've seen used again and again, i become wary of their professionalism.
anyway, sohni skin & hair studio appeared safe so i took the risk. the voucher was $50 for a full set of mink eyelash extensions. at the time, it said this was a $175 value. today, their site states that they cost $120 for a full set and $80 for a fill. $80 is still really expensive! that's almost how much i eventually payed anyway, including tips.
come to think of it, that's pretty steep. especially for someone like me without a steady flow of income just yet :)
i was going to get them done for the holidays but that didn't happen. i went in on March 23, 2012 instead (they expire on April 3). i'm a bit of a procrastinator.
i forgot the name of the lady who did these for me. i had an appointment at 1:30 pm, signed a consent form and then 7 or so minutes later i was in a chair (their studio is really nice and clean). the lady asked what type of look i wanted and i wasn't entirely sure but said something that looks natural and wouldn't continually interfere with my glasses. the lady decided to use the "12s"; another option was "14s" which were longer (not sure what these really mean). they say some people fall asleep during the process but i was not THAT comfortable.
so eyelash extensions work in that they are glued onto your individual eyelashes. each extension consists of 2 "eyelashes" which makes it look like you do have more eyelashes. i felt a little poke every time an extension was glued on. it didn't hurt but it wasn't comfortable either.
the whole process took like an hour including about 10 minutes of waiting for the glue to dry.
so here are the pictures. individual eye pictures look creepy next to each other! i apologize for some of the weird angles. it's tough taking pictures of yourself with your eyes closed!
definitely a noticeable difference! my eyelashes appeared fuller and darker. hooray for curled eyelashes! mine prefer to point downwards. one thing i wished the lady did was to take into consideration my eye shape. my left eye is a monolid - it folds underneath itself so it appears hooded. the lady put a few extensions on the very inner corner of my eye so when i opened my eyes, it looked pretty strange. it also kept rubbing against my eyelid. eventually these fell out pretty quickly anyway.
i've never had synthetic eyelash extensions so i can't say i noticed a difference with the mink ones. it's been a little over a week now, and my eyelashes looked best a few days after i got them done. nowadays, my eyelash extensions seem to be disappearing rapidly. i tried to keep count of the ones i notice falling out:
Day 1 (March 24): lost 1 in the morning (usually when i'm washing my face)
Day 2 (March 25): lost 1 in the morning; 2 at night
Day 5 (March 28): lost 1 at night
Day 6 (March 29): lost 1 in the morning
the first couple of days, i was constantly reminded that i was wearing eyelash extensions. it hurt a bit when i slept on my side because i felt the tubes pressing into my eyelids. either this feeling went away or i got used to it because i don't notice them anymore (or that i've lost so many!).
according to the company's site, they are supposed to last 3-6 weeks. at this rate, i think MAYBE 3 if i'm lucky. i did everything i was supposed to too: avoid oil based makeup remover (i actually avoided all eye makeup for a while - first few days, i felt like i didn't even need it!) - i loved getting out of bed and looking like i was ready to go out. i try not to touch my eyes at all. i did not purchase their recommended mascara though. it's a special one for lash extensions and cost $25. perhaps, i need to look into all the ingredients in my eyeliners.
i'll update you on more photos at the end of the week. meanwhile, i'm looking for a heated eyelash curler since i cannot use a normal one. i was told these extensions would hold their curl but it seems that they did not take Asian eyelashes into consideration. mine are normally stick straight so it seems that these lash extensions are slowly molding into MY shape. boo :( i've checked plenty of places that i've previously found heated eyelash curlers but cannot find any now!! funny how it's never there when you need it hey? so any recommendations on where i can find one?
AND AND - my very first Glossybox should be here today! will be positing again either tonight or tomorrow :)
Check out Sephora. They have a decent heated lash curler. I actually did a review on it if you wanna check it out. http://sams-ownmakeup.blogspot.ca/2012/01/12-of-365.html
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to see your glossbox!
thanks - i'll check Sephora! especially since there's Beauty Insider 15% off coupon right now :)
Deletewould you say the curl created with the heated eyelash curler lasted a long time?
In all honesty, I don't think I paid much attention to that, lol.
DeleteI'll try to test it out tomorrow and let you know :)
Hi Helen,
ReplyDeleteVery nice to share your experience with us. you have more pictures of the lashes with your eyes open? I assume the extentions are still pointing below, aren't they?
hi karin! thanks for visiting. i am sorry but i didn't take any more pictures. i was pretty new to blogging so i didn't really think ahead! if i find another eyelash extension deal, i will be happy to do a round 2 of reviews with more pictures!
Deletesome of the extensions did point down at that time... you can check out week 2, 3 and 4 & 5 for more pics!
Just put Blow your blow dryer on a regular metal eyelash curler until it gets hot. Just be careful because sometimes it can get pretty hot.
ReplyDeleteyeah i was thinking of that too but i did not know whether or not that would damage the extensions
DeleteI am eyelash Extensionist for over 7 years and I have to said this to lady who wrote this article.The lashes last 2.5-max 3 weeks till your next infills and around 5-6 weeks till they all gone!As for length 12 mean 120mm in length.
ReplyDeletethanks for the info. good to know that they last a max of 3 weeks. i was under the impression that it lasts longer since that is what their website stated.
DeleteThere is definitely a big difference with the before and after photos; those full lashes look beautiful! I just hope you posted a picture with your full face so we can compliment you on how those lashes looked on you. But anyway, how long did they last? I have some friends who just adore them and have extensions regularly. As time went on, they got used to it and were able to maintain their lashes for longer periods of time.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Gregg Mulherin
hi Gregg!
Deleteyeah i am sorry i didn't take better pictures - i was still pretty new to blogging! oh well, next time i will keep that in mind!
you can check out my 'summary' post - http://beauty-delights.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-mink-eyelash-extensions-week-4-5.html to see more pics..
for me, it "lasted" (as in still looked good) less than 2 weeks. but my sister got hers done recently and she hasn't seen any of the lashes fall out for the last 4 days. so i think it really depends on where you go
I like it when my girlfriend wears her eyelash extensions. It looks so good on her that her blue eyes become even more darling! According to her, the extensions she has are of good quality that’s why these last a very long time, unlike some that gets easily torn and easily fall out.
ReplyDeleteGeoffrey Lelia
Wonderful share. Keep it up
ReplyDeletethanks Ashley!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi! So, I know that this post is really old but I agree with the anon who said that they last max 3 weeks before needed a fill. I get extensions done regularly and I think the place you went to, did them wrong, which is why you've had so many problems. Eyelash extensions are only supposed to be one single eyelash being placed onto one single natural eyelash/your own eyelash. As well, you're never supposed to be feeling a poking/uncomfortable feeling when they are placed or after they're done. Anytime after you have them on, you shouldn't even notice that you have them on (as in, they shouldn't be poking your eye or anything). They SHOULD also keep their curl; the extensions keep their curl and your own eyelashes should curl with them because of the glue. Also, the numbers for the extensions refer to their lengths. I usually get 12s done, which mean 12mm. You usually shouldn't really go longer than 12s though because then, they become too heavy. So pretty much, if you get them done some place that does them properly (which a big clue is that ALL salons that do them properly never stack lashes and they only put an individual lash onto ONE of your own lashes), then they would've been a lot better/comfortable/lasted longer.
ReplyDeletehey! thanks for commenting and sharing your insight (yes i know it's an old post but i still read all the comments!)
Deletei think i am about to try eyelash extensions again so i will keep all you've said in mind! i really hope i don't get that uncomfortable poking feeling again - it would be really great if i don't feel them at all.
Hi Helen,
DeleteVery nice to share your experience with us. lash extensions in Pensacola eyelashextensionsadvice
Thank you for posting,I like my girlfriend when wears her eyelash extensions. It looks so good on her. If you think you can check this: http://bestidoleyelash.com/eyelash-growth-serum/ serum that can heal eyelash naturally.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete