Eyelashes! Who doesn’t feel like a princess when you get all dolled up for a night and layer on the fake lashes, mascara and eyeliner?! It totally transforms your face. But most of us do that maybe a handful of times a year at the most? Personally I am incapable of applying fake eyelashes. I have tried many times and I think I got it ½ way right a total of 1 time. I have blonde eyelashes so I HAVE to wear mascara or I look super weird. I’ve even dyed my eyelashes before and I liked the result, but it stung and I just never did it again.
Then one day I read a blog post on Racked LA about eyelash extensions and within 5 minutes I booked my appointment! It was perfect timing because it was right before Thanksgiving and I was leaving on a cruise a few days later so I loved the idea of not needing mascara during vacation.
My lash guru is Arianna Montazem and her studio is in West Hollywood. I didn’t know what to expect when I went for my first appointment, but the entire experience ended up being quick and totally painless! She applied a full set on me in an hour, which from what I understand is very fast. The lashes she uses are from Nova Lash and she applies an individual lash to each natural lash. Her website states that when applied properly, lash extensions will not harm natural lashes. The NovaLash application technique allows natural lashes to grow and thrive with extensions.
The day after I got my lashes! Obsessed!
The result is AMAZING! I am seriously so obsessed with my new lashes. I feel like they really do change your entire look and they certainly boost your confidence. People start complimenting your hair, your makeup, etc… when the only difference is the new lashes! I normally use eyeliner but with these lashes I didn’t even need that anymore.
The upkeep is also really simple. Arianna gave me a lash wand to use every night and morning to get the tangles out of your lashes, which I did religiously. She also sells conditioning/cleansing pads which I do not have. I would just wipe my face clean with Aveeno pads like I normally do, but would be careful to avoid my lashes. Since you don’t wear mascara with the lashes and I wasn’t wearing eyeliner I didn’t have any need to clean super close to the lashes. I will say the couple times I did wear eyeliner I lost some lashes when I went to remove my eye makeup.
3 week old lashes still looking great!
On Arianna's website she offers fills after 2 weeks or fills after 3-4 weeks. My first fill was 3 weeks and 2 days after my first application. I definitely had lost lashes over those 3 weeks but they still looked a hundred times better than my actual lashes! The picture to the right is a day or two before my fill.
I am officially hooked and don’t see any end to my new found love of eyelash extensions. If you are in Los Angeles I would highly suggest you visit Arianna! The lashes will totally transform your look for the better. It is a bit of a splurge, but I decided that it may actually save me from some wrinkles by not having to rub my eyes over and over again each night just trying to get my mascara off!
I couldn't even wait to leave Arianna's studio to selfie! This was in the bathroom down the hall:)