I used to consider eyelash extensions as a nice-to-have luxury. To me, getting eyelash extensions was for women with enviable amounts of free time and a beauty budget to die for. But after getting a set of extensions in the beginning of the year (thanks to an esthetician at my gym who bartered lash extensions for an evening of lash modeling), I was hooked.
Eyelash extensions eliminate the need for eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara and lash curlers. Re-read that last sentence! My beauty routine has been shortened by 5-10 minutes plus I wake up with long, dark, curled lashes. Both appealing and convenient. As a working mom, lash extensions now seem like a no-brainer. Something I want to maintain, but with the realistic expectations. Thus, I’ve found some ways to make the maintenance less of a chore.
Unfortunately, as much as I love them. heading to the salon every 2-3 weeks is not sustainable. To spread out the time between lash fills, I use mascara to blend my natural lashes with the extensions and a liquid eyeliner to add volume back to the lash line. COVERGIRL sent me their Covergirl Super Sizer mascara and Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner by Lashblast and I’ve been testing them both for the past week.
The wand of the Super Sizer mascara is perfect for blending natural lashes with synthetic mink extensions. It’s short bristles are offset by longer ones to help you get a good amount of product applied, but avoid any clumps. It’s quickly become one of my favorite tubes of mascara fighting Benefit’s They’re Real for top billing. Their liquid liner has a wide and skinny applicator which is designed to make cat eyes fool-proof. At first, I found it tough to control, but after I got the hang of it, it was a breeze. I’m still no cat eye expert, but the eyeliner definitely makes your eyes look larger and adds long-lasting volume to the lash line.
Lastly, a bright lip will brighten up your whole face — including your peepers. I’m obsessed with matte shades, especially MAC Tropic Tonic because it adds just the right amount of shine. I find gloss lipsticks paired with dramatic eye makeup can look a little heavy on me, but mattes pair perfectly and stay put for hours; even after meals.
Have you tried lash extensions? How do you maintain them?
