Extension Addiction

I'm officially addicted to lash extension. It makes a big difference. Your eyes look bigger, dark rings less obvious, skin tone strangely more even, overall look more alert..Ohhh all the wonders!.....And I've got lovely Wendy to thank for the wonderful lash place she recommended! Now I dunno how I can live without it and I wonder if it'll be bad in the long run. The lash lady said it's okay as long as you don't inflict trauma to the lashes (READ: yank the whole thing out), then you can just keep doing it. She said some of her clients have them on for 5 years without a break and it's still fine....let's see how long I'll keep doing it for. Some of my friends are super keen on trying but are apprehensive cos they think they'll not get used to it. PJ did hers but she removed hers about a month later cos she said she couldn't stand not rubbing her eyes but for vainity's sake, I shall not rub mine and not rubbing your eyes is good for you anyway. But in case you'd like to get your lashes done, here're Miss B's tips to maintaining it and keeping them fresh for as long as possible....

Lash Extension Do's and Don'ts:

• Avoid contact with water for the first 2 days after getting your lashes done. The lash extension lady told me that she would avoid splashing water onto her face for the first 2 days to allow the extension glue to really set in nicely. She said the glue takes about 4 hours to totally dry off so if you can't stand not splashing your face with water for 2 days, wait at least 4 hours or more....
• You CAN splash water on your face or even stick your face in the shower but just don't rub it and once out of the shower, dab off the water with towel immediately cos water weakens the glue. But it's of course best to not excessively splash water all over them...
• Switch to a non oil-base cleanser/make-up remover. It's okay to use oil cleanser still but if it gets to the lashes, it weakens the bond in the glue and it means your lashes won't last as long, so if you must use oil cleanser, try not to get it into the lashes
• To wash face and remove make up, apply remover as usual and then use cotton wool or facial tissue to wipe off make up and you can use cotton buds to remove make up that's close to the lash line if you wear eyeliner. I personally feel there's no need to wear eyeliner cos the extension gives it a very dark hue...but if I wear eye shadow, I'll still use cotton bud to clean off the eye area thoroughly
• You can definitely swim. Just wear goggles
• If you get crusty sleepy dust stuck on your lashes, you can use toothpicks to pick it off, just make sure you don't tear it through the lashes or it'll damage the extension. If it's stubborn, apply warm damp towel to the area to soften it before removing it by gently wiping it off
• Don't sleep with your face down on the pillow cos it'll mess up all the lashes! Erm....not to mention you'll suffocate too but I do know girls who sleep like that and actually wake up and not die...
• Choose an extension that's suitable for you. My lash technician said if you have rounder and bigger eyes, you can get away with thicker and longer and more dramatic extension, if your eyes are smaller, opt for something less dramatic unless you're ready to slap on lots of eye make-up too. So the bigger your eyes, the more dramatic the extension can be
• Be careful when you pull your clothes over your face when you get dressed. Ensure they don't drag the lashes out or there's no button or dangly bits to accidentlly catch the lashes cos I got mine pulled down and ripped out on the edges while trying on a tight dress...not funny cos I went to work with uneven lashes the next day....
• There're two type of extensions: the natural and the "barbie doll". Natural ones use finer strands and is great if you want to achieve that "just applied mascara" look but then the natural looking ones don't last as long. Barbie doll lashes are more dramatic and it looks good when you photograph and they're harder and will last longer. The Barbie Doll lasts about a month and you'll probably need touching up after, depending on how careful you are with them. Sometimes they can last even longer if you maintain them well. Natural ones might require touching up after 2 to 3 weeks
• Try not to do the extension too close to the inner edges of the eye cos those areas tend to get very scratchy with extension. Ask the technician to not get too close in or you'll have to put up with the scratchy feelings for about 2 or 3 days or longer...I got my done quite far in the first time and I went back to ask the lady to remove some on the inner edges to make the wear more comfy....
• NEVER attempt to remove the lash extension by yourself cos you'll end up pulling all your natural lashes out unless you want to achieve the bald eyelid martian look. Go back to the technician cos they have special remover to soften the lashes for easy removal
• If it's your first time, choose something shorter first cos you might not get used to the sudden dramatic effect. I got the full set of barbie doll lash the first time and had a bit of a shock and had to ask the lady to trim it down. But after awhile, I get used to it....
• You don't need to wear mascara or curl it (strangely quite a few people ask me this)

So there you have it....it's seriously addictive to me...cos like I mentioned in my old post, I look half-human instead of half-dead when I wake up in the morning and without make up on...it saves lots of mascara and eye make up time too!