The good, the bad, and the itchy...
Is it just me, or does it seem like Instagram is overflowing with fab videos of gorgeous girls and their lash extension transformations? I found myself obsessing over how angelic a new set of lashes looked. I decided if I took the plunge and invested a pretty penny to ~enhance~ my (naturally longer than average) lashes, I would wake up feeling perfect, occasionally be mistaken for a goddess, and my life would generally be changed for the better (looking).
I got my first full set from a local nail spa. I had been getting gels and pedicures there for awhile, met with the lash artist to ask alllll of the questions, and was ready with screenshots of lash looks I liked.
After anxiously confirming that my lash artist knew exactly what I wanted, I lied down, closed my eyes, and waited for her to change my life.
At about the hour and a half mark, I started to wonder why we weren't almost done... my lash artist started to complain that I had more lashes than is typical ("I lost count at 100 on the first eye!"), and she would need to charge me extra because the appointment was taking longer than she expected. I was a bit weary of this, but I wasn't about to walk out with an eye and a half of extensions, so I nodded and she continued.
When my appointment was over, I'll admit, I was #feelingmyself. My lashes really did look amazing, and I knew I was already hooked before even walking out.

After going in for a second fill appointment with her, I started to feel like something wasn't right. My lash line was itchy and even hurt if I blinked too hard, and my eyes were a bit red and puffy.
I knew it was time to go to a true lash expert.
I started going to another place to have my lashes done, because I figured I must have just picked the wrong place. I chose a lash salon in the area with incredible reviews. I'll admit, it was a lot more expensive than that initial nail salon visit, but worth it.
The lash artist immediately noticed my previous lash artist had used wayyyyyyy too much glue and some lashes were stuck together. Already, after only having them done twice, my natural lashes were little to none. OH NO! Not what i wanted.
My new lash artist did an amazing job and helped remove all of the improperly done lashes as she was able to (sometimes if they're stuck together, you sort of just have to wait for them to fall out).
Having lash extensions, I felt put together the second I woke up in the morning. My eyes looked brighter and I found I took way less time to get ready in the morning. I was in love. But, that irritation around my lash line never seemed to let up and one day, enough was enough. I called to have my (pretty new set of) lashes removed.
Seeing my sad looking once long and plentiful lashes was tough... like harder than i want to admit. When you get used to perfect looking lashes 24/7, it's hard to accept what they really look like once you go natural again. But, I scooted over to CVS and picked up Rapid Lash serumn for $50 ish and started my journey to regrowing my #natural lashes.
Moral of the story: Lash extensions definitely glam up your every day life. You'll find yourself feeling more confident "makeup free" and feel generally more put together. But, they require a lot of money and upkeep, and all it takes is one shoddy lash job to totally mess everything up. I think if I had gone to the lash salon in the first place, my experience probably wouldn't have ended so abruptly. But, here we are.
Now, I use Rapid Lash (from CVS), and the L'Oreal Volumnious Primer to up my lash game. I think I'll keep it that way.
