When I walked into my eyelash extension appointment six weeks ago, I felt both nervous and excited. I had first seriously considered getting the treatment about a year before, and ever since then, the idea had been in the back of my mind. I loved the idea of constantly having long, fluttery lashes, but I couldn’t decide if they were worth the cost. I spent hours looking up details on the process and comparing prices online. Then, over the summer, I went to visit my friend in another state who I hadn’t seen in almost a year. She had recently gotten eyelash extensions, and they looked AMAZING on her. “I don’t even wear makeup anymore,” she told me proudly. By the next week, my appointment was booked.
Here’s my advice to anyone considering going for eyelash extensions:
1. Have an idea of your budget
Before you get extensions, decide how much they’re worth to you. Lash extensions have a wide range of prices, depending on the quality of the products used and the experience of the stylist. Some of the salons I looked at charged $300, while a place at the mall in my hometown only charged $40. Keep in mind that lash extensions will fall out with your natural lashes, so you will need fills about every three weeks. The price for a fill is usually significantly less than the initial cost, but when you have to pay every three weeks it adds up quickly. To give you an idea, the salon that I ended up choosing charged $100 for a full set and $50 for a fill.
2. Do your research before booking your appointment
You want to make sure that the person who will be applying your lashes is experienced and qualified. For this reason, the cheapest option is not always your best bet. Look at reviews and find pictures of their work, on the salon’s website or social media accounts. Make sure that you like their work – you don’t want to end up looking crazy or damaging your natural lashes!
3. Decide what type of lashes you want to get
Your options are pretty simple: classic full set (one extension applied to each natural lash), double full set (two extensions applied to each natural lash), or Russian volume (2+ extensions applied to each natural lash). I decided to do the classic full set because I wanted a natural look, and I would definitely recommend going classic for your first time getting extensions.
4. Know what to expect when you go to your appointment
The procedure will start off with lying down with your eyes closed for about two hours with someone gluextensions to every single one of your lashes. It will be a little uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt at all – if it does, say something! You might be allergic to the glue, and you could end up hurting your eyes. The most important tip I will provide, when it comes to the appointment itself, is to BRING HEADPHONES. I forgot mine and it was probably the most boring two hours of my life.
Finally, my appointment was over and I got to see my new lashes! I was thrilled. They looked fluttery and voluminous, but still fairly natural. For the next few days, I couldn’t stop staring at my reflection. I hardly ever wore makeup for the next month, and I definitely noticed an improvement in my confidence.
So, were they worth the cost?
Personally, I don’t regret getting eyelash extensions at all. They definitely did make me feel more confident, and I loved having them. Because I had wanted them for so long, I think it was worth the money to finally get to try them out and see how they looked on me. However, as much as I loved them, I decided not to get mine filled. When I realized that I would need fills every three weeks, and that it would actually cost me over $60 each time with the tax and tip included, I decided that spending that much money on a regular basis just wasn’t realistic for me. It’s been about six weeks since I got them done, and most of the extensions have fallen out now.
Here’s what my lashes looked like after about 2 weeks…
…and after 4 weeks:
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with eyelash extensions and I would definitely go for them again for a special occasion like a wedding or a trip. When it comes to my everyday life though, I think I’ll just stick with my natural lashes for now.