The craze in the beauty world this past year has arguably been lash extensions, but recently it’s been challenged by the trend of lash lifts. I found out about lash lifts this summer and have been obsessed with the idea ever since. As a blonde, straight-lashed girl, the thing I struggle with the most is actually being able to see my eyelashes. The idea of a perm to give perfectly curled eyelashes, and a tint to make them less invisible seemed like the perfect plan. Only problem? Lash lifts in the salon can go for $75-$125, and as an already-struggling-for-cash college student, that was not an option. I promptly gave up on my lash lift dreams, oh so heartbroken.
Little did I know that a much more affordable — and much more intimidating — option would find me soon enough. I absentmindedly searched lash lift kit to see how much the pros were paying for them, and a couple clicks later my computer took me to the incredible world of Amazon, where lash lift kits were only a fraction of the salon price, selling for $20-$30! I was super excited until I realized that my shaky hands (that can barely paint a fingernail without getting color all over my finger) would not do so well with the precise actions needed to move each individual lash and apply the perm solution. So, once again, I gave up on my dreams of curly lashes.
About a month later, I moved into my dorm and met my roommate. I quickly got used to her perfectionism and realized that she would probably love the challenge of perfecting an eyelash lift. I mentioned it and (lucky me) she loved the idea! We ordered a cheap kit on Amazon, along with some lash and brow tint, and waited a patient two days for that Prime shipping to bring us our lash goals.
Two days (and some Youtube tutorials) later, we unboxed our haul and I was suddenly terrified that this cheap online kit would make my eyelashes fall off! I quickly weighed my options- having no lashes or having absolutely beautiful ones- and decided I would take the risk. After all, beauty is pain, right? After gluing down the silicone pads, my roommate made sure each eyelash was individually separated in perfect fashion and glued onto the pads. Then she applied the first perming solution and left it on for about ten minutes. Step two was a fixation solution and was on for another ten minutes. The next step was a nutrition factor, and finally, a cleanser to get all the glue off my lashes. After getting everything crazy-sounding off my sensitive eyes, I ran to the bathroom mirror to look at the results.
Above: my lashes before and after the lash lift
Although they were still blonde, my lashes were SO curly! I was half pleased and half just plain surprised that it actually worked! We waited 24 hours to get them wet, just like a regular perm for your hair (thanks Elle Woods!), and then started on the tinting. We put guards under my eyes with Vaseline and covered the rest of my eyelid in Vaseline too so they wouldn’t be stained by the dye- I wanted to avoid raccoon eyes at all costs. We mixed the color with the activator solution until it became a paste that looked scarily close to dog poop, which I did not want anywhere near my eyes! My roommate applied the paste to my lashes, and we waited about 15 minutes before washing it all off. I opened my eyes and was shocked when I looked in the mirror! It looked like I was wearing mascara!
Above: my friend Allison’s lashes before and after the lash lift
It’s been about three weeks, and I’ve only worn mascara once since my at-home lash lift! I absolutely love how cheap and honestly easy the entire process was, and I’m so happy with the results! It was very calming to lay with my eyes closed for half an hour, and I didn’t have any problems with my sensitive eyes. To get curly lashes for about the price of a high-end mascara, head on over to Amazon and get yourself a lash lift kit. Then the only other thing you need is a friend you trust with your lashes, and you’ll be batting your eyelashes like Jackie Burkhart from “That 70’s Show” in no time!
(Pictures were taken by me unless otherwise stated. Gif courtesy of giphy.com.)