Lash Lift

If eyes are the windows to the soul, then lashes are the gates. Carissa Casey on her newfound love of lashes.

My life was transformed this past December. True, I got married. As importantly, I fell back in love with my lashes, newly extended and beautifully bushy.

A set of fluffy, jet black, eye-batting lashes will take you anywhere. They take the sting out of that first makeup free look in the mirror every morning.  There may be a few more fi ne lines but wow, your lashes look great. A little foundation, a touch of concealer, and you’re good to go.

Smear on a little eyeshadow and you’re ready for a glamorous night out. Anything fancier than that and it feels like you could be stalking a red carpet with the best of them. As a confidence booster, lash extensions are second to none.

That said, I have had a troubled history with lash extensions. I was an early adopter, getting them first done as far back as 2006. But, over the years, I had one too many disasters, the last of which resulted in my own natural lashes breaking and falling out. If great lashes are glamorously transformative, a sparse array of stumpy tufts can send even the most resilient soul scurrying under a duvet, never to emerge in public again until the lashes have fully grown. A bad haircut can be gelled into some sort of shape and adorned with a hair band or a few clips, but it’s hard to disguise broken eyelashes.

Time is the best healer but a good serum can help things along. I’ve tried numerous over the years and the best, by far, is Revitalash (€92 visit revitalash.ie). Apply once a day to the lash line (it won’t work quicker if you apply more often) and, if needs be, meditate on the virtue of patience.

TIPS FOR FALSIES

For a night out, false eyelashes can provide camouflage. I find these annoyingly tricky to apply – usually one set goes on perfectly and the other refuses to stay in place. I’ve had the best results using Eylure Pro Magnetic Eyeliner and Lash system (€25 visit boots.ie). It involves applying three coats of the eyeliner to the lash line, allowing each coat to dry, and then attaching the lashes. So it’s not a speedy process. The packet claims that each set will provide 15 wears but the best I’ve ever managed is three.

One handy hint provided by the lovely Jennifer Doyle from Brown Sugar in Dublin’s South William Street (brownsugar.ie) if you do intend to wrestle with falsies - trim the lashes to fit your eye. Most falsies are way too long for the average eye, so snip them to size and focus on attaching them to the outer edges of the eyes.

Over the last few years I’ve contented myself with using a white primer. There are plenty on the market but I’ve returned again and again to Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Primer (€8.99 visit mccauley.ie). Not only will this thicken and extend what lash is there, it will also make them appear even blacker since the mascara goes on over a white base.

Paula Molloy

RESEARCH WELL

I have from time to time had my lashes permed and tinted, which adds a certain oomph and lasts for a few weeks. ­ The perm enhances the curl which definitely opens up the eye. It’s a good option if you’re wary of extensions.

But as I’ve now discovered, extensions don’t have to cause broken stubby lashes. I’m blessed to have on my door step Paula Molloy from Blink Lashes ( blink.ie) an Irish brand that supplies lashes and glues to lash technicians across the country, including to the most reputable training centres. She trains technicians and also does extensions at her Bray based salon. Her advice to anyone considering lash extensions, either for the first time or after a long break without them, is to ask for recommendations from friends.

“If you know someone who has lash extensions that you like, they should be your first port of call. Otherwise, do some sleuthing online. Aside from checking that the technician is properly trained and certified, you’d expect to see plenty of examples of their work regularly posted on social media. You should also be able to see customer reviews.”

She recommends asking for a consultation first, so you can see the salon and get a feel for cleanliness. ­ The technician should request that you undergo a patch test, 24 hours before the treatment to check if you have an allergy to any of the product. The consultation is also an opportunity for you to discuss what kind of effect you want.

­ The brief I offered was ‘not too over the top but definitely noticeable’. And after my patch test was clear, that’s exactly what I got. Beautiful long dense wispy lashes that looked just the right side of glamourous without straying into drag queen territory.

MIND WHAT YOU HAVE

So how have my real lashes fared? Pretty good so far. I’ve had one set of refills and plan to keep going until I’m told to stop.

Paula has warned me that my natural lashes will be checked every time I go for a refill and if they’re starting to show any sign of damage, all the extensions come off immediately. While I’d hate to say goodbye to the extensions for any period of time, it’s reassuring to know that if needs be, my natural lashes will get a rest from them before a serious problem arises.

Perhaps that’s the best tip of all. Ask your technician whether they will check your natural lashes before you get, or add, any extensions and advise you whether or not to proceed.

­The final word on eyelashes goes to the 13th century Persian poet Rumi. “Your eyelashes will write on my heart the poem that could never come from the pen of a poet,” he wrote. Now that’s the kind of sentiment we’d all like to inspire.

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