How should clients prepare for an appointment? “We send an email to all of our clients when they book an appointment saying, ‘Please come in with no eye makeup on.’ Ideally, we want them to not wear makeup for 24 hr before they come in,” says Tirzah Briscoe, owner of Blinkbar, which has locations in West Hollywood and Santa Monica, CA; Austin and Dallas, TX, and more opening soon in New York. Additionally, Shannon Sturdivant, owner of Lashes by Shannon in Dallas, TX, tells her clients at the time of confirmation not to drink coffee before their appointment, so that they are not so jittery that they blink their eyes during application.
How long does the process take? “If it is the client’s first time, it can take up to 3 hr for a full set because there is a consultation where we need to explain the services, analyze their lashes and answer their questions,” says Carla Goycochea, manager, makeup artist and lash stylist at Blu Water Day Spa & Salon in Kensington, MD. Other lash applications can run from 1 to 2 hr, depending on how many lashes are put on, while lash refills—touchups—can be a 45 min appointment. Another factor that influences time is eye sensitivity; more time is needed if the client has sensitive eyes and tears up or blinks a lot.
photos: Shutterstock.com
Will eyelash extensions damage my natural lashes? “The answer to that is ‘no,’ and, unfortunately, ‘if you are not careful, yes,’” says Cecilli Grootemaat, owner of Sable Lash Lounge in Bellevue, WA. “It really depends on who is applying the lashes. If they
July 2014 • Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa
go to an artist who is highly skilled and uses outstanding products and technique, they can wear lashes consecutively without taking breaks in between the natural growth cycles. If they go to a service provider who has not been properly trained, they will very likely end up with ‘clumpy’ lashes that are glued together improperly or with bad glue. Their lash line may become swollen and/ or itchy. Their natural lashes will not be able to grow or shed properly, which will absolutely cause some level of damage.” Adds Briscoe, “Some people will find that their lashes grow longer and thicker with extensions on because the everyday process of curling your eyelashes and then putting on coats of mascara and scrubbing it off every night can be much more damaging than well applied eyelash extensions.”
How long will lash extensions last? “It is really based on the natural growth cycle of your lashes and everyone is different, but 6 to 8 weeks is average,” says Courtney Akai of Courtney Akai Lash Boutique in Soho, NY. Most experts say touch-ups, or refills, are recommended every 2 to 4 weeks, or when you feel like you have lost 50 to 75% of your lash extensions.
What are the aftercare instructions? It depends on the type of lashes and lash glue that you use, so be sure to send your clients home with take-home instructions specific to the products you use. Some types of glues can get wet immediately, while others should stay away from water, steam, saunas and sweat for 24 hr in order to let the glue set. Be sure to know your products well. As a general rule, clients should avoid harsh rubbing. Likewise, some products prohibit the use of oil-
based makeup removers. It is also a great upsell to provide after-care products, such as makeup removers, facial cleansers and eye creams that work well with the eyelash extension products you use.
Why buy $250 lash extensions at a spa versus $69 lash extensions on a Groupon? There are several good reasons for that: “Experience and quality,” says Grootemaat. Adds Sturdivant, “I always say you get what you pay for.” “To not ruin your natural lashes!” says Akai. Briscoe shares one Groupon horror story: “I have had people come in that had just gotten their lashes done at some place they found on a Groupon, and the person glued their lashes in clusters with lashes bought from a store and glue that felt like Krazy Glue. There is more regulation in other countries, but it is the Wild Wild West here. You do not know what you are going to get when you get it for so cheap on Groupon.” n
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