I don’t know one woman who doesn’t want big sexy lashes! “Last year, while many [makeup] categories remained flat – neither gaining nor losing sales – sales of false lashes grew 6.2%. And sales for eyelash growth stimulators are growing by the double digits, expected to create a $1 billion industry soon.” (www.kissandmakeup.tv) The minimal barrier of entry is of course mascara. My girlfriends and I are constantly commenting on or trying new mascara products. Suckers! All of us. We want so badly to believe what they advertise to us that we will try anything once. I can’t even count how many tubes of mascara I have purchased, only to discard after one or two uses because they failed to deliver on their promises. And don’t get me started on mascara commercials…you do realize that all of those women are wearing fake eyelashes? Sure maybe there’s some mascara on those fake eyelashes but they don’t look that way from mascara alone.
At some point maybe you’ve tried fake eyelashes. Application of them is tough to do alone. You have to practice and get used to doing and then re-doing your shadow because you effed it up, and good, in the process. Ah, the cost of beauty! I’ve played with lashes a fair amount but they are a one trick pony generally speaking. You struggle to get em looking good and they only last one evening.
This weekend I discovered lash extensions. There is a little boutique in Los Angeles called Makeup Mandy’s on Melrose Ave. I have driven past it daily for something like 4 years and always wondered exactly what a “lash bar” meant. After I spent 2 hours in the afternoon watching Nicole Kidman’s endless lashes flutter in Moulin Rouge on TV, I finally decided I needed to get off the couch and investigate this extension idea for myself.
Mandy was a delight, applying my set of lashes herself, one by one. Lash extensions are essentially fake lashes applied with a special intense glue that allows them to stay put for 4 to 6 weeks, basically a normal lash cycle. They fall out when your lashes themselves fall out. You can of course get touch ups when necessary. But with careful cleaning and not too much fuss you literally don’t need to worry about your lashes for a very long time. I’m shocked at how much time it saves me in the morning. I can just throw on a little lipstick and I’m set to go.
They are a fairly luxurious expense, ranging anywhere from a half set of lashes at $175 to a whole set of Mink lashes that will run you $500. However Mandy does do regular strip applications that could last as long as a week for only $25. Her celebrity clients include Adrien Brody, Avril Lavigne , Eva Longoria, Karina Smirnoff, Leighton Meester, and Vivica A. Fox among others.
It’s a delightful departure from the average everyday look and even though we’re talking about eyelashes, they brighten your whole face making your eyes really pop. My best friend happens to be an actress, and she swears that she has never booked a gig not wearing fake lashes. I recommend them for anyone who wants to add a little glamor to their daily routine.
Words by Barbie Brady
