My Lash Extensions Experience

photo by Bourbon Oak Tree Photography

Happy Wednesday everyone! This last week has been full of lots of snuggles and resting. I had the not so fun experience of having a blocked milk duct this past weekend. It started late last week and I think I was actually on the verge of getting mastitis, which really frightened me. I somehow magically beat it though! I'm feeling so much better and and the clog is gone. It was kind of a wake up call for me though to start taking it easier and that I just need to rest more. Thanks to finally slowing down though I was able to get rid of the clog and my tailbone is finally better now, too. My house may look like a tornado ran through it and I might be super behind on laundry but at least I'm getting healthy. Kai's needed all the snuggles, too, because he seems to be going through his first mental leap. He wants to be nonstop held and has been waking up early from his naps HANGRY. However, I'm going to be positive and grateful for that last bit because thanks to him wanting to be constantly nursing it really helped unclog that milk duct. So thank you baby boy for healing me!

Today I wanted to share my lash extensions experience with all of you! Ever since I got them done back at the end of December I've received so many compliments on them as well as had lots of questions about them. So here are my thoughts on the process and why I decided to get them done!

Why I Got Lash Extensions

Taking care of yourself as a mom is really hard. Your baby always comes first and as a mom I am 100% on board with that. However, you have a lot going on with hormones, lack of sleep, not feeling tip top, and struggling with the image of yourself after awhile when you're a new mom. I knew all of this full well before giving birth. I started thinking of ways I knew would give me a little bit of confidence and possibly help cure some of those baby blues once Kai came in to this world. I truly love beauty products and doing my makeup, but being on maternity leave and not having any time to put on a face every morning really puts a hinder on that love. So I had the idea of getting lash extensions. This way I could look in the mirror every day and personally feel like I still looked nice. I loved the idea of not having to put mascara on EVER, too. A lot of times if I keep mascara on too long it starts to burn my eyes, but I love long lashes. I feel like I look so tired when I don't put mascara on and let me tell you as a mom to a 1 month old...I'm SO TIRED. All these little factors kept creeping in to my head, so I decided to make an appointment with a lash studio for a free consultation to see if getting extensions would work for me.

The Process

I went to my free consultation and after asking a bunch of questions like if I stop getting them will my natural lashes still be healthy? (yes), how often do you need to get them re-done? (every 2-4 weeks), and what kind of day to day maintenance do they require? (brush them out with a little clean mascara wand), I decided to get them. I made an appointment for a couple days later and was so excited about it. The first appointment to get the full set done was about 2 hours long. I was really late in to my pregnancy and was worried about having to lay flat on my back to get them put on but my consultant was so nice and understanding. She propped my hips and belly up with some pillows and I was good to relax for the next 2 hours. I absolutely loved how they turned out but was interested to see how they would hold up over time. I made an appointment for my first fill 2 weeks later and went off with my new lashes. Well even with wearing makeup and putting eye shadow on my eyes, my lashes held up so well! They still looked really good even after 2 weeks so I knew I could probably push that 3 week mark when the baby came if I needed to. I went to my first fill appointment at that 2 week mark though and my consultant was able to make them even fuller, which made me love them even more. I was hooked and have gone back three more times for fills. Each fill lasts only 1 hour if you go every 2 to 3 weeks. If you push it to 4, then you can get an hour and a half session to make up that extra week.

The Result

Like I said at the start of this post, I've gotten so many compliments on my lashes, which definitely makes me feel really good about myself. Most importantly though, I feel beautiful with them. I look at myself in the mirror every time I go to the bathroom and smile. Even though I don't have the time to put any makeup on right now or do a bunch of self care, I still feel like I look great. They have given me so much confidence and I don't mind snapping pictures all day long even though I'm not wearing makeup. Before I use to feel really self conscious if I wasn't at least wearing mascara, but now it's like selfie central with my cutie little baby! I am truly so happy I got them and it's my little treat that I do for myself every few weeks. I've gone twice since becoming a mom and it's a nice little break away, too. It's nice to only have to be gone for an hour so I never miss a feeding or start feeling like I've been gone from Kai for too long, but I get an hour to myself just relaxing!

Taking Care of Your Lashes

They are seriously so easy to care for! All I do for them all day is brush them out with a little clean mascara wand in the morning and before I go to bed. I also make sure not to rub my eyes, and I never put mascara on them or use an eyelash curler. The other rule I strictly follow is I don’t put any kind of oily products on my face. I know facial oil is a big trend right now but this can really ruin your lash extensions and it will all turn in to a big waste of money. I also never use eye makeup remover anymore. To get any eye shadow off, I take a makeup wipe and gently rub the lid and avoid the lash line as much as possible. I’ve personally never been one to wear eyeliner on my top lid (I only apply it to my water line if I do chose to put some on) so when I’m taking off any eye makeup now I can avoid that upper lash line. The last thing I make sure to do is I never wipe my eyes with water. When I’m in the shower, I let water run on my face but not too harshly. That’s honestly it though! They are really low maintenance for something that really helps make me feel beautiful all the time!

The Price Tag

The only downside to getting lash extensions though is how much they cost. I believe for me, it's worth it, but I'm not going to deny that it's not expensive. For reference if you're interested in getting your lashes done and want to know what a good price is, at my studio a full set of natural lashes is $260. However, my studio always offers promotions on full sets and it usually comes out to being around $200. Each fill is $75 if you go every 2 to 3 weeks and if you decide to go every 4 weeks and need a longer session then it costs $90. If you're interested in going to my studio and live in the north shore area of Chicago, I go toL Studio Lash & Skincare Boutique in Libertyville.

If you have any more questions about getting your lashes done please leave me a comment below! What is your self care thing you love to do for yourself? Leave me a comment below and share!