I have been so curious about eye lash extensions ever since I first read about them on Tiffany’s blog I Am Styl-ish. I read this post even before I started blogging so when I began blogging about beauty I had it written down as something I wanted to research.
I was EXTREMELY excited when I was contacted by Ingrid of Sweet Grass Spa offering to let me try out lash extensions installed by Laura Hippensteel Sweet Grass Spa’s Lash stylist. I jumped at the chance!
Sweet Grass Spa is located at 111e Queen Street East in Toronto and is a cool little underground space that seems small from the outside but is quite spacious and open on the inside!
Love this light fixture that greeted me as I walked in
Steps leading towards the spa – the door is gorgeous!
My Locker – robe, slippers, toothbrush and toothpaste!
The change room (don’t worry, I was alone!)
The lounge area
I don’t have any pictures of my actual lash extension process taking place, but let me share my experience. Laura was amazing and extremely knowledgeable and professional. She let me know what to expect. The session would take about 90 minutes depending on how many lashes she was going to add and made sure I was ok with laying down with my eyes closed for the entire 90 minutes.
Make sure you go to the bathroom first!!! I wear contacts and normally she recommends they be removed, but it’s more for comfort level – my contacts are actually the kind you can wear for a month even though I take them out every night and I’ve fallen asleep with them on so I wasn’t too worried. Oh, and don’t bother wearing eye make up when you show up, it will all get taken off anyway.
The lashes would be essentially glued onto my individual own lashes – so no glue would touch my skin.
She asked me what I was expecting my lashes to look like after. I’m pretty happy with my overall length when I curl my lashes and apply mascara but I was hoping for a bit of volume and more “darkness” to help frame my eyes. But I still wanted them to look fairly natural and not like I had a set of fake lashes on!
After assessing my lashes Laura decided to use J & B curls lashes in varying lengths of 9, 10 and 11 mm. J has a natural curl like the curve of a J, there are also “C” curl lashes which have a more dramatic curl to them. If I’m not mistaken B curls were used to kind of match the way my own lashes were.
My before pictures:
Pretty pathetic and non existential sans mascara!
Pretty straight too, not much of a curl going on
Now, I’m a realistic girl, I knew that the amount of lashes Laura could add would be dependent on the number of lashes I already had – she mentioned she could apply about 50 to each eye but that my eyes wouldn’t be able to hold 90 – 100 unlike some lucky girls!
The process itself was completely painless. Patches were applied under my eyes to hold down my lower lashes so that the adhesive wouldn’t stick to them. The removal of the patches didn’t hurt at all!
Laura and I chatted throughout the beginning of my session …but then at some point I think I fell asleep…several times LOL! I only realized when Laura would ask if I was doing ok and when she would break out a little fan to help speed up the drying process. So as long as you’re comfortable lying on the table for 90 minutes it’s quite a relaxing experience!
Ok, ok so I know you want to see the after…well voila!
)
Slightly dramatic eye look to see how the lashes looked! No curling or mascara at all! I’m not even wearing eyeliner, just applied an eye shadow with an angled brush to kind of fill in the natural gaps.
- Well for one I would seek recommendations. I have heard amazing things about Laura and loved this Toronto Star feature she was in. I also have a friend that went to see her and she was raving about it, so I knew that for me Laura was the girl to see!
- The lashes don’t feel like your real lashes. I was prepared for this but it still feels a little weird. They are thicker and have kind of a “plastic” feel to them compared to your own – almost how your lashes feel when coated with mascara.
- For the first 24 hours after getting your new lashes keep them away from water!!!
- For the first 2 days you should stay away from steam so don’t steam your face, don’t take a steamy bath/shower don’t tan and don’t wash your eyes with hot water. You also need to stay away from any make up removers that contain oils as the adhesive may break down.
- Don’t be alarmed when your lashes fall out (I knew this yet I still freaked out a little!) – most people lose 1 – 5 lashes daily
- After 2 to 3 weeks you should go in for a lash maintenance. This is where you can assess what you liked about your lashes and your stylist can make any corrections or fill in any gaps.
- Don’t use regular mascaras or curl your lashes (no need anyway!). Sweet Grass Spa carries a special coating sealer to protect and extend the life of the lashes
Hi Antonia,
Yes I believe it should be fine. The critical time seems to be 24hours afterwards.
So waiting 48hours after application should be enough time before going back to bikram yoga?
They look so pretty Elaine….adds even more to your humongous eyes!!! Looks great!!!
I have a friend who always gets them before vacation, which i think is a great idea….don’t have to worry about your mascara running when you’re on the beach! Another friend just did hers recently for a wedding…but she seemed annoyed at them b/c she kept complaining they were falling out and getting into her eyes! Actually one of my friends (who I haven’t talked to for a loooong time), last I knew (maybe 3 years back) she opened a small shop in Yorkville just specializing in doing eyelash extensions…I always meant to ask her more about it, but your review covered everything quite thoroughly! I think I’ll wait for some special occasion…I guess for now I’ll stick to falsies, though I really think that eyelash glue I’m using is toxic (smells funky)! Definitely lmk how long they last!
Lor
@La Professionnelle Hello La Professionnelle, all the interior decor was from a store called Trianon
@Arianne Hi Arianne, if you ask for an eyelash comb and just quickly comb them everyday, the lashes should stay separate and “fan-like”. Our lash stylist Laura gave Elaine some tips on how to do this, so she doesn’t have to purchase the sealant! Hope that helps
@Make Mommy Chic Hi Make Mommy Chic, I actually have had eyelash extensions for 3 years now. I do hot yoga, muay thai and swim regularly, so they are definitely very wearable!
The lashes look great. So realistic and it’s nice that you don’t have to curl them or even add mascara.
Thanks so much for this review Elaine! I have been curious about eyelash extenstions ever since Ping had them done. They seem like such an amazing time saver and they look so natural. I will definitely check the prices in our area when I get back from vacation this year
Thanks again!
Wow those look AMAZING and very natural on you! Thank you for the review
I want that door as art for my wall!!
As for the lashes, they look very natural on you!!
What a diff Elaine!
This is really cool…I’ve always wondered what the process was and how it would look! You can definitely see a difference! Looks awesome on you Elaine!
@Arianne Oooh haven’t had that tangling thing happen yet, I’ll keep a look out though!
LOL oops I just realized that replied to comments from my old blogger account “curls and pearls” sorry for the confusion!
OOOOH!!! Vavavoom! So sexy on you Elaine.
I had mine taken out after 4 weeks, but they were holding on strong. I just didn’t like how they start to get all tangled up because they are farther away from the base of my lashes, you know? Hope you love yours!
@Really Petite I know a HUGE difference! But yet still subtle!
@Jen I think I will try to keep them up until at least October! After that I’ll have to see if I can afford the maintenance!
@Style Journey yes such a nice relaxing experience! LOL I know I want that light fixture for my office!
@Make Mommy Chic Oh yes, hot yoga could be an issue LOL! Well at least for the first 24 hours! AFter that you could swim and pretty much do everything! Thanks on the eyebrow compliment! I don’t really do anything but pluck and was wondering if I should be doing more!
@Louise @ cosmetic bee Thanks Louise! Yes the feel natural on but to the touch not so much. Wow it’s probably less expensive in Taiwan, I would just be weary of the person applying though – I would need to be really confident that they had a steady hand LOL! Oh I’m glad it’s close for you, check it out, it’s a great space!
@PetiteAsianGirl Thanks Jean! Yes they ARE expensive, I’m not sure I would have tried them out myself to begin with but now that I have them I really do love them! It pains me to see an eyelash fall out though LOL!
@The Procrastinator eyelash PERM???? Never heard of that!!!!
Wow, your lashes look fantastic! Although you said they don’t feel natural, they look completely natural. I have been hearing so much about lash extensions. Apparently they are all the rage in Taiwan and all my female relatives wear them. I will definitely check out this salon as I am also in the east end of town. Thanks for the review!!
Hi Elaine- your lashes were practically jumping out of the screen. What a fabulous job. You have gorgeous lashes to begin with but what an impact! I would seriously consider them if it weren’t for my commitment to hot yoga (I can just imagine the lashes melting off my face after a class). Or, maybe i’ll just skip a few weeks so that I could have long, luscious lashes like yours. Thanks so much for the post- and your eyebrows look great too, BTW!
The light fixture is so beautiful! You sound like had a wonderful experience and your lashes look gorgeous!
You know how much I love my lash extensions! Love that you got some. Do you think you’ll stick with them? It is so great to now have to wear mascara
Love it Elaine!
Ooooooo that looks amazing! I can’t believe what a difference!
OMG they look so good! I have even fewer lashes than you (weeps in a corner) and I had them permed once — they lookd sooooo weirdly kinked. I can’t get over how real they look!
So pretty! I’ve been looking into these after seeing Tiffany, Ping, and now you … but the cost and maintenance is a strong deterrent! It’s useful to know that sparse “Asian lashes” won’t hold the typical 90-100 that some other eyes might. Still, the after look is natural and very nice on you.