What Happened When I Got Kendall Jenner’s Eyelash Extensions
You can run but you can’t hide from the Kardashian-Jenners and their influence on fashion, beauty and even sneakers. We contour like Kardashian-Jenners, we do our lipstick like Kardashian-Jenners and we even do our hair like Kardashian-Jenners.
Intrepid reporter that I am, I decided to test them out… and then some. I headed to Caryl Baker Visage in Toronto to try out their Xtreme Lashes eyelash extensionsand their color eyelash extensions.
Color? Yup, color.
Not only can you get long, lush, glamorous lashes but you can also get those lashes done in color — think blue, purple, pink, green or orange — and also have Swarovski crystals added to your lashes if you’re feeling really daring. I thought it’d be fun to get colored “highlights” in purple and blue — basically, a barely-noticeable hint of color that would make my eyes look more awake without necessarily looking like a Halloween costume.
While I was curious to see what would happen, if I said that I got into lash stylist Michelle‘s chair with total confidence, that would be a bit of a lie. My lashes may be short, but they’re also naturally thick and curly so I didn’t want to mess with a good thing. However, the siren call of long, dramatic semipermanent lashes WITH PURPLE AND BLUE HIGHLIGHTS (?!!?!?!?!!!) was way too hard for me to ignore.
So what was it like? Well… One thing people who regularly get eyelash extensions forget to tell you is that it takes a long time to get them put in.
Like, a really long time.
Because I was going for really dramatic lashes — 200 to 250 individual lashes applied to both eyes — I was in Michelle’s chair for almost three hours. With my eyes closed the whole time. According to Michelle, it’s not uncommon for people to fall asleep while getting their lashes done.
Michelle used medical grade adhesive, the kind used to seal wounds, to apply three synthetic lashes to each of my natural lashes. In addition to the three hours I had to wait for the glue to air cure, I had to avoid hot showers, steam rooms and hot yoga for about 48 hours just to be sure.
After Michelle applied all the black lashes, she applied blue and purple lashes to the underside of my lashes to give them a super subtle hint of color whenever the light hits my lashes just right.
Here’s another thing that people don’t tell you about eyelash extensions: they are a little high maintenance. If you want your extensions to last as long as possible you can’t sleep on your face or on your side, you can’t use oil-based products around your eye area, you have to brush them daily and, if you wear a beauty mask to sleep like I do sometimes, you’re going to have to get a special one.
Luckily, Caryl Baker Visage carries a line of makeup and skincare products specifically designed for lash extensions, Xtreme Lashes by Jo Mousselli. The line of aftercare products includes facial cleanser, eye makeup remover, eyeliner, retractable lash styling wand, protective lash coating, concealer, mascaras, eye serum and brow pen — all formulated to keep your lashes looking lush for longer.
Waking up with lash extensions has been kinda liberating. Now, it’s much easier to wake up and go because my lash extensions open up my eyes and give me that “done” look.
Color eyelash extensions: Do you dare? Tweet us @BritandCo and let us know.
(Featured photo via Frazer Harrison/Getty)