Tried & Tested:
The Lash Lifting

I’ve got a confession to make: I’m a little obsessed with lashes. Although I think I am amongst the last women to join the bandwagon, I still want to share my lash lifting experience with you. If you’ve read my blog for a little while, you might have noticed that I have been using a lash serum the past couple of months. And what can I say? Now that my lashes are finally (naturally) as long as I’ve always wanted them to be, I realized just how much I love this look, and I wanted more. More as in – optimizing my lashes even more.

Truth be told: My lashes are not super long. They have never been, and they will probably never be. What’s even worse though is that they’re completely straight. It takes me a really long time – and sometimes a whole wardrobe of mascaras – to define, fatten and create that perfect 90 degree curl every girl wants her lashes to have. First world problems, I know.

So, after hearing some of my girlfriends raving about how the lash lift has revolutionized their make-up game, and the promise of “naturally enhanced thickness without the need for extensions”, I was intrigued. Fast forward a couple of weeks and a little bit of online research about places to get a lash lift done in Salzburg, I did it.

If you feel like you absolutely need to try this lash lifting thing, let me tell you how it’s done:

What is a lash lift and how does it work?

I had my lash lift scheduled in the afternoon and went there with bare lashes. If you can’t bear to make the journey with naked lashes, the therapist will remove it for you. Once my eyes were completely free of mascara or any oil, the treatment started. I’ve hear that depending on what you want your lashes to look like, you can choose from different options: Very dramatically curved, medium curved and very naturally curved. My therapist only had one option, though.

Once I lay down on the bed, a silicone pad – really similar to an eye pad that de-puffs your eyes – was applied to my lower lash line and another little silicone pad was applied to my upper eye lid just above my lashes. Then my lashes were softened with a serum to help them take the shape of the pad as they were gathered up individually with a little tool – sounds weird, but there’s no discomfort at all. Except for having to have your eyes closed during the whole treatment.

Next, a perm solution was put on my lashes and left there to work its magic for approximately 10-12 minutes. Afterwards, another setting lotion was applied and it took another 10 minutes for it to soak in. Afterwards, the lotion was wiped off. To add even more drama to my lashes, I also had a lash tint done. The color is applied while the lashes are still curled up on the silicon pad. This step took another 5-7 minutes. Afterwards, the lashes were separated from the little rubber pad on my upper eyelid and my eyes were wiped clean with a soaked cotton pad, et voilá.

Does a lash lift hurt?

That’s a totally legit question if you ever had lash extensions (which I did) because for me personally, my eyes always hurt a little when I had my lashes refilled. To be very honest, I was a little scared my eyes would hurt before I had the lash lifting done, but the answer is: It didn’t hurt at all. I even fell asleep on the chair meanwhile.

Can you still wear mascara?

Yes, you can. It’s totally safe to wear mascara (and it looks bombastic!), but to be honest, I even skip mascara altogether on most days as the new shape makes my lashes look fuller than ever and they are tinted anyways, so no need. And the best part: The eyelash curlers? In the bin.

How long does a lash lift last?

The impressive result is meant to last for six to eight weeks. The cool thing about it is that the lashes don’t just fall out like lash extensions would – the baby lashes that are growing will just grow the way they naturally do. So after 6 to 8 weeks, the curled lashes will be “replaced” by fresh lashes which obviously will have your natural form again.

What does the aftercare and maintaince look like?

Practically, there is none. My therapist told me I should avoid water for at least 24 hours (better for 48 hours, if possible) and if possible also use oil-free make up remover.

Was it worth it, you ask?

One word: Hell yeah. (okay, that was two.) To be honest, I’m a bit sad the photos don’t show more difference between before & after. But in real life I can see a very big difference – and even Patrick noticed it.

Costs?

I had the lash lifting done at Beautik in Salzburg and it cost 68€. I can also recommend the Brow & Lash Bar in Salzburg – I have not been there myself for a lash lifting yet, but friends of mine have and the results looked fantastic!