Eyelash Extensions: Pro’s, Con’s and How to Care for Yours

Disclaimer: I am not, I repeat, NOT. a morning person. I’ll do pretty much anything to snooze a few extra minutes, like no joke will tell Siri to set a timer for two minutes (about five times) before I get up. I then do as little as possible to get ready before heading out the door. My mascara is the one thing I can’t leave without putting on, so the first time I saw someone with lash extensions, I was immediately intrigued.
The thought of saving the five minutes I spend on mascara every morning was basically enough to sell me, but I never took the plunge into the eyelash extension addiction pool until I was contacted by Kelsey of Neverland Tampa about doing a collaboration. Sign me up!

Eyelash extensions last up to four weeks when properly cared for, and they are individually glued to each of your natural lashes so they shed naturally as your lashes shed. Even when you look up close at them, you seriously cannot tell where the extensions are in place!

Reasons why I’m obsessed (The Pro’s):

Lash Extensions are completely customizable to your preferences. Since each lash is applied to one of your individual eyelashes, there is a lot of room for customizing. Most studios (and Neverland in particular) offer classic, mixed and volume lash styles, and you can choose whether they curl, fan out at the edges, and the length.
It’s relaxing AND painless. You virtually don’t get to open your eyes for the two hours it takes to apply the lashes, so you can lay and take a little “lash nap” or chat with your stylist (I went with the latter because Kelsey is awesome!) and once they are done, you cannot feel them at all!
They save you SO much time in the morning. With lash extensions, you completely eliminate having to wear mascara on your top lashes. This saves so much time and effort every day, let me tell you! If you’re clumsy in the morning like I am (aka you smudge mascara all over your eyelids on accident) or accidentally sneeze and cause instant raccoon eyes – also known as the worst thing to ever happen to any girl’s morning.
You actually can wear mascara with them if you’d like. This is something I would only do if I were going out or if it were a special occasion and I wanted a little *extra* volume, just because I feel like removing mascara every night would really take a toll on how long the lashes last. Just make sure to use WATER-based mascara! Here’s a great list of water-based mascaras specifically recommended for lash extensions on Fashionlady!
They look awesome, with zero effort. What more could you ask for?

A few words of caution (The Con’s):

The lashes are VERY delicate. Be careful when you’re wiping/itching your eyes, especially the first few days while you’re still getting used to your lashes. You don’t want to accidentally lose a few for that random eye itch.
If you do high intensity workouts where you get sweaty and use a towel on your face, lashes may not be for you. I noticed that the regular bath towel I use to dry my face after washing it or after the shower can tug on the lash extensions and pull them out. Use a (super soft) towel sparingly when drying your face and use extra care not to touch the towel to your lashes.
You aren’t allowed to get your lashes wet for at least 24 hours. This includes showering, sweating, swimming, etc. so make sure to plan your day/workout accordingly!
You need to be really careful while washing your face. If you like to wear eyeliner on top and eyeshadow like I do, this may be a problem for you. It’s hard to remove the eyeliner without losening the lashe extensions. You also shouldn’t use oily makeup removers or wipes as they can pull the lashes out too.
Last but possibly most importantly, they are an expensive habit. This is one of those “pick your poison” type situations, because most beauty routines are an investment. In a perfect world, it’d be great to be able to consistently get mani/pedi, wax, hair and eyelash extensions done every few weeks. But unfortunately the budget doesn’t always support that. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t spend a lot on those other services, or has a little extra budget to work with, then lashes might be a great beauty ritual for you!

And one last word of honesty

Overall, I really enjoyed having lash extensions simply for the time it saved me in the morning and how pretty they look. I’m not necessarily sure if they are condusive to my lifestyle between maintenance and delicacy (I was constantly accidentally pulling them out between washing my face and working out..) That being said, I have a lot of friends who get them religiously! I would absolutely get them again for a special occasion.

So if you’re in the Tampa Bay Area and need some fun new lashes in your life, check out Neverland Tampa (their IG is @neverlandtampa)! Neverland Tampa is the cutest little boutique in South Tampa, and they have everything from eyelash cleanser to apparel and gifts! Kelsey was super informative throughout the entire process, and even gave me a cute “eyelash care” card before I left.