the 411 on eyelash extensions

i've been trying to incorporate more beauty posts here on SRL, since these seem to be frequently requested posts! i recently shared how i curl my hair and today i want to give you all the info on eyelash extensions! i plan to film my every day makeup routine in the near future {for now you can read this post, although i've switched up a bunch of products}. under my lifestyle tab above i have an entire beauty section. feel free to click around!back to eyelashes... i've had extensions now consistently for four years! so although i'm not a lash tech/specialist, i pretty much know my way around what works and what doesn't. before that, i got them on and off for big photoshoots {engagement photos}, special events {wedding + honeymoon}, etc. so all and all, i've had them for about six years total. i get so many DMs about my last extensions and my best advice is that they aren't actually for a lazy beauty routine. let me explain! getting lashes definitely makes your makeup routine in the AM a bit quicker, but overall you really have to take care of your lashes to make them last! below i'm sharing how to take care of them in a pros and cons list. let me know if you have any other questions down below! xxi go to @whiplashqueen here in Arizona and i went to @lashspot_sf and @noirlashlounge in San Francisco!pros:makeup application time saverlike i mentioned above, cutting out mascara {and maybe even top eyeliner if you get volume lashes!} will definitely save you time during the AM.always have the no-makeup makeup looki loveeeee this one. on days when i head to spin class or even am just working at home, i feel put together with no makeup on. most days, i'll also just throw on face makeup {foundation, powder, concealer, blush} with just my lashes and again, it's an easy and quick no-makeup makeup look.perfect for vacations/major life eventsis there anything better than when your lashes are on fleek during vacation when you're living in a swimsuit?! i think not {please note, you just can't dunk your head under any water}! i got mine for my engagements photos + wedding/honeymoon, too! this was before i was getting them consistently, and it was so nice to have pretty lashes for just a few weeks. you can wait for them all to fall out if you don't want a fill or even get them removed for a small fee after they start falling out a bit.nap timei'm on my phone a lot, as it's literally how i make my living. a lash appointment is such a great time to unwind because you're literally forced to have your eyes closed for an hour and a half to two hours. i almost always fall asleep! best cat nap if you ask me! a bunch of my friends who are moms love this little self-care/alone time, too!photo readyi always say that the main reason i love lashes is because i love how they look in photos! and since it's my job to take photos, that's why i keep getting them and love them so much. i always feel photo ready with them on!cons:can damage your real lashesthis is probably the question i get asked the most. yes, lash extensions will damage your natural lashes to some degree. if you have a really great lash artist, she knows how much weight your own lashes can hold, and thus won't put on too many extensions that will make your actual lash break off. i think it's all about communication, too. i frequently ask my lash artist if my own lashes are looking healthy or if they need a break. so far, in all my years of getting lashes i've only done one or two small breaks. you can also use a lash serum {like this!} to help strengthen your natural lashes while wearing extensions. this might sound silly, but the stronger your natural lashes are, the longer your extensions will last! take care of your natural lashes, too! you can take a biotin supplement, use a lash serum, etc. my own lashes are healthy, but they are shorter than they used to be. that's natural {especially since i've been getting them for so long}, but i'm okay with it since 1) i always have extensions on and 2) my natural lashes have been deemed healthy by my lash artist.you have to actually take care of them eye lash extensions aren't for the lazy beauty routine. you have to be careful sleeping on them, you can't just dunk your head in the shower/pool/jacuzzi, and you have to carefully clean them, too. i'm a side sleeper, but i sleep on the very edge of my pillow so my lashes don't touch the pillow {yes, i trained myself to do this haha} or sleep on my back {this pillowcase is my fave for the health of my lashes, skin, and hair}. i pretty much never get my entire face wet in the shower, either. i gently cleanse around my eyes and use oil free {important!!!!} makeup remover wipes for any eye makeup. if you want your lashes to last, you have to take good care of them.expensethis is probably the biggest con for most people! lashes aren't cheap, especially if you go every two weeks {i tend to go every three to four with my crazy travel schedule... four weeks is definitely stretching it}. your biggest cost will be the first time you go since your lash artist has to put on a brand new set and that takes a ton of time. from there, a fill fee totally depends on how often you go. usually the longer you wait to get a fill, the more pricey it can be {but not more pricey than a full set!}, since it'll take longer to put on more lashes. i've gotten full sets and fills in four different states over the years {Nevada, Utah, California, and now Arizona}, and the price will definitely vary. Utah was by far the cheapest {i think i paid $40 for a fill back in 2015?!} and California prices are extreme {i've seen full sets costing up to $500!!!!}. i would say most fills will cost you about $70-150 though. if you're going every 2-3 weeks and can't live without your lashes, it's just another beauty item/product to budget for! some girls like spray tans, some girls like waxes, and some girls like lashes, ya know!?

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