Thick, long lashes have long been beauty a centerpiece for women. Why? Because it frames the windows to our soul – the most expressive part of our face: the eyes.

Eyelash extensions are reportedly better at giving the doe-eyed look than the prehistoric mascara or the ancient false eyelashes. But how true is this? Take a closer look.

Price

A tube of mascara cost about 5$ only.

Eyelash extensions on the other hand, will set you back anywhere between $250 to $500. extensions also require touch-ups sometimes every two weeks. This will cost you somewhere between $50 to $100.

The look

Mascara is not the neatest eyelash product you can use. It can sometimes clump and create what we call spider lashes.

Eyelash extensions give a more dramatic effect. Yet it still looks normal and natural.

Eyelash Extensions

The entire process of putting on eyelash extensions takes about two hours. You’ll be asked to lie down, then a specialist will use surgical tape to hold your bottom lashes down. Next, about 25-40 individual silk lashes will be applied to your natural individual lashes. These will be dipped into a bonding agent so they’ll stick to your real lashes.

The procedure is totally painless.

Pros:

Length

Unlike, mascaras, eyelash extensions offer a range of lengths: 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 14-millimeters. Full extension sets can make your lashes longer by as much as 50% and thicken them by 30%-50&.

Colors

Eyelash extensions come in a number of colors such as black, brown, purple and even red to help you achieve the look you are going for.

Safety

Eyelash extensions are safe to use because the bonding agent that sticks the silk lashes to your natural ones do not touch the eyelid. Also, there are no rules against wearing them with contact lenses.

Cons:

Lash care

Eyelash extensions entail very high maintenance. They last for about 4-6 weeks, but touch-ups are required every two weeks to replace strands that fell out.

Do not…

It’s imperative that you don’t get your lashes wet (with water, oils or creams) during the first 24-48 hours.

When washing your face, be mindful of your hand movements. Make sure you don’t pull or rub your lashes.

Never use eyelash curlers and mascara. Mascara can break or crease the extensions. Plus, the petroleum in the mascara can break down the bonding agent and ruin the extensions.

Avoid waxy or creamy eyeliner pencils. When taking off your make up, opt for non oil-based make up remover rather than a cleanser.