This year, I decided to treat myself to something I've always wanted - LASH EXTENSIONS. I booked an appointment for 10am on Saturday, November 4th for my first pair of lash extensions (Natural, estimated 90 minutes). The booking confirmation asked that I arrive 15 minutes earlier or they could refuse my appointment - typical of most places (because of paperwork).
They had good ratings and even better prices, so I decided to give them a shot.
9:45am - No one was there and the sign was not lit. Called the number listed on Google and the lady who picked up said the store doesn't open until 10am. No worries - maybe they didn't need me to come in earlier because I'd be the first appointment. So I decided to wait outside.
9:50am - A car pulls up next to me to wait too.
10:00am - Someone arrives to open the door and let us in. As soon as I walk in the woman looks at us and says, "Who was first?" The lady who arrived afterwards pointed at me. The tech asked what I was there for (weird because I made an appointment). "I have a 10 am appointment online for Eyelash Extensions," I said. She looks at the other woman and says, "What about you?" "I just came in for individual lashes". I was directed to sit on the chair while she did the other woman's lashes. "Don't worry, let me do this since it'll only take 15 minutes." Well, okay... that makes sense... (Not realizing the other woman was a walk-in)
10:15am- After checking out the other woman, she walks to me and asks what I'm looking for. I said that I wanted something natural, but that adds volume and length because my lashes are short and straight. She assured me that "she's the professional" and not to worry at all.
*I wasn't expecting first-class service, but she didn't wash her hands before approaching me (only hand sanitizer). And also didn't clean my lashes before the service. This also wasn't an intimate or private experience as I was out in the open.
Everything seems fine, until people started coming in. SHE STOPPED FOUR TIMES DURING MY APPOINTMENT TO SERVICE WALK-INS. Assuring them that my service had only 20 more minutes (what?)
1. Individual Lashes
2. Eyebrow Threading
3. Arm Wax
4. Lash Consultation
I should have asked why my service was only taking 20 minutes, but figured that she was probably just really good at her job.
She was the only worker at the shop and the entire lash extension appointment lasted for maybe 30 minutes total - while she also serviced the walk-in customers.
10:45ish - I was holding up a battery-operated fan to my eyes while she serviced the last few customers. When she came back, my eyelids were glued shut. She said it was because I was "new" that my eyes weren't used to the glue...
She fixed this by slowly pulling my eyelids open from the sides working her way in. It became so painful that she used scissors to cut the lashes apart so that my eyes would open.
11am- She shows me my lashes, and compliments that I look like a different person. They were far from professional. Instead of fusing them with my individual lashes, she glued chunks of lashes to my eyelids. While they MAY have looked fine from afar, they looked like plastic, taped needles on my eyelid.
I don't know anything about lashes, so I left telling myself that maybe I didn't do enough research into the procedure to know right from wrong. I realize she didn't give me any aftercare advice on cleaning my lashes.
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It's Tuesday night now (11/10). The lashes became painful, and after trying to curl them, because they were glued against my straight eyelashes I gave up.
I noticed a few of the lashes had already detached from the "root" of my eyelids and were hanging on to the lash. I began ripping them off of my eyelids. This is where I could really tell that there were 5-6 lash clumps (not separated) glued to my eyelids.
10/10 would NOT recommend for lash extensions. Total waste of $85. read more