ABOUT ME, REASONS FOR LASHES: I had never had eyelash extensions OR used any kind of artificial lashes before finding Brandileigha in November, 2012. I am 53, and my daughter was engaged to be married in June. I tend to be a bit of a "weeper," and so does she, so I had the idea of lash extensions for the wedding, to avoid wearing mascara. It was sheer luck that I happened upon a Groupon for full sets of the natural mink lashes, and I bought sets for two daughters and myself. We decided it was wise to do a "test" run months before the wedding to make sure we liked the effect. Well, let me tell you -- as soon as I saw the amazing job BL did on my lashes, I was completely hooked!! I have been going now for fills every 2-3 weeks for eight months, still love my lashes, and I've never had any ill effects whatsoever. My daughter (the bride), had BL's gorgeous lashes for her wedding in June, and they looked amazing and survived her tears - no mascara, no black streaks!!
I was blessed with dark, pretty full long lashes, which always looked good with mascara - never had to use a curler or anything. But with age comes thinning of the lashes, AND my tolerance of mascara has diminished, too - having mascara on just really irritates my eyes. With the extensions, you literally wake up looking younger and more "put together" - and putting on your makeup takes no time at all. Many women my age are opting for Latisse, a prescription glaucoma medication, which is CRAZY!!! It can cause the color of your eyes (the iris) to develop permanent dark spots, can cause skin discoloration, AND it causes hair to grow wherever it touches your skin - AND while the side effects are often permanent, you lose all the thick dark eyelashes as soon as you stop applying it. To me, using lash extensions is the safer option.
QUALITY OF BRANDILEIGHA'S WORK: While it's true that I have never had anyone else work on my lashes (and I never will!), BL's professionalism is top notch. It is clear that she takes great care to individualize her lash application to each client, based upon what the person wants and what type, thickness and length lashes will look best. I can say that I get compliments all the time - I am not a person who cares about keeping things like this a "secret," so I have told many people about the extensions - people who are not aestheticians never know I have extensions until I tell them, and without fail the #1 comment I get, aside from "They look amazing," is "they look so NATURAL." And that's really the clincher, isn't it ladies? I mean, you don't want to walk around with your eyes screaming "false eyelashes" - that look was great in the 60's, but nowadays you just want to look put together - you want people to just think you've done a great job on your eye makeup or that you must have gotten a great night's sleep.
Some of the most telling comments I've gotten have come from aestheticians and beauty professionals. Although I'm not a person who normally gets lots of facials, etc., it has been an unusual few months during which I've been lucky enough to have several facials and spa visits, and without fail, the professionals giving me services have gushed over my lashes - and these are people who have done extensions themselves, who work at high end salons.
HAVING LASH EXTENSIONS: If you want to have the benefit of extensions, you do have to take care of them and listen to BL's detailed, helpful instructions. I switched my cleanser to oil-free, as oil will dissolve the lash glue. I normally stay away from oily eye cream and use serums instead -if I do occasionally pat on an eye cream with oil, I use it sparingly and keep it well below my lower lash line. You do have to be gentle with the lashes when washing and drying your face, and TRY to sleep on your back as much as possible (although I'm pretty much a side sleeper and have managed fine.)
BL as a person: I have to close by commenting on BL herself. You'll see other reviewers have talked about her warm, sweet, gentle and, yes, loving personality. Getting extensions is a very intimate experience, and you really have to trust the person. BL will put you at ease right away. Now that I know her better, I look forward to my appointments. I always feel better about the world when I leave there, and not just because my lashes look great. :) read more