When it comes to beauty, there’s a certain look that I hate. You’d recognize this instantly on Instagram: the insipid Manga eyes, pointy chin, strobed-to-death cheekbones, puffy lips and plastic boobs so buoyant that said pointy chin is in danger of puncturing them. Fake eyelashes and/or eyelash extensions would usually frame the insipid Manga eyes, and they are usually long and dense enough to fan the satay at your family barbecue. (I won’t even dignify this statement with examples so you must get on Instagram to know what I’m talking about.)
Taken two weeks after my procedure: my new eyelashes have withstood six sessions of gym so far and holding up well.
I was apprehensive when I first visited Angela Khoo who has been providing eyelash extension services for the past eight years. She was motherly in the way that made me feel comfortable right away so I told her right off the bat:
I like my lashes to look like I’m wearing eyeliner, (only I’m not) and not like they could have belonged to Mr Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street.
They must look like they grew out of my eyelids rather than plastered onto them.
“I did not want eyelashes that could fan satay”
Eyelash Diva enjoys a clientele ranging from professional women to expat wives with five different looks to choose from; from “Natural” to “Barbie Doll”. We decided on “Glamorous” which was just one step up from “Natural” as I was concerned that the type of eyelash used for “Natural” — which was thinner than a strand of my eyebrow hair — would disappear against my large eyes.
From the start Angela assured me that the synthetic eyelashes are to be applied strand by strand onto my own eyelashes with a gentle glue and not applied directly onto my eyelids. So even when you look into the mirror with your chin tilted towards it, the eyelash extensions would look like they have sprung from your eyelids. And even if they are to fall away — and they are expected to — they would fall away strand by strand like how your own eyelashes would fall, so you would not look like you are missing clumps of your eyelashes at any time.
Immediately after the procedure. My eyelashes seen from sideways.
The procedure for the “Glamorous” look took about an hour; more elaborate eyelash designs could take up to 1.5 hours. It was a little ticklish at first but after approving Angela’s work at 40 percent completion, I fell asleep.
On average, the lifespan of the eyelash extensions is up to five weeks — the record has been seven weeks — depending on care and maintenance. Oil-based skincare products and oily skin could shorten their lifespan. Heat is also the enemy; so steer clear from hot showers and hot and humid environments.
Staying out of the sun was easy enough but I did not like the prospect of not being able to use my regular cream cleansers, moisturisers and sunscreen to protect my skin, or worse still switching them out for something more astringent and likely to cause reactions in my sensitive skin.
So instead of revamping my skincare regimen I simply applied and removed my makeup more carefully, using cotton buds around my eyes and finishing off with a toner so as to limit the effects of the oily residue. As I sleep on my right side, it’s often that my right eyelashes would look curlier than my left in the morning, but they would go back to normal in the course of the day.
So the verdict after two weeks:
The eyelash extensions have knocked off precious time (about 10 minutes) applying mascara and eyeliner — neither of these are recommended post-procedure — although I somewhat miss the meditative effects of applying them in the morning.
Unlike fake eyelashes, they don’t feel heavy nor cloud my vision and most times I forget they are even there.
They look natural and are easy to get used to. I might however, push them to the limit by applying a blue eyeliner and then removing that at the end of the day to see how the eyelash extensions stand up to it.
By the way, if you are wondering why my skin is so good (although a gym workout probably helped) click this link
Eyelash Diva’s eyelash extensions are strictly by appointment only at +65 9630 2117. For full range of products and services, go to eyelashdiva.com