When it comes to my summer beauty routine, I like to keep it as simple as possible.

Usually, just a few swipes of mascara, lipgloss and concealer will suffice. Hair gets piled into that messy mom top-knot and into a simple sundress or yoga pants to the playground I go.

As a busy mom,  I’m limited on time. Beauty shortcuts are a way of life —  hence my latest obsession with eyelash extensions.

To be honest, my own lashes are very light and blah, so extensions make a huge impact with minimal effort on my part.

Washing your lashes is extremely important for a few reasons. The obvious reason is to remove makeup that you’ve worn.

Other not so obvious reasons is because we all carry mites on our body. Most of the time these mites are harmless, however, there are times when these mites can get out of hand and have a lil feast on the bacteria and oils left on your skin, and, especially on your lash line. When this occurs you may have encountered two possible irritants such as Demodex and Blepharitis. Demodex (eyelash mites) seem to have a connection with mascara  as women who wear a lot of mascara tend to have a higher prevalence of these mites on their eyelashes. This is the same case for people who wear a lot of eye makeup in general. Demodex often feed on your skin cells and oils which often accumulate on your skin pores as well as in hair follicles. 

Beware of Blaspharitis

Blepharitis commonly occurs when tiny oil glands located near the base of the eyelashes become clogged. This leads to irritated and red eyes and sometimes can also have a yellowish crusty appearance. 

Using an oil free foaming cleanser that contains gentle yet effective ingredients such as tea tree oil can help keep these critters at bay. Ensuring that you have the proper cleanser is imperative to lash health and allows for longer wear of your extensions.

Many ladies aren’t told to wash their lashes and may experience a burning or stinging in the shower… this is dirt, oil dust, sleep, tears and other fun stuff that has been accumulating in your extensions so when you get them wet these aggravating ickies drop into you eyes causing irritation. Eek

Don’t be Fooled by False Retention

Some clients have told me they’ve had 5-6 week retention before, coincidently these clients weren’t told to wash their lashes. I sometimes refer to this as ‘false retention’. This is when all those nasties stick to your natural lash and extensions anchoring them together. You lose on average 3-5 lashes a day so when one is ready to exfoliate it can’t because it’s stuck to its neighbour unwillingly by some of those culprits listed above causing strain on the follicle and making your extensions look stiff and feel yucky.

Lashes should be worn for an average of 2-3 weeks tops, I would prefer around 2 weeks for the following reason. I sometimes compare it to nails. You can have your nails for 3 or more weeks, but sometimes they’re not looking so good. Some have chipped or you lost one or two even. Think of lashes like your nails in the same sense. If you’re at 3 or more weeks the chances or you having full, fluffy not twisting extensions is unlikely. And when you arrive at your fill appointment your stylist will need to remove those ones that have grown too far away from the lash line as it is damaging on the follicle causing strain as well it would look odd beside a freshly placed extension closer to the lash line.

When’s the Best Time to Fill?

Many places ask for a minimum % to be remaining in order to qualify as a fill rather then a new set. This is calculated when the old extensions are removed not when you arrive. So coming at 3 weeks or longer with loose, grown out lashes doesn’t always put you in the ‘fill’ category. All stylists are different and have varying policies so check with your lash guru about what she thinks is best for you and your lash health!

Happy Lashing!

Jenn Cools, Live Love Lash

Loving my new set of Hybrid Lashes from this lovely lash lady to my right, Jenn Cools.

Here’s a glimpse of some of Jenn’s latest work. Can you tell which eyes are mine?

Until September , Classic sets at Live Love Lash are $90 ($20 off) and Hybrid sets are $115 ($30 off).

To book your appointment with Jenn, call (778) 808-1106. Note: Live Love Lash will soon be moving from their Langley location (39 19932 70 ave) to Chilliwack.