I have mentioned on here time and time again how much I love my strip lashes. I mean a 5 pack from Walmart for under $10 that you can get about a months worth of wear out of is a steal! The only downside to that though is I was seriously damaging my lashes in the process. Mind you, if you just wear false lashes for an event once in a blue moon, your lashes won’t see this level of damage. But if you wear them 5-6 days a week like I was, your eyes will definitely pay the price.
If you look at the before and after above (the difference is insane, right?!) you can see just how damaged my eyelashes were. Super short and stumpy and very sparse from where the adhesive had ripped them off.
A month or two ago I saw another influencer from Richmond share how she got lash extensions prior to having her baby so she looked more “together” even if she didn’t have any makeup on. That got me thinking, maybe this was a good time to try out extensions so I didn’t look like death in the hospital after giving birth for photos. So, a friend of mine put me in contact with her friend, Amy Ward, who is an esthetician and lash tech at Curly Willow Spa. Amy has been doing lashes for 6 years and also offers lash lifts (which if my lashes weren’t so damaged I would have considered), lash and brow tinting and facials. My friend had also previously gotten a lash lift and recently switched to lash extensions so I knew I was in good hands with Amy!
For those of you that are local, Curly Willow Spa is located not even 1/2 a block over from Sticky Rice on Main St. in the heart of the Fan. They originally started in a 100sq. ft. room a year ago by owner Sam Glymph and 9 months ago opened in the store front they are in today. They have 5 estheticians and offer a wide variety of services from lash extensions, lash lifts, waxing and facials.
The biggest thing to note is this is not a quick process. Your first appointment takes 2 1/2 hours which, at 9 months pregnant, was no easy feat despite how well Amy propped me up. But, the results are so well worth it! It’s wonderful waking up and feeling like I already look a little more put together because my lashes are so pronounced.
I got volume lashes to give me more “umph” that I like from the style of false lashes I previously wore. Amy created a fan of lashes that were attached to each of my natural eyelashes to give the voluminous look I like. For those that may not want such a “va va voom” look, they also offer classic lashes which is just one single lash attached to each natural lash. However, personally, I like the thickness and volume you get from the volume lashes.
While the first appointment takes 2 1/2 hours, a fill appointment that is offered in 2 or 3 week increments only takes 60-90 minutes so it’s much more comfortable if you happen to be largely pregnant like myself. I will say, that being almost 2 weeks out from my first appointment, I am amazed how well they have stayed on and how full they still are. It definitely is a transition from not being able to rub your eyes at all and putting eyeshadow on has been a transition for me. I haven’t tried to line my top lashes yet but considering I always put that on prior to putting on mascara or lashes so I can imagine that may be a little bit of a learning curve as well.
I’m going to have my first fill on Friday and do think that this is something I will keep up with (or try to as well as I can with a newborn on the way). While I know it is quite a bit more expensive than my cheap-o 5 pack of Walmart lashes, I know it’s better for my overall lash health in the long run and will give my natural lashes a chance to get heathy again. While I love having my nails done, I will compromise by not getting them done as frequently to keep up with this instead. Life is all about compromise, right?
The best news of all? Curly Willow Spa is offering 15% off on your first service for anyone who mentions me when booking their appointment!
*One thing to note is a lot of people do lashes these days but that doesn’t mean they do them well or with quality products. I have seen pictures of people who have had lash infections which can cause you to lose lashes or even cause permanent damage to your lash line. Do your research before selecting someone to do your lashes if you’re not local and can’t make your way to Curly Willow Spa.
