Hi loves! Hope your week is winding down nicely as we head into the weekend. A lot of you have been asking and commenting about my eyelashes on Instagram, and I’m gonna let you in on a secret–they’re not real! I’ve actually been getting eyelash extensions for about three months now, and I absolutely love them. Not that anyone needs to enhance something about themselves to feel good, but these lashes make me feel put together 100% of the time, with or without makeup. Since so many of you were interested, I decided I’d put together a post about what it’s like to get eyelash extensions and everything you need to know before you get them.

There was a lot I didn’t know before my first appointment that I wish I did, so I hope this info is helpful to you. Hope you enjoy!!

As always don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for updates. I have two awesome giveaways I’ll be doing over there in the next two weeks!

You should show up to your appointment makeup-free

When you arrive for your appointment, you shouldn’t be wearing any makeup around your eyes. If you do, the tech working with you will ask you to remove it. You also shouldn’t put any eye makeup on right afterward, either. If I’m going somewhere after my appointments, I usually bring a few key items like my BB cream, bronzer, brow gel and highlighter. Trust me, your new lashes will do all of the work for you in the eye area.

You can’t get your lashes wet for 24-48 hours after getting them done

This includes sweating heavily, so if you work out often, make sure that you fit a session in before your appointment. This is to prevent the lashes from falling out while the glue is still fully setting up. When washing my face during this time, I use a wash cloth to rinse my face after using a cleanser, and I try to shampoo before the appointment because when I shampoo, water rolls down my face.

You should bring pictures to your appointment

This is going to make or break whether you like your extensions or not because there’s not one set way to fill lashes. They can range from natural to dramatic, and just like when you get your hair cut, having pictures of extensions you like will help the technician give you exactly what you want.

The lashes range in thickness, curl and color

The lashes you can get range in thickness, which is a more dramatic look, and also in how deep the curl is. Ask your tech what they think is best for your eye shape. I don’t use the full curl because the top of my eyelid sits lower than most, and the lashes would sit awkwardly if I did. Again, the tech should be able to guide you in what they think is best based on the look you’re going for.

It will take about 1 hour to 90 minutes to do

The first time you go in will most likely be the longest amount of time you’ll spend at an appointment. After that, fills will generally take a little less time.

Go into your appointment as relaxed as possible

Your eyes will need to be closed for the entire appointment, and when you’re anxious or full of caffeine, your eyes and eyelids tend to move a lot. Make it easier on the tech and yourself, and come in super chill. I always queue up a relaxing podcast or music, which helps me get into the zone. Plus, the place I go to in Midtown offers a complimentary ten minute foot massage, so that definitely makes me sleepy.

You’re going to need to brush those lashes

Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, my lashes are going every which way. Just use a clean, soft spoolie brush to gently brush them into place. It takes all but a minute to do.

You can’t use oil-based eye makeup or eye makeup remover

Because oil-based products can loosen the bond of the glue, you’ll need to avoid them. I use Almay’s oil-free eye makeup remove, and stay away from oil-based eyeliners. And as a general rule, I don’t use mascara on my top lashes (you won’t need it anyway) because most of them are oil-based, as well.

You’ll need to get them filled every 2-3 weeks

Most silk and mink lashes will need to be filled every two to three weeks, depending on your lifestyle. It’s cheaper to get them filled because you aren’t replacing every single lash. The price also depends on the amount of lashes you get. Think about it like mani/pedi upkeep.

They feel SO much lighter than false lashes

If you’re thinking you’ll just do the false lashes thing on your own, just know that these are SO much lighter and less annoying. I honestly don’t even feel them, and it’s not that I’ve just gotten used to them. It felt like that the first time I got them, which surprised me.