EYELASH EXTENSIONS are the latest accessory for women to have their faces “beat” for every occasion.
Women ranging in ages are applying the lashes to help beautify their look.
The SATURDAY SUN probed this growing craze and discovered that the application of individual eyelashes cost from about $25 to $250 and the strips could cost in excess of $10 to apply.
Popular eyelash brands imported into the island include Sassi, Ardell, Kiss, Absolute and NYX, while adhesive used in the application featured brands from Ardell, Sassi or the ever common hair-bonding glue.
According to data received form the Barbados Statistical Service, over the last five years initially there was a steady increase on the amount of eyelash extensions imported into the island. However, there has been a decline over the last two years.
Kamilah Codrington of IHeart makeup, who offers complementary strip eyelashes with her makeup package, said she applies lashes for at least 50 women a month.
She confirmed that there were times clients complained about issues with the false eyelashes, but quickly qualified that these were not done by her.
Codrington also indicated that she too had had a bad experience about eight years ago with an eyelash product.
“The individual lash is way different than the strip. The individual lashes are usually applied close to your own eyelash, and when you try to remove them you can take some of your own eyelashes. But with the strip you apply it as close to the top of your own eyelashes as possible and can peel them off. I usually use professional type glue which I have to order to apply my lashes,” she said.
Faces by Ackeem artist Ackeem Francis, said he too applied eyelash extensions as part of his makeup package.
“I include it in my makeup application, so once I am doing your face, you automatically get lashes as well, and I usually do about 25 to 30 faces in a month,” he said.
And according to the makeup artist, lash extensions were “necessary to finish the look”.
“I only do the strips and although I use both the weave bonding glue and the eyelash glue, I recommend the weave bonding glue because it lasts longer and it stands up better in the humidity. However, if you have a fear or you think that your eyes are super sensitive, I will use the eyelash glue,” he said.
He, however, noted that the strip eyelash was a daily use accessory and not to be worn overnight as some women were doing.
“The same way you go home and take off your makeup is the same way you take off the lashes and reapply the next day. As long as you follow those instructions, you won’t contract an infection,” he said.
At a beauty outlet on Broad Street, The City, the makeup artist who gave her name as Cherisse, who also operated her own makeup shop called Ormya, said she installed the strips, clusters, and the single lashes. She said while the eyelashes she used were similar to the NovaLash extensions, she used a different type of adhesive.
“I use eyelash glue for all the lashes I apply. I have never had anyone return to me and say that they got an infection. The thing is once you use the glue that is stipulated for the lash, unless the person has an allergic reaction to something specific in the glue, normally you will not see people having a reaction to it. Some of the glues may contain latex and someone may have a latex allergy and use that glue, so they would end up with an allergic reaction to the glue and not the lash. On average I apply lashes for about eight persons per day,” she said.
At Exotica MakeUp in Colonnade Mall on Broad Street in Bridgetown, Lydia Alfred-Batson said she saw a lot of clients between the ages of 15 to 45 looking for lashes, mainly on the weekend.
“The majority of our clients come in on Friday and Saturday to have their lashes done, and we can do at least 20 sets of lashes within those two days. However, we only sell the strip lashes here. But I have noticed that a lot of people don’t like strips because they come off at the end of the day despite being reusable. People like glues that dry instantly and would gravitate toward the weave bonding glue, as the glue used for applying the lashes takes time to dry. And women wear these lashes for some days or even a week, although it is recommended that they are removed daily. I remove and reapply mine each day,” she said.
rachelleagard@nationnews.com
