Japanese Keratin Eyelash Perm

WELL….

I used to consider myself the most low maintenance natural beauty girl on this planet. And I mean that wholeheartedly. Skin care? Egh, maybe when I’m older. Hair Care? Sure, I would love to buy that hair mask and let it sit in my bathroom cabinet for the next 3 years. Brushing my hair? egh, only of I was straightening it. In fact, besides showering and brushing my teeth — there were very few other constants that I felt like I absolutely NEEDED to do.

But now, as the prospect for reaching 30 gets closer and closer — I suddenly find myself with more and more wiggle room in my budget for beauty and maintenance. Am I going to convert to full-on beauty blogger? LOL. No. I’m still way too lazy for that. But I did find one more thing to add to my routine that actually encourages my laziness in the long run.

I decided to give Eyelash Perm-ing a go. I did it for the first time in July and was absolutely thrilled with the results. This is not like extensions at all. This is literally the process of perming your eyelashes in an upward/curled position. There are even different styles and shapes to choose from. You can opt for a more dramatic upright position, or more fanned-out and cat like.

Is it for everyone? eghhhhh… If you have next to no eyelashes, or they’re super short… then maybe consider extensions, which will make them fuller and longer. But, if you’re like me with long eyelashes that stick straight out, then this is definitely for you.

Unfortunately, I cannot give my aesthetician’s information here. She is not currently accepting new clients (because she’s so amazing that she can’t handle the volume of clients without working day and night without eating or sleeping). But, I will be sure to update in the future if she does. In the meantime, the only tip I can give you for searching for an aesthetician who does eyelash perms is this — DO NOT CHEAP OUT. Much like getting a tattoo, be sure to pick someone who has good reviews and does the procedure often. The handling of chemicals near your eyes needs to be done by someone of expert level. Don’t go to your mom’s co-worker’s godmother’s sister who does it in her kitchen while cooking for 6 kids and has an old cat that stares at you with one good eye and their other lazy one is glazed over and gross looking. Wait, Que? WHATEVER. Be careful. Although techniques and products have advanced greatly since the process started in the 80’s … chemicals + eyes = high risk ALWAYS. Got it? Good. Moving on…

Basically, your eyelashes are adhered to a silicon curler-pad and then the perming solution is applied, and then I believe a neutralizer. Okay, I’m not 100% on the exact process… but it’s something like that. It takes roughly 45 mins to an hour, in which your eyes are firmly shut the entire time. YES, I have fallen asleep both times, which is why I never get to ask all the questions I’m wondering. The soft spa bed and tranquil spa music in the background makes me drift off to sleep peacefully AF. But if you go to a salon and you’re still uneasy about the process, then definitely speak up and ask your questions.

The little black chunks are the mascara I forgot to take off before going! Make sure you go fresh faced! 

100% sure I was asleep when she took these pics

I wish I had a better before for you. But just know… my lashes definitely stuck straight out. But now, thanks to this process, I can skip that step in my beauty routine. No more messing around with curlers of any kind. It’s just mascara and go. The results lasted me a bit over 2 months, and I’ve heard that they can even last up to 3. So for the $55 (plus tip, people!) I paid for this, I definitely say worth it. But prices will range upwards of $150, so get the prices before you go. Most salons also offer tinting, which almost renders mascara useless. My lashes are already dark so I will be skipping that going forward ( I tried it the first time to see if it made a difference — it did not).

This is today at work, with just a little bit of mascara on. 

Hope you guys try it and tell me what you think!