HD brows and Blink and Go lash extensions

What better way to scare a grandparent at Christmas than showing up with tarantulas for lashes and a scouse brow... that was partly my thinking (if it all went horribly wrong) before I went to try out the HD brows and Blink and Go lash extensions.

Before...

Of course I didn't end up looking quite like a drag queen with a mono brow, but the look was fairly dramatic. After just about an hour of waxing/threading/plucking/tinting/gluing I left the treatment room feeling pretty darn groomed.

I loved the lashes instantly, I mean what girl doesn't want amazing lashes?? They didn't feel too heavy or alien. After a couple of hours I was used to feeling them just touch my eyelid and the whole issue of not being able to rub your eyes didn't bother me - as soon as I would get close you could feel how different the lashes felt and that would remind me not to rub.

I had oodles of compliments on the lashes, how much of a difference they made to my eyes. I really did love them. For a week that is. Then the impatient part of me decided I didn't want them any more because I missed using eye-makeup remover and cleansing my face with oil based cleansers that are normally part of my routine but banned with lash extensions as it can weaken the glue.

So after a week (yes, they would have lasted much longer)  I decided to start using oil cleansers to remove the lashes quicker. Within two days of returning to oil cleansers I would say I managed to remove about 90% of the lashes with no pulling or dramatic bald patches in my natural lashes. Now just to get the other two or three to fall out and I'll be back to my non-amazing lashes.

In the pictures below, my eyes are a bit blood shot - that will be thanks to a combination of a late night and the chemicals from the lash adhesive making my eyes water.

I will miss them and would definitely get them done again for a special occasion, but I do like to have a bit more control over being able to remove something when I want - I don't like the hassle of having to go back somewhere two weeks after a treatment to get them taken off. I would much rather (although never going to be as good for me as the professional) take them off myself.

The HD brows on the other hand, a fairly easy way to summarise - I'm glad I tried, but don't think I would bother again. I think these are absolutely amazing for people with darker brows, but on me it just looked too much. I'd rather just get them lightly tinted and threaded/waxed rather than the whole HD package. But this did remind me how much better my brows look when groomed and I have discovered a lovely HD brows product called the Brow Beater - not some sort of strange brow torture device, it's basically just a strong gel to hold unruly brows where they should be.

The lashes and brows after a couple of days.

If anyone has any questions about the HD brows procedure let me know - but as a basic description. The therapist tints, then waxes, then threads (the fluffy hairs) and plucks any rogue strays and then fills in the brows and tames them so you leave with the brow equivalent of a perfectly manicured hedgerow.

Ah, looking at the after picture makes me want my long lashes back again!

My Blink and Go lash extensions and HD brows treatments were at the Karen Betts Clinic at 1 Harley Street.


Both treatments were courtesy of Glossy Box.

Shu Uemura False Lashes

Shu Uemura are pretty famous for their amazing false lash selection, and it's hardly surprising when you see this fabulous pair!

In amongst the disco-tastic lashes, there are also some pretty varied designs...with something for everyone from natural effect lashes, to full on drag-queen suitable ones. Here are a selection, as modeled by some of my favourite bloggers:

Lina from Make Up To Make Out models the feather boa versions... they looked amazing on! They looked dramatic, but almost like a smokey eye effect... but with lashes rather than eyeshadow.

The lovely Zoe from The London Lipgloss models the sparkly liner pair... I think these would be amazing for a Christmas party, wearable but with that little bit of extra bling.

And last but not least, here's my mug with a dramatic yet natural pair... These were the most dramatic of the natural lashes, if that makes sense... so about as brave as I get! I love how false lashes look in photos, but they do take some getting used to - especially when you can feel them brush against your eyelid!

In another story.. I can't believe how long my hair is now!

I need to have a bit of practice at applying these, but for a night out I love the effect. I really admire anyone who manages to wear falsies every day!

If you have any magic tips for how to apply the lashes and keep them in place all day please let me know! Or just what you think of the lashes from Shu - which is your favourite look??

You can check out the Shu Uemura lashes online.

False lashes provided via PR event.

Superdrug lashes: Natural Edition 11

I'm not very experienced with false lashes, I always think they are a bit too much of a faff to bother with. But then I see others wearing them and think they look amazing.

Superdrug Lash: NATURAL edition 11

So when a selection of the new Superdrug false lashes arrived on my doorstep I honestly wasn't sure I was ever going to be able to use them, but then one evening I was getting ready to go out to celebrate my birthday with friends and decided to give them a go.

So here's my attempt at falsies. I kept the rest of my make-up simple. I used a liquid liner to make sure there weren't any visible gaps with the falsies and my natural lash line. The liner actually deserves a post of it's own, it's from Miners and was so easy to apply - loved it.

Anyway, back to the lashes - I loved them, especially in the pics on the night out. Close up they look quite dramatic (the boyfriend said I reminded him of a giraffe...with uber long lashes) but in photos I thought I just looked like I had amazing lashes, but not to the level of looking drag-queen. Not a too dramatic effect.

Here's a token pic of me (with lashes) and my lovely girls from the night out...

Me on the left of the pic!

Before I applied I trimmed the lashes down so they fit my eyes, and once applied it took about an hour for my to get used to wearing them. They stayed in place all night and I almost forgot I was wearing them. I think I might just be a lash convert!

The lashes are part of Superdrug's new 'LASH' range available online for £3.99


PR sample.