Lash Extensions- Are they worth it?

I will start by saying that I always feel 5x more confident wearing lash extensions. That being said I understand why so many people are on the fence about getting them done. The main concern is the cost, and the belief that once you start you can’t stop. The latter is not actually true because as much as I love them, I only get them done every now and then so that I can use falsies, eyeliner, etc to create different looks for my insta. As for the cost to get a full set, yes… it is a lot for a couple of weeks. I would say I would only advise getting them done if you can afford it, in case you do want to keep them up. which many do.

Now that I’ve got the bad stuff out the way, I do want to share my experience with lashes, as I have received several DMs asking about them. The most important thing is PICK THE RIGHT TECHNICIAN. It’s so important to check out pictures and reviews of their previous work to see if their work suits your style. My current lash lady is incredible. She listens to what I like and will make sure I am perfectly happy with her work. I was very unfortunate with my first two times getting lashed (great word!). My first lady stuck all my lashes together and the second set saw the lashes fall out within two days. For the cost of lashes it’s important to do your research!

Another thing I wanted to mention was the debate around if you can wear makeup. I still wear foundation and concealer daily so you can do that for sure. As for eye makeup I would say go for it as long as you take it off with a cotton bud….but maybe avoid eyeliner unless you are a makeup removing pro. The great thing about lashes is they make your eyes pop enough to not need eye makeup. In the image above I’m wearing none at all!

My experience has been pretty good. They last a good two to three weeks and do not irritate my eyes at all. It takes me 10mins to get ready which, of course, is a plus. If you want to give them a go and have the resources, I would absolutely recommend. Feel free to message me here or on my Insta Lucia_Jayne with any queries!

Brows on Fleek

I am a huge fan of Instagram brows, and I have tested so many products to find the perfect products to achieve this well-desired look. From pomades to pencils I have put together my faves.

So my go to has to be Benefit Ka-Brow Pomade. I know I usually go for drug store products but with brow products I’m happy to branch out as they usually last over a year anyway, which makes it worth it. . Brows are one of the hardest parts of a polished look and I love this as the application is so easy to work with. I used the ABH pomade for a year and was so committed until I found this. They are quite similar, however I find that unlike most pomades, including ABH Dipbrow, this doesn’t dry up. It lasts all day, and has a very natural look to it, but you can easily build on it for stronger looking brows.

LJL Rating: 10/10

Next is another Benefit product- they don’t get their brow success for nothing! When I’m in a hurry I use Gimme-Brow! This brushes on so easily and enhances your natural brows. So if you already have a good set of brows, I highly recommend this. The only downside is that it can look messy, so if you’re like me and prefer tidy brows, you can easily clean up the look with concealer.

LJL Rating: 9/10

Next, an underrated brand- Lottie London. Their Archival Brow Pen is only £6.50 and is  used to create a microblade effect. The end of this pen has 4 separate nibs which allow you to create natural looking brows in just a few fast strokes. This is great for either natural, bushy or insta-brows! The only flaw is that if you don’t use this with fast strokes, the product can bleed into fine lines.

LJL Rating: 8/10

Finally, for a simple pencil look, I use B. Pro Styler Brow Pencil, which is only £4.99 and is usually on offer. I use this either to quickly fill in my brows, or to neaten up the edges. The colour pay off is really strong, and the pencil is angled for ease. It also comes with a spoolie at the other end to help have a flawless look.

LJL Rating: 8/10

Overall, I do think that if you really care about how your brows look, then high end is always better. If you just like to fill in your brows, or lightly shape and define, then pencils and powders are the way to go.