Eyelashes Extensions and The Difference Between Them
False eyelashes can be said to be an essential component of your make up bag. If you don’t have naturally long lashes, but you want your eyes to pop, then false lashes are the way forward for you. Eyelash extensions like many other beauty accessories, come in many different shapes, sizes and forms. From strip lashes to cluster lashes and individuals, they each provide the wearer with a different effect. They each have their benefits and which one you decide to use, depends on the look you’re going for, longevity and ease of application.
So let’s have a look at the types of lashes you can get, and what their pros and cons are.
Strip Lashes
What are they?
Strip lashes, as they imply in the name come as one whole strip. The false eyelash hairs come already bound in a line with a slight curve as to accommodate the curvature of your eye.
Sizing and Shape
Now, everyone’s eyes are different in shape and size. And so buying the wrong strip lashes can result in an uncomfortable and quite disappointing gluey mess.
– The first thing you want to look at to prevent discomfort is the length of the lash strip. You don’t want to apply one that is either too short or too long. Ill-fitting lashes would both irritate the eyes and also look very unnatural. So it is best to try and stay away from this as much as possible.
How do you apply them?
Strip lashes are the easiest to apply, having said that it is likely that if you are doing them yourself your first few goes may not go to plan. It takes quite good hand-eye coordination to make sure you fit them in the correct place. Which is just above where your real eyelashes sit on your eyelid, after applying glue to the whole strip.
Pros
– Easiest to self-apply out of the three options
– Quicker application
– Easy to remove
– Excellent choice if you just want to extend your lashes for one special event
– If you’re going to apply them yourself, they can be bought anywhere
– They are cheap
Cons
– The majority of strip lashes (due to their cost) tend to look quite stiff and unnatural
– Requires a larger amount of glue for successful application and so increases the chance of an eye infection
– Because they are all attached if one side comes off, the whole lash requires replacing
Cluster Lashes
What are they?
Cluster lashes almost look like a small fan made of lashes. They consist of 3 to 5 individual lashes bound together by either a ball of glue or they are knotted together, so they don’t fall apart.
How are they applied?
At the base of each cluster, you apply glue and then using tweezers attach the lashes to your natural lash line. Again they come in different shapes, sizes and thickness. And, they have to be applied so that the more extended clusters are on the outside and the slightly shorter clusters are on the inside.
Pros
– Cheap
– Last up to 5 weeks
– Dramatic look
– Can be applied yourself
Cons
Unfortunately, it would seem that cluster lashes are in fact quite bad for your natural lashes. They tend to be quite heavy on the lid and therefore uncomfortable to wear. And after extended periods of use, they begin to pull out your lashes. They don’t take very long to apply however the risk of losing your eyelashes in their entirety is very high. So we recommend if you decide you would like to make use of eyelash extensions then you go for either strip lashes or individual/volume lashes; which we are about to talk about next.
Individual/Volume Lashes
What are they and how are they applied?
Individual lashes are single hair lash extensions. The technician will put a minimal amount of adhesive glue to the root end of the lash. They will then attach them to sparse areas in your lash line to fill it out. The majority of people like to have that Egyptian cat eye look and so if this was wanted, again, the longer lashes will be applied to the outside of the eye line.
Pros
– If you want a natural looking lash extension, then this is the best out of all three options. The use of single lashes and minimal amounts of glue to thicken the area results in the extensions looking like part of your natural lash line.
– Easily cover scarce areas in your lashes
– Not too expensive to get a professional to do
– They last long
– They feel so natural that you forget you’re wearing anything at all! (then you get hooked like I am)
Cons
– They are incredibly tedious to apply, and so we recommend that you use a professional. A bad application can result in wonky or uneven lashes.
– They are not as available to buy as let’s say strip lashes which can be found in most department stores.
– Take the longest of all three extensions to apply, but a great way to catch 40 winks whilst having them applied 😉
What type of lash extensions you decide to wear, depends on what look you are going for. And also how much time you have for the application process. If you are looking for something that is going to last a long time, and look natural as to enable you to wear them every day. Then we recommend you test out individual/volume lashes. You can wear them to work and still look professional, and also go out and they add that extra umf to your lashes to make them pop.
Image Credits –
Featured image: https://wallpaperscraft.com/download/eyes_eyelashes_makeup_eyebrows_face_17767/1920×1080#
1: http://madamsalon.com/services/strip-lashes/
2: http://www.eve.com.mt/2014/12/20/false-eyelashes/
3: http://www.debsdesignernails.co.uk/gallery/volume-lashes