I got a keratin lash lift and now I’m basically Bambi

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I got a keratin lash lift and now I’m basically Bambi

When I stumbled upon keratin lash lifts online, my interest was immediately piqued.

Unfortunately, my lashes take after their owner: stubby and very, very pale.

So a treatment that promised me the long, luscious lashes of my dreams (without damage) seemed too good to be true.  Scepticism be damned, I embraced my optimistic side and decided to track down somewhere I could get the treatment done and see if it could do the seemingly impossible. 

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Turns out, one of Sydney’s top lash and brow salons, Lady Lash, specialises in keratin lash lifts. 

So I headed into the super-luxe Newtown salon to pester founder and all-round lash expert, Charlotte Creasey, with all my burning questions, and to try the relatively new treatment for myself. 

Lady Lash Newtown Salon

What is a keratin lash lift, exactly?

“A keratin lash lift is very similar to a regular lash lift, only it uses keratin during the process to nourish the lash,” explains Charlotte. “A lash lift is a process similar to a perm where we use a chemical solution to break down the disulphide bonds of the hair to redirect the lash into a new more lifted shape. At Lady Lash, we prefer to do keratin lash lifts as we believe it is important to maintain the lash health as much as possible while chemically treating the hair – including keratin in the treatment helps us ensure the lash will stay nourished.”

If you’ve had a lash lift with great results before, you can expect something similar.  

Charlotte says, “Both procedures are the same, though one (just a regular lash lift) won’t include keratin or biotin in the process. Different lash lift solutions will include the keratin at different stages throughout the process – for instance some solutions include the keratin in the glue used to lift the lashes and hold them on the rod, to nourish throughout the whole process, and some will have keratin included in the chemical solution. Neither is necessarily ‘better’ but we prefer a process where keratin is included in the glue, simply because the glue is on the lash for the longest time which we believe equals more nourishment.”

The treatment isn’t cheap, and will set you back $100 for the keratin lash lift or $110 for the lift and tint. But as you only need to get it done every 6-8 weeks, it works out a hell of a lot cheaper than extensions, which range from $150-$300 every 4-6 weeks. Also, a lash lift looks more natural when it’s growing out as it doesn’t have the patchy look of overgrown lash extensions. 

I’ve never had lash extensions, so I can’t comment on the efficacy of extensions vs. lash lift. But the fact keratin lash lifts take an hour, while lash extensions can take up to three, makes it a far better option if you’re short on time. We asked Charlotte to weigh in on the extensions vs. lift debate and she had this to say:

“The jury is out for this one, and there are plenty of divided opinions but personally, we think lash extensions are better for your natural lash health than a lash lift. Controversial, I know! Though the reason being is because with lash extensions, the main concern is that you are adding additional weight to the natural lash – though if your lash stylist follows sustainable lash practice, they will be able to customise a set of lashes to an appropriate weight, length and curl to ensure there is no lash damage, while still achieving your desired look.”

“On the other hand, a lash lift is applying a chemical solution to the lash to change the structure of the hair. While it is very safe, and we rarely see complications, changing the chemical structure of the hair is slightly less predictable. In our opinion, a client shouldn’t have more than four lash lifts in one year. We recommend switching between lash lift and perhaps a light set of extensions in between to achieve a very similar look – just so your natural lashes have time to fully regenerate and this avoids re-lifting already lifted lashes.”

My keratin lash lift review

To start off, my lash specialist wiped off any residual eye makeup from my eye area, and put on some hydrating eye masks under my eyes, which was a lovely bonus. 

The next step is curling the lashes over a rod with keratin-infused perm solution, which curls the lashes from root to tip. This is left on for roughly 45 minutes. 

Lashes during lift

Now that the lashes has been lifted and curled, the tint is applied for 15 minutes – and then you can really see the magic. 

Voilà: Lashes after keratin lift and tint

Aftercare

It’s pretty easy to take care of a lash lift, all you have to do is not get them wet for 24 hours, and then it’s business as usual. After the 24 hours has passed, you can wear mascara, and use all your makeup and skincare products as usual. 

The final verdict

I’m now a few days into my life with a lash lift, and now my life will be divided into two sections forevermore: BLL (Before Lash Lift) and ALL (After Lash Lift). The results are incredible. As I mentioned above, I don’t have a lot going on in the way of eyelashes, so I didn’t think the lash lift would make that much of a difference. How wrong I was. As I’m so fair, usually when I’m not wearing mascara I look a little under the weather, but the lash lift and tint has negated this problem entirely, I look refreshed and awake even when I’m wearing no makeup at all. I still wear a bit of mascara, and the lift helps them look longer and thicker than they have before. 

Lash lift with mascara and liner

Would you try a keratin lash lift?

Lady Lash is about to celebrate their 10th birthday, so visit ladylash.com.au if you’re interested in any of their treatments. 

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Comments 6

  1. Oh yeah this is right up my alley!! I have very fine straight lashes and they hate being curled with a lash curler. After about 30 seconds they are back to being straight .