In August, I won a raffle at the Yoga on the Green event at Lafayette Village in Raleigh, NC. The prize: a free lash lift and tint at Ivey Artistry! This is something I never thought to do, but I am so glad I won this so I could try it out. It was a great experience with amazing results.
I have always had long lashes, but you can’t tell because 1. They’re so straight, and 2. I have blonde hair so they are really light. Whenever I get my makeup done, makeup artists always plan to put falsies on me until they put mascara on…then suddenly they realize I have lashes and change their mind. I figured a lash lift and tint would be a great way to truly show off my lashes and also save a step in the mornings without having to put on mascara.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I was a little anxious. Not for any good reason, just because I have anxiety when I don’t know what’s going to happen, ha! Who can relate? I knew it was a painless process. The before and after pictures I saw looked beautiful. I would just go in and see what happens!
The esthetician that gave me my gorgeous lashes was Stacey Van Der Hyde, who was amazing and SO nice. She talked me through the entire process so I know what was happening because my eyes were closed the entire time, which definitely helped my (ridiculous) anxiety. Here’s what went down:
Prepping for a lash lift and tint
Understandably, you cannot have any makeup on or around your eyes during the procedure. I (reluctantly) went the whole day makeup-less since I was going straight after work. In hindsight, it was probably good to give my skin a day to breathe. I don’t give it that opportunity enough.
They also suggest no caffeine before your appointment. Apparently, it can cause your lashes to flutter, which makes their job much harder. (So maybe don’t do like me and schedule your appointment on a Monday.)
The Procedure
Ivey Artistry has private rooms with comfortable chairs that you lie back in so you can relax while you get beautified. My room even had a fuzzy blanket if you get cold! Make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and you’ve done everything you have to do…besides wait and relax…and don’t open your eyes until you’re told to.
The esthetician starts out by gently cleaning your lashes with a cleanser and a cotton pad. Then, she places a patch over your bottom lashes to keep them from getting curled up. The patch stays still the entire time but isn’t so sticky that it pulls your bottom lashes out when they remove it. Small silicone rods are placed on your lids to start combing your top lashes up against them. This part was a little weird at first but after a couple minutes I barely noticed.
Honestly, the hardest part was not opening my eyes. For some reason, my reflex was to open my eyes because I knew I couldn’t. After a while, though, I got used to it and I was able to really relax.
Caution! Scary alien-looking photo below!
The combing of the lashes against the rods was the longest part of the entire procedure. The esthetician has to make sure all of your lashes stick to the rod. The rod is adhered to your lids and lashes using a temporary glue to keep them in place, but removing them was super easy when the time came.
After all of the lashes are adhered to the silicone rods, a curling lotion is applied to the lashes. It smells like a perm, which makes sense because it’s basically a perm for your lashes. This sits on your lashes for about six minutes, which goes by quickly because half of that time is being used to apply the lotion to the rest of your lashes.
After the “perm” lotion is applied, it is gently removed and then a setting lotion is applied. This sits for about five minutes. Finally, it is wiped off and the rod is slowly wiggled off your lashes. BOOM. Curled lashes.
The next and final step was to tint the lashes. The blue-black die was applied to my lashes and sat for a few more minutes. This was the longest I waited, and it didn’t even feel that long. You simply wait, the esthetician washes it off, and you’re done!
Before & After:
After The Procedure
– Cue Elle Woods – You cannot get your eyelashes wet for 24 hours after you get a lift and tint or the results will not last. After that, if you decide to wear mascara (which I did for photos and special events), make sure you do not wear waterproof mascara, as it is harsher on your lashes and can make the lift and tint fade quicker.
I was honestly amazed at the results, and still am! Almost a month later and I still feel like I don’t need to wear mascara every day. There is still a curl and the tint is still going strong with maybe the tiniest bit of fade. The lift and tint are supposed to last about 6 weeks or so.
The weirdest part after the lift was feeling my lashes hit my lid right below my brows when my eyes were open at their widest or when I looked up, but I quickly got used to it.
Cost
A full lash lift and tint at Ivey Artistry is $110 and just a tint is $20. If the full lift and tint was in my budget, I would absolutely get it done every six weeks. Unfortunately, it’s not. But I definitely plan on getting it again for special occasions or when I want to treat myself to something extra. I have really enjoyed not wearing mascara for the past month!
If you’re in the Raleigh area and looking to do a lash lift and tint (or extensions or microblading) make sure you check out Ivey Artistry. They are really amazing!
Have you had a lash lift and tint? How was your experience?