Like the rest of the population, I love going on holiday. Packing all my favourite outfits, sun creams and bags of makeup into my pink suitcase and jetting off to a faraway destination is the best feeling ever. However, as a self-confessed beauty addict, loading up my luggage with makeup weighs down my suitcase - so I'm always on the lookout for beauty miniatures and multi-purpose items that make the stress of packing that little bit easier. Condensing your makeup bag is the hardest thing of all – you never know what you might need. However – instead of taking bottles of eye makeover remover and tubes of mascara, I decided to get eyelash extensions done two days before my vacation. I was rather apprehensive at first, and worried they wouldn't last the two-week long trip, or that they would come out when I dived in the pool. But having said that, the thought of having a mascara-free trip made more than made up for my worries.
Getting lashes applied before a holiday makes a huge difference to your summer makeup
I headed to Lash Perfect - one of the world's leading suppliers and trainers of lash and brow therapies. Founded in 2006 by industry experts Beverly Piper and Christina Jenkins, the global business now distributes training and products across Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and the Middle East. The brand has a flagship salon on Warwick Street in London which offers extensions, lash lifts, and Microblading..
HELLO!'s Fashion and beauty writer loved her Lash Perfect eyelash extensions
I arrived at the sleek salon and was greeted by a super-friendly therapist who talked me through what look I wanted to achieve before starting work on my peepers. I decided to go for a full set of Russian lashes, which involves the application of several fine synthetic lashes to each one of your own. The application itself took around an hour and a half. I was slightly concerned that I may get bored having my eyes shut for that long, but I needn’t have worried – my therapist was so gentle in her approach that I actually had a little snooze. Best of all, you can even have your nails done at the same time, so I also had a first-rate gel manicure my separate therapist. I felt truly fabulous! I woke up with the most stunning set of lashes I have ever seen. Not only did they have a fabulous curl, they looked defined yet totally natural, subtle yet prominent, and they felt as light as a featherI loved how much volume they had and on the way home I couldn't stop fluttering them. The real test came two days later, when I jetted off to Ibiza. I'll admit I was dubious as to how long they would last – I have read plenty of horror stories online about lashes dropping out after one day, but I couldn't have been more wrong. As instructed, I avoided greasy eye-makeup remover and didn't apply mascara to the extensions, but I still wore my beloved eyeliner throughout my trip.
I also regularly dived in and out of the pool, as well as sunning myself on the beach and bobbing in the sea on my unicorn float. The lashes lasted so well – yes, they do naturally shed from time to time, but the whole look still remained intact and full. Of course, I paid special care not to rub my eyes but on the whole, they lasted a full three weeks and only started to drop out properly during the fourth week after my appointment.
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I was really impressed with the result and it made my holiday makeup and packing situation so much easier. It’s great to wake up, knowing you don’t need to preen your face before you leave the villa. I also think eyelash extensions look lovely in pictures. My verdict? Lash-tastic and totally worth it.
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Lash Perfect eyelash extensions start from £40. Visit the online sitefor for more information.