When it comes to beauty, I always feel pretty clueless. I’ve never been that savvy about products or miracle treatments. I’m not overly into pampering and primping- usually it all seems like too much effort!
When it comes to my day to day makeup, I’ve only recently started wearing foundation regularly. In general my eyes are always the focus of my makeup – usually heavily lined with lashings of mascara. So when I was invited to try out Yumi Lashes at Regis in Fenwick, I thought it was a good opportunity what all the fuss was when it came to lash treatments. A few friends of mine are addicted to semi permanent eyelash extensions, and while I love the way they look, I’m terrified by the idea of losing lashes because of it! (Which many of them have admitted is a consequence of the strain put on your natural lashes by continually having the extensions). So after being reassured that Yumi Lashes didn’t involve attaching anything to my eyes which may result in lash alopecia, I agreed to check it out!
The treatment itself involves having a solution applied to your eyelashes which (according to my online research) straightens them. After chatting with Donna, my beautician for the day, she reassured me that she would in fact be curling (not straightening them).
Since I have very sensitive skin, especially my eyes, Donna told me to let her know if I felt any burning or stinging sensations during the treatment. Then she set about taping my bottom lashes down, applying a guard to my eyelids and combing my lashes over the guard. Although it felt strangely uncomfortable to be unable to open my eyes, after I’d gotten used to it, I started to settle back and relax. After combing through my lashes, Donna applied the perm treatment to my lashes, leaving it for a little while before clearing off the excess. Once the excess had been cleared from my eyes, a dye was then applied to my lashes to tint them. Donna recommended a black dye with a hint of blue which gave a lovely deep black.
When I first opened my eyes I was shocked. My lashes not only looked fuller but also a lot longer. It was as though I was wearing the perfect pair of fake eyelashes. After getting over the initial surprise of how good they looked, Donna told me my lashes would remain the same for around 2 months! For the first few weeks they needed combing through on a morning as they seemed to get tangled easily- not really sure why!? And I found there was no need for mascara.
Now I’ve been waiting a little while to post this review because while I was impressed with the results when I first saw them, I wanted to wait to see how long they’d really last. A month on and I’m pleased to say that I’m still seeing the effects. I’m using less mascara (although now I’ve started wearing a coat during the day as the tint is wearing off a little), and they still look long and thick. At £50 a pop, it’s not the cheapest treatment but it’s a great option for a special occasion – and it’s reassuring to know that the results don’t wear straight off! Definitely think it’s something I’d have again- although probably not on a regular basis. But it’s a nice little treat every now and then. And who knows? I may feel differently when my eyelashes return to their normal state. Considering how beautiful Yumi Lashes made my natural eyelashes appear, it’s easy to see how people can get addicted!