IMAGE: COSME DECORTE FACEBOOK
As much as you want your extensions to last, do not do it at the expense of your eye health. So the most important thing to do is to keep the follicles of your lashes clean.
Try not to wear eyeshadow or liner near the lashline as the extensions can make it difficult for you to clean the area thoroughly. A build-up of bacteria and oil on the lashline can lead to nasty infections.
Oil-based cleansers can dissolve the bonds of the extensions easily, so use water-based or gel formulas instead when washing your face.
Clean the lashline with water by brushing clean and damp fingertips along it. Do not use cotton buds or pads, as lint can get caught in the extensions.
To ensure that your natural lashes stay strong and healthy, use a lash serum after cleansing every night to strengthen them.
Here is a quick tip on how to avoid touching the extensions and causing them to drop off while applying lash serums: slick the serum on the lower lashline, then immediately blink to get the formula onto the upper lashline.
One of the latest lash serums on the market is the Cosme Decorte Lash Revolution Eyelash Serum ($88, from Cosme Decorte counters, photo 1). It promises to make lashes more resilient with mulberry root, loquat leaf and peony root extracts, as well as amino acid and the humectant butylene glycol.
IMAGE: ASOS.COM
Other popular ones are Rodial’s Glamolash ($119, from selected Guardian stores, photo 2) which contains vitamin B5, wheat protein and a peptide to supposedly thicken, moisturise and add shine to the strands; and Talika’s Lipocils Expert lash conditioning gel ($75, from Sephora stores) that is made with a 12-plant complex, silk protein and peptides, and promises to darken, lengthen and curl lashes.
Vichy’s Liftactiv Serum 10 for Eyes and Lashes ($69, from Derma Center, 02-33 Westgate, photo 3) is an eye cream that also doubles as a lash serum. Just gently swipe it across the entire eye area and dab it onto the roots of lashes to brighten skin and strengthen the hairs.
This article was first run in The Straits Times newspaper on April 18, 2014. For similar stories, go to sph.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore. You will not be able to access the Premium section of The Straits Times website unless you are already a subscriber.