Bridal Club Magazine

Flutter Those Eyes!

Anyone around my age will recall those false eyelashes of the 70's … long spider leg-like things that you just knew were fake. For you younger girls, just Google "Twiggy" images and you'll see what I mean. Having very short and fine lashes myself, I am used to having to apply lashings of mascara to create any real impact with my eyes, but that in itself can be a curse. Lately, I've been hearing more and more about the new generation lashes and decided to pop into see Rebecca Doherty of Eye Envy to find out a little more.
Situated very centrally in Campbell Road, Greenlane, Rebecca offers an extremely personalised service. It's just her, so you know that you are getting the best when you visit - no junior or apprentice, who could make a hash of things. In the old days, false lashes were applied in one long sweep. They weren't the easiest things to apply, often ending up slightly skewed.
Many of us would forget to trim the ends off to ensure they fitted our eyes, so would end up with lashes that went well past their intended line. Sometimes, highly embarrassingly, they'd fall off when you'd least want them to!
Lash extensions are a whole new ball game - they're definitely the A-Listers' secret to longer, fuller eyelashes that look totally natural. The extensions are applied professionally by people just like Rebecca. You need patience and a skilled eye and steady hand to apply them, so it's not something you want to try yourself or trust to your best mate or mum , even if they think they know what they're doing.
Each lash is carefully grafted onto one of your own lashes and, unlike those 70's falsies, the bonding agent never comes into direct contact with your own skin. It's therefore safe and gentle, even on the most sensitive eyes. On your first visit, Rebecca will go through some questions and complete your customer card. This will allow her to understand what you want from your lashes, a little about your lifestyle and make-up routines and the like. She will then discuss with you what sort of "set" you'd like … there are a range to choose from, all providing different results. A half set consists of 30 lashes per eye, but you can go up to 70 or more lashes per eye. The benefits for everyone are enormous, but particularly so for brides. Your eyes will be gorgeous for those close-up photographs - not a clump of mascara in sight. You'll be able to shed a tear or two of joy and have no fear of smudging or smearing. And, the lashes will usually last longer than the honeymoon, so it's one less thing you need to pack! Rebecca generally recommends 50-lash sets for brides as your eyes need to look particularly stunning for those photographs, while bridesmaids can often get away with a set of 30.
You will need infills, and how often will depend on you and the way you treat them. A lash has a natural lifecycle; just like the hair on your head - you lose a few every day. It's usually recommended that you "top up" every 2-3 weeks. There are so many things on those bridal To Do lists, that it's great knowing you can get your lashes done a couple of days in advance of the wedding, leaving yourself time on the big day for hair and make-up. In fact, I'd book in a few weeks in advance, and then just pop in a few days before the wedding for a quick infill. And I should tell you that if you book yourself and two of your bridesmaids in with Rebecca, you'll not only receive complimentary bubbly and strawberries or truffles, the second bridesmaid will get a free treatment. Go on, girls … treat yourselves and let your eyes do the talking on your wedding day. Personally, there's no turning back - I love them!

♥ This article was kindly supplied by My Wedding New Zealand's Premier Wedding Magazine