Makeup tips & Lash-safe products for Lash Extensions

Given that the purpose of eyelash extensions are to brighten your eyes, to take the place of makeup and save you time getting ready every morning, wearing makeup with them seems a little counterproductive, but that’s just my humble opinion.  That being said, there are makeup products designed to be worn with eyelash extensions, and many that can be destructive, so it is important to know which are which.  #1 rule of thumb when choosing the right makeup to wear with extensions:  Avoid anything oil-based or waterPROOF.  Waterproof means that products is chock full of oil and wax so it doesn’t come off the skin when wet.  The only way to remove it is more oil, which is death for your lash extensions.  Eyeliner is the most important product to look at, being that it is applied directly to the lash line.  Most pencil and gel eyeliners are oil based, (especially MAC products), and one swipe of that across the base of the lashes will slowly but surely start eating away at the adhesive, causing those little pretties to come shedding right off onto your cheeks.  We want to keep them on the eyes wear they belong.  Typically liquid eyeliners are the safest liners to use, as they are usually water-based and can easily be cleansed away with your lash cleanser.  The key word here is “usually” so it is important to check the ingredients on every product before applying it to your eyes.  A little trick to avoided liner while still getting a darker lash line, is to wet an angled eyeshadow brush, dip it in a dark powder shadow, and fill in your lash line with shadow.  This will create the same look as liner and is much nicer on the lashes given that it just a powder.  Powder can also help to soak up excess oil on the lids throughout the day, thus lengthening the life of your extensions.  As always though, make sure it is still being washed off completely at night.  The same idea goes for mascaras.  Mascara should never be applied to eyelash extensions, especially Volume lash extensions, but some still like to wear it on their bottom lashes to balance out the look.  Even if you are just putting mascara on your bottom lashes, it still needs to be water based.  Think about every time you blink, (which is like a million times a day), some of that residue is being transferred to your upper lashes, wreaking havoc on your extensions.  Most mascaras & lash primers are loaded with oil and beeswax which hardens onto the lash, however there are a lot of water based mascaras now being produced.  The best option is to avoid makeup altogether, but in the event that you need a little extra oomph to your eyes, make sure you are using water based or powder products only.  😉