Are We Saying Goodbye To Lash Extensions?

Remember when you had a night out planned and you made sure you had a lash appointment booked first? We sure do. For years, lash extensions were the number one beauty treatment everyone had done.

The low effort, high impact routine that promised you’d wake up ‘ready’. Now, if you scroll on any social media, you will find quite the opposite with more people showcasing their glam makeup looks paired with their own natural lashes.

With a rise in lash serums, and more minimalistic makeup looks, the dramatic lash extension era is becoming a memory. As the beauty industry is leaving behind the full glam, cut crease life behind, in its place is softer, simpler looks and barley-there makeup.

So how did we go from full and fluttery to soft and subtle?

Peak of the lash era

While faux eyelash extension can be dated back right to the ancient Egyptians of 2500BC, their prime era was back in the early 2000s to the 2010. When J-Lo stepped out at an awards ceremony at the start of the 2000s with a full set, we knew that they were the new trend on the block!

As demand grew, lash extension salons were popping up in nearly every town across the country, with hundreds of clients booking in for the dramatic glow up. Every few weeks, we’d lie down for two hours, blink and instantly feel a little bit more put together – with no mascara needed.

The appeal was obvious. Lashes promised a ‘ready to go look’ that fit perfectly with the full-glam era, led by Kylie Jenner, of heavy contouring, HD brows and a striking cut crease all paired off with a matte lip finish. More celebrities and iconic MUAs soon started to follow the trend of full Russian style volume lashes. They were the final touch to the Instagram face – big lashes and big brows – no simple looks in sight!

 

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With all the big glam came a big commitment. With infills every three weeks, constantly having to have an eyelash brush on hand, and avoiding any oils, suddenly this effortless look seemed quite the opposite. However, for years the lash extension community remained, and the go to look continued. Whether you had a big night out planned or just wanted to feel a little more confident, extensions become as much of an essential as getting your nails or hair done.

But lately, that obsession has started to fade – and the reason isn’t just changing beauty trends.

Saying goodbye 

After years of loyalty to infills and the full glam, more and more people started to break up with their extensions. What used to feel like a beauty essential is now starting to feel like a bit too much.

Part of it comes down to time and money. With the cost of living rising, regular fills can easily cost upwards €60 every few weeks and keeping them in good shape means buying after care kits on top of the appointment. With constant upkeep and budgets becoming tighter, full lash sets no longer fit into people’s routines.

It’s not just about practicality either – the aesthetic is changing too. After salons began to close during Covid, a new rise in the ‘clean girl’ makeup era started as people couldn’t go to treatments. The ‘clean girl’ look is a stripped back kind of beauty, with soft eye looks, glowy skin and lashes that are completely natural. TikTok and Instagram are flooded with tutorials on lash serums and tints that all promise to enhance your natural beauty, while still being as striking as a full set of extensions.

@natashathomson__ a bit too powdery today…😩 #makeup #cleangirlmakeup #cleangirl #makeuproutine #makeuptutorial #glowybase #glowymakeup #justgirlythings #foryou #fyp #foryoupage #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound – 𝙇𝙭𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙯 🫶🏻

While lash extensions don’t damage your eyes, people have also started to notice that they can have negative effects on the growth of your lashes. If applied by a certified professional, your lashes should stay intact. However, with the rapid growth of salons many of the practitioners may not be up to standard and may do more harm then good. If the lashes aren’t fitted correctly or a proper sterilisation process isn’t being used, they can cause the loss of your natural lashes.

Lash serums

And at the heart of this movement are the rise of lash serums, promising to give you naturally long and full lashes. Nutrient rich ingredients like coffee, vitamins, and amino acids are used to help stimulate the growth of hair follicles, while some other serums can help with the strength and conditioning of the natural lashes to prevent breakage.

The serums are also super easy to use. A few times a week you just pop it along your lash line and wait for the magic to happen – a lot more convenient than a 2-hour lash appointment. However, it won’t give you those instant overnight results. While results are different for each individual, it is recommended that you use a serum constantly for eight weeks to fully see results.

If you’re thinking about ditching the extensions and the serum way of life sounds tempting, some of the top brands include RevitaLash, UKLash and iGlow. Drugstore brands also have started to release their own serums with Maybelline and the Ordinary being top contenders.

Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Serum Conditioner 

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Lash & Brow Serum

Beauty trends are always moving in circles; big lash extensions had their moment, but now beauty feels lighter and more real. After years of chasing the full look, we have decided to embrace what is naturally there.

Whether you’re a serum devotee or still holding on to the lash extension life, there is no wrong choice – it’s whatever makes you feel like you!