Battle Of The Lashes

Have you always wondered what the differences were between mascara, falsies, mink lashes, and eyelash extensions? Well girl, I’ve got you covered today! As your lash guru, I’ll take you on a tour of all of the pros and cons of these four unique types of lash products. By the end of this blog post, I hope that my personal insight and experience from using all of these products help you decide what YOUR favorite type of go-to lashes are! ;)

Mascara:
From my high school to post-grad days, mascara has always been my top product of choice to finish up my everyday makeup look. As soon as my blogging career required me to experiment with more cosmetic products and brands, the use of mascara eventually got pushed towards the bottom of my priorities list. Soon after, curiosity got the better of me. Finally, the day arrived when I told myself to try out eyelash extensions and fake eyelashes, or so-called, “falsies”, for the very first time.

As much as I love the convenience of throwing a mascara tube into my purse before heading out the door, I honestly feel that the overall “darkening effect” doesn’t do me much good. In other words, mascara just didn’t hold the power to truly elongate each individual lash and I was never able to feel as glamorous as those flawless models that you see in magazines.

If I had to choose among mascara, falsies, mink lashes, and eyelash extensions, mascara would be my last choice. To sum it all up, mascara would only be on my makeup agenda for convenience purposes.

However, for those of you who aren’t into wearing falsies or eyelash extensions, I do recommend TWO products that I did enjoy using while being a long-term mascara user. Although a pricy product, I absolutely loved coating my lashes with Christian Dior’s Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum. This eyelash primer is comprised of a white sticky substance and does a great job when it comes to elongating your lashes before mascara is applied. As for mascara products, I personally loved using Maybelline’s The Falsies Volume Express, which you can find at your local drug store. Honestly, I never felt the need to splurge on mascara products, especially when using such an effective primer. Pair Dior’s Eyelash Primer with any mascara brand and I guarantee that your lashes will be noticeably thicker and darker.
*Recommended Products: Christian Dior’s Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum, Maybelline’s The Falsies Volume Express

Pros of Mascara:
- Affordable or low price point.
- Convenient to use & store in your purse.

Cons of Mascara:
- Does not look as dramatic in person or in photos compared to falsies/eyelash extensions.
- Must replace often (I believe 6 months maximum to avoid bacterial growth in your mascara tube).
- Sticky mascara residue may remain on your natural lashes even after using makeup remover.

Falsies/False Lashes:

Back when I used mascara on an everyday basis, young Michelle could never even imagine applying false lashes on to her eyes – ever. After all, the thought of anything getting close to her eyes scared her.

By the way, I make a pretty accurate statement when I say that I have no precision skills when it comes to applying false lashes. When I first started wearing false lashes for special occasions, it took me several minutes to apply (or reapply if I messed up). Even today, I still have room for improvement when it comes to applying my false lashes perfectly.

With falsies, I love that you can either go the natural or dramatic route. As an added bonus, fake lashes are seriously the easiest thing to remove by the end of the night. It literally feels as liberating as taking off your bra before you hit the sheets - TMI, much? LOL, sorry guys. Also, depending on the quality of the falsies, you can re-use them anywhere from one to three times.
*Recommended Products: Ardell, Eyemimo San Francisco, Model 21, Eyelash DUO Brush On Striplash Adhesive

Pros of Falsies/Fake Lashes:
- Lasts 3 wears max before it becomes non-functional.
- Easily removable by the end of the night.

Cons of Falsies/Fake Lashes:
- Higher price point than mascara.
- Does not look as dramatic in person or in photos compared to mink lashes or eyelash extensions.
- Wire band of non-mink lashes tend to be weaker and less durable than the band of mink lashes (Sometimes, you can see the leftover glue or eyeshadow residue from previous wears).
- Can easily fall off throughout the day/night if not enough glue is applied.

Mink Lashes:
Now, I also want to highlight a certain type of falsies called “Mink Lashes”. Mink Lashes are the so-called “queen” of false lashes, as they are comprised of 100% natural mink from the mink fur hair of live animals. Not only are mink lashes comprised of a velvety finish, but they are also designed to be long-lasting. With mink lashes, these babies are easy to maintain and you can get multiple wears out of just one pair. My favorite Mink Lash brand that I’ve been using for the last three months is by Fairylash Boutique. I discovered this store through a friend on Instagram and have loved their products since Day One. On a casual day, I wear non-mink falsies from other brands such as Eyemimo San Francisco, Model 21, and Ardell. However, I always make sure to bring Fairylash Boutique with me for more important occasions, especially when I’m traveling for business. From Seattle to New York City to Chicago, Fairylash Boutique has always been by my side…or in this case, my eyes, hah.

If you ask me to choose between your everyday falsies or a pair of luxurious mink lashes, I would pick mink lashes in a heartbeat. With mink lashes, you are giving your eyes that extra POP that will be much more noticeable in person and in photographs than any mascara tube could provide. When it comes to cosmetics, I tend to splurge more on items that will make me look and feel good - and that’s where Fairylash Boutique’s mink lashes come into play ;)

Fairylash Boutique is my number one go-to brand whether I’m prepping for a fashion photoshoot, attending a media event, or going on vacation. Two styles I have recently picked up include the Fairy Belle and Fairy Kathy - and I have no complaints on either of these styles. In fact, I’ve received a higher amount of compliments from both friends and strangers whenever I’ve worn the Belle or Kathy out compared to any other day when I’ve worn non-mink falsies or mascara. If you want to try mink lashes for the first time, trust me - Fairylash Boutique’s quality will NOT disappoint ;)
*Recommended Product: Fairylash Boutique, Eyelash DUO Brush On Striplash Adhesive

Pros of Mink Lashes:
- Lasts 20-30 wears max before it becomes non-functional.
- Easily removable by the end of the night.
- Wire band of mink lashes tends to be a lot stronger and durable than non-mink lashes (Makes it easier to apply glue even after multiple wears).
- Creates a very dramatic effect, perfect for events and social gatherings.
- High quality mink lashes that will make you look and feel amazing in both pictures and in person.

Cons of Mink Lashes:
- High price point (Approximately +$25 for one mink lash pair)
- Can easily fall off throughout the day/night if not enough glue is applied.

Lastly, I wanted to share my favorite eyelash glue brand with you all – the Eyelash DUO Brush On Striplash Adhesive. This glue is the ultimate lifesaver, as it saves me from the trouble of using any other eyelash glue that requires you to squeeze the glue out of the tube. Enough times, I have squeezed an excess amount of glue on to the thin band of my falsies (fml moment, anyone?). Keep in mind that the Eyelash DUO brand also carries glue that are packaged in blue and pink boxes, but my favorite one comes in the ORANGE box. In contrast to the blue and pink boxes, the orange box comes with an adhesive that allows you to brush on an appropriate amount of glue on to the wire band yourself.

Here’s a hilarious, but not so hilarious story – just one week ago prior to my Chicago trip, I stopped by at least three nearby Walgreens for this glue, but none of them carried it! After wasting 45 minutes of my time driving around to three different chains that did not carry the glue, I was forced to hunt for it online. Basically, the moral of this story is to save yourself the time by purchasing this glue from Walgreens online!

Eyelash Extensions:
I dedicated a Q&A blog post to eyelash extensions just about a year ago, but it doesn’t hurt to revisit this topic another time around! In total, I’ve gotten eyelash extensions done twice in my lifetime. One important suggestion I have is to do your research on the business you plan on getting your eyelash extensions done. After all, how your first application procedure goes will truly affect your decision on future appointments.

For my very first time, I went to Jody from Winkz Lash Bar in Brea and she was absolutely amazing. Jody is a true professional with her work and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for eyelash extensions in the Southern California area. Not only did the procedure feel quick and painless, but Jody kindly checked up on me throughout the entire session to make sure that I had a positive experience. See a previous photo of my first pair of eyelash extensions on Instagram here.

However, my second time was not so fun. For privacy reasons, I’ll keep the business name anonymous. At this clinic, all of the employees (they just so happened to be Asian) rudely stared up and down at me like they were judging me from first sight. On top of that, my application process was not enjoyable at all, and even slightly painful. I have NO clue why, but the employee decided that it was a good idea to tape my eye shut while physically forcing my eye open with her fingers – I literally don’t understand how she thought this was okay. Never will I go back to that clinic again for obvious reasons, but I won’t let this negative experience stop me from getting eyelash extensions again. Just do your research beforehand and you’ll be alright.

Now that I’m done sharing the two stories of my highly opposing eyelash extensions experiences, let me give you the breakdown about eyelash extensions.
*Recommended Clinic: Winkz Lash Bar

Pros of Eyelash Extensions:
- Lasts 1-3 weeks before extensions begin to fall off.
- No need to apply mascara or falsies with your makeup routine.
- Cuts makeup time by 2-5 minutes.
- Provides a very natural look overall, even if you request dramatic eyelash extensions.

Cons of Eyelash Extensions:
- Very high price point (Approximately +$150 for eyelash extensions, approximately +$50 for refills; Price varies based on business).
- Eyelash extensions fall off naturally like natural eyelashes – they tend to look weird within 1-2 weeks if you decide not to get refills.
- Inconvenient to schedule an appointment to get refills every 2 weeks.
- Have to avoid getting water into eyes (can potentially burn).

Due to the extremely high price point and inconvenience of booking multiple appointments to get eyelash extension refills, I personally believe that mink lashes remains the ultimate winner in my book (at least for now). With this detailed post, I hope that my pros and cons have helped you decide how to pamper your lashes next time around ;) Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions in the comment box below – I’d love to hear from you, whether you want to share an interesting story, questions, or random facts about lashes, falsies, or eyelash extensions.

[Photography by Sharon Litz]
Instagram: @sharonlitz
Blog: www.sharinaone.com

[Outfit Details]
Mink Lashes: Fairylash Boutique (wearing Fairy Kathy)
White Cape Blazer: Nordstrom's
Velvet Lace Dress: Irene's Story
Moonstone Necklace: Shop BEXO
*Use discount code Michelle10 for 10% off your entire Shop Bexo purchase at checkout screen.
Shoes: Mari A.

Much Love,