Getting eyelash extensions may be a frivolous, skin-deep matter for some, but it’s changed up this writer’s routine quite a lot. Of course, what works for me may not work for other people. There are different types of lash extensions offered by beauty salons and lounges, so it’s important to do a lot of research before getting them done. Most of the time, you’re presented with the choices of synthetic, faux mink, silk or sable—the latter of which is available at a select few places. A special type of glue is used to bond these lashes to your natural ones. It helps make your lashes last anywhere between two weeks to two months (on top of your aftercare and lifestyle).
But what if we told you that there’s another way to have your lash extensions done?
The eyelash industry is in for a loop with this bold move: LED Extensions.
It’s a highly-innovative procedure that hails all the way from California. A patent-pending gel-curing device bonds the eyelash extensions instantly with a precision Light Emitting Diode (LED). Attached to the tweezers and activated by the flick of a finger, it seamlessly cures attachments as they are applied. Compressing the 24 hour cure time of conventional lash adhesive into a few seconds, the LED EXTENSIONS ushers a new generation of quality and efficiency to lash extensions, developed and perfected for almost 10 years.
Soon to be introduced to the Philippines by NÉW Lounge, this is their biggest international partnership yet with Japan’s legendary Eyelash Engineer, Maki Miura. Maki is a sought after industry expert, with 22 years of valuable experience in the Japanese eyelash industry under her belt. Every year, she personally trains around 1,200 lash artists. She was the first to acquire the LED EXTENSIONS technique and introduced it to Japan, and Filipinas will soon get to experience this revolutionary technique through NÉW Lounge.
With this partnership, NÉW Lounge PH is at the forefront of introducing the most up-to-date in eyelash technology to address the beauty needs of the ever evolving Filipina. The brand’s vision is that every avid fan of their natural volume lashes will eventually shift their attention to the innovative techniques brought to the Philippine beauty industry by Maki Miura.
To know more about the LED Extensions by NÉW Lounge PH, you may visit their website at newloungeph.com. You may also check out their social media sites: NÉW Lounge on Facebook and @newlounge.ph on Instagram.
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Managing Editor
Don’t we all wish we could wake up, do our morning routines and go about our day without having to worry about how we look?
For people who spend a lot of time on makeup, most would find themselves wishing it was easier. In the fast-paced world we live in today, every second counts, and the time spent on making yourself look presentable before going out takes a good chunk of our day. The moments we spend retouching our makeup or fixing our appearance throughout the day notwithstanding, getting ready probably averages an hour each day. Imagine the things we could be doing with that hour—maybe taking our time to enjoy our morning brew or lazing around a bit more in bed—and you’ll find yourself thinking: how can we make it quicker?
Here’s the answer: eyelash extensions.
No, they’re not a new thing. In fact, eyelash extensions date back to the 19th century, when Parisians sewed hair onto their eyelids. Yes, sewn onto eyelids. As horrifying as that sounds, the methods used for eyelash extensions have drastically improved throughout the years (to the point that they look like one’s natural lashes) and most importantly, are painless. Eyelash extensions are available at many salons or clinics nowadays, and anyone—so long as they have the means—can book an appointment and get full, fluttery lashes in an hour or two.
The search
Allow me to tell you an anecdote. A month ago, I received an invitation to the launch of a certain name brand’s trunk show (read more about the trunk show here). Because this brand is popular among women, a lot of Cebu’s most stylish female personalities were in attendance. As with any social event, I did my introductory rounds, said my hellos to those I knew…and realized that every woman present was wearing lash extensions. Well, save for me and two others. Still, realization hit me like a bolt of lightning: eyelash extensions seemed worth it. I had always been curious about the procedure and wanted to try it out for myself, but never got around to it.
It wasn’t until I got home from that event did I do my research. Questions along the lines of “What are the pros and cons?”, “What should I expect before and after getting them done?”, and “Where is the best place to get lash extensions in Cebu?” were typed into my internet browser’s search bar. After extensive research, I had a place in mind to get them done, but I was a bit adamant since I knew this place better as a nail salon (in my opinion, I believe they’re one of the best nail salons in the city). That put my plans on hold. Was I really going to risk getting eyelash extensions at a nail salon? Despite the glowing reviews of their lash services, I wasn’t so confident.
While scrolling through Instagram days later, I came across a post of one of Metro Manila’s best lash places. Called New Lounge, they were a relatively new player in the field, having opened in 2017. Despite that, they’re the go-to for celebrities like Heart Evangelista (one of our favourite cover girls—read here for the nostalgia story!), Nadine Lustre, Miss World Philippines 2018 Katarina Rodriguez and more. New Lounge announced that they were setting up shop in Cebu soon. After checking their reviews, I was wholly convinced that I would get my lashes done at New Lounge once they opened.
The wait didn’t take long. A few days before their soft opening on July 28, they were already accepting appointments. Booking a 5:30PM appointment on that day was a breeze; you can easily pick your preferred time and date, and fill in the needed information such as your name, email and contact number. From there, you’re sent an email and contacted by their staff to confirm your appointment.
The prep
Before your appointment, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t wear any eye makeup. This is to avoid taking up too much time. Base makeup and putting on eyebrows are acceptable, though. But for best results, make sure you’re freshly showered and come bare-faced.
Avoid applying any creams or oils on the eye area as well, since these might reduce the effectiveness of the lash glue.
The process
When the date of my appointment rolled around, I was buzzing with nervous excitement—and thirty minutes early. The lounge was pretty much unoccupied save for one lady; she was finishing up her appointment and then I was the only guest left.
Whether or not you’re new to eyelash extensions, a consultation is always done before anything happens. My lash specialist for the day was Kemberly, who spoke comfortably with me in Cebuano. I showed her a photo of the look I wanted to achieve, but requested a shorter length, as it was my first time trying lash extensions. She recommended their Signature Volume Eyelash Extensions, which was a full set, using a mix of 9mm and 10mm lashes.
When it came to the application stage, Kemberly noted that the lashes were the same length as my natural ones and asked if I would be okay with it. Since it was my first time, I told her that I didn’t mind.
“Anyway, if I really like it, I might ask for a longer length when I come back,” I added. She couldn’t help but laugh at that.
The results
It was a gloomy day because of the rain, but the sound of the raindrops added to the ambient sound of the lounge. The application took nearly two hours; I dozed off for a short time in between. It didn’t hurt at all, if falling asleep is any indication.
When Kemberly told me that we were done, she handed me a mirror to show how it looked. The lash extensions were very flattering, and complemented my eye shape well. While they weren’t very long, they were voluminous. Best of all, the lashes felt weightless.
I was floored. There was such a big difference. While my lashes were fairly nice prior to application (thank you for these genes, daddy), the eyelash extensions brought all the attention to my eyes because of how fluttery they looked.
The aftercare
To help take care of my lashes, Kemberly gave me some pointers:
- Use eyelash treatments such as coating & grower for long wearing lashes
- Brush your lashes regularly
- Avoid oil-based makeup
- Use oil-fee makeup removers in cleaning your makeup
- Use a clean mascara brush to separate your lashes after a shower
- Avoid rubbing your eyes
- Avoid pulling your eyelashes
- Avoid using mascara and lash curler
- Avoid steam and sweat
- It’s recommended to come back for 2 to 3 weeks touch-up or repair
- Change to new set every 3 months
The verdict
As of writing, it’s been a little over two weeks since my first appointment, and I just had my touch-up. Very little fallout happened, and I opted to go for a longer length. I wanted the 12mm lashes (which is the longest), but Kemberly advised that I do the change gradually so that the lashes blend as natural as possible to the previous application—jumping from a mix of 9mm and 10mm to 12mm would make it look awkward.
Honestly, lash extensions are definitely worth it. As someone who wears makeup daily, my time spent on applying it has been reduced by half (40 minutes is the average when I’m taking my sweet time). I barely have to exert effort now that my lashes look bomb. They don’t bother me at all, and I can even go sans makeup on some days.
Overall, I’d say that eyelash extensions help you look effortless. It gives you a confidence boost too. If you’re looking to get them done, I recommend doing your research and consulting with the lash specialists beforehand, and try to see what suits you best.
New Lounge Cebu is located at One Paseo Building, Paseo Saturnino, Banilad. They’re open from 10:00am to 9:00pm from Mondays through Sundays. You may book your appointment here.
]]>As a brand, Bobbi Brown know that women are most beautiful when they look and feel like themselves. The personality behind the brand believes in creating products that help women look and feel like the best version of themselves. The philosophy is something that’s taken to heart, and it’s even written in script on their handy makeup pouches: Be who you are.
Charming, cheerful and someone who definitely knows what she’s doing, Tammy happily answered our beauty questions while taking us through the brand’s skincare and makeup lines. Through all of it though, we picked up some basic everyday tips.
Skin is always in.
Tammy couldn’t stress this enough–the most important thing in your makeup routine is skincare. Clean, tone and moisturize may sound simple enough, but they do wonders for your face in the long run.
And when you’re feeling a little worse for wear, Bobbi Brown recently released Remedies. The specially formulated line specifically addresses different skin issues–the Skin Reviver to brighten up tired skin; the Skin Relief to battle redness and irritation; the Skin Clarifier to unclog and clarify pores; the Skin Moisture Solution that pulls moisture into the skin; the Skin Fortifier to rebuild and strengthen skin’s structure; and the Skin Salve for chapped, cracked skin. Just a two drops on a freshly clean face will do wonders, and make the rest of your skincare routine a lot more effective (and your daily makeup a lot faster).
Find your best match.
Speaking of cutting down your makeup time, Tammy emphasizes the importance of finding the right shade of foundation. “The problem with a lot of Filipinos is that they pick a lighter shade, and have to blend it in all the way to the neck,” she shares. “Why not just find the right shade and save all that time, right?”
She also says that when shopping for foundation, you shouldn’t be afraid to put it on your face. “I’ve seen so many people looking for foundation, but they’ll swatch on their arm. That’s not the same color,” she continues. She suggests taking two or three shades and creating swatches on your cheeks to see which color really disappears into the skin. “Also, you can do some swatches on your forehead. That’s usually a little darker than the rest of your face because it gets the most light.”
Tamara Pineda (photo from Instagram)
Go into the highlight zone.
One of our Bobbi Brown favorites is the Shimmer Brick, a palette of powders that you can use to add some glow to your look. The Shimmer Brick comes in bronze and pink palettes, and individual colors can be used to do eye makeup as well. Trust us, we know the impact that comes with a simple highlight.
For this, Tammy says to sweep the product into the parts of the face that gets hit by the light–the apples of the cheeks, the nose, your Cupid’s bow and the forehead.
Don’t be afraid of easy.
Even though she’s a makeup artist, Tammy admits her everyday look is pretty basic. She takes a deep breath and enumerates the steps a simple daily look should entail–skincare, concealer, eyebrows, mascara, blush and a little highlight, lipstick. Doesn’t sound all that hard to us.
In fact, don’t be afraid. Period.
Makeup is supposed to be fun. Experiment with colors and looks, and keep experimenting until you find the best look that works for you. “At the end of the day, you can just wipe it off,” Tammy adds.
If you really don’t know where to start, though, you can visit any of the Bobbi Brown counters and stores. Their artists are happy to answer any questions or to do quick tutorials–and that comes with absolutely no pressure.
Bobbi Brown is at Rustan’s Department Store in Ayala Center Cebu and SM Seaside City Cebu.
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