The "End of Days" is how I affectionately refer to the time I got my lashes removed.

You've might have already picked up on it, but I must preface with a warning that my story is a little dramatic. You see, ever since I started getting my lashes done, I developed a love affair with them. My love for eyelash extensions has always been intense, even today, and it's the reason for me starting a lash company; I wanted to share that love with the world. So you can imagine that when I got them removed, after 9 years of continual wear, that I was pretty heartbroken. This period of my lashless life did not last long, but it caused me to learn a few things that I knew I need to share, for all the people experiencing the same feelings without their beloved lash extensions. But first, let me share how my lash epiphany began. 

IT STARTED WITH A TOUCH UP...

When I got a touch up from someone who wasn’t my regular lash extension artist, I had some damage.

My lashes throbbed and hurt. 

After having my lash extensions for nine years straight, and being an artist myself, I immediately knew that the lash tech had not appropriately isolated the natural lashes during application. I took this as the perfect opportunity to take a break from extensions, not because I'm crazy or because my love for lashes had suddenly died out, but because I wanted to test our Lashgasm growth serum for its efficacy and I knew my lashes needed the break to recover.

AND ENDED WITH A BREAKUP. A BAD ONE.

What I discovered was disturbing...

First off, nine years is a long time! I was accustomed to seeing my face in a certain way. That way included a thick, dark lash line full of C curls. So when I looked in the mirror after my lash girl removed what felt like an appendage - I was shocked, horrified, and sad all at the same time. I couldn't believe how sad I felt and, as ridiculous as this sounds, I was mildly depressed afterward. I'm not someone who has low self-esteem or thinks that looks are everything, but this was making me feel less than confident. It had only been a few hours, and I was anxious for a new set. 

After about a week of hiding from the world, I decided to get over myself and resume my usual day to day activities/life/schedule, but this time wearing a pair of strip lashes. 

That lasted one day. Not even a full day. I remember a time in my life (obviously over nine years ago) when I would wear strips it would only feel strange for about 20 minutes, and then it would subside, and I wouldn't notice them. Well not anymore. After having lash extensions for so long, it was unbearable for me to wear strips. The strips felt uncomfortable, and it was awful, so I took them off. I couldn't even imagine how I used to wear them every day for years. All the power to the ladies who rock them every day - I give you lots of credit, but I was spoiled because my lash extensions usually felt like nothing!

So, I was back to square one of being bald and sad. But mostly just cranky. 

And, what do you think I did next? I resorted to wearing my sunglasses. Everywhere. 

This may not sound like a big deal but take into consideration that it was winter time and the sun sets around 4:30. I have to presume that anyone who saw me thought this was somewhat strange to see someone wearing sunglasses with no sun. Even when it was raining, I was donning sunglasses! It was a problem, guys. I should probably retract my earlier statement that “I'm not crazy” because, thinking back, that is a little suspect…

But in my defense lashes are my life, and the struggle was real! I like to tell myself that quitting lashes must be similar to quitting smoking because that's how hard it felt. (Like I said in the beginning of this blog - I'm dramatic, I know.) This way of life went on for about two weeks, and then I started to notice my lashes getting a little longer from the serum and it made me excited. I felt it was time to start using mascara again too which helped tremendously.

MY LASH AFFAIR BEGAN AGAIN.

After a month of using the serum, my lashes were longer and thicker than they had ever been. Although the serum had worked great and my natural lashes looked terrific with mascara on, I had to go back to my first love, lash extensions. So, I went back to my OG lash artist and got a new set. BEST DAY EVERRRR!

The point of this story isn't to point out how much of a creep I was during my lash hiatus but rather to highlight the power of lash extensions. If you have them, you can attest to this. There is something so magical that happens to you when you wear them. They give you this unequivocal confidence and sense of femininity. Personally, I don less makeup when I have lash extensions, so even though my lashes are fake, I feel more natural if that makes sense. You know that saying “ you don't know what you have until its gone”? Well, it took on a new meaning for me during my break from lashes. I took my lashes for granted because I had them for so long. I'm grateful for my little hiatus as it showed me, again, just how powerful being a lash artist is. A set of lashes can literally change the way you see yourself. Eyelash extensions are good for the soul and are here to stay. Period.

LESSONS FROM MY BREAKUP WITH LASH EXTENSIONS:

1. Even if you have a good artist, the best artist, you still should periodically take short breaks from lash extensions. Let your naturals breathe! Despite how much I missed my lashes during our brief breakup, I look back and see how important it was to give my natural lashes that time without the added weight to carry to get back to full health. 

2. When you take a break from extensions, use a growth serum. The Lash Affair Lashgasm Lash  + Brow Growth Serum works wonders, and you'll see results within three weeks! You could also add a biotin supplement into your daily routine, like our Growin' + Showin' vitamin spray, for max results.

3. Lash extensions build your confidence in a way that nothing else can. They truly are a complete transformation, and I'll never take it for granted how empowering such a small detail can be. But I also learned how important it is to not let them define me, and to accept how I look without them. Trying so hard to hide my bare eyes from the world showed me that I also needed to build up my own confidence and learn to love myself both ways.

4. I will always be a lover of lash extensions, through and through. This is a never-ending love affair for me - they'll always be my beauty accessory of choice. On the flip side? I have to admit that being able to rub my eyes without worrying about lash loss felt oh so good that month.