Eyelash extensions are something many people are curious about. Personally, I had professional eyelash extensions for six months before they started to damage my natural lashes, and I retired. Now I just stick to a long-lasting mascara and falsies when I'm feeling extra.
But on Instagram, lash extensions are getting some EXTRA attention, thanks to a viral DIY tutorial that has a *lot* of people talking.
Meet Shayanne Thomas, an 18-year-old Insta-star with seriously glam lashes.
I mean, let's be real — her lashes are really good, but it turns out they're not the work of a professional. Shayanne does her OWN eyelash extensions at home. So, she decided to share her technique with her Instagram followers… and a viral sensation was born.
Shayanne told Revelist that she's been DIY-ing her lashes for around two years, and decided to share her process because so many of her followers asked about it.
She also shares other DIY tips with her 28K followers, like how she grew out her natural hair or how she makes her brows visible without makeup.
In her Twitter thread, she prefaced her DIY tutorial with the fact that she's NOT a professional — and her advice should be taken as such.
First she chooses a glue.
Thomas either uses Ardell LashTrio Dark Adhesive Glue, which needs a special remover to get the lashes off, or the Sassi Lash Glue, which she says doesn't take much more than coconut oil to remove.
Then it's lash time. Instead of using big strip lashes, Thomas cuts each strip into small "chunks."
In another thread, Thomas explains what lashes she prefers to use.
When applying the lashes, she is sure to mention not to apply too much glue. Nobody wants to stick their eyelids together.
"If I use the clusters, it takes under an hour," Shayanne told us. "If I use individual [lashes], it takes hours. That’s why I like the clusters better."
So what made Thomas decide to start doing her own lash extensions? She told us that it came down to cost.
"I do them myself because I’m a struggling college student. I simply cannot afford to get them done because the prices for good ones are high," she told Revelist.
Even though Shayanne is able to do her own eyelash extensions quickly and easily now, it hasn't always been such smooth sailing.
Thomas told me that she wasn't worried about damaging her natural lashes anymore, because she'd figured out how to do it to her liking. But that took some practice — she also told me that when she first started out, she damaged her natural lashes through incorrect technique. Luckily, her eyelashes grew back and she continued to figured out the "right" way to apply them.
But Shayanne isn't a professional aesthetician, so her advice on the "right" way to glue things to your lash line should be taken with a grain of salt.
When I asked if she was worried about her followers possibly damaging their lashes the way she herself did when starting out, Thomas wasn't concerned.
"If they practice and do it the right way, and don’t leave them on for a ridiculously long time, I don’t think anyone will hurt themselves or their lashes doing it," she told Revelist via email. "Once they figure out how to remove them and do them correctly, they’ll be good."
While everyone is allowed to do what they like to their faces, there are some VERY good reasons why you shouldn't DIY your own lash extensions.
Professional technicians say that, no matter the temptation, you shouldn't do eyelash extensions at home. According to the pros at Ebenezer Lash Extensions, there are VERY good reasons why you shouldn't take this technique into your own hands:
1. The adhesive can create skin irritation around the eyes if used improperly. It’s actually not the safest idea to be playing around with these adhesives at home – or any adhesive like them, for that matter.
2. Your lashes can end up matted together, which can create discomfort and cause distress for the natural lashes.
3. You’ll be working with one eye closed, which can lead to all sorts of miscalculations.
4. You won’t have the benefit that comes from having a trained professional managing the application. Again, that’s not an optimal situation for any lash extension application.
So just to be clear — DIY lash extensions are probably not a great idea.
Saving money is always good… but maybe a pair of fake lashes are an easier idea?
