My Step-by-Step Guide To Giving Yourself a Lash Lift

I’m a little obsessed with my eyelashes and rarely leave the house without mascara. Lash extensions are not for me because I’ve heard horror stories of them breaking and weakening your natural lashes. So, when I discovered I could give myself a lash lift, I started researching at-home kits. I bought one that was well-reviewed and put the treatment to the test. Here’s my step-by-step guide to giving yourself a lash lift along with some tips and tricks I picked up along the way. And, let me tell you, it’s a game-changer!

Before & After

Expectations

Jump to the section that interests you most:

• The Basics — What, Why, Who, etc.
• The Kit
• How to Give Yourself a Lash Lift
  • Plan Ahead
  • Prep
  • Step-by-Step
• Aftercare

The Basics

A lash lift makes eyelashes look naturally fuller and more defined. It can cut down on the need for makeup or, for some, eliminate it altogether. The treatment starts with a chemical that breaks down the bonds in your eyelashes, making them easy to manipulate and shape. Then they’re “fixed” into shape.

The Basics	Lash Lift
What Is It	A Lash Lift is like a perm for your eyelashes, giving them a semi-permanent lift and curl. Lashes will look like they’ve been pinched with an eyelash curler.
Why Do It	— For longer, more voluminous-looking eyelashes. — Makes eyes appear bigger and more open. — Can improve the appearance of mature eyes.
Who Can Benefit	— Luckily, everyone can benefit from a lash lift, including people with short lashes. — Those with longer lashes will see more dramatic results. — Anyone who wants low maintenance, natural look looking lashes…but better. — People with light-colored eyelashes, especially when done in combination with a lash tint.
Who Is Not A Candidate	– Anyone with lashes less than 4mm (0.15 inches) long. There’s simply not enough lash length to work with. – Those with a history of eye allergies, chronic dry or watery eyes, eye infections, styes, or sensitive eyes.
How Long Does It Last	A lash lift lasts about 4 to 8 weeks, depending on how quickly your lashes grow. Basically, until your lashes naturally fall out and are replaced with new growth.
Cost/Savings	A professional lash lift, depending on where you live and if you include a lash tint, can cost $100-$175!

The Kit

I chose the Ayasal Lash Lift kit because it’s highly rated and reviewers said they got good results. It has a 4.2-star rating from over 10,000 reviewers on Amazon. While the kit is called Lash Lift, it works just as well for brow lamination and the process is the same.

Other items you may need that are not included in the kit:

The Ayasal Lash Lift kit contains everything you need to give yourself a lash lift at home. The items not included that I used were: nitrile gloves, cotton rounds, plastic wrap, and precision pointed-tip cotton swabs. For your convenience, I’ve included links to these items below.

How To Give Yourself A Lash Lift

Do a patch test per the instructions before giving yourself a lash lift. If doing this treatment on yourself at home makes you nervous or you’re worried about side effects, please go to a licensed professional.

If you love the look of long lashes, you’re going to love the lash lift. A less expensive and less damaging alternative to lash extensions, a lash lift creates a more natural look without the upkeep.

Plan Ahead

• If you regularly wear waterproof mascara, stop using it for at least three days before doing your lash lift. The residue it leaves behind can prevent lashes from lifting.
• Use a water-based mascara and makeup remover before and after your lash lift. It’s gentler on your eyelashes.
• Plan to do your lash lift when you can go at least 24 hours without wearing making or getting your lashes wet. That includes no moisturizer, eye cream or serums, sweating, saunas, steam rooms, or tanning.
• Make sure you have everything you need, such as gloves, brow scissors, etc. See my list above.

Prep

• Cleanse your face to remove all makeup, moisturizer and oils from your eyelashes. When you moisturize your face afterward (because you should always moisturize), do not get any lotions or potions on your lashes.
• Put on latex or nitrile gloves before handling the treatment chemicals.
• I chose to set the treatment bottles out in the order I needed to use them along with the application tools and readied several pieces of plastic wrap, each about two inches wide. You can use kitchen plastic wrap if you don’t have or buy cosmetic plastic wrap.
  • TIP: If you’re using kitchen plastic wrap, cut the long strip into thirds. One long strip is too hard to work with.

NOTE: More is not always better. Do not leave the chemicals on longer than instructed, especially not the first time. If your results don’t last at least four weeks or you have stubborn lashes that didn’t lift and the health of your eyelashes was not compromised by the treatment, you can try leaving the perm and fixative lotions on a couple of minutes longer the next time.

Step-by-Step Guide

I followed the instructions included with the Ayasal Lash Lift kit and made a few minor adjustments based on the many reviews I read and my own experience. To make my guide easier to follow, I’ve broken it down into four parts, which must be done in order: 1. Protect, 2. Perm, 3. Fix, and 4. Nourish.

Perform the lash lift treatment on one eye at a time. It goes without saying, but do not get any of the perm or fixation lotions in your eyes. If you do, it will sting, but you will not go blind.

NOTE: I highly recommend you read through all of the steps before you begin and not as you’re lifting your lashes for the first time. There may be tips and tricks you want to know about before you start.

Part 1 ~ Protect

Part 2 ~ Perm

Part 3 ~ Fixation

• Carefully cover your eyelashes with a clean piece of plastic wrap without it moving your lashes. This can be a bit of a challenge, but I discovered a trick, see below.
• Set a timer for 10-12 minutes before trying my trick. Or set the timer for 5 minutes because you may want to separate and comb your eyelashes into place again midway through this step.

• After 5 minutes, check to see if any of your eyelashes need to be better placed or separated. If so, slowly remove the plastic wrap and use a spoolie, lash comb or the pick on the long Y-tool to separate your lashes and comb them perfectly into place again. This is your last chance to get them perfect.
• Cover again with a clean piece of plastic wrap for another 5 minutes. If the plastic wrap is messing up your lash placement but all your lashes are stuck to the curl pad exactly where you want them, don’t worry about putting the plastic wrap back on.
• If you still need it to tame any straight lashes that are sticking out, put the plastic wrap on again or gently hold the eyelash in place against the curl pad. Do not press down though, you will end up with a bend or kink in your eyelash.

Part 4 ~ Nourish

Lash Lift Aftercare

• Do not get your lashes wet for 24 to 48 hours. That means no makeup, moisturizer, eye cream or serums, sweating, saunas, steam rooms, or tanning. And try not to sleep on your face
• Avoid touching your lashes or rubbing your eyes, which can alter the curl. Use a spoolie daily to keep your lashes separated and fluffy.
• Keep lashes hydrated and encourage new growth by nourishing them at least 2-3 times a week with a lash serum, such RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum. An all-natural alternative is castor oil or coconut oil.
  • I recommend putting a drop of oil on the back of a clean hand, touching the spoolie to the oil, and applying it to your lashes. This will keep the oil in the bottle free of bacteria and enable you to control how much oil is on the brush so it doesn’t drip into your eyes.
• To extend the life of your lash lift, wear water-based eye makeup and mascara. Makeup removers and cleansers can weaken the effects of your lash lift and affect its longevity. If you like to use a makeup remover, use one that is oil-free, like Neutrogena’s Gentle Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover.
• If you’ve got light-colored eyelashes, you might want to consider getting a lash tint a few days after doing your lash lift. Darkening the lashes will really make the look longer and fuller. You don’t realize how many blond and baby lashes you don’t see.

I hope this helps you get the same great results I did. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at AskBronna@gmail.com.

All items are in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.