My Monolid Lash Extension Experience [Updated]

Hello, friends! I've shared my lash extension review in the past and thought I'd share a little update since my first review post. Since then, I've had many (maybe too many!) more lash extension experiences and thought I'd share an updated version of my lash extension shenanigans. It's been a love/hate relationship and with all the new lash-related services out there it is so, so difficult to figure out which one is better for your eye shape and frankly your lifestyle!

If you want to read more about the whole lash extension process, check out my first post ( Something New: Eyelash Extensions). This one will be a bit of a rambly add-on that extends on my experiences after that!

A Little Preamble.

I started experimenting with lash extensions in 2017 but really didn't dive headfirst into my lash extension obsession until last year. I think I got lash extensions maybe 2-3 (?) times in 2017 but never thought it was worth doing regularly because of the cost and how uncomfortable they could be at times. I also never thought they were worth the cost because while they did make my eyelashes look longer, the difference wasn't as dramatic as I'd hoped it would be - given the price point. This is largely because with monolids, your eyelids push down your lashes so that no matter how long your extensions, they're still not as noticeable as they would be on someone with a different eye shape.

Lash Obsessed.

Last year, I started getting lash extensions regularly because I received a set of lashes that were super long and beautiful. I could tell that they were actually noticeable (even with my heavy monolids) and absolutely loved how low maintenance my makeup routine became after getting a fresh set of lash extensions. Although at times they were a little uncomfortable and they were still pricey - I felt like I was getting more out of my money when you could actually see them when my eyes were open.

Things Get Icky.

During these 8 months, I got my lashes filled every 2-3 weeks and usually paid somewhere between $55-$80 to get them filled. From what I can tell, that's not too bad of a price point for lash fills, but I started to run across more and more issues as time went on.

It started with minor things. I couldn't really wear my glasses or sunglasses properly because the lashes were so long that they'd interfere with my ability to push my glasses up. I was always wearing my glasses at the very tip of my nose - and as someone who is nearly legally blind, this was an issue.

With all lash extensions, you're also told you can't rub your eyes. Don't get me wrong, I know that you shouldn't rub your eyes all the time but there are certainly times where you really just want to get in there and make sure you've got all your makeup off!

After having these super heavy lash extensions for months, I realized that the glue that was holding them onto my lashes was starting to clump together which (a) looked awful and (b) was painful at times if the glue was angled in a way that caused it to irritate my eye. Having all of that glue stuck up there also started to obstruct my vision so I had the whole lot of them removed to give my eyes a break.

Things Get Ickier

After giving my lashes a bit of a break, I visited a different place to try out a new set of lash extensions (they're addicting - eek!) and learned that my lashes were horribly weak and short, so they were only able to put very short, light extensions on my lashes. I totally understand the need for keeping your lashes healthy, but for me, these short extensions were not worth it at all - frankly, you couldn't even tell that they were even there.

Things get worse though! After a couple of weeks of having lighter extensions on, my eyes started to have a massive allergic reaction. I ended up removing all of the extensions on my own because my eyelids were puffing up in response to the lashes? the glue? who knows?! After removing the extensions, my eyelids continued to puff and also started to peel and pus (yikes). This continued for months. Months y'all. It may be hard to tell that my eyes are puffy in the photos below, but given that I have monolids normally and some of these photos make it look like I have double eyelids....? It's pretty clear that there was some crazy puffing going on.

The Pros.

I'm not going to lie, when I wasn't busy having an allergic reaction to the extensions, I really loved the long wispy lash look. It made getting ready in the morning pretty damn easy and if I ever had to stumble out of the house, I already felt like I was halfway done with the get ready process. I loved them enough to overlook a lot of irritating things about them.

The Cons.

It's expensive, y'all. I've paid somewhere between $80-$150 for a full set of lashes and anywhere between $40-$80 for a fill.
For my monolidded asian friends out there: if you live in a predominantly white area, be aware that lash places may not have the right lash extensions for you. Extensions are available in a lot of different types of curls but most places I went to in my super white midwestern city only carry a limited number of curl types that are not necessarily suited to monolid eye shapes. I'm convinced that if I had received eyelash extensions with a different curl shape (e.g., more of a J shape than a C shape) I wouldn't have had as many issues with obstructed vision and extensions hitting my glasses.
A lot of small nuisances like not being able to use mascara, having the lashes hit my glasses, getting lashes stuck in towels, lashes obstructing my vision.
Obviously the less than ideal allergic reaction that caused my eyelids to peel for nearly 2 months straight. 😝
If you have naturally short lashes and you want your lashes to remain healthy, you're not going to be able to get the same drama out of your lashes that you could out of false lashes or even lots of mascara & curling. You could, of course, destroy your lashes (like I did) but clearly that's unsustainable 😅
The lash extensions never lasted as long as the lash places said they would. They are supposed to last 4-6 weeks with the appropriate care but I swear that most of the time mine were 50% gone by week 2 - even with the appropriate care.

Final Verdict.

Alright, I know I've said a lot of bad things about my lash extension experience, but I haven't sworn off of them entirely. I still think they're a great option for special occasions like going on vacation, a wedding, etc - but it'll no longer be a regular part of my routine. In my experience, it wasn't the best fit for my monolids and they were more of a hassle and more expensive than they're really worth.

Buuuuuuuuut.... part of the reason I'm no longer regularly getting lash extensions is because I've found a new lash routine that I love love love even more and will be sharing soon - so, stay tuned! 🙂