If ditching the mascara and eyelash curlers sounds appealing, here’s our review of Xtreme Lashes!
Hands up who wrestles with the eyelash curlers and applies lashings of mascara on a regular basis to try to make their peepers really pop? Confession…we do! So what if we told you there’s a way to cut that out. We mean by having semi-permanent eyelash extensions. But not the kind that come in a packet and are so thick you can hardly see out (and that end up halfway down your face several hours after you tried to stick them down!). We’re talking about the premium eyelash extensions offered by Xtreme Lashes. Its aim is to mimic and enhance your own lashes, rather than leave you looking unrecognisable! The company was established more than a decade ago and now has a global presence in over 50 countries (the HK flagship store is in Central, and now its services are also offered at K11 Beauty Corner in TST), so it must be doing something right.
The company itself was originally founded by registered nurse Jo Mousselli (so rest assured you’re in safe hands as, not surprisingly, she’s made sure health and safety is a top priority). Its highly skilled technicians use specialist tools to determine the ideal length, thickness and number of extensions they can add, without damaging your natural lashes underneath. It also sells a specially formulated eyelash cleanser (that’s compatible with all extensions and adhesive), to help keep your lashes in tip-top condition. The classic Xtreme Lashes look involves extensions being applied one by one to each individual lash, while the Volumation technique means multiple extensions are added to each individual lash. Each finished look is tailor-made to suit the customer (meaning you can go as bold or as subtle as you like!). Curious? We were! So of course when some members of Team Sassy were invited to try it out for ourselves, we jumped at the chance. Here’s our verdict!
Name & title: Daisy Dudley, Art Director
My chosen lash look: I opted for a natural effect with a bit of a flick at the edges and minimal stacking of lashes. I tend to wear natural makeup so still wanted to feel like myself.
Before and after: I’m lucky that my lashes are fairly long and full naturally. They are fair at the tips though so I do tend to wear mascara almost every day. My experience at Xtreme lashes was really calm and professional. The technician spoke to me a lot about skin sensitivity and I choose to have the sensitive skin-friendly option of pads under my eyes during application. The treatment overall took a fairly long time (around 1.5 hours), but I was an immediate convert afterwards. I felt like my technician understood my request for the look to be fairly natural, so I just looked like a slightly more glam version of myself.
How my lashes looked over the following 3 weeks: I found my lashes stayed on really well and I loved not having to put mascara on every day. Around the three week mark, I tried adding mascara over my lashes which gave me a super high impact look.
Overall experience: I will definitely consider getting them again for my wedding and honeymoon at the end of the year.
In an emoji: 👰💛
Name & title: Surmayee Tetarbe, Partnerships Manager
My chosen lash look: Very full and very bold
Before and after: I’m lucky because my natural lashes are quite long and naturally curl upwards. However, I wanted something bolder which is why I went for a mixture of volume and length, and walked out of the treatment with movie star lashes.
How my lashes looked over the following 3 weeks: It was definitely an adjustment for me, even though physically it almost felt like nothing on my lids. I wear heavy eye makeup on almost a daily basis, and double cleanse every night with an oil based remover. I had to change both of these things, because I wanted to get the most wear out of my lashes. So I learned to be more gentle with the skin around my eyes (which is never a bad thing)! About two weeks in, I went back to the salon to get my lashes properly cleaned without damaging the extensions. At the end of the three weeks, I could feel a bit more of the grit from the lashes, but it never looked patchy or odd and the compliments kept rolling in!
Overall experience: I won’t lie, it was amazing to wake up every day and still look put together without wearing any real makeup. The staff at Xtreme were professional, knowledgeable and helpful throughout. I would definitely go back when I have an event coming up.
In an emoji: 👸🏽
Name & title: Abegaile Legaspi, Editorial Intern
My chosen lash look: Very long, bold & voluminous
Before and after: Unfortunately, I wasn’t blessed with long luscious lashes so I always have to curl my lashes twice and layer on mascara. After trying out the Volumation lashes, my prayers were finally answered. I couldn’t stop looking at my eyes in the mirror because it just opened them up so much. I thought they’d feel heavy on the lids but they didn’t.
How my lashes looked over the following 3 weeks: I’m surprised that my lash extensions lasted the way they did. My makeup routine was literally cut in half because I didn’t have to spend so much time on my lashes (giving me an extra 10 minutes to sleep!). Around the three-week mark, my lashes started shedding and that’s when I began to put on a bit of mascara.
Overall experience: I’ve been wanting to get extensions for the longest time because I was getting tired of spending so much time on my lashes. I really enjoyed being able to just wake up and walk out the door (without any makeup!), but still look fab. Maintaining them was a bit of a stretch because I really had to be careful with them. So, for about three weeks I didn’t rub my eyes and didn’t sleep on one side. But I’d still get my lashes done again sooner or later (most likely sooner!).
In an emoji: 😍
Sassy Perk: The first ten customers who mention this article when booking can choose between receiving a complimentary lash cleaner (worth $320), or they can choose to be upgraded to the Hybrid Lash Set (worth $1,888) with the purchase of a classic lash set ($1,488) for no extra charge.
Xtreme Lashes Central, 3/F, V-Plus, 68-70 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, 3708 8961, WhatsApp booking: 9141 0363
Xtreme Lashes K-11 Beauty, Shop 105, Level 1, K11, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, WhatsApp booking: 6777 5586, [email protected], www.xtremelashes.com.hk
Brought to you in partnership with Xtreme Lashes. All images courtesy of Sassy Media Group.