Prep & aftercare
Lashes, brows and tans. I build the set. What you do for the next three weeks decides how it looks on day twenty.
Before your appointment
Any residue on the lash line has to come off before I can put a single extension on, so arriving clean means the whole appointment goes to the part you are paying for.
Come with completely clean lashes and no eye makeup. Skip mascara, eyeliner and anything waterproof for 24 hours beforehand, and skip oil-based cleansers and eye creams the night before. Take your contacts out or bring a case.
Use the bathroom first. A full set is two and a half hours of lying still. Caffeine right before makes that harder, though most people fall asleep anyway.
If you have a look in mind, bring a screenshot. If you are coming from another artist, send me a close-up photo through the contact form first, because a transfer set sometimes needs removing before I can put anything new on.
Extensions: the five things that matter
Everything else is noise. Get these right and retention roughly doubles. Sounds like a lot. It’s about ninety seconds a day once it’s habit. Cleanse, brush, done.
Keep them completely dry for 24 hours
No water, no steam, no sweat, no product anywhere near them. The bond is still settling. This one day is the difference between a set that lasts three weeks and one that starts shedding on day four.
Cleanse daily, on purpose
After the first day, wash the lash line every single day with a lash-safe foam cleanser. This is the part that feels wrong and it is the most common mistake people make. Oil, makeup and skin cells build up at the base and break the bond down. Clean lashes hold longer than untouched ones, every time.
Brush them each morning
One pass with a clean spoolie, from the middle out. It resets the fan and stops them crossing. Takes four seconds.
No oil, no waterproof, no curlers
Oil-based cleansers and makeup removers dissolve adhesive. Waterproof mascara needs oil to come off, so it is the same problem twice. Lash curlers crush the extension and can snap the natural lash underneath. If you want mascara at all, water-based, on the tips only. Most people find they stop wanting it.
Try not to sleep face down
Whichever side you sleep on will look flatter and you will notice. A silk pillowcase helps.
After a lash lift
A lift asks almost nothing of you once the first day is done, which is most of the appeal.
Keep them completely dry for 24 hours. No water, steam, sauna or heavy sweat, and no eye makeup while the curl sets. After that, brush them through gently each morning and avoid oil-based eye products, which soften the curl over time.
Expect six to eight weeks. It fades out gradually rather than dropping all at once, and you rebook when your natural lashes have grown out enough to lift again, usually around six weeks.
Spray tan
Book it last. Everything else first, then the tan.
Before you come in
Book your spray tan last. Nails, hair, waxing, facials, lash and brow appointments all come first, then the tan. Anything done after will strip color, leave marks, or lift it right off. If you are getting ready for an event, the tan is the final stop.
Exfoliate and shave the day before, not the day of. Give your skin 12 to 24 hours to settle. Shaving right before opens the pores and you get dark speckling.
Come with clean, bare skin. No lotion, no deodorant, no makeup, no perfume, no oils. Anything sitting on your skin blocks the solution and you will see exactly where it was.
Wear loose, dark clothes and bring flip flops. Tight waistbands, bra straps and leggings press lines into a fresh tan. Nothing tight for the first several hours.
Skip the manicure oils. If you have had nails done that week, wash your hands well before you arrive.
Choosing your depth
You choose your depth by when you rinse. I use a rapid solution, so the longer it develops, the deeper it goes. Pick your window before you leave and I will tell you what to expect.
After
Plan around the full 24 hours, not the rinse. Your tan reaches its true depth about a day after your first shower. If you have an event, book so you have that full day, and do not panic at hour three.
First rinse is warm water only. No soap, no scrubbing, no loofah. Rinse until the water runs clear, then pat dry. Do not rub with the towel. The bronzer washing off is normal, your color is underneath it.
Do not judge it at the rinse. Color keeps developing for a full 24 hours after your first shower, so it will be deeper tomorrow than it looks tonight. If it seems light straight out of the shower, give it a day before you decide.
Moisturize every day, twice if your skin is dry. This is the single biggest factor in how long it lasts. Dry skin sheds faster and the tan goes with it.
Keep showers short and warm, not long and hot. Long hot showers, chlorine, salt water and hot tubs all pull color out early.
Nothing exfoliating. No scrubs, no loofahs, no acids or retinol on the body, no waxing while you want the color. Save all of that for when you are ready to fade.
Pat dry after every shower. Blot, do not rub.
Expect 7 to 10 days. It fades gradually rather than patchy if you keep up with moisturizer.
Brow lamination
A chemical process on skin, so what you do the week before matters as much as after.
Before you come in
No makeup on the brows. Come with the area clean. If you fill them in daily, skip it that morning.
Stop retinol, acids and exfoliants around the brow area for 3 to 5 days before. Lamination is a chemical process on skin that has already been stripped, and that combination is what causes irritation.
No sunburn or broken skin on the area. If your forehead is burned or peeling, we reschedule. It is not worth the reaction.
Do not tweeze or wax in the week before. I need to see the natural growth to shape it properly. Anything that needs to come off, I will take off at the appointment.
After
Keep them completely dry for 24 hours. No water, no cleanser, no sweat, no steam, no swimming, no sauna. Wash your face around them.
Nothing on them for 24 hours. No makeup, no brow gel, no serums, no sunscreen directly on the brows.
Brush them daily with the spoolie. Every morning, upward and out. This is what keeps the shape looking intentional instead of flat.
Condition them nightly after the first 24 hours. A brow oil or serum, or castor oil if that is what you have. The processing is drying and the hairs need it back.
Go easy with oil-based cleansers and retinol around the area for the first week. They soften the set faster.
Expect 4 to 6 weeks depending on your growth cycle. Do not relaminate sooner than that, even if it starts to relax. Over-processing brows costs you hair.
When to say something
If something is not right, tell me within 48 hours and I’ll get you back in to adjust it. Waiting three weeks turns a fix into a fill.
Irritation, swelling or pain is different. Stop using any lash product and see a doctor or urgent care straight away if there is swelling, pain, or any change in your vision. Then let me know. I can’t diagnose it and I won’t try, but I do need to know.
Spray tan: if you get itching, hives or raised bumps, rinse the solution off right away and stop. Some people react to DHA and it is better to know at hour one than hour eight.
Brow lamination: stinging, burning or swelling during or after the service is not normal. Tell me immediately if it happens in the chair, and call me if it starts once you are home.
(470) 762-4970 reaches the studio at any hour, or use the contact form.