We all want our lashes to look their best with minimal effort, don’t we?
Curling them to within inches of their life each morning isn’t the best in the long-term – guilty as charged. If you want to wake up to ready-curled lashes every day there are two solutions available, (that I’m aware of) – a traditional eyelash perm, or more recently, the LVL lash lift.
In my time, I’ve had many a lash perm and have to say, I’ve always been pleased with the results, not only in terms of longevity but also curl definition. Back along, I’d been enjoying regular eight-week lash perm treatments until the time I rang to make my appointment and was told the lash therapist had left and no-one knew where she’d gone. It’s not easy to give over my precious eyelashes to just anyone so I until now, I reverted back to my Tweezerman curler.
After suffering one too many bad lash days I decided to pluck up the courage and entrust my lashes to a new experience – the LVL lash lift treatment from Nouveau Lashes. LVL stands for length, volume, lift and differs from a traditional lash perm. Instead of curling the lashes, the root area is straightened in an upward manner which makes for a more dramatic “lifted” result. Plus, the lashes aren’t soaked in perm solution from root to tip which is far better, apparently.
That said, If you’re expecting the LVL “wow factor” be realistic – you can only work with what you’ve got.
The treatment promises to give the appearance of lengthened lashes due to the uplifting nature but again, don’t expect a miracle. If you only have short/medium lashes to begin with, you’re not going to be batting people over with them on your way home.
How LVL works: The structure of a single hair is made up of three parts: the hair cuticle, the cortex and the medulla. When the lifting balm is applied during the LVL treatment, the hydrogen comes into contact with the air and oxidises. This creates a chemical process which breaks down the disulphate bonds in each hair, allowing them to move into a new shape. The next step is applying the volumizing fix, which reforms the disulphate bonds into their new shape, which is long and lifted with maximum volume! If you’re interested in finding out a little more about how LVL works, it’s worth reading their page The science of LVL.
The process starts with the all-important patch test. This is obligatory and has to be performed in the salon by the therapist no more than seven days before, and a minimum of forty-eight hours before. All four solutions are tested on the inner arm and covered with a small, round plaster. The tint (included in the treatment) is applied as a sticker in a hexagon shape
My patch test was fine, with no reactions at all.
- Eye shields are applied to the lower lashes keeping any solutions away.
- Next, shields are placed on the upper eyelids and the lashes are scraped back into place and held there by a special bonding solution.
- The lifting balm is then applied to the root area for fourteen minutes then gently wiped away.
- Finally, the neutralising solution/volumising fix is applied and left for a further seven minutes.
Once all stages are finished, a moisturising serum is applied which helps soften the glue allowing the lashes to be removed from the shields.
Et voila! You can put away your curler for an estimated six to eight weeks.
Aftercare:
- It’s advised not to apply mascara for twenty-four hours, or longer if possible.
- keep lashes dry and away from steam whilst they settle.
- Sleep in a position which keeps your lashes from pressing against your pillow for the first couple of nights.
Nouveau recommend using its special eyelash conditioning serum in the weeks following to keep your lashes in optimum condition. I happened to be trying Revitalash at the time and so I continued with that instead.
Fast forward nine weeks…
I wanted to wait a good couple of months before sharing my thoughts so that I could see how well the treatment lasted etc. To begin with, my lashes were really uplifted and I was pleased with the result. However, after the three-week mark, they began to lose some curl definition and I found myself reaching for my trusty curler again.
This was rather disappointing given that it’s quite expensive at a cost of £45 per treatment.
The lash growth cycle means some lashes will be at different stages of their individual life-cycle and so you’ll experience the odd one doing its own thing and misbehaving. I’ve got one lash which is determined to grow downwards in a poker straight fashion. Frustrating to the point where I’m considering plucking it out!
Comparing LVL lash lift to a traditional lash perm, In terms of longevity, I found the perm gives a longer-lasting effect – enjoying curly lashes for the full expected time of six-eight weeks. With the LVL Lash Lift, as mentioned earlier, I found my lashes to be at their best for around three weeks. Of course, we’ll all have different results (depending on individual growth cycle and lash type).
If you have a special event or occasion coming up, you could have an LVL treatment for an extra lash boost.
Overall, the whole process took around an hour from start to finish. It’s not painful or uncomfortable at all and actually quite relaxing. The only slight issue I found with the treatment was a small amount of residual glue remained along my lash line; however, it came away over the course of a day or so. The hardest part for me was going mascara free for two days, particularly as I was really keen to see the result “with mascara”. For an extra dramatic look, try using my favourite Tarte – Lights, Camera Action mascara.
Have you ever tried an LVL lash lift? Would you consider having the treatment now you know more? I’d love to hear what you think!
