By Ariana Finlayson

A great mascara can go a long way, and false eyelashes can be a dramatic touch to your look. But when mascaras and false lashes are not enough, you can resort to eyelash extensions. I’m lucky enough to have a friend who has just been certified as a technician for giving NovaLash eyelash extensions. She was awesome enough to do them on me-free of charge!

NovaLash is an award-winning company of products and said to be the best, according to my technician. Using this kit, the synthetic lashes are glued, one by one, onto your individual lashes. They can be made to hold a curl and come in straight or curly and black or brown. They last about six to eight weeks, and will naturally fall off along the way like your natural lashes would, leaving your real lash behind.

The whole procedure can take up to an hour and a half. Because there is so much precision and time invested, the extensions come at a pretty penny, ranging from $150 to $400. Refills (like fake nails) can run from $50 to $150, depending on how many lashes need to be replaced.

A rounded sticker called an under-eye separating film is placed over your lower lash line to prevent the upper lashes from sticking to your bottom ones. The stickers aren’t that sticky at all and look like unfolded Winkies from when you go tanning. The adhesive glue used on the lashes is actually strong enough to cause the two to stick together, and if that happens, your technician will just snip them apart.

Your eyes stay closed for the entire procedure. This makes it easier for the technician to work and you won’t be blinking all over the place, which occurs from the fumes that the adhesive gives off.

The technician wears a glove, places a dollop of glue, and then the individual lash is dragged through the stickiness before being set on your lash with needle-nose tweezers.

My technician used the Platinum Bond Adhesive that she claimed was “the bomb.” The patented formula has some really intense fumes that will make your eyes water. For eyes that tend to water easily, there is a sensitive non-fume adhesive, which she used for my inner lashes.

The lashes range in size from 6 mm to 14 mm. Your technician may use a few different sizes of lashes for a more natural look. The bottom lashes can also be done.

The procedure was painless. The time flew by and my technician explained each step along the way. The fumes from the adhesive are no joke, and we had to replace one of the separating films since it kept moving from me laughing. When I saw the final result, I was speechless. I had an idea in my head of what they would look like, but the way that my technician was able to make them flare out at the sides and the length of the lashes she used (mostly 12 mm), I couldn’t get over how natural they looked.

You are not allowed to wash your face for 12-24 hours after the procedure, mostly because you want to make sure the adhesive is drying correctly. Curling your lashes is a no-no because it can break the adhesive bond, and you aren’t allowed to wear waterproof mascara for the same reason. You can wear mascara if you like, but I promise you’ll find that you don’t even need it! Be careful with some makeup removers because they can also break down the bond.

After having lived with them for a week, it’s been an interesting experience. Since the lashes are synthetic, they are heavier than my real lashes and drop lower than what I’m used to. I have to be careful not to rub my face with a towel, because the friction could rip them out.

The first day, I think the residue from the adhesive got into my eyes and they stung for a few seconds. They feel brittle ,like they’ll break off, but you can gently pull on them to move them around if they happen to tangle in each other.

I found myself not even needing eye makeup at all during the day, so I’ve really enjoyed skipping the step of curling and mascara. My eyes really “pop” now, and the profile view is amazing!

If you’re interested in this procedure, you can visit novalash.com where you can locate a technician near you. Or you can e-mail me, and I can set you up with mine.

Ariana Finlayson can be reached at [email protected].

After the Procedure (Photo courtesy Emily Kate Warren)

Before the Procedure (Ariana Finlayson/The Chronicle)