THE BEAUTY EXPERIENCE : SHAVATA EYELASH EXTENSIONS

The best New Year’s resolutions are those that inspire us to step outside of our comfort zone and embrace the unknown and sensational. Rather than prescribe yourself multiple restrictions this January, instead be inspired to try something far from conventional when it comes to your adventures in beauty….

Every woman has their ‘desert island’ beauty product, and mine [like a great deal of other women’s] is mascara. Most women I know, if forced to commit to just one beauty product for the rest of their lives, would opt, without hesitation, for mascara. It’s easy therefore to see why eyelash extensions are becoming increasingly popular; for who wouldn't jump at the chance to sport the transformative effects of mascara 24/7? A proposition especially tempting ahead of a holiday, festival, or wedding… Imagine not having to worry about applying [and removing!] mascara or doing battle with eyelash curlers and falsies; chore-like processes, especially when you're pressed for time.

WHERE?

Harvey Nichols in Exchange Square, a hotbed for innovative beauty brands. Alongside the beauty counters, the store offers an immersive approach to the modern beauty experience, with a hair salon, treatment rooms, and a brow bar, all providing the highest standards of beauty treatments to the discerning women of Manchester.

WHO?

Trained by acclaimed brow guru Shavata, the highly trained Manchester-based team cater to all manner of brow and lash related needs 363 days a year.

WHAT?

Individually applied false eyelashes that last for up to eight weeks, providing a semi-permenant alternative to your favourite mascara. For a half-set [£60]*, the entire process takes around 60 minutes, during which synthetic hairs are staggered along the upper lash lines with pinpoint precision - tapering to a subtle outer flare for soft, fluttery lashes with an instantly eye-opening effect.

THE VERDICT :

I’m naturally blessed with incredibly long and curled eyelashes, which [when paired with the right mascara] have been mistaken for falsies on many an occasion. Despite this, the effect of the lashes was still dramatically noticeable. At Shavata, your natural lashes are measured and matched up to a specific length in synthetics in order to achieve the most natural effect possible. My eyes appeared both wider and somehow more ‘lifted’ for a good week post-treatment, during which I became accustomed to being accosted by strangers in coffee shops and at the supermarket, intent on knowing what mascara I was using [and consequently both surprised and fascinated to learn that my lashes hadn't been born from a bottle]. Despite this, I do think that if forced to choose between lash extensions and mascara, I would still opt for the latter. I favour a dramatic and dark, voluminous look, which my lash extensions didn't quite provide; I still felt slightly uncomfortable leaving the house without mascara and yearning for the day the I could finally reach for my tube of Chanel Le Volume once again. If however, low maintenance lashes, a ‘no-makeup’ beauty look, or a ‘natural’ look are upon your agenda then I would recommend this treatment in a heartbeat.

It’s worth mentioning here that eyelash extensions are far from a low-maintenance beauty treatment, and the process doesn’t end the second you exit the salon. I left Harvey Nichols armed with a lengthy list of rules that saw my daily beauty routine much tweaked and edited in order to prolong the finesse of my extensions. Notably, not getting them wet within the first 24 hours, sleeping on one’s back, combing the lashes on a daily basis, not wearing mascara [!!], avoiding oil-based beauty products [!!] and taking eye makeup off with ‘great care\. Admittedly it was this last rule that eventually initiated the premature demise of my lashes [they lasted about three weeks] - the process became a daunting task that no matter how gently it was performed, always seemed to result in lashes scatted across my cheekbones.

Have you tried eyelash extensions?