Counter Confidential: Lashing Out

counter confidential

Oh, What Tangled Lashes We Weave!

Lashes can be playful, sexy, and lots of fun to enhance. If you don't want or have time to apply false lashes every day, extensions are a great alternative. But as wonderful as lash extensions sound, they can also be a complete nightmare if you haven’t done your research.

One day at the beauty counter, I had a customer come in looking completely stressed out and almost in tears. After sitting down, she explained to me that she had a very important event that evening. She was excited for her big night, but her lash extensions weren’t cooperating. They just would not come off.

I called over our brow and lash bar specialist to take a look at the situation. There was an excessive amount of dark black glue all over the customer's natural and false lashes. And the person who applied the extensions didn't take the time to separate each individual hair, so everything was clumped together. No wonder the client wanted all the extensions removed before her big event!

My co-worker put on some special oil that should have removed the extensions, but they didn’t budge. I think all three of us were confused at that point. The oil we used should have broken down the lash extension glue, but it just wasn't working. So I had to do some sleuthing. I asked the customer to tell me about where she had her extensions done. She said she went to a local salon by her house that she’d been going to for years. Then, she dropped the biggest bombshell on us:

They used hair glue!

My customer recognized the packaging when she was waiting for the extensions to be applied. I don’t think she was worried about the weave glue because she believed it would help the lashes stay on longer. Obviously, she was right. She did not do her own research because she was a frequent customer at the salon, and trusted the advice of her friends who convinced her lash extensions would be worth every penny.

I was completely floored. The shock and confusion must have been pretty easy to read on my face because she sighed like she had just lost a war. Looking completely helpless, the lady just ripped the extensions out herself.

She noticed she ripped out a lot of her real lashes as well. It was a pretty horrific experience for her, and it was almost unbearable to witness. Unreal as it is to believe, there are plenty of people who are just like my customer. Relying on word of mouth and familiarity isn’t the same as doing your own research. Always take the initiative to research and ask questions.

And just remember Beauties, weave glue is not eyelash glue.

Image courtesy of Pinterest