With party season approaching and everyone upping the glam stakes with a pinch of sequin, a dash of velvet and a smokey eye it seemed like the perfect opportunity to indulge in a little pampering at one of my favourite salons Saks. If you’ve been following me for a while you’ll know I headed here in May for a fabulous facial peel as part of my pre-wedding beauty preparation. This time I was invited along to experience the celebrity treatment on everyone’s lips – an LVL lash lift and as you can see the results are fabulous!
The revolutionary LVL treatment works by enhancing your natural lashes by adding length, volume and lift. Lashes are lifted from the root and then tinted to create a mascara-like effect. The results last for 6-8 weeks and give a much more natural appearance than eyelash extensions. They’re the perfect option if you want a more subtle day-to-evening look that can be further exaggerated by adding your own mascara.
The LVL lash lift is also the ideal treatment to book in before a holiday so that you can concentrate on making the most of the well-earned break and not have to faff with mascara each morning (I particularly like the idea of this for when you’re visiting warmer climes so that you don’t have to worry about your eye make-up melting down your face!).
Here’s my step by step guide to what the treatment entails:
Patch Test
The first and very important step is to pick up a patch test from Saks at least 48hours before your treatment appointment to ensure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients of the various creams that will be used. This was a simple at-home test that involved placing a small amount of each of the liquids on to the top of my arm before covering them with a plaster. There was also a ‘temporary tattoo’ style patch test that I placed lower down on my arm – thankfully I suffered no adverse effects and could go ahead with the treatment!
Preparation
Before the treatment was applied my lovely beauty therapist Kayleigh prepared my eyes by removing any traces of make-up and cleansing the skin around my eyes. Afterwards she applied under-eye treatment pads (these ensure your lower lashes are kept where they should be). Next were the curling shields – these are small silicone pads which your lashes are curled around.
Available in three different sizes Kayleigh chatted with me about the look I wanted to achieve before popping the medium shield into place (this is the most commonly used size – the smaller one gives a more dramatic effect whereas the large is more suited for those lucky ladies with naturally long and curly lashes!). I won’t deny that it’s a slightly strange feeling but not uncomfortable at all!
Lifting Balm
This is the first step in the treatment – the white solution is carefully applied to your lashes to give them lift and create the curl. I must admit it had quite a strong smell (similar to when you put a perm on your hair – so 80’s!) but it wasn’t unpleasant at all. After a quick 14 minutes (and following a very relaxing hand and arm massage courtesy of Kayleigh) we were ready for the next step.
Fixing Lotion
Next up is a yellow solution which is a fixing lotion which works to hold the curl in place. One thing I love this treatment is that because it’s a permanent curl that will last the natural life of your eyelashes.
Tint
The final step is adding a tint to give a permanent mascara effect. Kayleigh used a blue/black colour to give an intense finish. I have to say I’m now totally sold on eyelash tinting – I love waking up in the morning with a bit more definition on my eyes!
And that was it – within an hour the transformation was amazing! Almost a week later my eyelashes are just as long and curly as when I walked out of the salon, plus I’ve even had The Canadian comment how pretty my eyes are looking at the moment (you know it’s a success when your man notices!).
You can head over to the Saks website here to find out more details about all of the treatments they have available (plus there’s 50% off your first booking with them!) and also follow them on Instagram or Facebook to keep up to date with all of their latest offers and events.
Have you ever had an LVL lash lift? Would you like to try one? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
The Blonde x
*This is a collaborative post with the lovely folk at Saks but as always all opinions are my own and I only feature products or events that are fitting and in keeping with the tone and content of my blog or Instagram page.