I Tried a Keratin Lash Lift—Here's What to Know

New year, new lashes! The simple hour-long treatment can make a big impact but might not be right for everyone. Should you try it?

My lashes are short, straight and angle downward into my eyes—if I don’t curl them, I’m literally looking at my lashes all day. Over the years, I’ve listened intently while friends and colleagues shared their stories about lash extensions (my current feeling: they look amazing when they’re first done but the risk of them looking wonky and the awkward growing-out phase are enough for me to say “pass”). Strips of false lashes—even the more natural looking ones I picked up in Asia—look too extreme, and fake, on me. And the glue tends to irritate my eyes. So my go-to look is curling them with my Shiseido curler (the best for short lashes!) then applying a coat or two of waterproof mascara (which holds a curl better than regular).

In my lifetime, I’ve tested dozens of mascaras (at least 75+) and only a handful truly nail the center of the Venn diagram for me. This Japanese Isehan Kiss Me Heroine Make waterproof one is my holy grail; but I also really like this Covergirl Lash Blast. But, again, these two are so specific to my short Asian lashes that I have a hard time recommending them to everyone.

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Last week, I wrote about time-saving products and services, which really inspired me to try a few other “high maintenance to be low maintenance” services that I haven’t already tested out, which brings me to today’s adventure: I got a keratin lash lift for the first time and I’m loving the results so far.

Before: My super straight lashes naturally point downward into my eyes. After: oh, hello.

What to expect with a keratin lash lift and tint

I headed over to The Brow Fixx here in LA, which offers all sorts of brow and lash services. A Keratin Lash Lift and Tint costs $150 and takes an hour and 15 minutes. I wondered if I’d really want a tint though since my hair is black. My lash specialist Christina said that, oh, yes, I should indeed get the tint because it would still darken my lash hairs, making them look like they had a light coat of mascara at all times. Ok, sold.

Prepping the materials

I laid back in the chair and Christina prepped my eyes, cleaning them and gluing a guard on to my upper eyelids.

She meticulously separated each lash, set them to curl over a pad and brushed on various solutions: one to break the hair bonds and one to rebuild. The difference between a keratin lash lift and a regular is that the keratin is thought to strengthen the hairs (similar to when you get a keratin treatment for the hair on your head).

How did it feel?

If you’re someone who gets freaked out with their eyes being touched, you might be uncomfortable. I don’t particularly have an issue with it, although my eyes do tend to water a lot. Christina also told me that some clients tend to twitch, which can drive some of the glue and solution into your eyes and lead to irritation. The whole process goes by pretty quickly—so, just try to lay back and relax. Having a conversation helps too.

What happened immediately after

After Christina removed the pads and cleaned me up, she brushed my lashes and handed me a mirror. My lashes looked lifted like I had gotten a really good curl and darkened just enough to look like I had the lightest coat of mascara on. I loved them. She walked me through the after-care which is very simple. Basically, avoid water and steam for 24 hours. And steer clear of waterproof mascaras and oil cleansers for the duration of your lash lift…more on this below.

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Mascaras I’m loving post-lash lift

My entire mascara game had to change post-lift since pros suggest not using waterproof mascara which can damage lashes and cause them to fall out faster since they require a bit more muscle to remove. I’m loving Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara at the moment which is giving me nice lift and length but still looks natural. I also this YSL Lash Clast Extreme which didn’t feel quite as natural but it could work for those of you who want a more va-va-voom look.

Pros also suggest not using oil cleansers while you’re caring for your lash lift. As a devoted daily double-cleanser, this is a big deal for me. For the first 24 hours, you can’t get your lashes wet. But as soon as I could wash them, I applied mascara (since I was curious) then used micellar water on a cotton pad that night to remove my makeup. I decided I would not do that again since it felt like too much tugging. So now I’ve been sudsing up a pump of the water-based Dr. Loretta Gentle Hydrating Cleanser and although I’m a little nervous I may not be getting all of my makeup off, I’m going to see how it goes.

What are the risks?

As with every procedure, do your research to make sure you’re seeing a trusted professional. Ultimately, this person is working on your delicate eyes and the risk of irritation or infection can be scary if you’re in the hands of someone who’s not following proper protocols or keeping materials clean. If you have very sensitive allergy-prone eyes, you may also want to avoid lash lifts.

Would I do a lash lift again?

Absolutely. A lift and tint costs $150 at Brow Fixx and last about 6-8 weeks, depending on how long it takes for your lashes to fall out. That’s pretty pricy for a recurring expenditure but I would totally consider doing this again for a special occasion or before a trip. Especially for a beach vacation, it makes things very easy knowing that your lashes can looked curled and darkened right out of the water. Special deal for readers! If you’re in the Brentwood, CA, area, Brow Fixx set up a special code. Just mention code MICHELLE20 to get 20 percent off your first lash lift.

What do you think? Have you ever gotten a lash lift? What other “high maintenance to be low maintenance” treatments have you tried? Let me know if there are others you think I should try!