I got my first lash lift and tint. Here’s how the $95 treatment works

Increasingly, women (and plenty of men, to be sure) are bypassing a simple swipe of mascara in favor of more elaborate and dramatic lash amplifiers like DIY falsies, professional lash extensions, lash lifts and even lash tinting.

In fact, you’ll find entire businesses dedicated to the art of faking a full, statement-making set of lashes.

And it’s not a special occasion thing either. These lash services are part of routine beauty maintenance for a lot of people much the same way nail services went mainstream in the 80s and 90s.

Not sure what I’m even talking about? Here’s a quick breakdown on some lash options:

False lashes – A full set of temporary artificial lashes affixed to the lash line with glue. These can be purchased and applied at home or applied by a makeup artist. They’re common for one-time events like weddings, proms and photo shoots. They likely will not outlast your night; I’ve seen many a wayward false lash drooping off a drunk girl’s eye at 2 a.m.

Lash lift and tint – Your natural lashes are permed into a curl to give the illusion of length and tinted to give the illusion of always-on mascara. This is a job for a professional and will last up to 6 to 8 weeks. It’s an extremely natural look (“natural” meaning it looks like you just have mascara on versus fake lashes) and requires no major ongoing maintenance or special care.

Lash extensions – The Cadillac of lash services. Individual hair extensions are glued one by one to your natural lashes. In some cases, multiple extensions are applied per natural lash. This is a tedious job for a professional and can last up to 6 to 8 weeks with spot maintenance recommended every 3 to 4 weeks. It’s expensive and requires ongoing special care — from the way to sleep to the way you wash your face.

Basically, I’m way behind the times with my simple tube of mascara over here, so I decided to up my game with a lash lift and tint at Brows by Hilary.

I’d love to try a full set of lash extensions at some point, but knowing what I know about just how lazy I am with beauty upkeep, I know the maintenance they require just isn’t for me. They’re beautiful, but I’ll ruin them.

A lash lift and tint, on the other hand, is a quick 1-hour procedure that essentially lets you “set it and forget it” for almost 2 months. The results are less dramatic, but that I can handle.

A lash lift and tint at Brows by Hilary is $95 and the procedure takes about an hour.

Owner Hilary McKinley, a licensed esthetician since 2008 specializing in eyebrows, body waxing and, of course, lashes, is great. She’ll have you sign some paperwork and explain the procedure to you.

How much does it cost? $95 with tint; $75 for just the lift

How long does the procedure take? 1 hour

How long will the results last? 6 to 8 weeks

Any ongoing maintenance? You’ll be sent home with a tube of serum to apply to your lashes every 3 to 5 days (goes on like mascara) to keep them moisturized — the perming process can dry your lashes out

The whole experience was super comfortable, but these creepy photos of me might suggest otherwise.

You just lay there with your eyes closed the entire time. I’m very weird about stuff getting in or near my eyes and wasn’t bothered by this in the least. Frankly, I didn’t know it was happening because my eyes were closed.

You also get a scalp massage while the perm sets so I was long gone by this point anyway.

The end result? Bam! Lashes.

You can’t get your lashes wet for 24 hours after the procedure so plan ahead and don’t go to the gym immediately before you get it done like I did. I had to wait way too long for a proper shower.

After that, you’re good to go.

I absolutely love the result. It pops without being overly in your face.

I think a lash lift and tint makes sense for people who are in or around water and don’t want to deal with mascara (I know there’s waterproof mascara but have you ever tried to take it off?), people who cry a lot and people who just want a little extra vanity boost because why not?

I’m as excited about it on day 2 as I was with the immediate result, and I’m curious to see how it holds up over the next 6 to 8 weeks. If it keeps this up, I would definitely do it again.

Brows by Hilary is located at 900 Metropolitan Avenue Suite 108 inside My Salon Suite in the Target Midtown building. See her additional services (including facials and waxing) and book online here.