My 15 year old daughter has the most beautiful naturally long, dark lashes. And plenty of ‘em. Me? Not so much. So after trying countless different mascaras and still feeling less than satisfied, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and give this whole eyelash extension thing a go. Armed with only one piece of advice – make sure that each faux lash is glued directly onto your eyelash, not your eyelid – I embarked on my journey.

Eyelash extensions are all the rage now and have been for some time. Places with cute names like Flirt, Winks, MYNC and Lust for Lashes have popped up all over Toronto and salons everywhere are adding this uber popular service to their menu. With so many great spots to choose from, I decided to give one of my locals, CoCo Beauty Bar a try.

My appointment was with the lovely Lyuba, who’s been extending eyelashes for years (long before it became the craze it is now). We started with a brief consultation, where I decided on going with a more natural look versus something a bit more glam. With the choice of either Premium Synthetic Mink or Silk, I opted for the mink (I liked the way they looked and curled), in a size 12 for most of the eye, with 11 and 10 closer to the inner eye.

It took Lyuba about 10 minutes to prep me – place pads under my eyes and tape my lids in a way that kept them, and my lashes, sitting perfectly . Then she got to work. All I had to do was lay there and relax.

The whole thing took about an hour and a half from the minute I walked into the room until I left, and I was sent on my way with a list of instructions – don’t get them wet for at least 24 hours, be gentle, and take any makeup off with oil-free eye makeup remover. Easy peasy.

The result? Well, I expected to notice a significant difference, but what I didn’t expect was how much of an effect it would have on my appearance. My daughter explained it best when she yelled, “You look sooooo much better!” Ummm, thanks?

With the extensions, my eyes really pop. I never really wore a ton of eye makeup – a little neutral shadow, tiny bit of liner and some mascara – but now I don’t need anything. At all. A little blush, my signature red lips and I’m good to go.

I hate to admit it, but I’m kind of in love. Look better and save time? What’s not to love? And how amazing would these babies be on holiday? Especially a beach vacay where you’re in and out of the water? Pretty perfect if you ask me.

Now I have to tell you – I have extremely sensitive skin and eyes and I react to quite a bit. I can’t even wear false eyelashes –the glue irritates my eyes and I can’t handle the weight of the lashes. And while it took me about two days to get used to the eyelash extensions, I no longer notice them. And not one little bit of a reaction. The only thing I do notice, is that when I go outside and it’s windy, my eyelashes flutter. But that just makes me giggle.

So while I might never have the natural lashes of a 15 year old again, I’m OK with it. Because I have Lyuba. And her extensions. And they make me look sooooo much better. That, in itself, is good enough for me.