Lengthen Lashes In Your Lunchbreak

Stand by for a lash extravaganza.



Making friends with the beauty journalists has many perks - not least being treated to a fair few pamper treatments under the guise of trialling them for work. 

But of all the goodies for which I've had the pleasure of playing guinea pig, the LVL lash treatment is by far the most impressive. 



I headed to Harley Street to Karen Betts' clinic for my lash transformation, following in the footsteps of a whole host of celebs - and if it can work for a blonde-coloured, stubby-lashed gal like me, the results are pretty much guaranteed to be top-notch for all you flutterers out there.


LVL stands for length, volume and lift, all of which this promises to deliver to your eyelashes. It differs from perming in that the lashes aren't curled, so much as actually straightened upwards following their natural growth shape, so you're left with gorgeous Bambi eyes that Zooey Deschanel would be envious of, with no false extensions to be seen.


So enough of this gushing. Let me talk you through what the treatment involves…

My lovely therapist Jane had me remove the eye make-up from my top lashes (the bottom lashes are left untouched) and settled me into the comfortable leather chair. Once I'd closed my eyes, I felt very little thanks to Jane's gentle touch, though she talked me through every stage of the treatment so I could at least imagine what was going on.

While I lay back and relaxed, Jane got to work:


• Any residue oil or make-up was wiped from my upper lashes with cotton wool.
 A protective shield was placed underneath each eye to make sure none of the treatment lotions made their way onto my bottom lashes.
 
• Jane combed my lashes to separate them and applied a silicone shield onto each of my eyelids. There's three different sizes of shield - small, medium and large - and I chose small, which Jane explained delivers the most dramatic lift.

• Each lash was then pulled over the shield and secured into place with a thin cotton swab.

• Next, the lifting balm was applied to the roots of my lashes, and left on for 10 minutes.

• Then the balm was removed and a neutralising lotion applied in its place.
 After five minutes, the neutraliser was removed and Jane put a tint on my lashes for a few minutes to change them from their natural blonde to a black hue.

• Finally, a moisturising serum was placed on the lashes, not only to inject them with a moisture boost but also to help release the lashes from the shield.



And that's it. The entire process takes less than 50 minutes, making it a true lunchtime treatment. 



The result? Well, I never. The moment I opened my eyes after the treatment and looked into Jane's mirror I was blown away - my lashes looked double the length they'd been just an hour earlier, without any tussle with the wand of a lengthening mascara or eyelash curler. The lift turned my small nondescript lashes into dramatic eye-framing wonders and I now wake up every morning positively doe-eyed before even touching my make-up bag. What I love most is the fact that they're 100% my own lashes and the results will last until the next cycle of lashes grow in, which will hopefully be in 8 to 10 weeks. In short, I'm sorted for summer!



An LVL treatment takes up to 45 minutes to apply and prices start from £40. Visit lvl-lashes.co.uk for more information and to find your nearest salon.