Eyelash Perming: The Lowdown

Not so very long ago in a place not too far away, it was pretty hard to find a salon that did eyelash perming. Hell, it was hard even to find a place that could grasp what you were on about if you called them to enquire about it! That's not the case anymore, thankfully, as eyelash perming's become an increasingly popular procedure. But what the flip does it actually entail?

Well, you'll most likely be asked to have a patch test at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. On the day itself, your therapist will use a small roller and water soluble glue to roll and separate eyelashes. Perming lotion is applied to the lashes and left to set for 15 minutes. A neutraliser is then put on and left for another 15 minutes under cover. Finally, damp cotton wool is used to gently remove the roller et voilà - lashes that would turn Bambi himself green with envy.

I've read of some establishments claiming that you'll get up to 12 weeks out of your newly curled eyelashes which would be brilliant; realistically though I think you can expect the effects to last for 4-6 weeks.

As for pricing... weeeell, that varies. Considerably. Anne McDevitt's was the most expensive I came across at €80; the Free Spirit chain of salons weren't far behind at €75 a pop. Most other places around the country seem to be charging somewhere between €40-50 for the procedure.

Definitely the best value I can find is in reader Bumblebee's salon of choice, Monica Tolan's in Balbriggan, where she recently got an eyelash perm with a lash tint thrown in for the seriously bargainous price of €32.

If you can beat that, please do tell us all!