Next week, I’m having cataract surgery. They only do one eye at a time. So my right eye is first, and my left eye a month later, if everything goes well with the right eye. I’m a nervous Nellie, even though everyone says it’s no big deal (except my doctor who feels that every surgery has risks).
One of the things that is kind of a drag is that I won’t be able to wear eye makeup for a while, somewhere between 2 weeks and a month for each eye. Now I know that sounds silly since having vastly better vision certainly supersedes wearing makeup. Nevertheless, I’ll miss it. Especially mascara. I have completely clear lower lashes, and my upper lashes are very light brown/blonde with clear tips. If I am not wearing mascara, I look exhausted, and my blue eyes disappear rather than stand out.
A couple of weeks ago, I was perusing the beauty procedures discount coupons on the Living Social app. I noticed a Lash Tinting coupon at a salon in the next town. For $15 with the discount, I figured that I should give it a try. Maybe that would be the solution during my recovery after cataract surgery.
Today, I called Bloom Beauty, the salon in Beverly MA, and spoke to Sherry, the owner. She told me that the process takes about 15 minutes, and it lasts between 3-5 weeks. I made an appointment for an hour after our call.
When I arrived, she led me into their facial room. I lay down on the comfy facial couch. She looked at my lashes, and told me that light/clear lashes don’t take the color as well as naturally darker lashes. Oh. Bummer. But that was one of the reasons I was glad that I had a discount coupon.
The photo below shows my lashes with before, with no mascara.
She applied a sticky liquid under each of my eyes, and then she placed a shield on top. Unfortunately for me – light sensitive as I am – she shined a bright ring light into my eyes so she could see my lashes. She told me not to squeeze my eyes shut because that would allow the color to seep into my eyes. It was tough for me not to shut my eyes tight because the light was so bright. First, she applied liquid-y color with a brush to my left lower lashes. Funny, I can’t remember if she switched to the lower lashes of my right eye or if she did my upper lashes of left eye next. Oh well. She did one or the other. It took a few minutes.
But Sherry was right, I know I was squeezing my eyes shut, and the liquid got into my left eye and it burned a little. I told her about it, and immediately, she applied warm water on a clean cloth to my left eye removing the dye. The burning stopped. Then my right eye started burning a little, so she used the same procedure to wash my right eye.
I looked in the mirror to see the results. While initially I was hoping that I would have deep, dark, long upper and lower lashes afterwards, the reality was that I have darker lashes than I had before. But it definitely doesn’t look like I’m wearing mascara or like I have naturally dark lashes.
My lower lashes that had been completely clear before, now have a little light brown color toward the middle of my lower lashes. My upper lashes had a better result. When I close my eyes, my upper lashes are much darker than they have ever been without mascara. However, when I open my eyes, my upper lashes are darker than usual but they’re not as dark since she applied the color on the top of the lashes rather than on the underside. Nevertheless, at this point and for $15, I think it was worth it to me to have somewhat darker lashes.
Sherry says that the color fades over 3-5 weeks. I asked if I could wear mascara now before my surgery, and if doing that would make the color fade faster. She said that mascara remover could cause the color to fade faster, so I will wear mascara only if I’m going somewhere. I’m hoping that the color will last at least 2 weeks after my surgery next week on my upper lashes.
I had been thinking that I would come back before my next surgery in early December and have the process repeated to keep my lashes a little darker for the second month without makeup, but I realize that would be a serious mistake. It will take about 8 weeks for each of my eyes to heal completely after cataract surgery, so it would be wrong to risk getting the liquid-y dye in my eyes before they were healed.
For me, I don’t think lash tinting would be worth it in the future because the color difference wasn’t noticeable enough. But for women who have darker lashes than I do (say brown lashes) and who don’t like wearing mascara, it may be worthwhile to darken them. At this particular salon, the regular price for lash tinting is $34.
Have you ever tried last tinting? What were your results? Any better than this?
I can definitely see a difference with the lash tinting, but I can certainly understand why you probably won’t bother to do it again. I know that you are bummed that you won’t be able to wear makeup for a while, but your improved vision will certainly be worth it! <3 <3 <3
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Thank you, Helen! Got my fingers crossed that the surgery will go well. I know my makeup will be waiting for me in a couple of months. Although not as good as I hoped, at least for now my lashes look a bit more visible than before the lash tint.
Good luck with the surgery. Everyone says it’s nothing but it’s all individual. Your lashes do look better and I hope the color lasts a good amount of time.
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Thank you, Marcia! I’ve got my fingers crossed. I’ve been reading that cataract surgery makes dry eyes worse and can make astigmatism worse, but I can’t see so I don’t have any choice at this point. And I also hope the lash tint will last for several weeks!
I used to do it regularly before extensions were a thing. I would get a perm and a tint and while it wasnt vavavoom results i was happy because i also have pretty light and short lashes without anything on them. Since ive done extensions i would probably opt for that instead at this point. But i remember the same thing happening to me (with the light) and my eyes! My eyes would water and Id try so hard to relax but its hard!
I’m not a candidate for extensions, sadly, though I wish I could do it. So I hoped this might work, and I do think it’s better than nothing on my blonde/clear lashes.
I think if I were to have lash tinting (which I have been thinking about) I would also have a lash lift at the same time.
I was thinking about that too, Paula, and I think it would have helped my results. But I didn’t see it on the “menu” at the salon I went to, and I was also kind of worried about doing too much to my eyes before my surgery. If you do it, please let me know what you think!!
I used to do eyelash and brow tinting regularly, mostly for summer vacations when I expected to swim a lot and not wear any makeup, and always thought it was worth it. Best of luck with your surgery! My uncle is actually an eye surgeon and he acts like those are nbd so I totally believe yours will go smoothly!
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Thank you for the encouragement, Anastasia! My eye doctor/surgeon probably thinks the same thing but he would never say that to me. I know he’s done a zillion of them, but he also is happy to give me the downside of everything, lol
Hi, Allison – Best of luck with your cataract surgery! Usually everything goes fine, so I’m praying for that good result for you. XO, Angie – http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
Thank you sooooo much, Angie! I am a little nervous about it. I read that the surgery can exacerbate both astigmatism and dry eye, so I’m not sure what to expect. But I really can’t see now especially at night, but now during the day as well, so I don’t have any choice
Bummer the results weren’t what you expected, but at least maybe it will help for the time being that you have to go without! Hope your surgery goes well!
Thank you, Sarah! I hope so too! The lashes look better than nothing, so it was worth the money I paid. I hope the color will last for at least a couple of weeks.
I always wear bright or deeper toned lip sticks when I don’t have time for eye makeup. Try playing up your eyes and cheek colors.That will brighten up your look and take the focus off your eyes while the are healing.
Thank you, Denise, for your tip! I’ve been doing that, but frankly I still look not like myself. One of the women at my book club this week said, “I wondered why you weren’t wearing eye makeup” I guess I didn’t fool her 😉