Semi-permanent lash treatments are taking over the beauty industry.

When it comes to looking more bright-eyed and awake, local makeup artists say it comes down to one body part: your eyelashes. Long, dark lashes create instant glamour, but there’s more to using mascara than meets the eye. With so many products claiming to be the next lash miracle, it can be impossible to know which mascara is right for you. Lengthening or volumizing? Fiber or spooly wand? Brown or black? Even if you find your “perfect” formula among the more than 500 mascara options on the beauty market, mascara still smudges, flakes and takes time to apply. Now more than ever, Tysons women are balancing busy work and home lives and are ditching their mascara for semi-permanent lash enhancements. These services are available at local salons like Bella Luxe, Lashes Lashes & More and Lash Avenue to name a few, and they’ll give you the freedom to sleep, sweat and swim without worrying about applying (and removing) clumpy mascara.

Lash Extensions

Eyelash extensions are individual false lashes—usually made of mink or silk—that are attached to your natural eyelashes using a semi-permanent cosmetic glue. The service is performed by a trained aesthetician, who will use tweezers to attach the artificial lashes to your real lashes. The service is not painful (and is actually so relaxing that many clients fall asleep) and lasts about an hour on average. Clients can choose from a variety of lash lengths and curl strengths to completely customize their look. Results last 4-6 weeks when cared for properly.

Image Credit: BellaLuxe website photo

Lash Lift & Tint

If lash extensions are too extreme for your taste, a lash lift and tint might be more your style; the process is essentially just a perm and dye job for your eyelashes. An aesthetician applies a keratin serum to the lashes that strengthens, curls and stimulates growth. After the treatment sits for 30-45 minutes, a brown or black dye is applied to the lashes for a subtle or bold tint (most salons offer a variety of shade options). The result is darker, thicker, more curled lashes without compromising the integrity of your natural eyelashes.

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Lash Implants

If you’re serious about enhancing your lashes without having to return to the salon for fill-ins or touch-ups, then cosmetic surgery might be the solution. Most cosmetic and plastic surgery centers offer eyelash implants, which are permanent implantations of extra lashes to the lash line for increased volume.

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Latisse

Latisse is a prescribed serum that’s applied to the base of the lashline to stimulate growth of your natural lashes. Clinically proven, applying Latisse each night after washing and drying your face promotes significant growth within eight weeks. For a prescription, see a dermatologist who can evaluate the necessary dosage and teach you how and where to apply the serum.

Image Credit: Latisse website photo

Liquid Lash Extensions

If you’re not ready to commit to a semi-permanent lash treatment, Liquid Lash Extensions from Thrive Causemetics offer a temporary fix that’s still better than mascara. Liquid Lash Extensions enhances and treats eyelashes for eyes that are healthy, strong and beautiful. The mascara’s buildable fibers attach to lashes for unmatched volume and length, while Vitamin B5 and Orchid Stem Cell Complex work to condition and strengthen lashes for less breakage and more length.

Image Credit: Thrive Causemetics website photo