The chicer lash

There’s something to be said for lifted lashes, and the impact it can make in bringing a certain amount of brightness, freshness and life to a face. Charlotte Tilbury, one of the most renowned makeup artists of our time and creator of a killer makeup line that can do no wrong, often talks about how mascara was the first product that changed her life. Likewise, Lisa Eldridge, creative director for Lancôme and YouTube beauty guru, is seen in multiple videos stressing the importance of two things: curling the lashes and religiously applying mascara with a good wiggle at the base before pulling up.

To this end, the Shu Uemura eyelash curler has grown to such a level of fame that it has even anchored one of the funnier punchlines uttered by Gisele Bündchen in the Oscar-nominated fashion classic, The Devil Wears Prada: “We were in the Beauty Department and she held up this Shu Uemura eyelash curler and said, ‘What is this?’” (Because, let’s be real, even aliens would know what a Shu Uemura eyelash curler is, as it is truly that good.) In its wake are curlers trying to accomplish the same job and drawing their own recognition, from high-end brands like Chanel, Kevyn Aucoin, and most recently, Surratt Beauty.

It’s no wonder, then, that people with less time and less patience to mess around trying to find their holy grail mascaras that’ll hold a curl, lengthen lashes, and not transfer have exponentially grown the false eyelash extension trade. It’s the perfect solution to short and sparse lashes, giving immediate length and flutter, and takes about an hour to apply, after which you’re set for a few weeks. It’s become so ubiquitous that one can see these more bold, obvious lashes anywhere between the grocery store, the gym and the red carpet. The downside to extensions however is that they do weigh on your natural lashes; they can turn and get mussed up in your sleep; and they’re quite a pain to maintain. (If you’ve never had them done before, anything creamy or oil-based is generally discouraged around these things, because it can dissolve the adhesive used to bond the false lash to the real ones.)

Alternatively, one can also get lash perms, which are offered by multiple specialty salons and dermatology clinics, but often use a C-shaped perming wand, which leave lashes looking shorter than they are and have a less than chic ultra-dainty china doll effect. So given the options, it begs the question of whether there are any alternatives for a girl or guy who wants a semi-permanent solution to getting that extra lift without necessarily looking like a fabulous contender for Ru Paul’s Drag Race or a stumpy-lashed doll on the daily? The answer is yes, and it’s a new treatment called a lash lift and tint, popular around Europe and featured in many UK-based beauty blogs. It’s offered by very few places in Manila, but one that does it rather excellently is the Arambulo Dermatology Center.

Run by Doctor Julieta Arambulo, the clinic offers your standard dermatological services and surgical treatments. But Arambulo’s daughter, Margaux Arambulo-Lucena, is a registered nurse who is trying to introduce more semi-permanent offerings in the clinic’s range. They do great microblading for brows, with truly hair-like strokes and none of the horror stories one might have seen from lower-end competitors. Their services are also quite reasonably priced, which Lucena explains is intentional, as their goal is not just to sell the service, but to make better alternatives to existing services more widely available. The lash lift and tint, for instance, is offered at P3,000 where competing clinics start between P4,000 to P5,000.

Lucena trained with the Eyelash Design Company, based out of London, which produces a line called Lash Perfect. This is a line of products that includes not only what is necessary to provide the treatment, but aftercare for clients, including lash serums, gentle makeup removers, and oil-free mascaras. The process itself is a 45-minute procedure, which starts with a J-shaped curling wand — the best for getting that real lift on the lash — being attached onto eyelid, near the base of the lashes, with a medical adhesive. A curling cream is then applied, followed by a setting cream to seal the curl. Afterwards, a tint is applied to the lashes (there are options of brown, a less dramatic blue black, and a truly inky dark charcoal) to further emphasize the lift. Like any sort of perm, clients are advised not to wash their faces or get the lashes wet in any capacity for 24 hours, after which the treatment is set to last throughout the natural lash cycle, which is between six to eight weeks.

Lucena says the procedure is a hit with clients who do a lot of traveling, are constantly on the go, or just want a little more impact without having to resort to the fuss of extra tools or adding false attachments. She also says that the clinic is working on bringing in other similar semi-permanent treatments, such as a lip blush and tint, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and even areola micropigmentation, which means that you can wake up to a full face with truly minimal effort and without the garish results of old school makeup tattoos. The idea is delivering subtle enhancement to take the guesswork out of the everyday, to look impossibly chic and put together and redistributing that time spent getting ready someplace that needs it more. If anything, it’s quite cool to be able to get up in the morning, look at yourself and be able to say with all that Beyoncé swagger, “I woke up like this.”

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For further inquiries, please check out Arambulo Dermatology Center on Instagram at @arambulodermcenter, or contact them at +639175801684.