Long, luxurious eyelashes have become the hottest new beauty trend in the world. With eyelash extensions, women can enjoy lengthy lashes for up to 4 – 6 weeks with no daily need for curlers, mascaras, or mediocre false lashes from a drugstore. Compared to their current popularity among celebrities and the general public alike, lash extensions originated from more modest beginnings.
The Origins of the Lash Extension Craze
It all began in 1916 during the production of the D.W. Griffith film Intolerance. Griffith’s vision for the the main character of the film, played by Seena Owen, was to have lashes that “brushed her cheeks, to make her shine large than life.” With a few strands of human hair and fine gauze, a local wig maker designed the first false lashes for Owen – and the obsession with lengthy, feathery lashes began.
In the years following Seena Owen’s false lash debut, eyelash extensions gained popularity and continued to develop. In the 40’s and 50’s, artificial lashes struck the scene. The beauty industry experimented with different lash styles and application techniques. False lashes grew especially popular in the 60’s, when women desired overdone, doe-eyed lashes like Twiggy. While today’s clients want their lashes to look as natural as possible, the most important thing in the 60’s was boldness. No matter if they were made of human hair or artificial materials, applied individually or on a strip, women requesting eyelash extensions wanted other women to be able to tell that they were wearing falsies.
Eyelash Extensions As We Now Know Them
Fast-forward to 2004, when America was first introduced to the modern-day eyelash extension. Women in Korea and Japan had been applying individual false lashes, then dubbed as “Korean false eyelashes”, for at least 30 years prior. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez were some of the first celebrities to openly declare their use and love of eyelash extensions, and increasing popularity among the general public quickly followed. The appeal of eyelash extensions to the public was that they preserve an individual’s natural appearance while adding Hollywood-grade glamor. Eyelash extension wearers also found the lashes to be much more natural-looking and comfortable than traditional false eyelashes. All of these characteristics contributed to the growth of the eyelash extension market.
Mink Lashes
One of the newest innovations in modern-day lash extensions is the Siberian Mink lash. When initially introduced, the cost of mink lashes was a few thousand dollars, making it a luxury limited only to Hollywood A-listers. However, this lash extension technique has made its way into the mainstream beauty market as a service that everyone can enjoy. Mink lashes are made of mink fur, which is brushed off live minks without any harm to them. They are extremely lightweight and create a beautifully natural, soft, and fluffy look. Many premier eyelash extension salons, such as Luxx Lash Salon, offer mink lashes to create the most natural-looking look possible with false lashes.