I have an aversion to “fake” beauty products. Not because I have anything against them, but because I prefer a natural look.
Weave, press-on or acrylic nails, and lash extensions were things I never thought I would do simply because they looked obviously fake and that was not my aesthetic.
Recently however, I’ve been trying new things.
I tried acrylic nails, harping on the poor technician for the most natural-looking product. They turned out great as they were done as thinly as possible, had no weird hump where the acrylic met the nail bed, and it gave my nails some more length and uniformity.
Functioning with the things was another story but that’s not what this article is about.
This time, I decided to try eyelashes.
I can admit that sometimes, the obviously fake can look good. However, my problem with lash extensions is that, more often than not, in my opinion, they are unattractive.
I thought, why do I want something that can double as a hand-broom on my eyes?
With that in mind, of course, I contacted Chantal Juman, founder of Babe Cave, the first salon in TT dedicated to lashes. It was also the first lash academy in TT, the first company in TT to have flat lashes, and the first in the Caribbean to have an adhesive with a scent, Pink Fig.
We had a consultation. Both she and her employees were friendly and I immediately felt comfortable as she spoke and I realised how extremely knowledgeable she was about the process.
She pointed out that my eyes were almond-shaped, which I never really noticed, and asked if I wanted lashes that would accentuate the shape or “open up my eyes.”
[caption id="attachment_945687" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Chantal Juman lifts a lash to apply to Janelle De Souza's eyes. - ROGER JACOB[/caption]
Since I had no idea, I let her know she could do what she thought was best, as long as they looked as natural as possible. She decided to go with the shape of my eyes and the way my lashes grew naturally – long and short throughout – add some length at the point in line with the arch of my eyebrow, and to give them a slight curl.
Alrighty.
She started with a bio gel under eye patch, not collagen-based which could cause a reaction in some, to keep my lower lashes out of the way. She then gave me a lash bath and applied individual lashes, one at a time, to my top eyelid.
The application process was a mild surprise since I had always though of lash extensions as a strip people glued to their eyes. However, by applying individual lashes, the lash technician can customise any look for their client.
Forty-five minutes later, I was ecstatic about the results. My lashes looked more even, fuller, longer, darker, as if there was the lightest coating of mascara, and they looked and felt natural.
They did not make my eyelids feel heavy, when I touched them they felt like lashes rather than bristles, the curl meant they did not touch my glasses, and most importantly, they made me feel good.
Building a lash brand
While chatting with Juman, 31, I learned Babe Cave (
