Women go to bat with extreme lashes

Lillian Evans has the walk of a queen and the eyes of Hollywood royalty.

The Chicago fashion consultant's secret: Eyelash extensions, semi-permanent lashes attached to her natural lashes.

She was having a manicure at Kim's Nail & Spa in Calumet City when she noticed a client exit with eye-popping lashes. Evans, 52, struck up a conversation with the technician. Soon she was sporting long, thick, Kardashian-style lashes that Mother Nature would envy.

"It gives you a sense of confidence, sexiness," Evans says. "You don't have to do anything. You wake up and you have your eyelashes on and you don't need mascara or eyeliner."

Born in Japan in the late ‘90s, eyelash extensions are the latest in eyewear; more durable than falsies, more dramatic than dyed, and a quicker fix than serum-induced growth. Any woman can have Bette Davis eyes in a blink.

The process is simple, says Ashley Avola, a licensed esthetician at SouthWest Laser & MedSpa in Mokena, Illinois. The client shuts her eyes and the technician, wielding a sharp forceps, separates a single eyelash from the natural lashes.

The tech then dips an extension in dark, medical-grade adhesive and attaches it to the base of the lash. The process is repeated for most or all of the upper lashes. Avola, 25, combs treated lashes to prevent clumping. "You have to have a steady hand," she says.

The initial application takes one to two hours. Most extensions, available in brown and black, are synthetic, silk or mink. But some spas are touting colorful rooster feather-numbers for drama mamas.

Prices for a full set range from $25 to $225 in Greater Chicago depending on the salon and services. "Relashing" touch-ups are cheaper.

SouthWest Laser & MedSpa, run by a licensed nurse and affiliated with Shavasana Eyelash Extensions, follows FDA guidelines on the use of approved glues, Avola says. If fumes bother clients, she takes a break and brings out a battery-operated fan. "They can hold it or I fan them," she says.

Those jeepers-creepers peepers last two to eight weeks, depending on individual cycles of eyelash growth. The extensions fall out when the real McCoys do. Her clientele ranges from 18-year-olds to brides-to-be to grandmothers, Avola says. Demand peaks before major holidays.

Long-lashed wannabes should ensure their esthetician is trained and certified before going to bat. The state board of cosmetology can verify requirements. The FDA cautions that eyelids are delicate and allergic reactions can occur.

Evans confesses she's hooked on her big-lashed look. If eyes are windows to the soul, lavish lashes are flirty curtains. Both men and women compliment her and even her 15-year-old son noticed. "He said I look sexy," she says, laughing.