Style Skincare What Is a Lash Lift and Why Is Everyone Talking About It? Lash lifts and tints are one of the biggest beauty trends right now. Here's how they're different from eyelash extensions and fake lashes. By Stacey Leasca Stacey Leasca Stacey is an award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of newsroom experience. Her photos, videos, and words have appeared in print or online for Travel + Leisure, TIME, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Men's Health, GlobalPost, LA Confidential, and many more. Stacey also served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Southern California teaching feature writing and visual journalism. She is now pursuing her Ph.D., specializing in building resiliency to disinformation in early-career journalists. Highlights: * 17+ years of journalism experience * 5+ years covering travel, wellness, and other lifestyle topics * Work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, TIME, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Men's Health, GlobalPost, LA Confidential, and more * Former adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Southern California Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 2, 2022 Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Getty Images If getting bigger, fuller, curlier eyelashes is on your beauty resolution list, then you've probably noticed the buzz surrounding eyelash lifts. According to Google's 2018 trend report, people were very interested in eyelashes. Four of the five most popular beauty searches on Google were related to making your eyes pop, with "what is a lash lift" falling second behind "how to apply magnetic lashes." The third, fourth, and fifth most popular beauty searches in 2018 were, respectively: "how to remove individual eyelashes," "what hair color looks best on me," and "how to do a cat eye." As the newest "it" trend on the beauty block, lash lifts are making major waves—and for good reason. Not only does the procedure require little effort, but it also lasts longer than eyelash extensions with fewer potential detrimental effects. You can also customize your results from the shape of the curl to adding a tint if you don't plan on wearing mascara every day. Celebrity makeup artists—like Hrush Achemyan, who works with the full-lashed Kardashian-Jenner fam and boasts 2.3 million followers on Instagram—have also been showing off the results of their very own lash lift and tint over the past few years, helping the trend gain traction in mainstream beauty. Here's everything you need to know about lash lifts if you're considering trying one for yourself. 01 of 06 What is a lash lift? A lash lift is a semi-permanent treatment best described as a perm for your eyelashes. "A lift is essentially what your lash would be doing with a really good mechanical curler, so [giving] a nice shape upward and a realistic curl," Courtney Buhler, founder of Sugarlash PRO–which also sells a lash lift kit and offers classes so you can DIY fuller lashes at home–told Elle. If you're going on vacation or prefer a low-maintenance makeup routine, you can opt for a lash lift and tint to deepen the color of your eyelashes in addition to the more dramatic curve. 02 of 06 How does the lash lift procedure work? familylifestyle/Getty Images Sable Yong, a former writer for Allure, went through the lash lift procedure herself. As she explained, the eyelash lift begins with a consultation with your technician. After walking through your goals (like if you want lashes pushed upward or fanned out), the work begins. The technician separates your lower and upper lashes and applies a silicone pad to your upper lid. They then glue your lashes to the pad to start shaping your eyelashes into a deeper curl. Three lotions containing the right chemicals are then applied, and each one sets for 10 minutes—meaning the entire treatment takes about 30 minutes to one hour. 03 of 06 How long does a lash lift last? According to Elysee Zhadikpur, U.S.-based master educator for the brand YUMILashes, a lash lift can last anywhere from eight to 12 weeks. This will depend on how quickly your lashes grow and regenerate, and how well you care for your lashes. You can try extend the results by using eyelash growth serums, but the treatment is not meant to be permanent. 04 of 06 How much does a lash lift cost? The cost of a lash lift can vary depending on your location and the expertise of your technician, but customers can expect to pay anywhere from $75 to $150. 05 of 06 Is there a downside to a lash lift? familylifestyle/Getty Images Like all good things in life, lash lifts can come with a potentially dark side. "Any time you're using chemicals near your eyes, there is a risk of allergic reaction," Jacqueline R. Carrasco, M.D., an oculoplastic surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital, told Women's Health. And, as Michael J. Earley, Ph.D., doctor of optometry and associate dean of academic affairs at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, noted, many technicians use proprietary formulas, making them difficult to test. "Although we have not observed specific incidents in which patients have had bad experiences with keratin lash lifts, we advise our patients to use caution when applying unknown formulations in or around the eyes," he said. 06 of 06 Are there alternatives to an eyelash lift? RunPhoto/Getty Images If the idea of putting keratin chemicals on your eyelashes is too much, there are other options. A number of growth serums are available, including Peter Thomas Roth's Lashes to Die For Turbo Conditioning Lash Enhancer ($85; sephora.com). The formula promises to make your natural eyelashes grow longer, fuller, and more densely than before by targeting all three stages of the hair-growth cycle. Not everyone has positive reactions to eyelash growth serums, though, so make sure you do your due diligence on potential ramifications before starting to use one. If you're hoping for something more, you could also look into good old fashioned eyelash extensions. However, these too can cause side effects and last only two to three weeks, meaning you'll need to shell out a lot more money for upkeep. Of course, you could always stick to mascara (and thousands of people love this one). But, then again, you could always double down with a lift and a bit of makeup for the ultimate look. Related: The 19 Best Anti-Aging Products on Amazon—Including a $29 'Face Lift in a Jar' Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. "Google Trends 2018." Google Search.