We all have them. Packets of synthetic drug store lashes – impulse bought, of course – that languish in the bottoms of our bathroom drawers, ill-fitting or intimidating, and unused.
But if you ask Lash Lab founder Judy Anderson, there is a flattering, fuller eyelash for everybody, and you can find yours just in time for New Year's Eve.
Started in San Francisco five years ago by the former Vancouverite, Lash Lab – her eyelash extension salon and retail shop – opened its first Vancouver location in September.
Nestled inside BeautyMark in Yaletown (1268 Pacific Boulevard), you can pop into the elegant first-floor nook to play with the strip lash selection, or book into the intimate salon upstairs, where an eyelash extension technician awaits.
"We started as a two-station salon in San Francisco – really small – at a time where nobody knew anything about lash extensions," says Anderson with a smile. "So they didn't exist, And we went from a two-station salon to a four-station, 1,400-square-foot, Dior/Chanel-inspired salon."
She pauses to look around the serene, white space at the new Yaletown salon. "What you see here is kind of what it looks like there."
In San Francisco, Lash Lab built its reputation on the realistic look, using natural materials and non-toxic glue, and now Anderson has brought its hard-to-find and ethically-sourced mink, pony, and sable fur extensions and strip lashes to her hometown.
"Traditionally, strip lashes or extensions, or lashes of any sort, needed to be big and you had all these people saying, 'Oh, that's not really for me.' I really wanted to cater to somebody who wanted quality, natural lashes. Those people can get lashes, too."
If you’re in the market for something semi-permanent, then go for lash extensions (starting at $219), where a master artist intricately applies a full set of extensions lash by lash.
The initial appointment takes about 90 minutes, and touch-ups are required every few weeks after that as your eyelashes grow out.
But for those who aren't quite ready for the upkeep of extensions, Anderson has also created an ingenious system to help you find the perfect-fitting, perfectly suited strip lashes for your eye shape, without the expense of guess work.
"What lash is too long for somebody; what's too heavy for somebody," says Anderson of the inspiration. "You have an Asian eye, you have a Western eye; how do you make it unique to everybody? It's not a one-size-fits all kind of product."
Dubbed the FitStik, shoppers can now try before they buy. The complete range of mink, sable, and pony hair strip lashes, in an array of lengths and curves (starting at $32), can be held up to the eye on interactive, ergonomic wands that allow you to preview the fullness of the look, and whether it's truly you.
And, after a bit of in-store practice putting them on, it's only a matter of time before all eyes are on you at midnight.
