The Truth About Lashify | Can It Replace Salon Lash Extensions?

There’s simply no denying that I’m a lash addict.

From the moment I first graduated from mascara to strip lashes, it was a game changer. Now, no matter what I’m doing and how much or how little make-up I’m wearing, I really do feel naked without some kind of lash enhancement.

Over the years, I have literally tried it all - from LVL lifts, to cluster lashes,  individual extensions, doing my own lash enhancements and every type of strip lash going. 

Nothing lifts my mood or my look more than that Disney princess flutter.

With the spate of national lockdowns over 2020 and into this year, getting salon extensions done has been hard to impossible. 

And even without a killer virus on the loose, it's a time-consuming and expensive process. It looks amazing, but you WILL be spending hours of your life and hundreds of pounds on maintaining them. 

Plus, if you have them continuously, they can make your natural lash growth sparse and patchy. But it turns out there is another way. And the latest lockdown gave me the push I needed to try it.

The Lashify Life

Lashify was something that had been on my radar for a while. It’s quite a unique system of at-home lash extension application that promises a professional looking flutter that can last up to a couple of weeks at a time. 

As a starter, you need to invest in a Control Kit, which has all the basics necessary to get going and is beautifully presented. 

At $145.00, it certainly isn’t cheap, but the system is intended to replace salon lash extensions which are anywhere from £60-£80 for an initial appointment, and somewhere around £40 for infills every three weeks. 

So, if you’re a hardcore lash addict like me, the maths do make sense -  although I waited until Black Friday to purchase mine (you can also get 10% off now by subbing to their newsletter at Lashify.com).

At the moment, Lashify doesn’t have a UK distributor, so everything is shipped from the US via Fed-Ex. 

This is surprisingly quick - my orders have generally taken about a week and a half to arrive and you get prompt shipping updates. However, it's another $14.00 for postage, so I would say that planning your orders and trying to bulk them together is key to justify the shipping costs. 

I have heard on the grapevine that news of a UK seller for Lashify is supposed to be imminent, so it will be interesting to see if there’s a saving to be made then.

Each set of lashes costs around $18.00. They can be carefully cleaned and reused after use, meaning you should be able to get 2-4 uses from each set. 

Obviously, the longer the wear time and the more wears you get, the cheaper the system becomes, but there’s definitely an art to that, which I’ll explain further into the post.

What’s In The Lashify Control Kit?

Your Control Kit is a large, sturdy box with a mirrored lid designed to hold all the essentials to apply your lashes. 

You can choose the Black control kit, or a White one. My soul is black, so my Control Kit had to be too. Inside, you get:

Gossamer Lashes (two sets): Your lashes or ‘Gossamers’ are the star of the show here. Lightweight little strips, they are designed to apply under your own lashes. I know that sounds freaky. Bear with me! Once you get used to applying them, you can create a beautiful seamless and natural look much closer to professional extensions that the effect you get from strip lashes. There are lots of different styles available, from barely there to bold. 

For your Control Kit, you get to choose between three styles of Gossamer:

• Amplify (A) - These are the most natural -  they truly are subtle and best for lash virgins or those who want a ‘my lashes but better’ finish
• Bold (B) -  These are a good choice for those used to salon lash extensions and give a fuller look, but are still natural looking
• Curl (C) - These Gossamers have a much tighter upward sweep and are recommended for hooded or monolid eyes.

In each of these options you can choose between 12mm and 14mm in length, although in the regular collection they go down to a 10mm and up to a 16mm.

None of the Gossamers in the ‘Core Collection’ that you can pick to come in your Control Kit are really out there. They all give a pretty natural look. 

There are many more options in the wider range you can explore later on, including my favourite Fluffies.

Gossamers come housed in a little cartridge. The strips are like cluster lashes, and you’ll need around 4-7 each side, depending on the size and shape of your eyes. I found I used 5 each side, which generally left me with a couple of spares in case I lost one.

You can use a single style or get into what Lashify lovers call a ‘Lash Map’, where you mix and match different styles of Gossamer to create a custom look.

Gossamers are super lightweight, hand made using a patented synthetic silk fibre from Korea, vegan and cruelty-free. If you’re worried about wearing them under your own lashes - don’t be. You really can’t feel them once their in place, and they don’t irritate the eyes.

Whisper Light Dual Sided Bond - Lashify do a couple of different glues, or ‘bonds’. Whisper Light is the standard, and in your dual ended tube you get both black and clear. They also do a more hardcore glue called Bondage that you can purchase further down the line if you’re having trouble making your Gossamers last. 

The Whisper Light formula is not your standard lash glue; it's specifically designed to create a flexible cushion that doesn’t damage your natural lashes. It also contains a Biotin complex to nourish. 

The black end comes with a little mini mascara type wand, while the white side has a paintbrush style applicator. A lot of people combine both glues to get more longevity - applying the black Whisper Light directly to the base of their lashes, and a dab of the white onto the spines of the lashes themselves.

Fuse Control Wand: This is a patented lash application tool shaped kind of like a mini scythe. It's your way to apply, bond and curl your Gossamers. You use the end of your wand to pick up and place each Gossamer, and then once they’re on, you use the wand like a lash curler to fuse your real lashes and the Gossamers together and seal everything. 

Once on, curling the Gossamers with a conventional lash curler can look way too much, so just using the Wand to re-fuse gives enough lift to freshen things up. 

These Wands are beautifully made - hand-crafted and supposedly designed to perfectly work with the contours of your face. There is definitely an art to using the Wand though, so I would advise joining the very helpful Lashify group on Facebook which is full of useful tutorials and live sessions. You get a bronze wand in the black kit and a holographic one in the white kit.

Wandoms: These hilariously named curved little pieces of silicone slip onto the end of the Wand. It helps to stop the bond sticking to the wand and pulling your Gossamers off when you try and fuse them, and cushions the tips to prevent any lash damage.

Glass: This clear mascara-like finisher is what you apply to the lashes after you’ve fused them. It’s supposed to extend the wear you get from your lashes, and you can top it up each day to keep them glossy and fresh looking.

Is Lashify Easy To Apply?

Like anything, the answer to this is so individual. Some people swear it's so much easier than applying strip lashes, others really struggle with getting the hang of it. 

In complete honestly, I have struggled with it a little bit - it definitely felt like a steep learning curve to me. My top tips on Lashify application are:

Give yourself time - Do not try and do these in a rush on a morning you need to be at work. You will get stressed and you will mess it up. Take your time. Pick a moment when you can feel relaxed and play around, perhaps watch a couple of Lashify application tutorials ahead of having a go yourself.

Pre cleanse your lashes - You’re attaching the Gossamers to your own lashes, and any dirt or oil means they might not stick right, or last long enough. Lashify do sell a pre-cleanse solution, but it’s not included in your Control Kit. However, you can use other cleansers -  but make sure they’re oil free. Things like Micellar Water use oils which leave behind a residue that can stop the glue working. Something like Simple Eye Makeup Remover is best as it’s oil-free. You'll also need to make sure that you’re careful about not using oils or oil-based cleansers around the eyes once your Gossamers are in place.

Look down -  It feels a little bit wrong, but the best way to get the placement right is to look directly down into a mirror flat on a tabletop. Because you are applying them to the under side of your own lashes, it's hard to get them on correctly if you’re looking straight on.

Test the glue on your hand - One of the things about lash application people seem to get wrong fairly often is not letting the glue dry enough. In order for the Gossamers to adhere properly, the bond needs to be tacky and semi-dry. You have a lot of time to work with applying the lashes, so don’t feel like you need to rush them on before the glue dries. If you’re trying to apply the lash and it's sliding off, the glue is way too wet! A useful tip from me is to add a dab of the bond onto the back of your hand at the same time as applying it to your lashes, as this really gives you a sense of how ready the glue is. If it’s the right consistency, the Gossamers should feel like they ‘velcro’ onto your lashes.

Don’t use too much bond - you really only need a very small amount, far less than it feels you should! So don’t go in heavy handed, be sparing.

My Verdict On Lashify

Lashify is quite an investment to make, so I would recommend doing your research, checking out their videos and perhaps watching a few of their Instagram Lives before making a purchase. It takes time and practice for most people to apply these lashes, so don’t feel disheartened if your first couple of tries don’t go entirely smoothly. 

As someone who is quite used to doing my own extensions and strip lashes, even I didn’t find it second-nature. Placement is something you need to practice before it all happens perfectly.  

I’ve been using the system for a couple of months now, and although application has gotten a lot easier, and I adore the look, I’m still not seeing the longevity I would ideally want. 

When I apply a set, they generally last 1-2 days, whereas I would ideally like at least a week’s wear out of a single set. This is the point at which is it becomes cost effective to invest in the system and makes more sense than salon visits. 

I haven’t reached that point yet, which is a little frustrating, but I’m determined to persevere.

I love the look of the Gossamers. Once on, they do resemble salon lash extensions. They’re light and airy, easy to wear and give a flawless and fully customisable finish that looks great. 

Going just on appearance, they are perfect and look a lot better than regular strip lashes. The downside is that getting them to last is an art, and they’re quite expensive if you don’t get a lot of wear out of them.

Are There Any Lashify Dupes Or Alternatives?

The good news is, there are a few alternatives out there if you simply don’t have the budget for Lashify right now.

Lashify themselves have recently launched X by Lashify, which is a less high quality, entry level into the Lashify universe. You get a starter kit with one set of lashes (in a single style option), a double-ended small tube of bond and seal and a cheaper version of the Control Wand. 

It’s sort of like comparing prosecco to champagne - still fab, but just not as refined, although a lot more affordable. In the X by Lashify kit, the lashes are thicker and more designed for a party or special occasion. They are also aimed at shorter wear periods. But you still benefit from the design of the wand. I purchased this kit just before taking the plunge with the full Lashify system.

Kiss also launched a ‘Falscara’ kit, which is essentially budget Lashify. I also tried this before committing to Lashify to practice, as the lashes are applied in the same way, under your own lashes. 

Surprisingly, I found the Falscara set much easier to apply than Lashify. I preferred the bond, which seems to be the right consistency that lashes just stick where they are supposed to, whereas that’s something I always seem to struggle with when it comes to Lashify.  Again, they do a starter kit of lashes, bond and seal and an application tool. 

Falsecara isn’t really designed to be worn overnight, although you probably could stretch it to a couple of days at a push. You can clean and reuse the lash wisps the same as Lashify though, so for around the £24 mark for a starter kit with wand, lashes and bond and freely available in the UK, it is a lot more affordable. 

Although I prefer the Falscara glue, I didn’t like the lashes themselves as much. There are a few different styles available, but I don’t think any of them look as natural and pretty as the Lashify Gossamers. I’d say it's a great practice kit for those considering Lashify.

I’ve also recently discovered Luna Lash UK. These are ‘under lash’ style lashes, and they come in a strip which you can snip into Lashify-style sections or apply in one go. 

The lashes themselves look gorgeous on -  almost as good as the much more expensive Gossamers. A ‘starter kit’ of lashes, a mini glue and applicator is £30.  For me, they’ve become a real alternative to paying to ship Gossamers over. 

Luna Lash is a small company at the moment, and although the lashes are good, the presentation and tools are nowhere near the standard of Lashify. I’m glad I purchased the Lashify Control Kit as their wand is a far superior, but for lash refills, I’m now happy to go to Luna Lash to stock up most of the time.

Finally, I’ve also fallen in love with the Pre-Cut Wispies from Dollbaby. They aren’t specifically designed to be worn using the underlash method, but I find them light enough to work fine when used like that. 

They come in four pre-cut sections, so they’re a little quicker to apply than Gossamers, plus in one set you get a graduated length, so if you’re a fan of a cat eye, like me, you don’t need to purchase lots of different lengths to get that pretty, elongated effect. Dollbaby say these lashes are reusable up to 25 times, and they do feel quite robust to me. 

There are a few different styles in the range, but I love the ‘Finest’ style which are just beautiful and the perfect length and texture for everyday wear. They have gently curled tips, a gentle corner flare and a textured, fluffy finish. They’re normally £16.75 (with free 1st class delivery) but are currently on sale for £13.95, so if they do last 25 times that’s definitely worth it!

The Verdict

Lashify is one of those things people can and do become obsessed with - a quick glance at their social channels will show you lots of very staunch fans of the system who can be approaching fanatical about how much they love the system and its inventor, Sahara Lotti. 

In my opinion? The system is great, it looks fantastic, but it comes at a premium. If you aren’t a mad person like me who has to wear lash enhancements EVERY. SINGLE. DAY it may not be worth purchasing the system. 

Yes, it's beautiful, everything is very high quality, and if you manage to get the wear and re-use it is cheaper than salon extensions -  and looks just as good. BUT application isn’t the easiest and even with all the tips and tricks I could find about extending the wear, I’ve never gotten past a three day record with one application (there are people on the group who swear blind they get two weeks, so let’s hope I get there). 

Lashify was totally unique, but there are now a couple of alternatives that are a lot cheaper. While I don’t think any of them are quite the same standard, they are still good and a great way to practise the under lash application and see if it suits you. 

To me, Luna Lashes are the same quality for the actual lash (the trimmings just aren’t as good), and a lot cheaper, Falscara are a good budget way to practice, and X by Lashify is great for a night out or a special occasion. And Dollbaby is now my first choice

For me, I’m still glad I invested in Lashify. I’m learning more about placement, technique and aftercare all the time. It’s definitely a process, but it's one that I’m happy to invest my time in as a devoted fan of lashes. 

I’ll continue to cycle Luna Lashes with Lashify Gossamers to make it more cost effective, but I won’t be going back to salon lash extensions in a hurry. 

Lashify is a wearable daily alternative that gives a great appearance - if you’re willing to put a little time in.