Lash Link DIY Lash Extensions

Lash Link is a DIY lash extension kit you use at home. You cut lightweight lash ribbons into small segments and place them underneath your natural lashes with a separate bond and seal. A set takes about 10 minutes once you've had some practice and lasts 5 to 7 days.

The Lash Link DIY kit has everything you need: 3 ribbons, the bond and seal, remover, applicator, scissors, a silicone styling pad and a travel case with a mirror.

A Lash Link set lasts 5 to 7 days. How long yours last comes down to three things: a thin layer of bond (too much makes them slip), keeping oil away from your eyes, and not sleeping face down.

To get an extra day or two, do the relock each morning. Dab a little Step 2, Seal It from the Bonder/Sealer Duo at the roots and give them a gentle squeeze.

Take the 1 minute lash quiz. It asks about your eyes and the look you love, then gives you your style, your length and your own lash map.

Quick guide: Hera is light and natural, NYX is full and dark, and Iris is spiky and wispy. For a first kit, start with Short (8, 10, 12mm). Go Medium (10, 12, 14mm) or Long (12, 14, 16mm) if your natural lashes are longer or you want more drama.

One kit makes 7 full sets. I wear a set for 5 to 7 days, so one kit gives you around 6 weeks of lashes for $149. That's about $21 a set.

When you run out, refill ribbons are $27 each in Hera, NYX or Iris, in every length from 8 to 16mm.

Yes, by a long way. Salon refills cost around $125 every 2 weeks, which is about $3,250 a year. The Lash Link DIY kit is $149 for 7 sets, and refill ribbons are $27 after that.

Salon extensions do last longer per appointment, and some people love being looked after. Lash Link is for when you want the look without the booking and the bill.

Lash Link is made by a lash artist. I've been lashing since 2010. The ribbons are lightweight, the segments go on underneath your natural lashes, and every kit uses a separate bond and seal.

I tested pre-glued segments before making Lash Link. The bond gave up far too fast, so we don't sell them.

About 8 to 10 minutes once you've practised. Your first set will take around 20 minutes. That's how long my first one took, and I've been a lash artist for years. Watch the 4 step videos on this page before you start.

No, not when you apply them as shown and take them off properly. Lash Link segments are featherlight and spread across several natural lashes, so each lash carries less weight than with many salon extensions.

Two things to avoid: wearing a set for 2 weeks straight, and pulling them off dry. Use the Lash Link Remover for a couple of minutes to soften the bond, then slide them off.

Usually, yes. Our products don't contain cyanoacrylate, formaldehyde or latex, which are behind a lot of lash glue reactions.

Eyes can still be sensitive to anything, so do a patch test before your first full set.

No, they shouldn't hurt when they're applied correctly.

If you've worn a set for more than 5 to 7 days and they start to pull, it's time for a fresh set. Your natural lashes grow at different speeds, and a fast-growing lash can tug on the ones next to it.

Apply the Lash Link Remover along the bonds, wait a couple of minutes for it to soften, then slide the segments off. Never pull them off dry, because that's how natural lashes get lost.

Afterwards, wash your lashes with the Lash Tribe Foaming Cleanser to clear any leftover oil, and wipe away what's left with the Lash Link Cleansing Sponge. It's machine washable and hangs in the shower to dry.

They're water resistant and sweat proof, but keep them dry for the first 48 hours. In the shower, keep your face out of the direct stream.

If they do get very wet, relock them with a dab of Seal It from the Bonder/Sealer Duo and squeeze them together again. I spent a whole day in the water at Wet'n'Wild, did exactly that the next morning, and they were fine.

• Keep them dry for 48 hours. No steamy showers, saunas or sweaty workouts straight away.
• Keep oil away from your eyes. Oil-based creams, foundations and eye make-up break down the bond.
• Skip the mascara. You won't need it.
• Sleep on your back so you don't squash them.
• Hands off. Rubbing and pulling loosens them.
• Wash them gently with the Lash Tribe Foaming Cleanser, then pat dry and brush them straight. Take off the rest of your make-up gently with the Lash Link Cleansing Sponge, keeping away from the lash line.
• Relock in the morning with a dab of Seal It at the roots.

If a segment lifts, put it back with a little bond and your applicator tweezer.

Most of the time it's too much bond. Use a thin layer at the roots of your natural lashes only, not up the length like mascara, and let it go tacky for 30 to 40 seconds before you place each segment.

Other common reasons: oil from skin or products, sleeping face down, touching them, and humidity. Overlap your segments slightly and give each one a firm squeeze with the applicator tweezer so it grips your natural lashes.

Yes, that's the whole idea. Cut each ribbon into segments and place them however you like.

• Cat eye: short at the inner corner, building to the longest at the outer corner. Double up at the ends for more drama.
• Doll eye: longest above your pupil, shorter at both corners.
• Subtle: use just 2 or 3 segments on the outer half.
• Mix it up: combine styles, like NYX for volume with a few Iris spikes.

You can trim the width of a segment to fit your eye, but don't cut the lash length. The 1 minute lash quiz gives you a lash map made for your eye shape.

You could, but it would take a lot of work to get the glue off the segments, so I recommend applying a fresh set. Refill ribbons are $27 in Hera, NYX and Iris.

Wipe the tips with a make-up remover wipe. You can also put a little Seal It on the inside of the blades before you press the segments together.