For the past year and a half, Shari Doyle, 52, of Rockford has done what she can to make her eyes stand out.

Doyle, who considers her blue eyes her best feature, wears eyelash extensions.

“It’s a time- and cost-saver and it looks good,” said Doyle, who works in health care sales. “It beats buying my Lancôme mascara, which can cost about $40 a tube.”

For every Shari Doyle, there are many more women like her, including celebrities Beyoncé and Gwen Stefani, who can’t get enough of wearing fake eyelashes either for special occasions or just for everyday wear.

Typically, in the Rockford area, salons charge $150 to $250 depending on where you go. The lashes, which are mostly synthetic, are applied by certified technicians at salons. The technician chooses a desired length and bonds about 60 lashes to a person’s natural lashes using a medical-grade adhesive. The process can take about two hours, and a full set can last about two months. Natural lashes do shed, and because of that, a fill-in — where new extensions are applied and old ones are taken off — is recommended. This is done every two to three weeks and is a 30- to 45-minute process that can cost between $36 and $75.

Judith Vecchio, an eyelash extension stylist at Bottega Salon in Rockford for five years, uses the Xtreme eyelash brand on her clients ($150 for a full set). She says wearing false eyelashes can help women who have trouble putting on mascara because their lashes are thin and small. Also, she says that for many of her clients, who are mostly 40 and older, it opens up the face.

“I’ve had clients go to their ophthalmologists, and they will say ‘you have really nice long eyelashes,’” said Vecchio, who does Doyle’s lashes. “The application is so close. They look real unless you put a super-long length on, which I won’t do. I want my clients to look natural.”

AMY J. CORRENTI | ROCKFORDWOMAN.COM
Novalash eyelash extensions

Nikki Feery, an esthetician at Xeno Salon in Rockford, uses the Novalash brand on her clients, who are mostly ages 20 to 50. The salon added the service in January ($250 for a full set).

But if the bonded type of falsies isn’t your thing, then try these two options.

AMY J. CORRENTI | ROCKFORDWOMAN.COM
Latisse, a prescription solution to help lashes grow

The company that offers Botox now has a prescription solution that helps grow lashes called Latisse. The 30-day treatment kit requires applying the solution around the base of the eyelashes. Locally, the kit can cost between $120 to $135 at places such as InnovaMed Aesthetics and Dr. William Georgis’ office.

AMY J. CORRENTI | ROCKFORDWOMAN.COM
SpinLash rotating mascara brush

Another product, SpinLash, is a mascara with a battery-operated rotating brush that combs, lines and coats lashes at the same time. It hit the market in 2008 and is sold online at SpinLash.com and drugstore.com. It costs $14.95.

Reach staff writer Brenda Young at 815-987-1388 or byoung@rrstar.com.

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