Monthly Archives: August 2009

There’s a fab new lash extension salon in NYC called Wink Eyelash that I visited for an event and was enamored by the decor.  The beds were coated with pink blankets and pillows and it was overall a chic salon. Owners Will Thomas and So Young Kim, also an esthetician, gave me the scoop as I watched two women get the extensions.

Starting with mascara-free lashes, the natural lashes are first combed and separated for even distribution. Then, the esthetician places all of the lashes they plan on using in the middle of their customers forehead so they can easily grab them.  Using two tweezers, the individual lash is dipped into a small dish of adhesive and then applied about one to two millimeters from the eyelid.  

“The key to natural looking extensions is using a combination of lengths throughout the eye,” Thomas stated. 
About 90 individual lashes are applied per eye in a standard set ($95), but if you prefer the cat eye look or a more dramatic eye ($125), it takes about 125 lashes per eye on average.  The whole experience takes only an hour and the fringe lasts about four to six weeks.

Since your lashes are on a shedding cycle that varies between 15 and 60 days it’s best to get touch ups every two to three weeks.  It’s just like acrylic fills.  Maintenance is key if you plan on keeping them on.

I had lash extensions about two years ago and felt completely naked when they fell off.  I decided to get them right back on and continued to go for touch ups.  They’re addicting, but at least it’s one addiction that’s not detrimental to your health!

Check out my YouTube videos (there’s two) from Wink Eyelash!

It seems there’s a Facebook Fan Page and group for just about anything and everything.  I recently saw on my feed that some of my friends are fans of napping.  I don’t really see any rhyme or reason to that, however there are some Fan Pages that can benefit you.  

Clarins recently established a Facebook Fan Page where they’re giving out free samples of their Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream to the first 5,000 fans who sign up.   Besides information on new products, you can also find out what events the brand is participating in and get the scoop on recent press they’ve gotten.  You can also follow them on Twitter too.  

I’m a huge advocate of Facebook Fan Pages that actually provide useful information and offer discounts or free samples to their fans.  Looks like I have some work to do on the BeautySweetSpot Fan Page!  Giveaways to come!   

This has been a risky week for me for many reasons, but one of the biggest is because I underwent… a make over! Yes, I voluntarily surrendered my long, black hair and clean-canvas of a complexion (I normally only wear mascara) over to the master minds behind DailyMakeover.  

As soon as I found out they were leaving me in the hands of Bumble and Bumble and MAC, a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders and I was extremely excited.  I had to take the dreaded “before” picture first. The photographer kept telling me not to smile and I couldn’t help but laugh every time the camera clicked.  

Before they even began to dye my hair (and I’m not telling you which color, you’ll have to wait to see the article on DailyMakeover!) they began cutting it.  My stylist, Denise, cut one big chunk straight across and as I turned around to see it all on the floor my mouth dropped wide open in astonishment. She reassured me that all of the hair that went on the ground was meant to be on the ground.  I took a deep breath, and trusted her.

Then as my colorist, Elizabeth Hiserodt, was speaking to me about the process, she used the words “snap, crackle and pop” to describe how my hair would feel once she was done with it.  Let’s just say it was going to take alot to get rid of the black!  No one wants their hair to feel like rice krispies!  But after doing a painting process and lots of glazes it all worked out just fine.  Thank God!

When I went back to my stylists chair to shape up my cut and looked at myself in the mirror, I was surprised to see how much was cut off already.  Then she proceeded to take out her scissors and continue to chop away! At one point, I asked her how much more she had to go and was actually wincing as if I was in pain.  It took forever for me to grow my hair.  And it was… gone.  After some layers, finishing touches and a good blow dry, I was shocked.

Next, Luc Bouchard from the MAC Pro Team taught me tons of tips and tricks on how to glam up my look for a fab fall night out.  He was anxious to play with my eyes and I loved the fact that he used color because if I ever wear eye shadow, it’s always neutral.  His inspiration behind my look was from the 80′s and his goal was to play with the almond shape using lots of color creating a non-traditional cat eye.  Wait until you see this!  One word: hot!

Once I was finished, I looked and felt red carpet ready and it was time for my “after” shot, which I was encouraged to smile for.  Thank God!  I was one happy girl!  I can’t wait to show you my new look, but you’re going to have to wait!  Check out DailyMakeover in September to see behind the scenes photos from the make over including my before and after!  

What’s the riskiest beauty move you’ve every made?

As seen on the runways of Giorgio Armani and Yves Saint Laurent matte red lips are it for fall. Starlettes such as Scarlett Johansson and the ever-so-sexy Megan Fox have also recently been spotted sporting the look. Now, it’s your turn.  MAC Senior Artist, Gina Bettelli, gave me the scoop on how to wear the perfect matte red lip so you can rock it with confidence.

“The lips need to be prepared to accept a matte formula and look like velvet,” explains Bettelli.  First, exfoliate your lips with a lip scrub using a clean mascara wand and immediately moisturize with your favorite lip balm.  I like the Sara Happ Lip Scrub and Rosebud Salve Lip Balm.  Next, wipe away any excess moisturizer and press loose powder onto your lips with a sponge.  Make sure to press it into edges.

Now that your pout is prepped, it’s application time, but think twice before you swipe it on.  Bettelli suggests using a flat, crisp brush to get a perfectly clean edge.  Stamp the color slightly inside the lip line and “shimmy” the brush to the edge for a runway-ready result.  To keep the color from bleeding outside of your lip liner try applying a lip primer like MAC Prep + Prime Lip prior to the color.  

Remember, when doing a bold lip, you always want to keep the rest of your look simple and classic.  Opt for a simple eye and some blush to add a balance of color in your cheeks.  Choosing the right red depends on your skin tone.  If you have olive skin, choose a red with blue undertones, warmer skin tone, choose one that’s yellow based.  

I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time keeping polish on my nails.  It may be because I’m constantly typing, but as soon as I have one chip, I pick away at the rest of it.  Therefore, I end up getting manicures weekly and polish changes in between, which adds up to about $25 on my real nails per week!  

Recently, I came across the Runway Collection by Revlon, which (believe it or not) are natural looking press-ons that are already painted with subtle designs. I know you’re probably thinking… press-ons?  Believe me when I tell you they’re not like the old school ones you used to try on when you were young.

I really like them because they’re short, not rounded or square, but somewhere in between and the nail beds are naturally curved so they look real when they’re on.  The first time I wore them was two weeks ago to my friends wedding.  I wasn’t planning on it, but not surprisingly, my manicure chipped and they were my rescue. They’re only $8 per pack and last up to ten days. Check them out.