Follow-up to Lash Extensions.

I went in today to have Kael fill in a few spots where lashes have fallen off. i also noticed they kind of clump together, and i am not sure how aggressive i can be in brushing them apart with my lash brush, so i scheduled a quick follow-up consult.

She replaced a few that had fallen out and said that it is very typical for a few to fall out. she also showed me how i could brush them with the lash brush and fan them out. they are fragile, but not as fragile as i imagined, so now i feel a little more comfortable brushing through them.

this morning after my shower, they were a little clumped together, so i took the lash brush and fanned them out. two of them did come out, but i can't notice a difference.

i have not experienced any of the discomfort that some have experienced. i really like not having to put mascara on daily and even more so, love not having to remove it every evening!

Lash Extensions $150 (initial appointment) $50-75 for follow-up

This is an appointment that i have been looking forward to. Anything that helps make my daily beauty routine simpler is a wonderful thing to me.

Here is a photo of me with my natural lashes.

Because my natural lashes are so light, Kael started by tinting them a dark brown so that they would blend with the extensions. once they were tinted, she rinsed all the tint off and then applied the protective sheilds below my eyes (see photos). the lash extensions come in various lengths, and she chose a length that close to my natural length. just like my own lashes, which are shorter, closest to my nose and gradually longer to the outsides, she applied the extensions. they are put on one by one, alternating from the left to the right eye. by alternating it gave each lash a chance to dry before applying the next. so back and forth she worked for about an hour.

the process was completely painless, for that matter, feelingless (is that a word?). i could feel her fingers on my eyebrows as she steadied them but i could not feel the lashes being glued on. at one point i slightly dozed off. it was a pretty relaxing procedure.

Kael gave me a couple pointers to make these lashes last as long as possible.
1. do not use waterproof mascara. in fact the ultimate goal would be to not use any, since the lashes are fuller and they are dark brown anyhow.
2. do not use oil-based eye makeup remover. the oil can break down the glue.
3. be gentle with your eyes.

some clients experience a little bit of discomfort the next day. it can be attributed to the lashes being glued to the lids, and the glue kinda tugging at the lid. also, if you sleep on your side or tummy, it can put pressure on the lashes, causes the pressure. i made an effort to sleep on my back, and i did not wake up with any discomfort.

i did notice that when i wash my face, i have to be very gentle washing around my eyes. i am not sure how gentle i am supposed to be, but i avoided them all together. i soaped up my fingers and just massaged my lids, but i tried not to touch my lashes.

i think that the lashes are very subtle. so much so, that i don't think anyone would even suspect i have lash extensions unless i pointed them out. this is a service that i would love to continue to have. i really enjoy having one less thing to do in my morning routine.

1 year follow-up appointment

my skin 1 year later.

It's hard for me to believe it's been 1 year since i first started this blog. it was a turning point in my life...i started to pay attention to my skin, the amount of water i was drinking and how things that i eat or drink affect my skin, and the way i feel.

i thought it would be a good idea to go meet with Megan at Misbehaven and have her take a close up look at my skin. i wanted to see if my skin has digressed, if the little changes i have made, taking most of the advice she gave me, modifying others to my budget, but overall making lots of changes to my beauty regimen, had made a difference.

it was unfortunate that the day i met with her, i had not had any water to drink yet that day. i had lots of water the days before that, but that particular day i had been out and about and just hadn't had a chance to hydrate. (although i'd found time for lots of coffee and even a soda):

Megan put on her microscope looking goggles and took a close look at my skin. she did notice it was dehydrated, a little red, and my forehead was a little oilier than usual. all of which can happen when skin is dehydrated. she said the lines around my mouth were a little more pronounced. shoot. we came to the conclusion that a big part of the wrinkles around my mouth are because i sleep on either my stomach or my side, squishing my face. sounds lovely, huh?

i don't see myself changing my sleeping pattern, so i guess i will live with the wrinkles around my mouth. but i do recognize that i need to drink more water.

i told megan that i had been using Eminence Moisturizer daily and also using the exfolliant for my face daily. i have incorporated a vitamin E oil to my face at night. i was curious if that was clogging my pores, but she said it was not.

all in all, my daily beauty routine seems to be working just fine. i just need to keep drinking lots and lots of water.

which consists of:
cleansing in the morning,
moisturizing with Eminence Rose whip moisturizer right after i wash my face
a little bare minerals natural colored eye shadow
mascara
eminence bronzing blush.