Eyelash Extension Virgin

I'll admit it.  My husband's eyelashes are way more prettier than mine.  Luckily, for my youngest baby, she inherited them.  You know, the ones that are long and naturally curl at the end.  Arg.  If only.  The longer the lashes the better, right??  If I have anytime for makeup, I would usually only throw on mascara.  I used to love my Tarte mascara, until I switched over to Younique's fiber lashes.  LOVED them.  Absolutely, loved using it.  If you want some length to your lashes without wear false lashes, you should really try Younique's fiber lashes.  However, for me, it was pretty time consuming.  And as a mom, "time consuming" is more than 5 minutes. haha!!  Gone are the days I can spend half an hour, at least, to "put my face on."  So I decided to take the plunge and get eyelash extensions!  

After looking at reviews and asking a million questions (duh, of course)-- I made an appointment with Mercedes (see her pictures on instagram @lashitbymercedesmarie) to pop my eyelash extension cherry!!  

In case you were wondering, there is a plethora of different kinds of lashes to use:  Fake, colored, human, etc...  I have always heard about "mink" eyelashes, so when Mercedes explained what it was exactly, I decided to PASS on them.  In case you were wondering, Mink eyelashes are sometimes made from pig hairs.   Mmmkaayy, no.  I am good on that.  I like to eat bacon, not wear bacon.  She also had REAL HUMAN HAIR on hand if I wanted to use that, too.  My question is: Where does it come from?!?! What part of the body?!?! And WHO "donates" it????  Soooo, with all that new information-- I chose to do synthetic lashes.

Real hair.  But from where???  

We decided to do a more "classic" fill with a "cat eye look."  Basically, to keep it more natural but with a fuller and longer look.  After taping my bottom eyelashes down, it was time!  By the way, make sure not to schedule your appointment if you are busy that day.  It takes 2-3 hours to get them done.  Thank goodness, you are able to talk!  LOL Poor Mercedes, I probably talked her whole ear off for the 2 hours.  (Sorry girlfriend, but you already know my ADHD was kicked in full gear just laying there with my eyes closed.  lol)

Why does it take so long?  Well, Mercedes glued an extension to each eyelash INDIVIDUALLY.  It's not like wearing fake eyelashes, where you take a strip of fake lashes and glue it on your eye lid.  Eyelash extensions are very time consuming and it should be done by someone that is certified and knows the industry.  Sadly, many people ruin their natural eyelashes by going to people that are not properly trained in the process. 

Finally, we were done!   I could not wait to look in the mirror at the final product of laying down with my eyes closed for 2 hours!!  (Do not drink any caffeine before your appointment.  You have been warned. LOL)  

I absolutely LOVE them!  My eyes look bigger and I never feel like I need to wear any mascara now.  Just wake up and GO!!  Every 2-3 weeks you have to go in for a "fill."  A fill is needed because we do shed our lashes.  I think when I go in for my fill, I will go a little more than a classic look and get more volume.  Eyelash extensions are addicting! LoL  You love them and think how much bigger you will go next time!  

You can book Mercedes directly at 385-888-3623 or call V Boutique LV where she works at.  And guess what?!?  For all my followers, she is offering a special of getting a full set of lashes for ONLY $50!!!  That's right, if it is your first time booking with her-- tell her you follow my blog and saw the special!!  Hurry, it won't last long!  Once you take the plunge, there is absolutely no going back! You will be an eyelash extension addict!!  I know I have become one! LOL 

SUGARING--- DO IT!!!!!

Le eyebrows.  Why is it so important to have really, really, really ridiculously, good looking eyebrows??  Is it just me- or has eyebrows become the new thing???  I mean, having well-kept eyebrows has always been something I tried  (keyword- tried) to strive for-- but I have noticed a slight trend in eyebrows being PERFECT.  ARG.  As a mom to two toddlers, I don't really think twice about "fixing my eybrows" anymore.  In fact, its a great day if I remembered to put lotion on BOTH my legs. haha! Where my moms at?!  I know ya'll can relate!  We (moms) tend to look a hot mess but our kids will always look fly.

Since it has been about a year since I had my eyebrows done professionally (I mean, I do pluck here and there to keep some sort of a shape), I decided to try something new.  Usually, I get my eyebrows waxed, but this time I wanted to try SUGARING.  What is sugaring??  It is an all natural hair removal made from lemon, sugar and water. The sugar paste removes unwanted hair and doesn't stick to live skin cells, eliminating the discomfort associated with wax.  Sugaring is only made with 3 ingredients lemon, sugar, and water.  Boom.  That's it.  No harsh chemicals, preservatives, etc...  Granola moms, rejoice!! LOL

After checking all her positive reviews, I made an appointment with Danielle at Sugaring LV.  She is located in Element Salon and Wellness spa.

Off the bat, Danielle was a such a friendly person and very welcoming.  Oh and did I mention, my sitter bailed on me last minute but she insisted on me coming anyway?  "Bring the kids.  Its okay."  Right then, I knew she was either a mom or had 20 nieces and nephews-- to have such a tolerant attitude towards having toddlers come to her place of work.  That is the mark of an extremely  understanding person and someone who bends over backwards for her customers.  (If you are reading this, thanks again Danielle!  My girls are continuously asking about the "Hair Doctor." hahha)


Since it was my first time SUGARING, Danielle was patient enough to answer all my questions.  My husband thinks I am nosy and tend to asks too many questions.  I just like TO KNOW what is going on!  You know what I mean?  I am that person who will ask a million questions until I understand EVERYTHING (and I do mean EVERYTHING) of any kind of situation I am in.  Maybe that is why I have a degree in Journalism.  It's just in my blood.  Or perhaps, it is the Adult ADHD.  Or I could just be a nosy little nugget.  LOL


According to Sugaringlv.com:
Sugar is made with only lemon, sugar and water.
Sugar paste is lukewarm so there is no chance of burning the skin.
Sugar paste is water soluble which means you can just wipe it away with water-no more sticky mess.
Sugar paste gently exfoliates the skin leaving soft and smooth skin after each treatment.
You only need 10 days of growth from the last time you shaved to receive a sugaring treatment.
Sugar paste seeps into the follicle wrapping around the hair to remove it. This prevents the hair from breaking.
Sugar paste removes the hair in it's natural direction which helps prevents in-grown hairs.
You get your own ball of sugar each time, which means no double dipping ever. This makes sugaring completely sanitary.  No double dipping in the pot like wax.

Here is my before picture:

 Yes, I walked around in public like that.  Danielle did mention, as she did my eyebrows, "they are perfectly shaped."  Maybe I am not as bad with tweezers as I previously thought! HA!

This is the SUGARING ball that she used on me, and then threw away after.  I like that facet of sugaring.  Nothing is reused, nothing gets contaminated with other people's germs.  Ewwwww..

The process is quite simple.  She just rolled the SUGARING ball under my eyebrows and it caught all the hair in its path.  It felt like she was just rolling around sticky putty on my face.  LOL

And voila!  Finished product.  Less than 10 minutes and no sticky wax all over my face!  In fact, she was able to go over the same place more than once because sugaring is not as harsh to the skin as waxing is.  

My eyebrows were not red and sore as they usually are after I get them waxed.   So there you have it, I have now crossed over to the SUGARING side!!!  I think this is an excellent alternative to waxing.  Go see Danielle at Sugaringlv!!  If you want more information check out her website at sugaringlv.com!

Thanks again, Danielle, for helping to tame these wild beasts!!!  I will see you again soon, minus my little minions.  Unless of course, I am sans babysitter. LOL