Glamorous eyes: Your best accessory

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{beauty trends}
Shelly Calderon,
lash extension
technician at the
Lashe Spot,
gently applies
individual lashs
on junior
extension tech,
Kate Wilkinson.
| Tamara
Bell~Sun-Times
Media
How to capture that
“smoky eye” look
Nothing says glamour and galas quite like a fully madeup eye. Getting that “smoky eye” look isn’t easy, however.
Jennifer Mejdrech, a make-up artist and licensed esthetician at Merle Norman, offers some tips.
Smoky eyes 1
By LAURA AMANN
Contributor
Glamorous eyes:
Your best accessory
If you’re looking for glamorous, alluring eyes this holiday, don’t
buy any pricey cosmetics or book a Botox appointment until
you check out The Lashe Spot in downtown Hinsdale.
Nestled in a tiny storefront off Washington Street, this calming oasis promises a respite from straight, blonde or thin lashes. And if you’re skeptical that a salon can exist solely for lashes and brows, you are behind the times. The Lashe Spot offers
a dizzying range of options focusing solely on eye lashes and eye
brows, allowing clients to put
down the mascara wand and eyelash curler.
Inside the soothing lavender
room, a team of trained technicians work their magic. Offering
everything from lash extensions
to eyelash perms, lash tints and
brow shaping, it’s the perfect pickEyelash extensions from The
me-up before your big holiday or
Lashe Spot in Hinsdsale
New Year’s parties.
“People are amazed at how
younger and more vibrant they look. Even brow shaping makes
a difference,” said Claudia Martinez, educational director.
Their specialty is the outlashe procedure. It’s a full set of eyelash extensions (like hair extensions but for the eyelashes,)
meticulously applied — one extension per one individual lash.
The cost runs $250-$450 and takes two hours.
The results last about a month, with touch-ups recommended every two to three weeks. The lashes are not affected by
water or sweat, allowing you to swim, ski, take a sauna and even
snorkel with no problems.
“We really work with each client to fit the extension to the
shape of each person’s eye, lash length and curl,” said Brian
L’Heureux, a lash technician with the steady hands of a surgeon.
“There are three different curls, three options of thickness and
an array of lengths.”
If so many options leave you paralyzed, no worries. These are
true lash professionals and unless you tell them otherwise, they
can figure out what you need.
If you’re just looking to add some drama, they offer Flirty
Eyes, which just puts the extensions from mid-eye to the corner.
“This is recommended for someone with lots of lashes,” said
Martinez. “It’s usually younger clients who want a little more
spice.”
And if you don’t need extensions, you can perm and tint your
lashes. Yes, there really are tiny perm rods that gently roll the
eyelash up before a gel based perm solution and neutralizer are
applied.
Their latest service is the lash dip, a product that feels like
mascara but doesn’t come off when you wash your face. Here’s
the huge bonus — neither tinting nor dipping gives you the dark,
tell-tale mascara smudges at the end of the day.
But if you’re looking for major impact, something that will
really make your eyes pop, try one of their upgrade services.
Their Glamour Look puts highlights in your lash extensions.
“This is a little more for people who like a splash of color,”
Claudia said.
Like hair highlights, the effect is greater when viewed from
the side; colors include blue, red, purple, green and yellow. Redheads love the auburn color in their lashes which is subtler than
the traditional black.
Another upgrade is the Mink Lashes. No animal hair here, the
mink is purely synthetic but it offers a shinier, darker, deep black
color than regular extensions.
Although their clientele is 95 percent female, there are some
male clients. They’re usually looking for a younger and more
natural look, and it’s particularly appealing to those who work
in an industry where youth is highly valued.
As far as the economy, The Lashe Spot is feeling little effect.
“The cool thing about eye enhancing is that people will do this
over having an eye lift or plastic surgery,” said Martinez. “People aren’t as likely to give up beauty. They’ll give up something
else.”
For more information:
Wet an eyeliner brush and apply a sparkle eye shadow
around the top and bottom of your eye.
Using the wiggle technique at the root of the lashes,
dot liquid eye-liner in black between the upper lashes;
use the dot-dot-dot blend techniques on lower lashes.
Use two generous coats of a thickening mascara for
full, thick lashes or lengthening mascara for long, flirty
look.
Smoky eyes 2
Apply a matte shadow in a patting motion. This type of
layering keeps product in place.
Use liquid eyeliner just on the top. The outer corners
go a little thicker and create the “cat” look.
Use two generous coats of a thickening mascara for
full, thick lashes or a lengthening mascara for long, flirty
look.
Smoky eyes 3
Apply a blue eye shadow from lash line to brow.
Apply darker cobalt blue at outer corner and into
crease. Blend using a back and forth technique.
Using the wiggle technique at the root of the lashes,
dot liquid eye liner between the lashes from outer to
inner corner. Shadow in cobalt blue to upper and lower
lash line, using an eyeliner brush.
Use two generous coats of either a thickening or a
lengthening mascara.