What are Lash Extensions?

I am on cloud nine!! I just got lash extensions for the first time! I have been doing lash extensions now for over a year but hadn’t found the right person to do mine. Well I finally found her. Linda McKinley does an amazing job and I would highly recommend her. She has a advanced degree from Extreme Lashes and really does an amazing job.
I know this may be overview for many of you but I still get asked all the time, "What exactly are lash extensions?"
Lash Extension is a procedure where a licensed professional adheres and individual, lush and long lash to your puny, thin lash. It is a semi-permanent procedure, meaning the lashes eventually fall off as your natural lashes do. The recommendation is that you come back in to get "a fill" every 2-3 weeks to replace the lashes that you have lost. It takes approximately 2 hours for the initial set. Fills are anywhere from an hour to hour and thirty minutes, depending on how many lashes you have lost.
Lash Extensions are glamorous! Nothing is as flirty as long lush lashes!
If you can afford the upkeep I would say do them all the time! They are beautiful and they save you a ton of time in the morning not having to use mascara or a lash curler. Pricing around the Reno area run between $250-$200 for the full set and $150-$100 for the fills.
If price is a factor there are still times I would recommend them such as: wedding, photo shoot, special event or a hot date. ;)
Here is an excellent article by Dana Oliver, about the lash extensions and she does such a good job covering the pros and cons I do not feel it necessary to duplicate her list.

Here is what mine looked like when Linda was done with me! I loved them!
Everyone should try them at least once!
Thank you for stopping by my blog.
I hope this post was helpful and please send me an email and let me know what you are interested in hearing more about.
Thanks,
Michon :)

Beautiful Bikini Bare!

Tis the season to bare more than you dare. Especially if you are not prepared in advance for that pool party or the last minute run up to Tahoe to get much needed lake time in! The season here is so pitifully short. Let's not waste time covering up or worrying about not being groomed properly for that itty bitty swim suit. Hair removal used to be a pretty basic order, but now days we have options. Lots of them.

• Shaving is always going to the be standby for most of us. It is easy and accesible at all times. The downside to shaving is razor bumps and ingrown hair that can be painful. Here are my favorite tips for getting the best results. 1- Exfoliate to get rid of dead skin and bacteria. 2- Use a new razor with a moisture strip on either side of it. 3- Shave in the direction of the growth. 4- Dab a little Neosporin to moisturize and protect. These tips should help to cut down razor rash.  
• Waxing is a great, although painful way to accomplish our goal. Waxing is done with use of a sticky or hard wax that is heated up and then applied to the skin and then strips of cloth are applied to the wax. the wax is then removed with quick motion in the direction of the growth of the hair. Downside of this procedure in my opinion is that you have to let the hair grow 1/8 to 1/4 long so that the wax has something to grip. 
• Sugaring is very much the same thing as waxing except that it works better for those of us with sensitive skin. The sugar is just barely warm which keeps the safety factor up since there is no chance of being burned by wax that is too hot. Clean up is easy in that it comes off with water. The procedure is considered less painful by many since the sugar doesn't stick to the skin the way wax does. 
• Depilatories are seen by many as a viable option but I have to disagree. Most creams have a very unpleasant aroma.  The chemicals that you are allowing to penetrate your body at a very sensitive area are concerning. The course hair down there is not easy to dissolve and some could remain leaving you with uneven results. And there is the chance that some of the chemical could migrate to an even more sensitive area and really send you howling. Enough said on this one! 
• Laser hair removal is the Mercedes Benz of  hair removal. It is pricey but it is also permanent. The laser works best on people with light skin and dark hair. But everyone should go for a free consultation at least and look into it. When you compare it to the price of waxing and pain of ingrown hairs it is at least worth looking into. Don't go cheap! Lasers can leave scars if not being preformed by a skilled technician. So my recommendation would be no Groupons! :)

This covers most of the hair removal techniques out there. If you are interested in eyebrows or facial hair removal all the above apply and there is one other option available to you. That is called threading. I do not do threading but it looks like a fascinating technique. I can't imagine how it could possibly be any less painful that waxing but it is fun to watch! 

Hope you are all enjoying your beach time! Live it up while you can! Only 22 weeks till Christmas! 

Haha, thought you would like that! ;)

See you next week. 

Michon :) 

Gardening Hands Helps

Tis the season to be gardening! The gardening season here in Reno is short, so I know you are all madly digging in right now! Digging in the dirt and keeping up with the weeding can be very hard on your hands. Dirt and mud are a vacuum for moisture, and the deadheading can leave your nails stained and nasty looking. However, I know that you die hard gardeners are not about to let those little inconveniences slow you down.  Here are a couple of tips to help keep your hands from telling the world what a Green Thumb you are.

1. Put a heavy moisturizer on under your gloves. Use one that is more of an ointment than just a hand lotion. Even petroleum jelly is better than nothing. My favorite moisturizer is the Mango Mend that I spoke about in this post. By providing your hands with this protective barrier, you will greatly decrease the drying effect that dirt will have on your skin and cuticles. 
2. Keep your tools with you. Use a little bucket like you would if you were going to the beach and fill it with the necessary tools to do the job. A small shovel, a pair of utility scissor and a pick or a screwdriver is usually enough to keep you from doing something that may end up with a broken nail. Your nails are especially fragile when they are already moist.
3. Be careful when digging. This goes along with number 2 but it bears repeating. Don't get tempted to just start digging away with your hands instead of using your handy little shovel. It only takes one puncture from running into something unexpectedly to end up with an infection that could take weeks to recover from. 
4. Paint your nails. This sounds ridiculous but if you think about it, a couple of extra layers of lacquer over your nails is going to strengthen them. Less chipping and splitting is always the better solution when you are talking about the health of your nail bed.  Go ahead, it is a good excuse to primp. 
5. I saved the best for last. I have found a miracle cure for dull, yellowing, dirty nails. It is called Bar Keepers Friend. It is a scouring scrub that is designed for cleaning your stainless steel but it also happens to be an amazing nail whitener! I use it at my manicure station at the salon to get my clients nails as white as possible! Simply make a paste and dig your nails into it and allow the paste to stay under your nail for at least 5 minutes. 

That is all I have for this week. Please leave me a comment if you have a trick that works for you while you are gardening to keep those hands in decent shape. I would love to hear them! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

See you next week 

Michon :)

Summer Beauty Must Haves!

Hot enough for you Reno?! Wow! In light of all this heat, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the hottest new beauty items on the market this year. With 4th of July weekend coming right up, you should stock up on these items to make your weekend as carefree and beautiful as possible. First up...

Model in a Bottle. This product was brought to my attention by a client of mine who bought a bottle on vacation. Caroline is a Reno blogger as well, and takes her job of informing the public about food allergies and asthma on her blog here very seriously. So when she started texting me after her lipstick amazingly lasted through her entire day of events, which included eating and drinking of course, I thought I should take note. Online reviews for the product are great.  Nothing is hotter than lips that are well defined, beautiful and lasting.

The BIO BB and SPF line by Lira Clinical. This product is a must have for all women on the go this summer. The Beauty Balm tint is a comprehensive system that incorporates new advances in anti-aging, camouflage, and sun protection all in one! Three products in one gets you out of the bathroom and out on the beach that much faster. It doesn't get any better than that!

ST TROPEZ sunless tanning system. If you are allergic to the sun like me, and you don't want to have to pass out sunglasses to everyone on the beach before you make your appearance, you will love this product. It gives a sensational tan with no orangy afterglow. You must be meticulous when applying to keep it from streaking, but with a little practice the results are impressive. The reveiws for this product are off the hook from most of my customers and from what I have found online. Available at Sephora at the Summit Mall.

CND Vinylux weekly polish. This nail polish is a fantastic, durable, long lasting polish. It does not require a uv light to cure and it's durablity actually increases with natural light exposure. There is no base coat, so drying time is cut down, and it comes in super cool fun summer shades. The "vinyl" in the color actually makes the polish more flexible. The result, less chipping. Available at fine salons everywhere. Check it out!

Mango Mend Treatment Balm.  This extreme moisturizing and conditioning hand ointment is exactly what you need when you have been out digging in the garden or playing in the sand or surf. I like to apply a thin coat to my hands right before bed to allow the beneficial oils, vitamins and extracts to soak in for a full 7 to 8 hours. And it smells yummy to boot! Available at Image Artistic and other fine salons.

One last must have for summer is the Artown App! Not much makes Reno a more beautiful place to live than Artown. Now there is an app for your phone so that you won't miss a minute of the great events that are happening all over town this month! It even has a calendar on it to invite friends, share on Facebook or Twitter, and it is free! 

That is it for this edition of product reviews. Hope you are able to beat the heat the next couple of weeks and enjoy some cool stuff! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

If you come across any cool new products that you would like to share I would love to hear about them! Leave a comment below. 

See you next week. 

Michon :)