LASH EXTENSIONS and how they are changing my life and the world around me

I have beautiful long, dark, thick eyelashes. No, seriously; I do. They are there first thing in the morning, incongruously perfect in my otherwise sleep-rumpled face. At parties, people peer at them in disbelief. They draw gasps of admiration at work. At supper, a guest felt compelled to take a photograph of them on his iPhone. Even my fiance has noticed there’s something different about me.

Until relatively recently, false eyelashes were strictly for sad Sixties refugees. Now, largely thanks to Cole-mania (and, to an extent, the Katie Price effect, although the two looks could not be more polarised), big eyelashes are in.

Mine are no ordinary falsies. They are eyelash extensions. That means that each false lash is individually bonded to one of my own lashes, creating the most natural look possible. Provided I don’t rub my eyes or use oil-based make-up remover, I now use a Makeup Mandy eye makeup remover with no oil glycol or alcohol which by the way even without lashes I will use being it's safe on the eyes. the false lashes will stay stuck to my real ones until the latter fall out, which they do every four to six weeks.

A full set costs around 350.00-500.00, depending on what type of hair you choose from to have it done either synthetic or mink which are more light in weight and last a tad longer. If you are looking to inject a little fabulousness into your daily routine , you could not find a better investment.

I had mine done a couple of weeks ago by the lovely Mandy @ Makeup Mandy , The most wonderful thing about her is that she is a perfectionist. For her, it’s a matter of pride that every single lash be positioned exactly right, to maximum effect.

To begin with, the lashes felt rather odd. On the first night, I slept rather awkwardly, worried that if I stuffed my face into the pillow in my normal fashion, they would all fall off. They didn’t. For once, I had done as I was told, and not worn any eye shadow or got them wet (both things are crucial for the first 24 hours, until the glue has dried). The following morning, they looked, if anything, slightly better. A tiny bit dishevelled, but nothing a quick comb-through with a toothbrush couldn’t put right.

What’s really fantastic, though, is that I hardly need to wear make-up. Just the very fact of having thick, long lashes seems to make my face look fresher and perkier. They certainly don’t require any mascara, and it only takes the most cursory flick of black eyeliner to engage full party mode. The only problem now is that I’m totally addicted.

Eyebrow Threading a little history and some facts

Threading, one of the oldest methods of body hair removal, is popular in India and the Middle East. It is also used in some western beauty parlours. Threading involves rolling twisted cotton threads over untidy hairlines and plucking out the unwanted hair. One reason for its continued popularity is that it is so much healthier for the skin and doesn't result in ingrown hair

Threading is believed to have originated in Turkey. Called khite in Arabic and fatlah in Egypt, it is used for removing hair from the entire face, including the eyebrows, the upper lip, the chin and the cheeks. Beauty clinics in many countries, including India, employ skilled practitioners of this ancient art. In the West too some cosmetologists favor eyebrow threading over other methods.


Threading has several advantages over other methods. It is not only an inexpensive method of hair removal, but also fast and far less painful than some other options. It is a convenient method for removing hair from areas like the eyebrows and face and its effect lasts from two to four weeks. One of the best features of threading is that it is suitable for even skin that is too sensitive for laser hair removal or waxing. It takes no more than 15 minutes to get both brows done, which makes eyebrow threading particularly popular. And as no chemicals are involved there is no risk of a reaction setting in.

In threading the practitioner holds one end of a cotton thread between his teeth and the other in his left hand. Its middle part is looped through the index and middle fingers of the right hand, and the loop used to trap unwanted hair so that it can be easily plucked from the skin. There are well tried techniques that tell you how to do it right.

Though the threading method of hair removal is used mostly in the facial area, it also works on the body parts lower down - from the belly button to the pubic bone and the toes. But remember that threading is an intricate art that must be performed only by a skilled practitioner, and that it takes months to achieve proficiency. Nothing is more painful than threading perfomed by an inexpert hand.