Lash Extension Craze! Are they right for you?

Alright, let's talk lashes-or more specifically lash extensions!  There is so much confusion out there about what lash extensions are, how they are applied and how long they last.  Let's set this all straight and see if they are right for you!

What are lash extensions and how are they applied?
Lash extensions are synthetic lashes that come in a variety of lengths and thicknesses that can be applied one by one 1-2mm away from the lid onto a single lash.  They should never touch your skin and should only be applied to one single eyelash.  The best extensions are applied with a medical grade adhesive that required training and certification of some sort in order to purchase the products necessary for application.  The most reputable brands are Xtreme Lashes and Novalash.
If lesser quality adhesive is used or poor techniques are implemented to apply the lashes, your natural lashes can undergo major trauma!  Eye infections, irritations, and loss of natural lash length and strength are totally put at risk.  Do your research before you let someone apply extensions.  I think it's silly that I have to say that, but with the number of poorly qualified technicians applying extensions these days, we have seen more and more mangled lashes and unhappy clients come through our door for help!  Just because there is a sign in the window of a salon advertising that they do eyelash extensions does not mean that they are qualified or certified!

How long do they last?
Okay - there are a lot of variables here.  On average, people shed 7-14 lashes per eye every week (you lose about 14-28 lashes total/week more or less depending on how quickly your hair cycle is naturally and what you put your lashes through).
They can shed more quickly if you:

• Don't allow for the appropriate amount of drying time after application before exposing them to heat, steam, or water.  (YES, this includes those dreadful tanning beds!)
• Wear excessive amounts of makeup
• Pick at your lashes
• Don't remove your makeup properly and thoroughly
• Sleep on them
• Use heavy creams, lotions, or serums around your eyes
• Seasonal allergies can also cause the lashes to shed more quickly
• Fighting off a cold or being sick
• Hormonal change, change in any prescriptions, change in your daily diet.
• Dr or dehydrating environments.

These are the major causes that can make the lashes shed more quickly than average, although there may be others.
Typically, the first initial set a client has applied is between 50-85 lashes/eye (100-170 lashes).  Most people naturally have between 50-95 lashes/eye, though some may have as many as 120/eye and as few as 40/eye.  If you were to have 50-85 lashes applied/eye, after 4-8 weeks depending on all of the shedding factors, you will have shed all of the extensions off, and new lashes would have grown in their place.  To maintain the lashes, clients must come in for "Fills" every 2-4 weeks depending on how quickly they shed, their habits, and how perfect the client wants them to look during any given week.

Are eyelash extensions right for you?
If your eyes are free of any signs of irritations/infections, if you DO NOT have allergies/sensitivities to acrylates or cyanoacrylate adhesives, and you are comfortable with lying down for 1-2 hours, you can certainly have extensions applied.  If you are able to refrain from the habits above that cause extensions to shed more quickly, you are probably a good candidate.

The better your natural lashes are, the better the extensions can enhance your lashes.  Lets be honest, if you have short, thin, frail, blonde eyelashes, you probably won't walk out with Kim Kardashian eyes after your appointment!  BUT, they will certainly be longer and thicker than you could ever achieve with mascara alone. Some stylist that are not properly trained will overload someone with extensions and adhesive just to get a dramatic effect, but they are doing their client a dis-service.  What typically happens is after repeatedly going too long and thick on a client, the natural lash will start to grow weak, thin and can damage the natural growth-sometimes permanently!  If you want to look like you are wearing a false strip every day- WEAR A FALSE STRIP!  Don't ruin your lashes with the wrong size extension!  Long term effects are not worth it! 

When extensions are applied correctly, they can actually allow your natural lashes to grow more healthily than applying mascara every day.  They don't touch the follicle where the lash grows from or gunk it up with junk like mascara does.  Extensions also provide freedom from curling your lashes as your natural lash will take on the curve of the extension.

The best extensions that last the longest are usually 2mm longer than your natural lashes and never thicker than double your lash width.  That along with the need for precise application is why it is so important to have a certified lash stylist working on your eyes.

We offer a Tester Set of extensions that include 10 lashes applied/eye and a full consult to discuss what look you want to achieve and give you the opportunity to try them out before you apply a full set.  That way, if you want to adjust the length, thickness, or number of lashes you want to apply, you can do so after when booking a larger set.  You can also skip right to getting a larger set applied if you are ready and not concerned with any potential allergy or the specifics of lash design!

BOOK HERE for your TESTER SET or full set of extensions and start causing your own lash envy!

Mineral Magic!

Ever wonder what the big fuss is about Mineral Makeup? Well wonder no more! This blog will help you understand how wonderful and beneficial mineral makeup truly is.

Mineral makeup is a natural alternative to other types of makeup because it doesn’t have oil, talc, perfume, dyes, alcohol, chemicals or other comedogenic ingredients.

Minerals offer very good and buildable coverage that don't feel like you're wearing any makeup at all. It covers imperfections perfectly, yet it allows the skin to "breathe". Mineral makeup is ideal for all skin types, skin tones and women of all ages.  There are some tricks to applying it to drier more mature skin, so it can look fabulous, you just have to know the right way to apply it!

Mineral makeup is the only makeup that you can apply following a chemical peel, microdermabrasion or laser resurfacing treatment without risking of inflammation or allergic reaction. It was originally formulated for sensitive skin types with rosacea and acne so it is super gentle!

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS:

• provides excellent sun protection (It doesn’t break down like lotions so it last longer!)
• 100% hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic
• appropriate for all skin types, even for those with hypersensitive skin
• clams and soothes irritated skin
• water-resistant (when applied correctly!)
• doesn’t support bacteria
• improves the health of your skin
• won’t crease or smear during the day
• replenishes and protects your skin
• 100% chemically-free
• provides long-lasting and flawless coverage
• calms and reduces redness in rosacea or acne prone skin
• isn’t heavy or cakey
• is dermatologist and plastic surgeon recommended
• provides lightweight feel of the makeup
• evens out skin tone
• easy to apply
• allows your skin to breathe
• less likely to become contaminated
• reduces the appearance of aging
• ideal for all skin types, oily to dry
• offers a natural, healthy look

I have to say, I’ve tried a few different mineral makeup brands such as Bare Minerals and Sheer Cove and in my opinion none of them can compare to BeingTRUE. The one problem I had with the other brands was the overall finish. The other brands made my skin look more mature and defined my fine lines, which is definitely not what I was looking for. I can honestly say with BeingTRUE I don’t have that problem. The coverage is great, buildable, and breathable. The great thing about BeingTRUE is it comes in different consistencies such as a liquid tinted moisturizer, pressed powder and loose powder. You can use them separate or combine the tinted moisturizer with either the pressed or loose powder for more of a full coverage finish. Come try BeingTRUE mineral makeup at Gobare Aesthetic Studio and receive a complimentary tutorial when you purchase your BeingTRUE Kit!

See you soon!

We also host makeup classes and bridal makeup events! Stay connected to us through Facebook and TWITTER!

Book ONLINE

Pickers Anonymous

Sometimes it's the silly little habits we have that can really sabotage our lives.  Sometimes, we don't even know that we are doing things like biting our nails, tugging on our brows and lashes, etc, until its too late!One minute you are sitting on the couch watching a movie and the next your are scratching and picking until the damage is done!  One thing I constantly see under my facial lamp is the aftermath of a major picking session of someone attacking their skin!  Little dots, scrapes, scabs, and inflamed red bumps that look really painful!  I have to admit, before I became an aesthetician I was a picker too!  I am still working on reversing the damage I caused my skin!

Why it's bad:
1) Touching your face with your bare hands can very easily transfer bacteria from your hands/nails to the already inflamed or problem area.

2) Pushing on a blemish the wrong way can actually push the bacteria in the blemish back under the skin causing the bacteria to spread making it worse, or EVEN WORSE another unwelcomed blemish to appear right next to it.

3) When the skin isn't heated properly, blemishes and the bacteria below are harder to extract and need excessive pressure and force to be removed which can lead to brusing and broken blood vessels that may or may not heal.

4) Scratching or straight picking can lead VERY EASILY to forming a small topical scar.  Any sun exposure to these picked areas will also make the scar a lot harder to treat and may be visible for years to follow.

5) It's nearly impossible to get the right angle to extract yourself properly so that you won't damage your skin.  For days following a picking session, you can be swollen, pink, and flaky.


What to do instead:
Once you realize that you are a picker-KNOCK IT OFF!  If you catch yourself doing it, stop immediately, wash your hands, and apply neosporin the area you picked at.  Leave it alone until it heals.  If is a blemish you are going after, book a facial!  There is no better way to actually clean your skin than to be properly extracted by someone who knows the right way to do it! The Gobare Get Clear Treatment is a great place to get a good clean out of any impurities making you pick!

If you already have scarring and have given  up picking for good, there is a way to treat any superficial scars that have been left behind.  A series of microdermabrasion treatments or peels may be a great option!  I recommend a Skin Consult to get a good skin analysis to determine the best course of action.

KD

Tanning Bed Trauma

TAN = the new sign of health and beauty

As a high school student, almost every day after school you would find me at the tanning salon.  Little did I know that being tan and having a sunburn has the same exact effect on your skin, they BOTH cause DNA damage in your skin! I was always told that my risk of developing melanoma increases after just one sunburn… so just make sure you don’t get burnt, right? Wrong!

 

What some people (including my teenage self) don’t know is that squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer risks increase based on your life time exposure to the sun! So even if you’re just going to the tanning booth just a couple times because you feel pale during the winter, or because you want a “base tan” for your vacation, you are still increasing your chances of developing skin cancer! 

ANTI AGING = another sign of health and beauty

To me…this sounds a bit hypocritical of our society! How does tanning have an effect on our fine lines and wrinkles?  The elasticity of our skin depends on collagen and elastin, two components of our dermal layer in the skin. Repeated UV exposure weakens the mature collagen fibers, and at the same time the UV rays cause the elastin to reproduce in unusually high amounts which produces and enzyme that DESTROYS collagen! A.K.A- you get saggy, wrinkly, old skin! Did I mention it actually makes your cellulite worse? GROSS!

A tan is your skin’s response to injury.  Skin cells respond to damage from UV rays by producing more pigment.  Going to the tanning booth not only increases your chances of getting skin cancer, but also causes wrinkles sooner than normal! Those are two things I would like to stay away from!

Don’t worry though I have good news!! You don’t just have to suck it up and be pale forever. Airbrush tanning is an awesome alternative! It’s not the orangey looking spray tans we see some girls with these days (regrettably, I used to be one of those girls). St. Tropez is the number one self tanning line out there and we use it here at Gobare! The St. Tropez formula gives you a natural tan and fades completely even! It even has anti-aging ingredients in the formula to help combat past sun exposure!

If you would like to book in with me for an airbrush tan you can call us at 508-799-8833 or book online at Gobare Aesthetic Studio! 

First session is $30.00 (normally $40.00) and all of Mikenna’s first time clients receive 20% off!

Thanks for reading!

MP

Liquid Gold!

By now, you must have heard the phrase "BB Cream" at least a half a dozen times and have seen numerous ads about the miracle all-in-one lotion that fixes any skin condition.  Needless to say, you might ask- what do these beauty balms really do?

The truth is, all of the bb creams on the market are a little different.  Some claim their brand of bb cream can replace your serums, moisturizers, primer, foundation, and sunblock!  Boy, that would certainly save you a ton of money on cosmetics and room under the bathroom sink!  Prices range from around $11-40 for the various brands. Let's look a little more closely...

When you search bb creams, the top listed brands are Olay,, Maybelline, Garnier, L'Oreal, Clinique, and Smashbox.  The majority describe it as a tinted moisturizer with SPF that should be re-applied every 2 hours if you are out in the sun.  Some claim to have added benefits for dry skin types and other for oily skin types.  I had a really hard time finding any actual ingredient listings.  I wanted to find what was in the bottle.  What is the magical ingredient or ingredients that make bb cream the new "it" product?  The answer is CONVENIENCE.

I don't really think they are selling anything magical, but a couple of buzz words that make these products really appealing to low maintenance gals.  Not a bad idea in a world where the laundry, studying and grocery shopping all have to get done BEFORE work! 

The truth is, everyone's individual skin needs are so specific, there is no single cream that is going to be prefect for everyone across the board, it just impossible.  These creams are certainly better to use than nothing at all. I was happy that they all had SPF- even though it doesn't always say broad spectrum protection, or what kind of blocks are in the products. If you are going to spend your money to enhance your skin or to work on any issues you see, the best solution is to ask a licensed aesthetician for advice after a full skin analysis and consult.

If you are local looking for a consult, we offer a really great Skin Consult service at Gobare Aesthetic Studio.  When you come in, we cleanse and analyze your skin, test your sensitivity to products, discuss your concerns, develop a plan, do a peel patch test if applicable, AND send you home with a starter kit of products that last 3-5 weeks!  Its a great way to do supervised skin care to make sure you are really going in the right direction to reach optimum skin health and beauty!
Click here to book your Skin Consult appointment:
http://www.vagaro.com/gobare

I hope you found this helpful!
KD