Reader Write-In: False Eyelashes

Dear Ashley Evelyn,

I want to wear fake eyelashes but I can’t get them to go on right and if they do stick on they never stay on. How do I know what kind to get because they are always bigger than my eye? Help!!!

–A.T.

Dear A.T.,

False lashes appear tricky to master, but it’s much more simple than you think. Promise.

1. Gently remove lashes from the tray with a pair of tweezers.

2. Hold lashes to your eye to measure. You want them to basically match up with your natural lash bed. If lashes are too long for your eye, trim off a section or two until you reach the desired lash breadth.

3. Run a thin line of lash adhesive along the band and allow to dry for 30-60 seconds. This is the real secret.

4. Don’t apply the lashes to your eyelid. Rather, press into your lash line.

5. Repeat for other eye.

6. Finish the look/lock lashes in place by curling and swiping with mascara.

Photo Shootin’

Sorry I’ve been MIA, y’all, but I’ve been busier than a one-armed paperhanger!

I had two, major photo shoots within a week of each other–on top of regular work and preparing to move. One was for model comp cards and to christen Greenhouse Production’s new studio.

Planning the last-minute model shoot turned into a production home-week/ reunion. Creative ideas circulated. Choosing, or finalizing, the location came about much like a dare. Production agreed that although the ideas that come from Kim and I are often crazy, moving the shoot from the beautiful studio would give the photos the edge needed. And so, we shot in Floridian cemetery from the Victorian Era.

Around two in the morning, Kim and I met with the model and our salon entourage: model mothers & makeup interns. We prepped the model’s skin and she tried on a zillion outfits that she looked absolutely stunning in. Then we began the makeup.

A cemetery, especially in the middle of the night, creates an eerie atmosphere which ultimately translates through photos. We wanted the look to be edgy, but I worried dark eye makeup would push the model into a realm too extreme to market. I’ve been dying to really play with red eyeshadow and was pleased with the effect; she appears beautiful and dangerous as opposed to to unnerving and psychopathic.

Around three thirty, production met with us to pick up the dress and the rest of the props. That’s when we noticed the meteor shower raining sparkles in the sky.

At four, we pulled into the cemetery and began setting up the shoot. In the above photo, the model’s makeup actually exhibits rosy hues. However, casting blue, red, and white lighting reflects alternate tones.

Despite sleep deprivation, we shot until the sun came up and the model still looked gorgeous. I always enjoy working with Chris Fletcher and Greenhouse Productions, but this venture was especially fun for us all. I can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures 🙂

Asking a Makeup Artist to give you a discount, because you own makeup, is like asking a Surgeon for a price cut because you have your own Bandaids.

When one visits their doctor, they either face co-pays or pay out of pocket for the price of the office visit and additional tests. I happily pay my doctor for her services because I know she’s gone through a lot of schooling to become an expert in her field. Because I appreciate her judgment, and despite owning an array of medical supplies for work and home use, I trust that the products and implements she uses to treat me are of high quality and are of select purpose.

The same is true of Professional Makeup Artists.

As a professional, I purchase products with my clients’ best interest in mind. I consider quality, effect, purpose, and cost. In this way, I maintain high standards for makeup, lash, waxing, and tinting clients. Professional means professional products.

But, what about when clients also have access to “professional” makeup lines such as Urban Decay, Too Faced, or MAC? If clients bring their own products to makeup appointments, shouldn’t they get a discount?

No.

Yes, a Makeup Artist’s kit does factor into his or her overhead. However, they more specifically charge for their skilled service.

In essence, asking a Makeup Artist to give you a discount, because you own makeup, is like asking a surgeon for a price cut because you have your own Bandaids.