thePULSEBeauty Trends that Make You Go …HMMM
By Linnea Sheldon
Ever notice that a lot of beauty marketing campaigns are aimed at making us completely self-conscious about everything from the length of our eyebrows to the dimples on the back of our thighs? It’s amazing ~ one minute we can be sitting there, perfectly happy with the way we look, and then a commercial will come on TV and within seconds we are reevaluating and wondering how we could possibly have survived this long with stubby eyelashes or natural teeth. Sometimes it’s just so darn hard to resist the temptation to tweak (or completely override) Nature, isn’t it? So in the spirit of acknowledging, even flirting with, some of the latest beauty trends while not going completely nuts and revamping ourselves head to toe, here are some of the latest fads out there…you be judge as to whether they’re cool or cruel!
Eyelash and Eyebrow Extensions
From what I’ve heard eyelash extensions, came out of Asia and have been popular with movie starlets for years. Does this make them necessary for the rest of us? I suppose if you have an eyelash complex, yes, but other than that…Whatever happened to an eyelash curler and a little mascara, or maybe even some falsies? As for the eyebrow extensions that are gaining steam, well, aren’t eyebrows hair, which grows, and which only goes away if we cut it or pluck it out on purpose? I’d say just don’t make your eyebrows smaller, and that way, you won’t have to worry about making them (or rather, having someone else make them) bigger, right?
LipFusion
Now that Angelina has given every one of us thin lipped girls a complex the cosmetic companies are stepping up to help. Many of the new lip glosses on the market are being marketed as LipFusion, and they contain products that are supposed to make your lips swell or plump up just a little more than they naturally would. So they’re not quite as full as they would be with a collagen injection, but they’re a lot cheaper, less painful, and they won’t make you look like you got hit in the mouth with a shovel. I’ll admit I have a couple tubes and if anything they make my lips look nice and shiny.
Microdermabrasion
And for those of us who can’t afford a zillion appointments at the dermatologist’s office, here comes just what we need…at home facial peels and microdermabrasion. But mightn’t there be something a wee bit unsafe about non-professionals (that’s us) using chemicals to peel off layers of skin? For these types of procedures I would recommend finding a reputable professional; microdermabrasion and peels are offered at many local salons and spas such as Paul Conzo Day Spa and Hair Salon, Jeffrey Roberts Salon and Spa, and St. Cyr Salon and Spa. So yes, wanting to unveil a smooth, radiant face does makes sense ~ risking your health does not.
Detox Wraps
Designed to help you shed inches and smooth your skin while “detoxifying the body,” these wraps do nothing more than give your body a little cleansing and moisturizing. Many of them claim they will take away up to an inch of your body without dehydrating you, but just let me tell you, the only thing that’s gonna take an inch off your body is diet and exercise, and it’s gonna take a lot more than 10 minutes. But I want to believe, really I do! Do yourself a favor and go down to CVS and buy yourself a body mask in a jar. If you really want to spoil yourself, try an Herbal Wrap at Tu Moda or relax with any of the unique body wraps at your local salon, but don’t expect come out a whole lot skinnier…more relaxed, almost definitely, but skinner, not so much.
Wrinkle Freeze
There’s a new facial creme on the market that claims to decrease wrinkles by up to 25% in less than an hour. It is designed to cool down to near freezing temperatures once you apply it, a temperature drop that is supposed to instantly tighten your skin ~ with results lasting up to 12 hours. Ok, sounds like there might be something to this concept, but wouldn’t it be a lot cheaper to just stand in front of the freezer for a few minutes?
Laser Treatments
I’m actually welcoming the lasers and light treatments coming onto the market ~ because they mean less cutting, lifting, and concealing. Cynosure, Inc. is one company that manufactures the laser machines that are used for hair removal, facial treatments, spider veins, scarring, as well as a few different skin diseases. There are several dermatologist offices in Massachusetts that use their equipment, but laser therapy will probably be popping up everywhere within a couple of years. Another form of light technology that is making its way to the general public is LED (light-emitting diodes) treatments. Again, make sure you are at a dermatologist’s office for this one. Revitalift, one of the companies bringing this kind of light therapy to the masses, claims the treatments will gradually help lessen the signs of aging without an intrusive or painful procedure. Look younger with no pain? Not a bad deal, if you ask me.
Veneers
For those of use who can’t give our teeth that unnatural Chicklet look through bleach and peroxide alone, there’s always the option of veneers. Not sure who decided that the Day-Glo, toothy smile is where it’s at, but I’m sure a cosmetic dentist somewhere is happily counting his piles of cash (hey, anyone remember that episode of Friends when Ross has his teeth whitened so much that they are fluorescent under his date’s blacklight?). Veneers can of course be a great thing if something is actually wrong with your teeth, but this new trend of selling them to anybody and everybody just seems silly to me. And let me just add that I am not at all comfortable with getting my teeth done at the same place I go to get my hair done, another new trend. Most cosmetic dentistry offices in the area will do these veneers, but bring your wallet.
Eyeball Jewelry (yes, you read it right)
I’m gonna leave you with my pick for scariest trend ~ run, don’t walk, away from this one. This is a trend out of the Netherlands, and I for one wish it had stayed there. Eyeball jewelry, which is ~ oh yes ~ basically a jewel implanted into the eye, came onto the scene in 2004 and has been gaining popularity in the States recently. I’m not sure what’s cool about this, but suddenly mere belly and tongue piercings seem rather mundane (and safe!).
Eyelash and Eyebrow Extensions.
You’re an idiot. Assuming those that want eyebrow extensions should just not pluck them. Pluck them… hell, I wish I had enough of them to pluck. I would love extensios. I need eyebrows just so I don’t have to paint them on. I am sure if you say me with my painted on ones you would say Ohh look at her why doesn’t she just stop plucking them all out so she doesn’t have to draw them on. Try doing a little research. Many of us are not so lucky. I have about 20 hairs that grow in and they are blonde. Yet , I am latino and once was dark haired before dying my hair to match. I am not the only one, just one search on the interenet will tell you that many women don’t have enough eyebrows to pluck. And I am finding out that it is also common for women who suffer from chronic illness to barely have any eyebrows. Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Lyme Desease all have this effect. 50% of women over the age of 35 that have bared children have some form of chronic desease. I have the same problems with eyelashes. You must have enough hair to just use and eyelash curler and mascara, but until you are going completely natural you shouldn’t throw stones. If you are under peer presure from society to go and look your best you use the tools you need. Just because you are fortunate enough to not need many tools , don’t criticize those that need to take a step further. Especially if you are using any form of enhancement. When you step out of the house with nothing more than a shower than maymbe you have room to talk.
I assume that everything in the Style article was meant as entertainment and simply “fashion chat” and was not at all intended to address serious health issues any more than an article about buying a PAIR of shoes is meant to either demean or overlook an amputee.
In defense of those women who were not blessed with long, beautiful eyelashes…what is wrong with enhancing ones natural beauty? This is what I do for a living and it makes my clients look and feel better. I have lash extensions myself; for convenience and beauty. Looking younger with all the advances in skin care and makeup technology is now attainable without radical plastic surgery. Longer eyelashes and fuller eyebrows give a more youthful appearance and I see nothing wrong with improving on nature. The meaning of glamour is ‘illusion’ so unless one is 16 years old or younger, I highly doubt that one is completely “natural” As a sidebar…Men love glamourous women.