I Can't Believe My Eyes!

Managing editor Amy Dodds dishes about her outta-sight lashes, courtesy of NovaLash.

You know, being in the beauty biz ain’t half bad. I know that for you, it entails countless hours of standing on your feet (in stiletto heels, no less!), encountering the occasional Debbie Downer, dealing with periods of feast or famine, and so on. And for me, it involves swaths of time spent writing and researching, answering phone calls and questions, opening up boxes (with the occasional bug popping out to say hello!), pushing paper, and other not-so-glam duties. But there are times when I’m reminded that at the heart of this business we call beauty is fun, a sense of spirit and, naturally, artistry and style.

The top photo shows my short lashes, the bottom clearly speaks for itself: Long, lush and lash-tastic!

On November 30, I was fortunate enough to be invited to have NovaLash lash extensions applied. As you may guess, I didn’t even have to blink—I mean think—twice! I had lash extensions once before, but they only lasted a day, and NovaLash enticingly lasts 6 to 8 weeks! The procedure takes a bit of time, about two hours—but since my extensionist, Andrea Dopico, and I hit it off so well and we couldn’t stop chatting, it took closer to three.

I went to People in Beauty in Encino, a boutique distributor of pro beauty products and an education location for NovaLash. Andrea told me about their new certification process, which now takes three days! It sounded like a long time to me, but she reminded me that we’re talking about people’s eyes, here. Education needs to be extensive! In fact, there are two solid days of training, with a two-week interim before the test on the third day so that the extensionist-in-training gets real-world experience. I already knew about NovaLash’s high-quality product and especially of its in-demand adhesive, but had no idea the extent of learning that they are requiring of their extensionists.

So to get the lashes applied, I had to lie down on a bed as though I were getting a facial (oh, the humanity!), and have these cooling pads applied to my under-eye area, which kept my lower lashes out of the way. Andrea used a variety of different lengths of lash, including curly, to make my eyes pop. (Apparently, while my lashes are short, they are numerous. Andrea repeatedly exclaimed, “Wow, you have a lot of lashes!”)

After three hours of application and chatting, Andrea (right) hands me the Aftercare Kit that will keep my batters in tip-top shape. I do look a bit sleepy, though!

She grilled me on the aftercare: No waterproof mascara! Use the Nighttime Cleanser/Conditioner pads every night! No glycols! But really, the aftercare is nominal. What isn’t? The response! I kid you not: People look at me differently. They are more willing to make eye contact, and keep it. It’s amazing! I wonder, is this what it’s like to be drop-dead gorgeous? I don’t have to apply mascara, or even eyeliner! And, having a one-year-old, any time not taken up by things non-son-related is time well spent!

Salon owners, do yourselves a favor and look into this service. Your clients will thank you! And I thank NovaLash and the wonderful team at People in Beauty for allowing me the opportunity to experience one of the best services the beauty industry has to offer.