3 Reasons Your Salon Should Offer Lash & Brow Services

It used to be that salon services were very limited. Hair cuts, color and style were typical offerings. Today salons offer all kinds of additional services -waxing, manicures, pedicures, make overs, even massages. Salons have become a one stop shop for women wanting to improve their looks with the help of professionals. Our question is, does your salon offer lash and brow services? Well, they should! And we're giving them three reasons why.

1.  It's a hot trend: Once the privilege of the rich and famous, enhancing your eyes via lash extensions, brow tinting, and other ways, has now become standard for those who want to be the epitome of style and fashion.  What used to be considered a luxury is now considered a necessity by many. Clients are looking for ways to improve their looks; if you're not offering lash and brow services you're asking your customers to look for a salon that does.

2. Enhance your clients' natural beauty: It's no secret that your clients want to look their best. That's why the go to a salon in the first place. Lash and brow services offer ways to enhance your clients' natural beauty. Most women don't want to look like they have been made over with every possible beauty trend out there but they do want to improve their looks in ways that subtly call attention to their best feature...their beautiful eyes! You can help them accomplish that goal by offering lash and brow services.

3. Increase your cash flow: Offering lash and brow services is a way for you to boost your salon's revenue with just a small investment for supplies and training. What's not to love about that?

Ready to take the plunge? Visit our website to learn more.

Back Stage Beauty Tips

Stage makeup for the theatre works primarily on the premise of audience perception. Human eyes are trained from birth to translate the pattern of light and shadow as it falls across the face to provide clues for things like the age, facial texture, and the expression of the person they are viewing. Stage makeup is all about manipulating viewer expectations and perceptions with various techniques of applying makeup. Knowing when to simplify, how to conceal and reveal certain aspects of the face, and which brands to use can mean the difference between a lackluster makeup job and one that shows a true transformation into character.

Start with a Good Foundation
If you're going to look good you need a good basic foundation. On the stage, very thick foundation serves to keep an actor's face from being washed out by bright stage lights. Daily foundation serves to even out discoloration, cover blemishes and more. The key to either one is to do a thorough job when identifying your skin tone. The two toned look isn't desirable, even on stage. You'll want to blend foundation into the jaw line for the best effect. Use a shade darker than the foundation to add contours to the face, and a shade lighter than the foundation on areas you want to highlight. And always use powder to set the makeup.

Less is More
Unless your day job involves being a clown, when it comes to makeup, less is more. As a general rule, stage makeup is applied with a much heavier hand than daily makeup. However, the folks who paid top dollar for front row seats, don't want to see garish makeup. How heavy you apply eye shadow, eyeliner, blush, and lipstick says a lot about who you are as a person. An overdone face carries the implication that the wearer is over compensating for something else, perhaps a lack of self-confidence. Do yourself a favor and use a lighter hand which will highlight your natural beauty and maybe even score a few points in the 'I feel good about myself' perception department.

Be Mindful of the Eyes
As windows to the soul, your lovely eyes should have special attention. Here's a short list of things to be mindful of:

• Use eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara to make the eyes stand out.
• Avoid the Tammy Faye look—trying to make your eyes "pop" with lots of mascara. This can actually make the eyes look smaller. You'd do better to invest in a good set of false lashes.
• Keep your eyebrows clean and groomed. It's more important than you think, as it not only frames your face but can open up your facial expressions.
• Use quality products. This applies to all makeup, but the eyes in particular since that is where the mind is first drawn and focuses through the day.

Top Three Beauty Tips To Look Younger

Wouldn't we all love to have a personal stylist and our own make-up artist at our fingertips?! It's no secret that celebrities, women especially, have a heavy arsenal when it comes to looking their best but not all of their tricks are top secret. Of course, the eyes have it. Young or old, the eyes are the number one draw when it comes to looking at a person's face. Is it any wonder, then, that the bulk of our beauty spending power is funneled right to our pretty peepers? Here are our top picks for celebrity beauty tips to help you look younger.

Michelle Pheiffer - 53 

Pfeiffer hasn't appeared to age in eons. What's her secret? "I never pluck my eyebrows. The make-up artists shape them only when I am doing publicity." One of the best things you can do, at any age, is to just stop plucking. A lush, well groomed set of arches adds instant youthfulness to your face.

Reese Witherspoon, 36 

It's been ten years since Elle Woods studied her way into Harvard, but Witherspoon's youthful glow hasn't changed much since then. Rather than drawing on heavy eyeliner, she swears by a subtle ring of eyeshadow to keep her look soft and young looking.

Sandra Bullock, 47 

Want to look immune to the aging process? Sandra says she puts her trust in a little Preparation H. "Putting butt cream under my eyes is one of my best beauty secrets, and stops me from getting lines." For generations, this has been a tried and true celebrity wrinkle solution resulting in tightened skin around the eyes. It's just cream, right?

Raise Your eyeQ! Lash & Brow Certification Classes

At EyeQBeauty.com, our main goal is to provide salons, makeup artists and estheticians with the tools and brands they need, to keep their clients and patients looking their best. If you're a beauty professional, you know that over time, eyelashes and eyebrows become more sparse, and require a bit of 'love' to bring back the natural shapes of a youthful appearance. As aging occurs, ladies (and men!) seek out treatments, wrinkle injections, dermal fillers - all to restore the look their once youthful look. You can help, with the right certifications.

You can master the latest lash and brow enhancement techniques with our upcoming lash and brow certification classes. On Monday, October 15, EyeQBeauty will be holding a 2 1/2 hour course teaching everything you need to know about up selling your customers and increasing your profits with Lash & Brow Tinting and Perming!

The course includes demos, hands-on training and helpful handouts, as well as certifications for Lash & Brow Tinting and Perming. Class runs from 10 am to 12:30 pm and requires a $20 reservation fee which can be applied to product purchases on the day of the event.

Visit EyeQBeauty online to register. Class size is limited!

Class location:
1800 Bridgegate Stree, Suite 105
Westlake Village, CA 91361
888-458-8889

Thank you to Intensive Lash & Brow and Simple Perm for sponsorship.

Makeup Color Trends for Fall 2012

A change in the season means a change in style and fashion trends. When Pantone, the leading authority in color, issued their Fashion Color Report for fall 2012 the featured colors included bold, deep colors with more versatile neutrals. These predictions translate to makeup trends for this fall.

“Makeup takes center stage with jewel eye shadow tones of Purple and Deep Greens, long lashes, Ruby lips and shimmer nails.” — Nicole Fischelis, Group Vice President/Fashion Director, Macy's

As always, the focus is on the eyes here at eyeQbeauty, as it should be. So we thought we'd share just one way to apply these great fall trends to your eyes. This video from Meredith at Pigments and Palettes demonstrates the use of titanium and ultramine green to make your eyes the focus of all who see you this fall season.

Staying Power for Your Eyeliner

We've talked about eyeliner before, after all, it's a beloved beauty staple for most women. It's just sad that it seems to have so much trouble staying put! And it seems to happen to the most expensive of eyeliners so what gives? Here are a few techniques to keep your strokes and sweeps staying sharp.

PRIME
A good eye primer can make all the difference. Many women put their eye makeup onto a dry eyelid. Artists and painters prep they're canvas with primer, you should too! Apply your face primer above and below your eyelid to make the most use of it.

COVER
Pencil eyeliners sure are handy, but they smudge entirely too easily. Use an angled brush to apply matte eye shadow in the same color right over the original liner to make it stand the test of time.

WATERPROOF
Sometimes the reason your eyeliner isn't staying put is because you began with poor quality tools. Be sure to spend your hard earned dollars on quality products. Splurge for the waterproof eyeliner if you really want it to stick around. It'll take a good eye makeup remover to get it off, but that's the point, right?

Have another tip for giving your eyeliner staying power? Share it with us in the comments!

Apply Faux Lashes Like a Pro

Applying fake eyelashes can be scary and even intimidating, but wearing fake eyelashes is the best option to take your makeup to the next level. With so many kinds of falsies it's fun to try all your options to see which you like best. Individual lashes, are applied one by one. Then, there are flare lashes that are applied piecemeal to fill out your existing lashes. The most popular and fastest to apply are lash strips which come together on one strand. Finally, there are eyelash extensions which need to be applied by a professional. See? Lots of options!

If you want to give falsies a try, application doesn't have to be scary. We love this little how-to video by PopSugar. It shows just how easy false lash application can be. With a little practice, you'll be applying yours like a pro! 

What You Need to Know About Makeup Removers

When it's finally time to call it a day (a very long one, usually) makeup removal is probably the last thing on your mind. With an abundance of cleansing waters, cleansing oils, makeup removing wipes and pads on the market, how do you choose just one? Don't worry. We’ve done the research for you, but first, it’s important to know the proper way to clean your face.

It's a dirty little secret that not enough people take their makeup off at night and those that do often don't do it properly. Removing your makeup before cleansing prevents clogged pores and prevent breakouts. In fact, if you are wearing heavy makeup we recommend you perform this task twice!

For eyes, it’s very important to remove makeup with a remover made specifically for the eyes since it's such sensitive area. Why is eye makeup removal so important? Leftover mascara can lead to eye infections, discoloration, and puffy eyes come the morning. Be particular about how you remove eye makeup. Hold a cotton ball with remover over your lids for a minute to dissolve the product, then wipe away. Oils are especially good for removing long-wearing eye makeup.

So how do you decide on which remover to choose? Below is a short list composed of a few of the many different types of removers out there, so you can find the one that will really work for you.

MAKEUP WIPES: The answer to late nights and vacation time, makeup wipes come in different strengths. Some contain stronger ingredients than others, but all get the majority of makeup off your face so you can sleep clean.

CLEANSING OIL: Perfect for dehydrated skin, cleansing oil helps to balance your skin’s natural sebum production, but rinses into a milky emulsion. Ideal for removing long-lasting or water-resistant makeup, the oil breaks down virtually any ingredient.

OIL-BASED MAKEUP REMOVER: If you’re looking for a standard formula that takes off your makeup in one wipe, turn to a liquid oil-based makeup remover. Unlike cleansing oils, these frothy formulas contain water-based ingredients so you never feel an oily residue on your skin. 

MICELLAR WATER/CLEANSING WATER: A gentle option for sensitive skin, micellar or cleansing water will remove basic makeup. It often needs to be wiped on two or three times to completely clean the skin. We recommend using an eye makeup remover after if you prefer waterproof mascara or long-wearing eye liner. 

EYE MAKEUP REMOVER: Why use a separate remover for your eyes? The area around your peepers is incredibly sensitive, and requires a more delicate formula compared to the rest of your face. 

Makeup for Tweens

As the kiddos head back to school, one of the likely questions parents are facing is 'Can I where makeup now?' It's inevitable for most parents of tween girls. Likely some of their friends are following in big sister's foot steps. They see their friends wearing makeup so they want to too. If you have decided to say yes, here are some beginner essentials for those just starting out with makeup:

1. Nude eyeshadow - This is flattering and subtle on most everyone. This way she feels like she is wearing shadow but it’s not pink, green or bright blue. Make sure to get an eyeshadow brush with a handle for her to use with it. It makes it even more special.

2. Blush - Something soft and pink. Not outside of what she would normally flush naturally when she is running around. Also once, again if you get a nice big fluffy blush brush to use with it, she will really feel like she’s wearing more than she is.

3. Lip gloss - Choose a shade only slightly deeper than her natural lip color. A sheer, rosy gloss will look pretty, but not overdone.

Most kids want to appear older, but that's not the point of makeup. By avoiding heavier makeup like mascara, liner and foundation, she will still look her age by starting off with the subtle basics. Then, when she gets a little older and starts high school, take her to a professional makeup artist to get a real lesson in applying makeup.

Strange Celebrity Beauty Habits

We all have something that makes us particular—a unique habit or two that we don’t share with anyone else. It comes as no surprise that celebrities have some unique—and even unusual—habits of their own. People are people, right?

Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

There's no doubt that Kate is an unparalleled beauty. What's her secret? Supposedly Kate slathers on a cream that contains bee-sting venom. Considered an organic alternative to botox, the cream was created by beauty therapist Deborah Mitchell.

Cameron Diaz, Actress

Think your grocery bill is high? Not like Cameron's! Reports are that the actress prefers to wash her face with bottled Evian water. 

Tom Cruise, Actor

Sure, exercise keeps Tom Cruise looking so young but that's not all. The newly single actor also indulges in the occasional Geisha facial—which includes powdered Nightingale droppings. The technique, borrowed from Japanese geishas who used the bird excrements as exfoliants, also counts Victoria Beckham as a fan. 

Mascara Made Easy Part II

Welcome to part two of Mascara Made Easy - here we focus specifically on application technique and tips.

 

Apply to Top Lashes Only

Many makeup artists recommend applying mascara only to the top lashes. If you want to make eyes appear wider, apply mascara to the bottom lashes but make sure you give bottom lashes a light touch. Not great at getting those bottom lashes? Try putting a tissue under them before application.

 

What it Means to "Apply a 2nd Coat" of Mascara

Confused by a magazine's directives to coat eyelashes with "no more than 3 coats of mascara?" It seems magazines have been giving these directions since forever. What they mean is to apply the coats of mascara all at once before the first coat dries. Once the first coat dries, you'll get clumps if you attempt another swipe at the lashes.

Thou Shalt Not Pump Wand In & Out of Tube

This only introduces air into the tube, which will cause your mascara to dry out sooner than it should.

 

Bend the Wand

A top makeup artist once gave his secret to his steady hand: he always bends his wand at a right angle.

 

Wait to Blink & Double Check Once Dry

Try to wait 5 seconds before blinking after you apply mascara or you could end up with mascara dots all along your eye lid. Also double check your lids before you step out just in case you’ve got those dots going on. It's embarrassing to find out hours later that you've done a poor makeup job on yourself.

All About Lash Extentions

Lash extensions are quickly becoming a beauty staple when it comes to a night out on the town. Lash Extensions add length, thickness and fullness to natural eyelashes. Longer lashes will make your eyes more open and will give them an enlarged look. Often without the hassle of mascara! 

The strips of eyelashes you see in the make-up department at your local drug store don’t have a thing on professional lash extensions which are single lash extensions applied one by one to individual eyelashes. This process involves carefully separating the natural lashes with fine point tweezers to reveal one healthy eyelash. The lash extension is then dipped into a medical grade adhesive and attached to the natural eyelash. The process is repeated until all eyelashes are covered. Touch-ups are recommended every 2-4 weeks.

Here is a quick reference list on how to get the most out of your lash extensions. 

Lash Extensions DOs:

• Before you arrive make sure that your eyes are free of make up
• Before you arrive wash your eyelashes and remove any mascara or residual oils
• Lash Tinting or Airbrush Tanning should be done at least 48 prior
• Keep your new eyelash extensions completely dry for 24 hours after application
• Follow individual instructions for proper home care given to you by the artist

Lash Extensions DONTs

• No oil based products around your eyelash extensions
• No use of waterproof mascara
• Avoid excessive exposure to heat, steam and swimming
• Avoid excessive pulling or rubbing of your eyelash extensions

Mascara Made Easy Part I

Here we share our best mascara tricks and tips, plus how to properly apply mascara. Yes, there is a right and wrong way to do it!

How to Properly Apply Mascara

Ace your mascara application with a 3-step process:

1. Wiggle the wand left to right at the base of lashes. It's the mascara placed near the roots, not the tips, that gives the illusion of length.
2. Pull the wand up and through lashes, wiggling as you go. The wiggling part is key because it separates lashes.
3. In this final step, close the eye and place the mascara wand on top of lashes at the base and pull through to remove any clumps.

 

How to Keep Lashes From Clumping

For some, lash combs are simply too fussy. But for some makeup artists, they're a great invention and keep lashes glob-free and perfectly separated. To use a lash comb, first apply mascara at the lash base, then wiggle the lash comb through to the tips of your lashes.

Not into the lash comb? Get rid of clumps without them by removing excess mascara from the wand. Wipe wand on tissue, this eliminates blobs BEFORE you start.

Another great way to get rid of clumps is to sweep a clean, fresh mascara wand through lashes when they're wet. Also called spoolie wands, you can find these in the make-up brush area of the beauty department. Or recycle a wand from your finished mascara tube.

Don't Be Afraid to Mix Mascaras

A trick makeup artists use to make lashes pop is apply one coat of lengthening mascara, followed by one coat of thickening mascara. Remove excess product with a clean spoolie wand.

Try a Colored Mascara

Basic mascara rules are simple: Black works for everyone but can be harsh on light-skinned blondes. Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black for night. Burgundy or plum colors make blue eyes pop, as do blue mascaras. Purple mascara looks great on brown eyes.

Use an Eyelash Curler

Curling lashes gives eyes the appearance of being wider and brighter. Shoot warm air from your blow dryer on the mascara curler for 3-5 seconds to warm it up before curling lashes. Touch it first to make sure it's not too hot. It's a myth that you have to curl lashes before you apply mascara. You can curl lashes after mascara application, just make sure the mascara is dry first.

Brow Fulfillment Kit - Ciao Perfect Brow - Part II

If you have thinning or sparse eyebrows - the Chella Brow Fulfillment kit might just be for you. Here is part two of Chella's educational video on how this unique system works and how to use it and shape perfect brows.

Brow Full-Fillment Kit - Ciao Perfect Brow

Do you have thin or thinning brows? Have we got the solution for you... Chella’s Brow Full-Fillment Kit is perfect for anyone wanting thicker eyebrows or even for those experiencing sparse or thinning eyebrows.

Chella Brow Full-Fillment Eyebrow Treatment provides essential nutrients, proteins, peptides and amino acids which improve the appearance of brow thickness and volume, fortifying existing hair and minimizing future loss.

This is a very simple product to use which makes it ideal to incorporate into your beauty routine.

Want to know more? Chella has put together a two part video that provides all the details you need. Here is part one - check back next week for part two.

The Chella Heated Eyelash Curler

At EyeQBeauty we’re constantly looking for new products and services that enhance what we currently offer. And wouldn’t you know it…when we go looking we always find something special. The Chella Heated Lash Curler is a great addition to your arsenal when it comes to getting the most out of your beautiful eyes. 

Say Goodbye to the crimping and pinching caused by traditional lash curlers. This sleek, safe, and gentle heating wand is essential to enhance the appearance of your lashes. Designed to be used after mascara application, this curler gently warms lashes to deliver long lasting curl. You can now achieve the maximum curl without damaging your eyelashes for a beautiful & polished look.

Of course, we couldn’t offer this great new tool without also giving you a heads up on how to use it.

Here’s a little demonstration video on how to use the Chella Heated Lash Curler.

A History Of Beautiful Eyes - Feature on Cake Eyeliner

When it comes to making eyes pop, eye makeup ad eye liner is one of the best things invented, ever.

Originally worn by the Egyptians way back when, the black stuff has gone through countless iterations (and myriad colors!), and is now available in almost every medium imaginable. It's easy to see why beginners and buffs alike still have problems choosing their ideal shadows and liner, and every formula has its own pros and cons to consider. If you’re stumped and don’t know how to embrace the world of eye definers, we're going to provide a series for eye experts and novices alike.

EYE DEFINER FEATURE: CAKE
One of the first commercially viable formulas available, cake eye liners are solid, water-activated pigment blocks housed in shallow tins. The thin, watery texture applies like face paint, producing soft, yet crisp lines for a vintage feel.

Skill Level: Moderate-Advanced. Using cake eyeliner with a brush requires some practice. My mom does it, and has done for years - and for some, like er - it comes naturally. Others, like me, well - need to stick with an easier application.

Visit us online for professional eye beauty products.

Ultra-Reflective Eyes - Do It Yourself

Eyes that shimmer and shine are always in style. In this short video Phillippe Chansel, (MAC lead makeup artist), guides you to beautifully reflective eyes.



Visit us for ALL your professional salon eye beauty and care.

A Bad Brow Victim's Top 10 Shaping Tips

‘The eyes are the windows to the soul,’

...so says an old English proverb.

While good eyebrows can define our eyes and make for the best looking windows possible, bad eyebrows can drastically affect our appearance—making us look old or like we are in a constant state of surprise.

Have you been the victim of a brow crime? Have you committed these crimes against yourself? Here are the common 'brow crimes' and how to recover from them.

Brow crimes:

• over-tweezing
• under-tweezing
• too short
• sparse
• misshapen
• badly drawn
• wrong shade

These "crimes" against our face can happen even to the best of us, but there is hope. Follow these tips the next time you start a brow taming session.

1. Do decide on the eyebrow shape first
You need a plan of action on deciding where your brows are going to start, end, and where to place the peak of the arch. Use a white eyeliner or concealer on the hair that you want to remove, so you don't stray off course. If you use salon eyebrow waxing - be sure to discuss this first with your esthetician.

2. Do use a quality pair of tweezers

Most people opt for tweezers when shaping brows at home. You'll be frustrated, and end up taking twice as long if your tweezers slide off or break the hair instead of pulling them out- or can't grab onto short hairs. A good pair of salon professional tweezers is worth the small investment.

3. Do trim brows if needed
Here's a very important eyebrow shaping tip. A big mistake people make is taking out more hair when trimming the excess length really is what needs to go. This helps women achieve that perfectly defined look.

4. Do clean up top of brows

While I'm not suggesting going into the main shape of your brow, experts agree cleaning up the stray hairs above the shape create a more defined, clean eyebrow and can help trouble brows look even with one another.

5. Do use an eyebrow pencil, powder or mousse for filling or correcting
If you have sparse brows, over plucked, or are growing out brows, filling them in will give you the look you want. Use the wrong products or technique and they will look painted on, instead of natural. You can also consider salon  eyebrow tinting.

6. Don't stand too close to the mirror when shaping

With some distance from the mirror you will be able to better see to balance your brows and see the 'whole picture', and have less chance of making brows uneven. After you have your shape achieved, you can then get close-up to better reach the finer, lighter hairs.

7. Don't use a shape that isn't flattering to your face

Arching your brow doesn't mean creating two perfect half circles or arches, which doesn't complement anyone's facial features. It does mean to clean up the excess hair to better frame your eyes.

8. Don't use ice to numb skin
Cold tightens the pores and can make a firmer hold on the hair follicle. You want to soften skin and hair by using a warm washcloth on brows, or do your shaping after your come out of the shower.

9. Don't shave eyebrows (EVER!)

I know there are little razors sold out there specifically for your brows. Think twice…or even thrice…before employing them. They are notoriously difficult to maneuver with any skill. When working on your brows yourself, it’s best to work with tools that alter only one or two hairs at a time.

10. Tweeze for less pain

For less tugging and pain use your free hand to hold skin taut while tweezing. If the hair is just too short for tweezing, don't push the tweezers into the skin. Scraping, bleeding or even scarring can
result if you get a little too forceful with your tweezers. Having some hair is a better option over broken skin. Instead, just wait until the hair is a bit longer and can be easily grabbed on to.

Salon Lash and Brow Bar

We’ve got something new to crow about at EyeQBeauty! Own your own salon? Be a part of the hottest trend in beauty....Lashes & Brows! Add a new service and turn a small piece of square footage in your salon, spa or studio into money with the EyeQBeauty Bar.

• Minimal Start-up cost: Initial investment recovered in less than a week.
• Incremental sales: Upsell existing clients by quickly and easily expanding your service offering.
• Educational Support: Become a pro at lash and brow tinting, sculpting, and perming.
• Marketing Tools: Templates available for E-blasts, Mailers, Menus and more.

Let our Lash & Brow Legends create flawlessly, sculpted brows and luscious lashes for your clients.