The Day I Bought Mineral Oil or How To Remove Individual Lash Glue

My sweet friend, Liz, and I in our pin up garb (complete with apron!) 

Okay folks, so I had a big helping of humble pie this past Fourth of July weekend - my neighbors put together a lovely holiday shin-dig and our theme was to do "Pin Up" hair/makeup/etc.  I went all in!  I attempted, and failed, victory rolls and did a full beat face complete with lashes which I don maybe once a year - I was feeling festive.

Duo Individual Lash Glue on the left, regular Eyelash Adhesive on the right

While in Los Angeles last month I went to Naimie's, and behaved like a pig in mud thank you very much, and whilst there picked up Duo's Clear Individual Lash Adhesive.  I hadn't seen it before, neither had the salesgirl, and thought it must be good because I love their Eyelash Adhesive for all of the lashes I apply for my wedding/event ladies.   Then a major fail occurred.  I did not read the box.  Nor did I keep it.  Once home I threw it out and put the glue in my kit.  Cue foreboding music.

I applied my Ardell 305 Lashes, thank you Kate Baldwin, used my Duo Individual Lash Adhesive figuring it was fine and went to the party.  One am rolled around and we got home and I went to wash my face.  "Hmmm....this glue is serious.  These lashes feel really solid" I thought as I tried to peel them off my eyes.  They wouldn't budge.  After MUCH perusal online I realized that the lash glue I had used was for 2-4 week lash wear - what?!!!  I had a mild panic attack when I realized these were not going to be slipping off easily.  I also finally found info on how to get it off - um, you can't really but if you want to try "try a q-tip with some mineral oil".  Well, have we met?  I don't use mineral oil because it is a major petrochemical and hardcore badie.  So I cracked out my coconut and olive oils, mixed them together and felt certain they would work to dissolve the cement that was on my eyelids.  Nope.  It was about 2:30 in the morning at this point and was ready to put motor oil on my eyes if it might work.  I asked Daniel, champ that he is, to go to the drugstore and get me, HORRORS!, some baby oil (which is made of mineral oil) so we could get this show wrapped up.

My eyelash is holding on for dear life - it had really bonded with me :)

I took a shower while he went in an effort to dissolve some of the glue - no go.  Daniel got back and I ditched the qtips and switched to dipping full cotton pads into the Mineral Oil and holding it on my lashes.

Carnage from the night - and yes, those are MY lashes in the front bowl of mineral oil.  So sad.  

You guys, it literally took an hour to get them off.  It was 4 am at that point and poor Daniel stayed up rubbing my back while I sat there with my eyes covered in Mineral Oil soaked pads occasionally wincing, as that stuff sucks to get in your eyes, and making little squeaky noises as I slowly was able to pull off a millimeter at a time of the lash.  I was ready to kiss that little bottle of Johnson and Johnson!

4am selfie sans makeup, hair and, gratefully, LASHES!!!  

The ONLY reasons I'm putting this out into the world is I wish someone would have just written somewhere to soak a cotton pad in baby oil and hold it on your eye if you ever do this AND to reiterate that reading your labels is SO IMPORTANT.  And to show the power of makeup/hair because the before and after on this, or rather the after/before, is kind of nuts.

Mamma Mia! in Las Vegas Opening Night Goodies

My amazingly talented friend, Kimbre Lancaster, is playing one of the leads, Sophie (the daughter), in the new production of Mamma Mia! at The Tropicana in Las Vegas (yay!) and asked me to put together gift sets from Erin's Faces for the 45 members of her cast - so fun!

Kimbre posing as Sophie and working her magic onstage

We wanted to do something beachy that would work for guys and girls so every person got an Organic Monoi Tiari Scrub and a Shea Butter Body Balm.  We chose a light blue bag, since that's the color of Mamma Mia!, and I printed up cutie gift tags with the show's logo.

If you've got an event - weddings, showers, birthday parties or Broadway openings :) - we'll work with your budget to get you a gift that's handmade and healthy for your peeps!

To see fun opening night gifts for Broadway's "Big Fish" click HERE.

The Lash Loft - Amazing Lashes!

With and without lash extensions

I got to visit The Lash Loft a couple of weeks ago to get some lash extensions and you guys - it was awesome!  My lash technician was Krystal Michel who is the Lead Lash & Brow Tech at The Lash Loft.  She is AMAZING!  Krystal trained in Singapore to learn how to do lash extensions and eyebrow shaping (she's also a permanent makeup queen!).  She asked me what type of lashes I wanted, walked me through the difference between the two types of Silk Lashes - Naturals and Glamours.  Naturals look like your lashes but longer and Glamours look thicker and darker as well as longer.  I voted for Glamour :).  Krystal asked me how long I wanted them to be and I told her to do whatever she wanted so she used four different lengths to create what you see below.

Before and After - you can see that wearing makeup is pointless as it all gets rubbed off but who cares - your lashes look amazing!

They use little silicone pads to tape down your lower lashes (the tape is not on your lashes!) to make it easier for them on multiple levels.  It takes about 1.5-2 hours for them to apply them and on paper they last 3-6 weeks.  My experience is that after 2-3 you'll need a "refill".  The Glamour lashes are also heavier so they need refills more quickly than the Naturals.  The Lash Loft uses Silk or Mink lashes.

The beds you lay on during the service.

Here are some common eyelash extension questions:

*How does it work?

They paint each lash with black glue and attach a "false" lash - single hair - on top and gauge the length depending on what's most flattering for you.

*Will it damage my lashes?

I feel like in the wrong hands there is potential for damage.  If you don't live in NYC and can't go to The Lash Loft then check reviews on Yelp or get a rec from a friend who has awesome lash extensions.  

*Will I need mascara and/or eyeliner?  

With Naturals (I've had them before) I did use mascara, with Glamours you don't need mascara at all.  I did wear eyeliner with Naturals but didn't with Glamours - it's not as necessary and it's harder to remove because they're thicker.  

*Can they look natural on blondes?

Yes, especially if you do Naturals.  The Glamours just look more dramatic but if you look at the picture below - no one can see where they stop and start so in that regard they do look natural.

Not the best quality pic, but you can see that they really do look natural on me even though they're Glamours.

*If you get sweaty working out or walking around in the summer will the slide off?

My experience is no, this will not affect how well they stay as long as if you need to wipe your eyes you don't touch your lashes.

*How does water affect them - swimming/showers/crying?

This is where they get tricky - you can't have running water on them (it obviously happens in the shower but you do your best to avoid it).  If you're wearing goggles to swim laps you'd be fine but if you're going to swim and get your head wet it's not awesome for them.  Crying doesn't seem to affect them if you, again, pat and don't wipe.  

*How do you keep them in place?

They do move, especially after you sleep, and an empty mascara wand if perfect for straightening them up.  The Lash Loft sends you home with one :).  

*Will they get crumpled/bent?

I'm sure that they technically could but you'd have to be a creative sleeper.  If you sleep on your stomach this could happen more easily I would assume.  Otherwise, not really.

*Are they good for honeymoons/vacations/camping trips?

They're awesome for them!  Your lashes look great with zero effort.

*Is it better than mascara and a curler?

If your lashes are crazy long and thick then no.  Otherwise, yes.  It takes 20 seconds to get them in place and they look amazing and they're yours.  I got asked all the time what mascara I was wearing (none!) and if I used a lash enhancing serum.  

I also did a brow shaping and dye job which was great to cover the little white hairs that are creeping into my brows - you can see them in the top pic on the brow on the right and they're gone in the bottom pic!  The excess dye on my skin came off when I got home and washed my face.

So if you're thinking about doing lash extensions feel totally safe doing it at The Lash Loft - every woman that walked out of their doors looked phenomenal - perfect lashes on each one!

The Lash Loft is located at 34 East 20th Street.  212.353.2517

Lash Extensions run $150-200.  Brow Shaping and Tinting is $45.

Broadway Battles Bullying Benefit

Michael Morones

Last night I got to be a part of a wonderful benefit for Michael Morones, Broadway Battles Bullying.  Eleven year-old Michael loves the TV series "My Little Pony" and was repeatedly bullied at his school as a result.  Out of desperation this past January Michael attempted to hang himself from his bunk bed.  "This joyful and otherwise resilient boy had reached a moment when he felt taking his own life was the only solution.  Michael was found in time to save his life, but not soon enough to prevent permanent and severe brain damage.  Though it was originally unclear if Michael would make it out of the hospital, he is now undergoing rehab.  The potential extent of his recovery remains unclear, but he will need ongoing managed care for the remainder of his life" (www.BroadwayBattlesBullying.com).

My amazing friend, Rich Silverstein, championed this cause, gathered together a tribe of volunteers and performers for the benefit and I was so happy to get to have Erin's Faces do the makeup and Blow and Co. Blow Dry Bar do the hair - here are some pictures from the night -

Jennifer Laura Thompson of "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "Wicked" sang Annie Lennox's "Beautiful Child"

Anastacia McCleskey of "Violet" and "The Book of Mormon" sang "I Am Changing" from "Dreamgirls" 

Mariand Torres from "Wicked" and "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812" sang Sara Bareilles' "Brave"

Carrie Manolakos of "Mamma Mia!" sang Paula Cole's "Me"

Jill Paice of "Matilda" and "The 39 Steps" sang "Hold On" from "The Secret Garden"

Opera diva Joyce DiDonato who is singing at the Met this month sang "Una voce poco fa" from "The Barber of Seville"

Lauren Worsham of "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" sang "The Beauty Is" from "The Light in the Piazza"

Sydney Lucas from "Fun Home" sang "Ring of Keys" from the show

If you would like to donate to Michael's cause please click HERE for his recovery fund.

NBC's New York Live "Makeup For Every Skintone" Video Segment

I'm so excited to share this clip with our group!!  We shot this segment with Lilliana Vazquez for NBC's New York Live at DryBar in Murray Hill back in November and it just aired this week.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO 

The concept I wanted to implement was finding a color palette that would work on literally any skintone at all - light, medium or deep.  So I started off applying the proper complexion products on each girl as those would, of course, be different.  I then applied these Erin's Faces products to each model -

Magic Dust, Mineral Eyeshadow in Sunset, Mineral Blush in Tulip, Satin Lipstick in Spice, Mineral Lipgloss in Enchanted - for individual products click on each name or click HERE for all of them in one spot

On Maggie we focused on a bold lip and did Spice Lipstick full force with just a hit of gloss on top.  Because Tulip is so bright we just used a hit of it on her apples.  Because her lip was the focus I went softer on Maggie's eyes and used Magic Dust on the inner half and the Sunset on the outer half.  Her complexion colors were Mineral Foundation - Linen and Mineral Concealer - Light.

For Di Ana I wanted a look that would work be easy breezey/work appropriate - we went super soft on everything - shadow and cheeks with Magic Dust as a cheek highlight.  For lips I did a stain effect with the lipstick meaning I just dotted it on the lip and smudged it in with my finger/lipbrush and then put TONS of Enchanted gloss on top.  Di Ana's complexion colors were Mineral Foundation - Natural Beige and Mineral Concealer - Medium.

On Yvonne I wanted an eye that would draw you in so I wet the shadow brush, squeezed it out and then went into the Sunset shadow.  What that does is give you a heavier, more saturated pigment (and Sunset is pretty pigmented anyhow!).  I blended the edges with a dry shadow brush and threw Magic Dust on the inner corners of the eyes.  Lipwise was a pretty equal pairing of lipstick and gloss.  Yvonne's complexion colors were Mineral Foundations - Fawn & Honey Bronze.

Abaco Neem - Touring a Neem Farm in The Bahamas

The view from the deck of our house from Airbnb - it was ridiculously gorgeous!

You guys, I had the MOST amazing time last month when my husband and I got to go to Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas.  While we were flying in I was thumbing through one of the tourist magazines they give out and I saw a write up on Abaco Neem, a shop that creates their own skin/bodycare line, and immediately got excited because one of my products contains Neem Oil (Organic Silk Cream in case you're wondering).  I read further and saw that you could get a TOUR of the farm - yes please!  I called, booked it, learned it would take about an hour and a half (we were there for nearly four!) and here's what went down -

We walked in and were given a tour of the store by the sweet Angel (who I sadly didn't get a picture of) who took us through the product line as well as let us get a sneak peek in the back of the store!

Drying Neem leaves on racks

Miss Barbara who was making Neem Leaf Capsules - Miss Barbara mixes EVERYTHING Abaco Neem makes!

Amazing racks of handmade soaps - I may have bought five or six.

Bottles waiting to be labeled.

So why do we care about Neem as a concept?  I learned SO much - including the fact that all parts of the Neem tree have benefits - tree roots, bark, leaves, flowers, fruit, seed kernels and seed oil.  "All parts of the tree contain compounds with proven antiseptic, immune-stimulating, anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal uses." (www.abaconeem.com)  It's appropriate for both aging, dry skin as well as breakout prone and both pets and plants can benefit as well.  Here are some of the items I bought that I fell in love with -

The soap I was referring to - it is AWESOME - so creamy, non-drying and it comes in a variety of fragrances.

The straight Neem Oil is the star of the show.  When co-owner, Daphne, showed me Neem Oil she had purchased from India (where most Neem Oil comes from) it looked like the color of molasses and had some residue at the top.  She then showed me hers which was a golden shade with no sediment.  The difference happens because the team at Abaco Neem handpicks every piece of fruit and nothing that is spoiled makes the cut.  I learned that in India they tend to be working on such a massive scale that quality control is harder to maintain.  Oh, and did I mention that Abaco Neem's Neem Oil is Certified Organic?  So much so that their oil is safe enough to ingest (it's commonly toxic because of said lack of quality control) as it's pharmaceutical grade.  Diabetics and those susceptible to slow healing of cuts, skin breakage or skin cancer are major beneficiaries.  

Okay - so I can talk about this stuff for hours - the First Aid Spray and the Neem Leaf Extract are the same product, one is in a dropper, one is in a spray.  My husband was having a skin issue on his foot and when we got in the ocean the salt dried his foot out and made it painful.  One squirt of this stuff and he had instant relief.  We used it our entire trip.  When we got home my dog had some hotspots on his tummy and we used the Neem Leaf Extract and they cleared up SO FAST.  I am in huge support of these products.

And speaking of pooches, you can grab the Pet Capsules to protect against heartworm or you can grab the Neem Cake, which is cheaper, grind it up in your Magic Bullet and add it to your pooch's food.  Just sprinkle about 1/8 of a tsp on top and you're good to go.  

So let's get to the farm!

Our first view of the farm and young trees

A Neem Tree

Neem Fruit - it takes a tree 3-5 years to produce fruit which then gets washed and the kernel inside is what gets pressed for Neem Oil.  The Bahamas get hit with hurricanes, as you know, so the folks at Abaco Neem need to keep three years of Neem Oil on hand at all times in case that happens.  

Citronella plant - who knew they looked like that?!

The farm has all kinds of trees - the pomegranate shown above, henna, banana, calabash, macadamia nut and papaya just to name a few.

Nick Miaoulis, founder of Abaco Neem, who we found out working the farm.  He gathered some homegrown goodies for us to try including Sugar Cane.

Nick cut coconuts off their Coconut Palm Trees (because they press their own Coconut Oil - PS, they also press their own Aloe Leaf Juice - I have a major crush on these people) so we could have some AMAZING coconut water and then scrape the meat out to eat that too.  They also have almond trees so we got to have fresh almonds as well!

Daniel and me enjoying our coconut water and Nick and his wife, Daphne, who are native Bahamians and some of the hardest working folks I've ever met - an incredible inspiration!

We had a wonderful time learning about Neem and getting to watch sunsets in Abaco!

Sunset from our house