What if you could have thicker, lusher lashes permanently? How far would you go to achieve that look? Would you have hair transplant surgery?

Once used exclusively to restore the eyebrows and eyelashes of women and men who had suffered loss of eyebrows or eyelashes through accidents, burns, disease or other physical reasons, transplantation of eyelashes is now being sought after for purely cosmetic reasons.

The procedure involved in eyelash transplantation is minimally invasive and usually takes only one session to complete. Surgeons remove donor hair, usually from the back of your head and transplant them onto the eyelids. The result is fuller and thicker lashes. The cost is about $3000 per lid.

The lashes will need to be trimmed regularly, as they will grow just as head hair grows. They may also need to be curled to follow the general curve of the existing lashes.

Check out this site for an explanation of the procedure and some before and after photos:

Hair Sight dot com

Read the story from Reuters on CNN:

Docs look to create perfect lashes

Vitamin C is becoming a popular ingredient in skin care products; it is an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals and stimulates collagen synthesis as well as preventing the breakdown of collagen. Collagen is what gives the skin “bulk” and keeps lines and wrinkles at bay. But is the Vitamin C in these products in a form that can actually provide the benefits promised?

Unfortunately, you can’t get more Vitamin C to your skin by eating more citrus or taking supplements. The body regulates the amount of C that is absorbed this way and since Vitamin C is water-soluble, any excess you ingest is excreted.

Vitamin C, is unstable and oxidizes quickly once exposed to the air and light. The product should contain stabilizers to keep the Vitamin C from oxidizing. If the product began as white in color but has yellowed, the Vitamin C has oxidized.

One source of Vitamin C that I have tried is Adrienne Arpel’s C-Source Vitamin C capsules. The product comes in individual capsules that protect the stability of the Vitamin C while providing the correct amount for each day’s application. After applying you will be amazed at how smooth and silky your skin feels. Adrienne Arpel is a cosmetics industry icon who still manages to look glamorous and makes quality products.

You can get a 30-day supply of capsules at MSN Shopping for $32.50. Over at the Home Shopping Network website, 36 capsules are selling for $29.50 with free shipping and handling but only on an auto-ship basis, where the product is automatically shipped to you on a regular basis. The best deal I found was at Drugs Depot where 30 capsules are going for $24.99.

If you are using the brush that came with your blush, chances are you are using a brush that is too small, too stiff and unsuited to the task.

Blush is not meant to be a stripe of bright color on the sides of your face. Streaks of red, pink or brown that appear “painted on” end up looking clownish.

Choose a large, soft, fluffy brush to apply your cheek color. Don’t overload the brush. Sweep the brush across the blush product to load the bristles with color, then tap it to shake off any excess.

Start below the cheekbone ridge and brush lightly up to the “apples” of your cheeks. The color should give you a natural glow to your cheeks and there should be no discernible edges.

A great brush is the key to proper application of blush. Bare Escentuals Tapered Blush Brush is exactly the type of brush we recommend. It’s available at Amazon for $15.00 but if you shop local stores and beauty outlets, you might some great deals on brushes and brush sets. It’s not the name that makes you beautiful, it’s having the right tools, the right methods and the right products for you.

One of the trendiest and easiest to accomplish hairstyles is the messy updo or bun. These are not the carefully constructed updos of yesteryear, with every hair diligently sprayed and cemented in place. The messy ‘do is full and soft, feminine and elegant but fun and easy.

To achieve the look, gather hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck and twist as you pull upwards. Then pin the twist to the back with hairpins or use especially designed “claw” clips. Ends should hang free. They can be straight and spiky or curled. Pull a few hairs at the sides, in front of the ears to further soften the look. These can be curled too, for tendrils that frame your face. Give yourself more height on top by back-brushing the hair in front before styling, or use your fingers to pull it out and up a bit. You can use a finishing spray or gel to tame shorter stray hairs and keep them in place. Add a hair stick or hair jewelry to jazz up your style.