Let me back up.

Throughout my career & my life, I literally have tried every mascara, every lash curler, ANYTHING  to enhance my lashes. I have also tried a LOT on other woman. But my life changed when I heard about Latisse.I was interviewed by Kimberly Kennedy on ABC for a health segment at Dr. Pradeep Sinha’s office the week that Latisse went on the market and I was his patient for the segment so I got to ask ALL the questions.  I bought it from Dr. Rudderman at OH2 Spa in February 2009. And so, I went wild, putting it on every night religiously & meticulously. My lashes grew & grew, and they looked incredible; they were Minnie Mouse lashes! They were soooo long, but unfortunately not at all full or thick. This annoyed me, but they were still longer than what I had with no intervention. One week I forgot to put it on for a few nights & just like that, my lashes returned to their short little nubby selves.  You HAVE to apply Latisse everyday to get your lashes to grow. However, don’t worry, I resumed my scrupulous Latisse applying routine soon after they got long again. The Minnie lashes were back, however still no thickness. Apparently Latisse is supposed to create thickness in people’s lashes, but for some reason, mine didn’t get any thicker (and they weren’t thick to begin with!)

Originally I wasn’t concerned about the side effects of Latisse (there are  a few-make sure you read the potential list) and after nine months of using the magical stuff, I developed an allergy!  I was devastated. I don’t usually react to anything. However, I have seen quite a few clients now complaining of the same thing. I thought my lashes were doomed to return to tiny stubs forever because I couldn’t use Latisse anymore, but around the same time, one of my make-up artists introduced me to eyelash extensions. Her lashes were so long & dark & lush that it made me want them! So long story short, I got lash extensions and they changed my life.  I was completely amazed. I am typing this right now & I am sure I have told many of you in the studio that, I. Will. Never. Ever. Be. The. Same. Ever. These lash extensions are incredible! They are so real looking that no one believes they aren’t real.  I get nearly every person looking at my saying, “you’re lashes are BEAUTIFUL!” Not only do they give me length, but they give me volume & thickness that I couldn’t get from Latisse. These lashes make a huge difference! I wear less make-up, NEVER wear mascara, and , more importantly, look well rested & bright eyed, even when I’m not, which is usually the case.

So while I’m not discounting Latisse,  lash extensions are absolutely amazing! Tatiana, our own Authentic Beauty Lash girl is here at the studio by appointment working on Authentic Beauty clients. Lash extensions are placed on each of your individual lashes, one at a time. Your eyes are closed through out the entire painless process & the lashes are put on with a special medical-grade, odorless adhesive that binds the lash to your own natural lash about one millimeter away from your skin.  I even take naps while she was doing them!

The extensions will last anywhere from two to six weeks depending on the growth cycle of your lashes and how well you take care of them. They fall out when your lash is ready to fall out, which is the natural shedding process your lashes go through; typically that is between 60 to 100 days. It is recommended that maintain your new lash extensions with a fill every two to three weeks. Lash Extensions are resistant to water, heat, pool chlorine, perspiration & water-based cleansers. Make sure to avoid excessive rubbing around your eye area. Also avoid oil based cleansers, lotion & make-up remover; gel based cleansers are suggested. Use a small Q-tip to carefully clean the eyeliner around your eye. Mascara is not necessary when you have Lash Extensions! So don’t apply any & waste the lashes!

Tatiana specialize in synthetic extensions as they feel that they provide the most beautiful, natural look while preserving the integrity of the natural lash. Compared to the typical lash extension, they are feather-light, softer, and more glamorous. They don’t “count” lashes like other extension technicians but rather customizes extensions to fit your needs. Whether you are going for a “natural” look and just want to slightly thicken/lengthen your lashes, or the “glam” look and want to be red-carpet-ready, she will work with you to achieve your desired look.

Call/email Stephanie  at 404-849-0443 email info@authenticbeautyllc for any questions, to set-up a consultation/appointment, or to have her explain the process in more depth than this blog.

Lash Costs:

-Full Set of Eyelash Extensions (1 1/2-2 hrs. initial application)
$150 (normally $200)
-Fill  (45 mins-1 hr. touch-up)
$65 (normally $85)
-Swarovski Crystals Added to Service
$1 each

So whatever route you choose, you can’t go wrong! I loved Latisse until I developed an allergy & now I love my Lash Extensions! I will NEVER be without my lashes again.

I was approached by a friend of my daughter’s, Rachel, who took it on as her sophomore project to host a fundraiser for her friend Summer (also a sophomore at Riverwood High School) who was being treated for a rare form of cancer. As many of you know I am a HUGE supporter of CURE, CHOA, Bert’s Big Adventure, Kate’s Club among others. Usually if I am asked to support in some way..if I can, I will. Well, Rachel needed help with sponsors and my friends at Best Self, Gym of Buckhead and Body Awareness came through. Please read about Summer’s amazing story and how, in the face of her own situation has reached out to make it better for others. Let this be a life lesson to all of us.

The event is this Sunday April 15th from 6:30-9:30 at Ray’s on the River. Price of Admission $15. Please consider attending.

Read all about it on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/events/199870813459575/

If you cannot be there, Please consider donating. Authentic Beauty has committed to donating a percentage of ALL prom makeup services this season to support Team Summer. Read more about Prom makeup HERE

Taken from Summer’s website at  www.TeamSummer.org:

Team Summer is an organization started by a teenage cancer patient to help other kids just like her cope with the difficulties of having the disease.

Right after 15-year-old Summer Dale was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer, family friends ordered a batch of purple bracelets with “Team Summer” on them. The idea was to sell the bracelets for $5 each, with half the money raised going toward Summer’s medical bills, and the other half going into a pool of money to be donated any place of Summer’s choosing.

What happened next surprised everyone. Rather than donate the money to cancer research or to a children’s hospital, Summer had her own idea about what to do with the money. She wanted to use it to directly help other kids with cancer, to let them know they were in this together.

So Summer started talking to other kids she met in hospital waiting rooms to find out what she could do to make their journey a little easier. She met Sarah, an 11-year-old girl facing her second bout with cancer. She learned that Sarah had to drive two hours each way for her chemotherapy treatments, with nothing to do during the long trips. UsingTeam Summer funds, Summer bought Sarah an iPod Touch so she could play her favorite game, Angry Birds, in the car. Sarah’s mom was moved to tears and said, “I just didn’t know people could be so nice.”

When people found out what Summer was doing, they bought more bracelets, and Summer gave out more gifts, including one to a 20-year-old girl named Lacey, who had recently been diagnosed with bone cancer. She had been a dancer and part-time model. Not being able to dance anymore was hard enough, but losing her hair to chemotherapy was devastating to Lacey. Her self-esteem had plummeted. She would not let anyone take a picture of her bald because she thought she looked like a boy. Summer usedTeam Summer funds to pay for a photo session, complete with a professional photographer and wardrobe & makeup artist. Lacey loved every minute of it! She said, “I didn’t feel like a cancer patient that day!” Even she agreed she didn’t look like a boy!

Then came the next step for Team Summer. After Summer gave a gift to Josiah, a little boy diagnosed with a cancer of the nerve tissue, Josiah’s uncle told Summer he was so grateful that he wanted to sell Team Summer bracelets, too. That gave Team Summer an idea. Why not branch out, give other families the same opportunity that Summer’s family had been given? So Summer ordered the first batch of Team Josiah bracelets with the Team Summer logo stamped on the back. Next were Team Lacey bracelets.

Now those families are selling bracelets, too – with half the money helping them with medical bills and the other half coming back toTeam Summer to help other kids with cancer. And those kids are now on the lookout for other kids with cancer they can help.

A nurse treating cancer patients every day said, “This is such a great idea. I wonder why no one has ever thought of it before!”

What Team Summer has figured out is that kids are in a unique position to help each other. The friendships created sustain them through their journey and help tackle two of the biggest challenges kids with cancer face – isolation and fear.

Help Summer help other kids battling cancer! Make your tax-deductible donation today!

April 28th, 2011  10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

You’ve been asking for it and we’ve listened! Join us for this special event!

Photography by our super accomplished shooter Sara Hanna (www.SaraHanna.com). She’s renowned for her work of celebrities, lifestyle, fashion and beauty.

Receive hair, makeup and 2 headshots for a reduced rate of $150, reg. $225.

Contact Authentic Beauty today to reserve your time slot!

404-849-0443

Prom is most likely the first time that a girl gets to dress up like a princess for “real”. If you think about it there are so few moments in one’s lifetime, post prom in which you are given the chance to truly ‘dress to the nines”. I recommend to absolutely make your own or your daughter’s prom experience unforgettable.

Prom is the time to let your own personal style shine and to show off how well you “clean up”.  At Authentic Beauty we believe that your image should be a projection of your Authentic Self.  If you have the opportunity to do some reflecting about what kind of style you would prefer you will feel more like your Self and less like someone playing dress up. Is your style Pretty, Flirty, Glamorous,  Exotic, Glitzy, Romantic, Vintage, Futuristic, Bohemian, Classic or Clean?  Or a combination of a few? Start pulling some pictures of makeup looks you are drawn to and see if any of them complement your dress choice. If you are on Pinterest I highly recommend making a few boards with a few different themes and then choose which ones you truly love. Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration

There are no hard and fast rules about makeup for your event. You want to choose a look that complements the overall style of the dress and choose colors that are in the color palette of the dress. The most important tip I can give is that the makeup must last. If you are doing your  own makeup you might want to practice a few times and take a few pictures of yourself to make sure that you have achieved the look you were going for.

Professional makeup application is a great way to ensure that your makeup will complement your attire, be meticulously applied and last all night. Professional artists (not counter girls who are sales associates) are trained to craft a look that will be unique to you and your coloring, facial structure, attire and leave you loving what you see when you look in the mirror.

I found this article to have some great tips that I agree with so feel free to explore and take what you like. http://www.beauty-tips.net/makeuptips/general/prom-makeup.htm#axzz1rmO2Ita3

Makeup is incredibly important in building a beautiful image on such an important night. Unfortunately I think it is an after thought for many. A lot girls are afraid of makeup and of being MADE OVER. If it is applied properly it will absolutely enhance who you are and project the best you possible without looking overly done and being camera ready at the same time. We want your date to look at you and think “WOW! You look Great” Not,  ”Oh! Look at that makeup”. If you don’t have any makeup on; here you are with this fancy dress and NO FACE. You look faceless with no makeup in a beautiful dress. Imagine if a celebrity didn’t wear any makeup on the red carpet?  I am not saying that you are not beautiful without any makeup but what I am saying is be appropriate to your environment. Just as women who wear too much makeup at the gym look silly so do women in dresses with no makeup. It’s about balance.

I hope you allow yourself to have fun this Prom season and experiment with lots of fun and exciting looks. There is a LOT to choose from. And if you would like to explore professional makeup application Authentic Beauty is here for you! We are offering Prom Makeup, Hair and Spray Tanning Specials with a percentage of services going to support Team Summer. (Read all about Riverwood Sophomore Student Summer Dale and her journey to overcoming cancer www.teamsummer.org)

Numerous designers showed versions of this trend, including YSL, Jason Wu, Dior, and Erdem to name a few.
While a bold,opaque, matte poppy lip creates a strong statement, it is certainly not for everyone. Our version is closest to the version shown on the Zac Posen runway (see below): a sheer wash of bold color.

The sheerness of the gloss is a great way to experiment and add a pop of color without overwhelming the face.

To create this look, begin with your foundation of choice for clean “canvas”.

Next, fill in your brows with your perfect shade of Wonderbrow, a creamy gel-based wax and a stiff angled brush.

Press Breathless or Cosmic Latte shadow ($15) all over the lid using a Chisel Deluxe Fluff brush ($12.50).
Add a little into the inner corners of the eye and below the lower lash lines with a Squirrel Precision Blender ($26).
This is a great way to make the eye pop without adding too much darkness below the eye.

Next, line the upper lash line with Espresso shadow ($15) and a Small Sable Angle brush ($14). This brush creates a precise but soft line, making your lashes look super lush.

Line the inner rims (waterline) with a White pencil ($13). This is many a makeup artist’s favorite trick for making the eye appear more open and awake, and enhancing the eye color.

Next, warm the face with a pressed powder in a shade 2-3 shades darker than your skin. This is the best way to achieve a naturally bronzed effect. Sweep the powder along the cheeks, hairline, and bridge of the nose: the areas where the sun would naturally ‘kiss” your face.

Line then fill in the lip softly with Ginger pencil ($13), and top with Rave Review ($16.50), a sheer poppy gloss.

Need a little extra help perfecting the “Sultry in Santorini” look? Come in to the studio for a one-on-one lesson with an Authentic Beauty artist! Seasonal looks lessons are $50 (regularly $75) for a limited time. Call the studio today to reserve your time, or self-schedule online via www.schedulicity.com.

All brushes and products available at Authentic Beauty.

Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sofia Loren made this look famous in days of yore. More recently, it can be seen on Adele on the cover of Vogue (and pretty much all the time, for that matter), and gracing the pages of fashion magazines and red carpets everywhere.

Among the long list of fashion houses showing this look during Spring Fashion Week 2012 were Chanel, Ruffian, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Jill Sander, Dolce & Gabana (see below right), and Jonathan Saunders.

To achieve this look, begin by prepping the lids with your foundation or concealer. This ensures the longevity of your application.

Press a flesh-toned eye shadow, like Bisque ($15) all over the eye, from lash line to brow bone.

Using a Squirrel Mini Crease brush ($25), contour the crease and outer corner of the eye with Taupe or Caramel shadow (both $15).

Draw a thin line along top lash lines only with a Black pencil ($13), thickening the line as it reaches the outer corners to create a winged effect.

Next, mix Black Onyx shadow ($15) with Eyeliner Sealer ($12) to create a liquid liner, and trace over the line you’ve created. The beauty of Eyeliner Sealer is that it once applied, it is completely budge-proof.

Take the same shade that was used in the crease of the eye, and apply below the cheek bones with an aDesign Flat Top Foundation Brush ($38).
This technique creates a sculpted appearance and really makes the cheekbones pop.

Line the lip softly with Sand pencil ($13), and top off with a healthy dose of Hello Sexy gloss ($16.50), a shimmering peachy beige. All products available at Authentic Beauty.

Need a little help getting Pretty in Paris? Come in for a one-on-one lesson with an Authentic Beauty artist. Seasonal looks lessons are on special for $50 (regularly $75) for a limited time.
Not only do we promise you will love what you see when you look in the mirror, but that you will be able to do it yourself!

Our first Spring 2012 look,  Lovely in London, takes its cue from the luminous, flushed complexions seen all over the spring runways.

This classic look enhances your natural beauty in a very fresh way. It evokes the elegant, modern simplicity of Kate Middleton.

Louis Vuitton, Versace (see right), Tracy Reese, Viktor & Rolf,  and Elie Saab all showed varying versions of this ethereal, feminine look.

Lovely in London  begins with radiant skin and rosy flushed cheeks, and combines soft glowing eyes

with a rosebud lip.

For this look, begin by lining the top lash line with Suede pencil ($13).

Blend out slightly with a Squirrel Precision Blender ($23), and top with Champagne shadow ($15).

Add a little depth to the crease with Caramel shadow ($15) and a Squirrel Mini Crease brush ($25).

Using the same brush, highlight the brow bone with Sheer Sand ($15).

For a natural-looking flush, smile and apply Beauty for Real cream cheek color in “In the Pink” to the

apples of the cheeks in a circular motion.

Use the coordinating highlight color, “Get Lit”, along the tops of the cheekbones, above the arch of

your brow, and in the inner corners of the eye. (Beauty forReal Cream Cheek and Highlight Duo- $29)

On the lips, apply Berry lip stain ($19.50) along the lips, concentrating the color on the center of the lips to give the “eating a popsicle”

effect. For a little shine, add a touch of Love Potion #9 gloss ($16.50).

Need a little help achieving your Lovely in London look? Come in to the studio for a lesson,  and spend some one-on-one time with an

Authentic Beauty artist. We guarantee that you will be able to achieve the look(s) we teach you, and that you will LOVE what you see

when you look in the mirror.

All products available at Authentic Beauty, 4674 Roswell Rd Atlanta, GA 30342.

Complimentary Hair Consultation, styling, with that receive a $25.00 gift certificate for hair services only with Charles Farlow
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2012-02-24
End Time: 21:00