Introducing Lizette!

Get Always Perfect Eyebrows in an Instant!

Introducing, Lizette, our new line of under eye concealers, conditioning mascaras, and 

the perfect eyebrow.

Come by the office this week for a true color match.

Eyebrow Transplants - What Women are Turning to for Fuller Brows

Over the years people have noticed that the persistent plucking and weekly waxing have led to thinner eyebrows.  Filling them in with a pencil has become monotonous and tattoos are just not an option, they look fake.  Those who are experiencing this have turned to transplants.

When it comes to eyebrows, thin is no longer in.  Full, thick, dark eyebrows have become the standard for celebrities.  Kim Kardashian, eyebrow icon, has set the bar for dramatic and bold brows.

Unfortunately we all are not blessed with her thick eyebrows and her makeup artist, we have the option of an eyebrow transplant.  Very similar to the transplant of head hairs, eyebrow transplants can be created using hair from your arms, legs, or nape of your neck.  These hairs are resemble both the look and texture of your eyebrows.  The procedure is tedious though with each hair being transplanted individually,  procedures last approximately 2-3 hours. The quick turnaround time is what makes this a great option with results in as little as three weeks.  The cost of transplants can be pricey, ranging anywhere between $6,000 - $8,000.  Before you schedule your consult, however, topicals are always an option worth trying. Come in to our office for an eyebrow evaluation if you feel your eyebrows need a lift!

Why Protecting your Eyes is Important in the Winter

When most patients hear the word sunburn they automatically think of red shoulders or burnt noses.  While most remember to cake on the sunscreen before going to the beach many people forget about protecting their eyes. 

Journalist Anderson Cooper recently reported an incident of a sunburned eye while on location in Portugal for an assignment for a CBS 60 Minutes.  Cooper suffered from sunburn to his eye and went temporarily blind for 36 hours.  He said in his report that he “woke up in the middle of the night and it felt like his eyes were on fire.” 

This is a very common and under diagnosed problem in the winter. Advising patients on sun protection should include winter sun protection particular eye protection. Ultraviolet rays from the sun reflect off water and snow much brighter than off pavement or grass. Counseling your patients to wear ultraviolet sunglasses or contacts that have polarized lenses which will prevent sunburn of the eyes.  Wearing a hat with a wide brimmed hat will also shield the sun’s UV rays. The best sunglasses will screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light and should block approximately 95 percent of ultraviolet A and 99 percent of ultraviolet B radiation. 

So how do you know if your patients' eyes are sunburned? The eyes will begin to feel a painful irritation, appear red, have blurred vision, a gritty sand-like feeling and possibly temporary loss of vision.  Poor sun protection of the eyes can later lead to cataracts, benign growths on the eye, and skin cancer of the eyelid.

In the case of sunburn, I tell my patients to try to stay out of the sun and regularly use lubricating eye drops to ease the irritation.  Symptoms should disappear in a few days. However if there is dry, blurred vision or a loss of vision, I tell them to cover the eye immediately and get their eyes evaluated as soon as possible by an opthalmologist.

In summary, winter eye protection is a must. Polarized contacts and sunglasses as well as wide-brimmed hats can protect against UV damage and future visual impact. 

Are You a Lancome Lover?

Lancome Paris Introduces a Revolutionary Eyeshadow to the Market: Color Design Infinite 24H

Lancome's new line of eyeshadow has taken the market by storm.  Everyone is raving about their Color Design Infinite 24.  These luminous eye colors last 24 hours without creasing, smudging, or fading. These creamy eyeshadows are rich in texture and intense in color. Currently, they are available in 15 shades ranging from light beige to metallic black. Bright purple and shimmering gold are two of Lancome's best sellers.  Each eyeshadow retails for $24.50.  Expect Lancome to come out with additional colors just in time for the holidays!

Warning, these eyeshadows are not for makeup novices. These intense colors pack a powerful punch so apply lightly the first time you use them!

3 Ways To Open Up Your Eyes!

The eyes are a feature often unplayed and forgotten about. Many of us are guilty of swiping a thin coat of mascara on in the car on the way into work and that’s all until it’s time to take it off at night. 

Listen up! There is a quick, 3-step system to wake up your eyes without it occupying an extra 20 minutes every morning. 

Skip the shadow and dust on translucent powder (Makeup Forever HD Finishing Powder) onto your eyelids (this is just to absorb oil throughout the day). This also will help eliminate mascara from your lashes rubbing off below your eyebrows. 

Next, take a pencil eyeliner (MAC Technakohl in ‘Photogravure‘ is 

the perfect go-to color), this is the easiest to use on the go. Apply onto your lower lash line and blend with a brush or Q-tip to achieve a smoky look. Avoid black eyeliner because this can have a harsh appearance and be harder to soften up. 

The final step in this 3-step process is to apply a generous amount of mascara on your top eyelashes. Never, ever put mascara on your bottom eyelashes. It looks messy and will make your delicate bottom lashes stick together for a not-so-glamorous end result! L’Orèal Voluminous Mascara in ‘Carbon Black’ is great for layering without product build up on your lashes. 

Misleading Information About Your Eye Cream

In the May issue of InStyle magazine, under eye coverage “solutions” were broken down according to age group. There is a huge problem with this because... You could be 21 and share the same under eye problems as someone who is 51. 

Under eye bags, hollowness, lines are person-specific and can occur at any age. See our last two blog entries about the types of problems and treatments that have been proven to work.

Please see my solutions to under eye issues for a complete guide to under eye problems.

Not All Under-eye Circles Are The Same!

Under-eye issues can make even young skin look old and tired. If you have slept 10 hours and your co-worker asks if you are “tired”, listen up! Depending on what type of under-eye issue you are experiencing, the treatment changes.

Below are the various types of “under-eye circles”. Tune in next week for treatments for each type.

Hyper-pigmentation

Darkening skin under the eyes, or hyper-pigmentation, can make someone look much older than they actually are. Your hereditary and genetic background are to blame for hyper-pigmentation around the eyes. Dark circles are much more prominent in Ethnic skin tones, like African-Americans and Southeast Asians because of increased melanin. Excessive rubbing of the eyes or diseases such as eczema may exacerbate under-eye darkening, as well.

Veins

People both young and older can struggle with this problem. Some veins are more pronounced than others but either way they are a hassle to deal with. The thin skin around the eyes can’t hide dark blue veins.

Puffiness

Again, this is a problem that has nothing to do with aging, as it effects people of all ages. Seasonal allergies , sinus infections, excessive crying or water retention from high blood pressure or eating a diet high in sodium are a few reasons the delicate under-eye skin becomes puffy.

Hollowness

Hollowness is a term used to describe a condition when eyes are sunken in or depressed into the eye socket. People who suffer from this condition describe it as looking “skeletal” or unhealthy. 

Sagging Under-eye Skin

There are numerous factors that come together to make under-eye skin become loose and sag over time. As we get older, there is a loss of skin elasticity because of the simple rules of gravity, sun exposure, smoking and lack of water intake, which leads to skin sagging not only around your eyes but on the face as a whole. 

Bags Under Your Eyes

Under-eye bags can be very tricky, they truly stand apart from all the different issues that were mentioned above. They are fat “pads” underneath the eyes that protrude over time.

Take Your Lashes WAY Above Average : Dr. Lily's Product Picks For Enormous Eyelashes!

Have you ever looked at magazine photos of celebrities and wondered how in the world how such a small feature like eyelashes can look astonishing in photographs? Well, you're not alone!

 

Today's technology offers many ways to either add to or enhance your natural lashes. If you have thin, faint, or short lashes, or if you just feel like you look sleepy every day, listen up.

 

a. False Eyelashes - Wearing false eyelashes may take some time to get accustomed to, however they are an instant eye-opener when applied properly. To assure proper application I suggest going to a make-up artist, at least for the first time.  If you are applying them at home, make sure the glue you use is not white, but fdries close to the color of the lashes.  Apply a thin coat to the rim, apply to one hand and press down to let dry with the end of a brush or Q-tip. There are hundreds of styles of lashes on the market, the best way to find which suits you is to start simple and explore more dramatic styles as time goes on. 

 

b. Eyelash Extensions - Applying and removing false lashes can be a lot of work, an of course will last you only one day. Eyelash extensons when applied by a trained professional, will 3-4 weeks and are waterproof.  Small synthetic lashes that are applied onto your natural lash hair, looking and feeling very natural. Touch ups are required every 3-4 weeks.   Our Mclean, VA office now offers eyelash extensions!  Call 703-356-5111  for a consultation! 

 

c. Fiber Infused Mascara - This product, first introduced several years ago, works by adhering small fibers  to each individual lash to physically make them bigger.  Then a dark mascara either sequentially or simultateously colors the fibers the desired mascara color. At times this product can be difficult to remove but using an oil-based eye make-up remover makes it a clean sweep!

 

d. Utilizing mascara in combination with a lash primer – Many primers have been thought to serve o purpose.  However, I beg to differ. There is one lash primer that has proven itself in the cosmetics world : MAKEUP FOREVER LASH FIBERS PRIMER. As mentioned above, fiber-infused products physically attach to the natural lash. When this primer is paired with a great mascara like L’Orèal Voluminous Mascara it will do 2 things : thicken the lashes & will add length. Tis primer can be used with any of your favorite mascara brands.

 

e. If cosmetic products are not giving you the results you desire, Latisse is a prescription eyelash solution that will grow your existing eyelashes. Sparce, thin or short lashes can be very difficult to apply cosmetic products to because you have so little to work with. Your Physician can only prescribe Latisse after an evaluation is done to determine if Latisse is right for you.

If your lashes are drab, call to make an appintment for a consultation.

One Product I'll Bet You've Never Tried, But Guarantee You'll Love!

One product that every woman has in her cosmetic bag is a black eyeliner, whether it's a liquid, pencil or powder form. A color most of you would never imagine wearing as liner is violet. Well, if you don't try it you are missing out on a great beauty innovation. When I say "violet" this is not a bright color of purple, it should be a very deep plum or eggplant shade (Urban Decay Eyeliner in Rockstar). No matter if your eyes are brown, hazel, blue or green, I promise trying this new color change will make you fall in love with eyeliner all over again! 

Get Your Brows in Order... Serious Business!

If you think eyebrows are just another feature of the face you're mistaken! Eyebrows can absolutely change the way your hair, eyes and cosmetics appear! I am truly passionate about eyebrows and you should be, too!


Finding the perfect shape eyebrow can be very difficult. Size, shape and arch can truly change your entire look and it is the center piece to your face. To begin, try looking at some magazines and look at what compliments certain face shapes. One thumb rule to follow is DO NOT get tweezer happy!


There are 3 total factors when creating an eyebrow "look", where the brow should start, where it should end and where the highest point of the arch should be.


Line A: This line defines where the brow should start. You can use a pencil or anything with a straight edge and align it from the corner of your nose to the brow, this is where the eyebrow should begin. However, if your eyes are wide-set eyes you can have your brows start just a tad closer together because this tricks the eye to make wide-set eyes appear closer together.


Line B: This is the line to determine where your arch should be placed. While looking straight ahead in a mirror, take the same straight edge tool or pencil and align it this time diagonally from the edge of your nose to the outer iris of the eye, this is where the arch should be. Make sure your arch is not too pronounced or this is going to make you appear surprised or even mad which is the exact opposite of what we are going for here, ladies!


Line C: Finally this is the line where your brows should end. Take the pencil again and line it up diagonally from the corner from the nose to the outer corner of the eye. 





Megan Fox (below) is a great example for wider set eyes. Having line "A" begin closer in will actually make the eyes appear closer together.



There are a couple of items that are going to finish the entire look. A pencil to fill in sparce areas is key, (DIOR Universal Brow Pencil) is perfect because it is one shade fits all. Fill in by making small hair like motions and this is going to make the structure of the brows a little more pronounced. Setting with a clear brow gel (Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel) will make all the hairs lay down in one direction.