We all want long thick eyelashes, but unfortunately, some of us aren't blessed to look like we could be in a mascara commercial (FYI: the women in the commercials are probably wearing fake lashes). So what's a girl to do? You could stick to the time-tested regimen of eyelash curler + loads of mascara, but if you're not getting the results you desire, check out these options Michael's is offering women in the Dayton area.

NovaLash® Eyelash Extensions
For celebrity-approved lashes, check out NovaLash eyelash extensions. You've probably read about NovaLash in popular magazines (O, the Oprah magazine, Lucky, OK! Magazine, In Touch Weekly, Modern Salon and more) but did you know you can get NovaLash extensions here at Michael's Salon?

The physician and cosmetic chemist formulated lash extension system developed for your health and safety... the educated choice.

NovaLash is one of the safest options for women looking to boost their lashes. There's no need to worry about adhesives tearing your lashes out or damaging them. At Michael's, a licensed esthetician will apply NovaLash lashes on your natural lashes. You won't have an adhesive line to cover up, because they attach to your lashes, not your eyelid. You won't have to worry about a line of lashes separating at the end of your wedding day or night out! NovaLash starts at $202 and will last for the growth cycle of the individual eyelashes - approximately 1-2 months. Touch-ups are recommended as your lashes have a natural life cycle.


To keep your extensions healthy and looking great, here are some tips:

• Avoid rubbing your eyes and lashes - this causes you to lose lashes!
• If you wear mascara, DO NOT USE WATERPROOF MASCARA. Waterproof formulas will dissolve the adhesive on your NovaLash lashes
• Avoid eye makeup cleansers containing glycol or carbonates - they can loosen the bond of your NovaLash extensions
• When using eye creams, try to avoid your lashes and eyelids. And again, don't use creams containing glycol or carbonates.

Revitalash® Eyelash Conditioner
If you're not crazy about the thought of extensions, we also offer Revitalash Eyelash Conditioner. Again, you've probably seen Revitalash in the press (In Style, Elle, O, the Oprah magazine, and many more). Revitalash is a unique eyelash conditioner that will help you achieve the natural beauty of longer, thicker, fuller looking eyelashes.


A very small amount of Revitalash is applied once a day. No matter how brittle, short, fragile, thin or sparse your eyelashes are, Revitalash can help you achieve your very own long, beautiful, healthy looking lashes. You can purchase Revitalash at Michael's for $135.


Jane Iredale False Lashes
Jane Iredale just released their new Professional Faux Lashes. These lashes are great because instead of strips that you have to cut to fit your eyelid, they are individual pieces you can apply where you want your lashes to be fuller. You can apply just to the outer lids, or across your entire lash line.


If you have a special event and want longer lashes just for one night, schedule a makeover with one of Michael's talented makeup artists. They will apply all of your makeup, and can add as many Jane Iredale faux lashes as you desire, for a minimal add-on.

Take care of your lashes
Whether you try false lashes or not, always always ALWAYS wash off your makeup at night. Sleeping in your makeup is not only bad for your skin, but also bad for your lashes. Wearing mascara overnight can cause your eyelashes to become fragile and break or fall out prematurely.

Have you tried eyelash extensions or conditioners? What was your experience?

As we prepared for our quarterly photo shoot, our team discussed what works and what doesn't. The fashion magazines all display images of young, beautiful models with hair that is NOT wearable for the average woman. Could you imagine getting ready to drop your kids off at school, or heading to the office - but first taking hours and hours to style your hair like this?

Image by Intercoiffure

This is a fantastic image, but it doesn't fit the lifestyles of most of our clientele. We want to inspire our guests to try new looks, but each person needs to be able to envision the look on him/herself.

For our May photo shoot, instead of having our designers or Michael select models, we asked our clientele. We sent out emails and asked for submissions on Facebook and Twitter:

Michael's is looking for real women over 40 to be a part of our upcoming makeover photo shoot. We're asking you to nominate yourself, or a woman you know who would be willing to make a major change.

We received more feedback from this online contest than any previous online contest. It was very difficult to select the winners, but we narrowed the field down to six. These brave women put their trust in Michael's talented staff to design their new look. 

Before and After Photos:

Our designers went above and beyond just cut and color to empower each woman to discover the best version of herself. Click the names below to see more pictures and to learn about each makeover:

Are you noticing that your hair isn't as shiny and healthy as it was ten years ago? It's true, with age comes hair that is drier, breaks easily and lacks body and shine.
The recent issue (May 2010) of More magazine tackled this problem in an article titled "Ch-Ch-Changes!" More offered up a six week plan to bring back the silky texture we all love. Here are some highlights from the article, with tips from Michael's included (direct quotes from More in italics). Update (5/26/10) More's article on tips for aging hair is now available on their website. Disclosure: All product recommendations in this blog are by Michael's professionals:

Trim, then tame
Visit your stylist to get rid of damaged ends, then explore conditioning treatments. "Nearly every stylist we spoke to said for the most dramatic results, you can't beat an in-salon keratin treatment."

We've blogged about keratin treatments several times, but the treatment infuses keratin into your hair follicles to promote healing, block humidity, and prevent environmental toxins from entering the hair. It leaves hair smooth, frizz-free and manageable.

Give your do some downtime
After a keratin treatment, you should not wash your hair for 72 hours to allow the treatment to soak in. When you do wash your hair, use a sodium-free shampoo like Keratin Care. Salt will strip your hair of chemical treatments, which means your keratin, or color process for that matter, won't last as long.

Also, skip a day or two from shampoo. Your hair produces natural oils which help keep it moisturized. If you must, rinse your hair in luke warm water, and use a small amount of conditioner just on the ends.
**Personal note: Jodi talked me into shampooing every other day, and I'm finally able to keep red color in my hair, after many attempts that faded quickly. And as an added bonus, my shampoo and conditioner last twice as long!

Finally, go easy on the heat. When you do rinse or shampoo, use luke warm water, not hot water. When you blow dry or flat iron, use a thermal protectant like Iron It by Michael's, Aquage Beyond Shine or Trilliant by Sebastian.

Color Care
After taking great care of your hair, you might want to amp up the color a bit. The More article recommends 'Ask your colorist if (s)he can use an oil-based bleach, which processes hair more gently than a traditional bleach." Michael's uses Wella color processes, which are oil-based, and condition your hair as they color.

More magazine is a great resource for 'women of style & substance.' They celebrate women over 40, and offer tips on fashion, beauty, love, careers and more.

What do you think of these tips? Do you have other tips to share? Let us know in the comments!