The Collective Blog Hop with Peacoats and Plaid

Welcome to THE monthly blog hop party! Every 1st Monday of the month, link up all of your social media and blogging accounts with us. If you're looking for your blogging tribe, this is it!

These guidelines are in place so that we can all have a successful experience with The Collective. Please do your best to abide by each one, there are only 2:
1. Follow the host and co-host's blogs: (first links in each list) If you leave a comment letting us know that you did and what method you are following with, we'll return the favor :) We greatly appreciate each and every one that does.
Your co-hosts this month are:
Emily from Something Gold, Something Blue Liz from Look by Liz Lewis Sonya from Sea Salt and Caramel Autumn from Honeycomb & Co.
Interested in co-hosting? Send an email to peacoatsnplaid(at)gmail(dot)com
2. Get social: This hop is about creating community. Looking for your own blogging tribe? This is it. Visit as many blogs as you can and make sure you say hello!
The following are optional yet encouraged (they only help us all in the long run):
Grab a button: Using the code provided in the box, display the Collective button on your sidebar or wherever you list your link ups. The more people that do this, the more help there'll be to keep the popularity of the hop going.

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Follow the host and co-hosts on social media: We are so grateful for your follow via social media. If you leave us a short message/post letting us know, we'll be sure to return the favor.
Spread the word about The Collective via social media: Pin, Tweet, post about it on Facebook, whatever you can do to help spread the word about The Collective and what it has done for your blog is awesome! Let's get social :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Eyelash Extension Q&A

Quite often, I get comments about my eyelashes.

"Your eyelashes are gorgeous."

"Are you eyelashes real?"

"Your eyelashes are amazing."

"Who does your lashes?"

Dear reader, THIS is what I look like with no mascara on, completely au naturel:

I know, I know. It's not that bad! But honestly, I feel naked when I don't wear mascara. I'm naturally a medium blonde, and my eyelashes and brows are seriously completely transparent without any added help. It's incredible how much longer lashes can boost your appearance. It makes the rest of your makeup really stand out and your face looks much more "put together." So...*confession*...I get lash extensions. Yes, it's a luxury, and well worth it. 

I'm lucky enough to have Housewife2Hostess as my lash specialist and master esthetician. To put it mildly, she's incredible. Check out her post on "Eyelash Extensions 101" over on her delightful blog. She was generous enough to grace my blog with her beautiful presence and witty personality for a Q&A session.

Q: Who should get eyelash extensions, and why?
Anyone who wants to have more time every morning. They are seriously the best getting-ready time saver! The only people who shouldn't are those with lots of allergies or sensitive eyes (not like that has stopped some).


Q: Some people think lash extensions are too "high maintenance." What would you tell them to dispel this myth?
They are as high maintenance and you want them to be. Some of my clients are very picky and literally comb through them every day, while others never touch or mess with them and they seem to last a bit longer. The main commitment is the financial one.

Q: Does it matter who does your lash extensions and what type of products/materials they use? 
Finding a licensed professional/someone certified to do lash extensions would be the only way to go. Because of how delicate the area is and considering you'll have sharp tweezers and glue and tape near your eyeballs you really want to see lots of training before you lay down to have it done. Or you could always go with your cute friend who learned how to do them on YouTube yesterday; its not like you were using your eyes anyway.

Basically, you need lash extensions. Here's the process from the last time I got a "fill."

Before

You're probably thinking, "Before? What?! Your lashes look great! Yes. You are correct, they do. But wait until you see the "after"! This about 2 weeks after my previous fill. Sometimes I go a bit longer, but I don't enjoy waiting until they are super sparse before I get a fill.

Step 1

First, your lash specialist will attach a special tape to keep your bottom lashes from sticking to the top ones. Otherwise, your eyes might be stuck together by the end of the application. Then he or she will apply a solution that removes proteins and basically anything that would keep the extensions from best adhering to your own lashes.

Step 2

Next, the lash specialist combs through your lashes to separate your existing extensions. They will also fix any tangles and/or remove extensions that are problematic or about to fall off.

Step 3

Finally, the lash extensions go on individually, which creates the gorgeous finished product you see below: thick, long, dark, luscious lashes. Note: There are several different lengths of extensions, ranging from subtle to dramatic (I get the latter, and I unabashedly refer to them as my stripper or Vegas showgirl lashes. The more "wow" factor, the better!).