False Eyelashes – A Potted History

The Man responsible for false eyelashes

You may not know it but the original false eyelashes were invented by American film director D.W. Griffith in 1916, who wanted his leading lady to have eyelashes that would sweep over her cheeks and make her eyes look larger than life on film. The eyelashes were created by a wigmaker by weaving human hair through fine gauze which was then glued to the actresses’ eyelids. Yes, I quite agree, that this sounds like a rather laborious and messy business.

Seena Owen - the victim

The idea became briefly popular with other actresses and false eyelashes began to be made of small pieces of fringe material attached by thread and then glued to the eyelids. This was a painstaking process and as it was rather expensive it did not really catch on with the general public.

During the 1950s the invention of plastic materials for lashes meant that the procedure became popular once more and it was at its height during the 1960s – remember Twiggy and other models of the era with their trademark sweeping lashes?

Advancements in material production during the 21^st century have made the application of false eyelashes more affordable and popular than ever – not just with the fashion industry and celebrities but also for people who may have thinning hair or lost their own eyelashes due to medical reasons.

In 2006 the Japanese invented a lash-by-lash technique which is essentially the application of individual false lashes to a person’s existing eyelashes for a more natural appearance.

That '60s look

False eyelashes are now a staple item in many ladies’ make-up bags and come in a huge variety of designs so you can achieve the look you require – from a natural daytime effect to a more dramatic look for evenings and special occasions. The eyelash strips can be trimmed and shaped to follow the contours of the eyelid and are attached with special eyelash glue which is removed with eye make-up remover.

Interested? Then why not check out the selection of false eyelashes available from Miss20 Beauty.

About Miss20

Miss20 is a hair and beauty business specializing in natural hair extensions. We have many years’ experience with hair and are affiliated with our manufacturer, so increasing our expertise over others who may just supply and fit.

For more information please either call us on 020 8355 6713, email us, or please feel free to visit our shop at:

42 Eltham High Street

London SE9 1BT

Plaits Are Trending Right Now

Plaits are a favourite look this season both on the fashion catwalks and with many major celebrities such as Kiera Knightley, Anna Friel, and Blake Lively. Don’t just envisage the type of plaits sported by the children’s book character Heidi back in the day, there is a type of plait or braid to suit every face shape and style requirement. The only limits to your look are the type and length of your own hair and your imagination.

A Great Look!

Plaits have many uses, from the practical one of keeping your hair out of your face, to adding informal chic to your style or to add glamour to an updo. There are a large range of plait types to choose from including a boho-chic halo braid, a classic French plait or a sophisticated fishtail.  If you have short or fine hair you could always opt for a thin fishtail or a small side-plait. A straight parting combined with a side braid is a popular youthful look.

If you only have a few minutes to spare how about putting your hair into a simple messy fishtail? Casual but great-looking. Position your hair to the side of your head and place a hair band loosely around the ponytail near the top. Then, putting your fingers through the hair near your head you pull the end through the wall of hair above the hair band and draw it back down. Using your fingers as a band, pull the ponytail up again but this time through the hair between your fingers and the hair band. Depending on the length of your hair you may need to repeat this inverted loop up to 5 or so times. Finally, hold the bottom of the hair and gently pull at the sides of the plait to achieve a more casual look. Removing the original hair band, secure the bottom of the plait.

Sophisticated yet easy to do!

If your hair is too fine or too short to braid, take a tip from the Chanel Spring/Summer Haute Couture show and opt for hair extensions to achieve the desired look. A professional store such as Miss20 has a wide variety of different types and colours of extensions to suit every requirement.

Don’t forget to use accessories such as hair clips, bows and even jewellery to add the finishing touches to your look.

About Miss20

Miss20 is a hair and beauty business specializing in natural hair extensions. We have many years’ experience with hair and are affiliated with our manufacturer, so increasing our expertise over others who may just supply and fit.

For more information please either call us on 020 8355 6713, email us, or please feel free to visit our shop at:

42 Eltham High Street

London SE9 1BT

Gotta Wash That Hair Glue Outa My Hair!

I don’t know about you but I’ve never really given any thought as to how my friend Marlene removes her glue bonded hair extensions. Until today that is, when I popped round to her house unexpectedly to find her about to do this very thing. I followed her into the bathroom wondering what array of expensive and complicated tools and products she would need to remove her extensions.

I fully expected the whole affair to be a painful and messy business requiring several glasses of Chardonnay to get me through it at least but I was surprised to find that all she needed was a bottle or ordinary hair conditioner, a hair dryer and a comb.

Messy but necessary - sometimes

Pinning her natural hair into a rough ponytail up on the top of her head so it was out of the way, she proceeded to massage a generous amount of conditioner into where the hair glue bonded extension met her own hair and then gave it a gentle blast of heat with the dryer to warm up the conditioner and thus warm up the glue so that she could start to detach the extension a little bit at a time.

I still wasn’t sure how easy this would be to achieve without hurting her scalp but Marlene assured me that if she came across any stubborn bits of glue she applied an extra blob of conditioner which would act as a sliding agent for the hair glue.

As you can imagine this process took a fair while to complete so as a loyal friend I took it upon myself to keep the supply of Chardonnay going. Once all of her hair extensions had been gently slipped off Marlene simply used a comb to remove any bits of residual hair glue from her hair strands. Then all that remained for her to do was to wash and style her hair as normal.

Simples!

About Miss20

Miss20 is a hair and beauty business specializing in natural hair extensions. We have many years’ experience with hair and are affiliated with our manufacturer, so increasing our expertise over others who may just supply and fit.

For more information please either call us on 020 8355 6713, email us, or please feel free to visit our shop at:

42 Eltham High Street

London SE9 1BT

Fine and Thinning Hair – A Suggested Solution to This Common Problem

If you haven’t already, one day you will wake up to realise that your precious hair has become alarmingly finer or thinner. Fine and thinning hair will be related to one or more conditions from which you will be suffering, anything from age to stress. Increased hair loss is a situation many people will inevitably find themselves in at some time in their lives. With men it’s easy, if their testosterone isn’t keeping their hair strong and plentiful they just shave it off - for them less is more these days. For us women it is distressing to look at the sink’s plughole and see how much hair seems to have been lost after our regular shampoo regime.

Some reasons for thinning hair are painful to consider

Although our grandmothers would probably reassure us that our crowning glory becomes inevitably less full and possibly even thinner with the passage of time, the modern woman no longer needs to accept this process as de facto - something that has to be endured.

There are many acknowledged reasons for thinning hair or simply losing bounce and volume. Some of the most common are attributed to stress, dietary deficiencies, health issues and hormonal changes. How many of you are nodding your head I agreement as you read this small but significant list?

Magazines are chock-full of recommendations for the latest beauty product that promise to restore our locks to their former glory. So what’s a girl to do?

As part of a personal regime, diet is important; don’t just take supplements, instead eat fresh greens, fruit (not in juice form) as well as more seed-based foods. Seeds contain many of the vitamins, minerals and oils essential to healthy hair. A second thing to focus on is to try and rein in your stress levels. Many people are stressed and are not even aware of the fact - it sits on them like a silent demon. Others worry about things they can’t change - this is the worse type of stress as there is no relief in sight unless they can change their attitude. I am personally guilty of this form of stress and know how hard it can be to switch it off.

 

We’ve all heard the words of Reinhold Niebuhr before:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

My suggestion is to try hard to live by this - it will make you a happier person!

Thinning hair to full head of hair

Obviously none of these will not have an immediate effect on thinning hair, either in quality or quantity; to achieve that you need to do something else. If your need is immediate, you might like to consider moving away from that bathroom cabinet crammed full of “miracle” products and embrace a semi-permanent hair extension. With a wide variety of styles and colours to choose from you can easily match it to your natural hair. Keratin bonded extensions are very popular and should last for several months. Consult a professional hair extension specialist such as Miss20 for advice on the most suitable type of hair extension - or wig - to suit your particular requirements. Your personal stylist will also be able to advise you on the best aftercare maintenance routine to keep your extensions or wig in the best condition possible.

About Miss20

Miss20 is a hair and beauty business specializing in natural hair extensions. We have many years’ experience with hair and are affiliated with our manufacturer, so increasing our expertise over others who may just supply and fit.  For more information please either call us on 020 8355 6713, email us, or please feel free to visit our shop at:

42 Eltham High Street

London SE9 1BT

Choose Your Hair Colour Wisely

Mother Nature allocates us our natural hair colour from birth but that doesn’t mean that we have to stick with it all our lives. As we get older our hair pigmentation naturally changes and the sight of the first grey hair can be a traumatic experience.

If we want to maintain a youthful appearance it is absolutely essential to get the colour of our hair correct. The wrong shade is surprisingly ageing. I cannot emphasise enough that you need to take the time to assess your natural skin tone and then decide on a colour that complements your natural tone. It is also a good idea to take note of your eye colour, as this too is very important in assessing what type of shade your hair can take to maintain a natural appearance.

A simple rule of thumb is to keep in mind that when you decide to change your hair colour it is important that in the initial stages you do not go more than three shades lighter or darker than your natural shade as this can result in rather alarming results. If you do wish to make dramatic changes to your hair colour it would be advisable to consult a professional colourist.

The right haircut can also take years off a person. As we age we do tend to become creatures of habit and stick with the hairstyles we loved in earlier times. The addition of a fringe or well-cut layers is a quick and easy way to achieve a more youthful appearance. No matter how much you are attached to long straight hair it can be rather ageing on a more mature woman.

If in doubt it is a good idea to use the services of a professional hair consultant such as found at Miss20. In the privacy of the salon you will be able to look at a wide variety of different hair shades, extensions and wigs to decide which style and colour suits you best and looks most natural. It also means you don’t have to actually change your hair – use extensions to make the change and look trendy such as ombre colouring.

Miss20 is a hair and beauty business specializing in natural hair extensions. We have many years’ experience with hair and are affiliated with our manufacturer, so increasing our expertise over others who may just supply and fit.

For more information please either call us on 020 8355 6713, email us, or please feel free to visit our shop at:

42Eltham High Street

London SE9 1BT