Lashing out

What do Liza Minnelli, Betty Boop, and camels have in common? Eyelashes. The kind that, if you stand too close, can bowl you over.

For all you eyelash aficionados, the city that never sleeps has an eye-opener: the world's first lash bar - a boutique devoted exclusively to false eyelashes.

It's got glitter lashes, tiny individual lashes for the natural look, even mink eyelashes - row after row of furry creations for every occasion and every pocketbook. The opening of the Tokyo Lash Bar in May may well be a sign that New York women have placed their manicured fingers on the pulse of a new trend: the return of eyelashes, whether natural or, ahem, enhanced.

Michelle King, store manager for Shu uemura (the Revlon of Japan), which owns Tokyo Lash Bar, could not be expected to say otherwise, but maybe it's got to be said: "Eyelashes are an exciting trend ... a way to look either dramatically or subtly different."

The lash bar in SoHo is intentionally New York tawdry, sporting a dive-bar look complete with stools, mirrors, and a blinking pink neon sign. But don't think Tammy Faye. This clientele is the Chanel set, though a purchase here doesn't have to make a dent in their Gucci wallets. The big seller: hand-crafted eyelashes ($11 per box) and adhesive ($5).

Not quite on par with the luxurious fox-fur lashes J.Lo bought at Shu Uemura for this year's Oscars, but we won't tell. Besides, all you visiting Republicans, isn't "luxury spending" supposed to be good for the economy?