Living
from the September 02, 2004 edition

(Photograph) DON'T BLINK: Justin Whittingham, assistant manager of Shu Uemura, applies false eyelashes to Jacqueline Baetiong at the Tokyo Lash Bar in New York.
ANDY NELSON - STAFF

Lashing out

An entire boutique devoted to creating the 'come hither' look
| Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
What do Liza Minnelli, Betty Boop, and camels have in common? Eyelashes. The kind that, if you stand too close, can bowl you over.

Get all the Monitor's headlines by e-mail.
Subscribe for free.

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?


Get Monitor stories by e-mail:
(Your e-mail address will be protected by csmonitor.com's tough privacy policy.)
(Jim Watson/AP) Afghanistan war decision: how Robert Gates thinks
Pentagon chief Robert Gates is the swing vote in Obama's decision on the Afghanistan war.

POLITICS Patchwork Nation
The American voter beyond red and blue


Daily podcast

Monitor Reports

Discussions with Monitor reporters from around the world


Today

Pat Murphy

US unemployment rate hits 10 percent.




Making a difference
Making a Difference

What happens when ordinary people decide to pay it forward? Extraordinary change. See how individuals are making a difference, finding solutions, overcoming adversity, and giving back globally.

A recent graduate of Vermont's Middlebury College, Corinne Almquist promotes the practice of distributing produce that would otherwise go to waste to those in need.

Sarah Beth Glicksteen

The need to feed hungry families cultivates new interest in gleaning

Corinne Almquist wants to restore the biblical tradition of harvesting what farmers leave behind.