While you can’t go wrong with the quintessential little black dress, you can make the most of your attributes by selecting a cocktail to enhance your figure, detracting the eye from your weak spots, and drawing attention to your assets. You can even use jewelry to draw the eye to the neckline and away from the body entirely. Follow along with our tips for selecting the perfect cocktail dress, regardless of your shape or size. When you’re dressed to kill and you know it, you’re free to relax and enjoy the occasion, spend time making merry with friends rather than wasting energy wondering how you look.

Body Shapes

Determine your body shape, and select colors and styles to suit your general shape and flatter your figure. Then experiment with the tips for each body shape until you find your best look.

Pear

Attributes include a slender and often elongated torso, small bust, with hips and thighs proportionally larger than the torso and waist.

Toss the tight straight skirt in favor of an a-line skirt or empire waistline to de-emphasize the lower half of your body. Add padded shoulders to balance the top and bottom. Select a two-toned dress with the lighter or brighter color above the waist and the darker tone below the waist.

Hour Glass

Attributes include a small bone structure and waistline with bust and hips proportionally larger than the waist: in a word, voluptuous.

De-emphasize your voluptuous, abundant curves by shedding tight-fitting clothing in favor of clothing with a looser, smoother fit. Monotone colors work best by providing a sense of continuity from head to toe. Draw as much attention away from your bust and hips as possible by accessorizing with jewelry high on the neckline. If your clothing is monotone, you can wear flashier earrings as well, which draws attention to the face and away from the body.

Wear sleeves to cover the largest part of the arm. If your lower arms are shapely, you can wear 3/4 sleeves.

Straight

Attributes include a boy-shaped figure, with few visible curves from the shoulders through the hips.

Wrap or surplice tops help to give definition to the waist, which might otherwise get lost in a dress. Consider wearing a coordinated skirt and top instead of a cocktail dress. You might also consider wearing a cocktail suit with a peplum jacket. If you want to wear a dress, include a jeweled or sequined belt, or tie a festive ribbon to cinch the waist, adding definition. Avoid tube dresses and boxy jackets, which add no definition to the waistline.

Round

Attributes include a larger-than-average overall ample appearance, except that lower legs may be slender.

Resist the urge to wear shapeless, loose, ill-fitting clothing. If you’ve got a round shape in a plus size, you’ll be pleased to learn that many more manufacturers are creating fashionable clothing in your size today than just a few years ago. Select soft materials that drape rather than materials that cling or hang. Emphasize the bust with a v-neck or draw attention to the face and neckline with jewelry. If your lower legs are shapely, wear interesting shoes.

Inverted Triangle

Attributes include broad shoulders with a narrow waistline and hips.

This is the only body type that needs to use visual tricks to augment the lower body. Wear a dress with a flair skirt. Try an unusual or asymmetrical hemline. If you wear a cocktail pants suit, your body type can wear wide legs or pants that flare at the bottom. You can also draw attention away from your top by wearing interesting shoes.

General Tips and Tricks for Everyone

• Dark colors are slimming, no matter what your body shape.

• Dress in proportion to your height. Long tops, jackets, skirts and dresses swallow petites, while cropped tops and short skirts and dresses further emphasize length on exceptionally tall bodies.

• Use jewelry and interesting necklines to emphasize the upper body and draw attention away from the lower body.

• Make sure your clothes fit. Ill-fitting clothes emphasize problem areas. Alterations provide a good return on investment and can make all the difference in the world between an ill-fitting sack and a stunning item of clothing that highlights your good points.

• Wear your clothes; don’t let them wear you! If you’re constantly fussing with your clothes, then your clothes are wearing you. Your outfits should be carefree and stress-free.

Remember that it’s all about style. Cultivate your own style. If your personal style varies from what you’ve read here, if you wear it with confidence, your inner beauty will shine through.

Choosing to have cosmetic plastic surgery is a personal choice. You need to educate yourself to determine if it is indeed the choice for you. That means doing your homework and finding a plastic surgeon that is willing to help educate you on the procedure you wish to have done. Nowadays there are many options available to you. You may decide that you simply want to improve on the features you already have or there may be something about your body that you just cannot stand. Depending on your personal situation you may be looking at a simple procedure that requires a quick office visit or you may decide on a procedure that will take longer to heal from.

Starting from the neck on up there are many choices. There are simple procedures such a laser hair removal, Botox injections and facial peels. More detailed and higher risk procedures are neck lifts, chin implants, lip implants, eyelifts, nose reconstruction, protruding ear surgery, and complete face-lifts. From the hips up to the neck you may be looking at liposuction which is a procedure to remove excess fat from the hips, arms and tummy. There are breast implants, which increase the size of your breasts. For some individuals breast reduction is the option to choose. It all depends on your current body structure.

From the feet on up to the hips there are also some more choices. Fairly recently there has been a procedure to lengthen the toes. Some individuals do this to make their feet look more appealing. You can also have buttock implants to make you rear end look a little fuller. Liposuction on the thighs and buttocks is also another choice. Plastic cosmetic surgery does not come without risk. In many cases you will be put to sleep for the procedure. It is your job and the job of the physician you choose to make you aware of any and all risk involved in the procedures you choose.

Before making a final decision on whether you wish to proceed and have any types of cosmetic surgery done there are some steps you will need to take. First of all you need to decide what type of procedure you want to have done. Then you need to ask yourself why you want to have the procedure done. You need to make sure you understand fully why you want to have cosmetic surgery. If it’s for the wrong reasons such as depression over your current body image, then you may need to find another option such as counseling. The next step is to find a board-certified plastic surgeon. Do not feel that you have to go with the first one you meet. You need to ask for references. This should be something a good plastic surgeon will be happy to provide for you. You may also check to see if anyone you know personally has had any type of cosmetic surgery done and if they can recommend anyone. You also want to make sure to check and see if there have been any malpractice lawsuits filed against the surgeon you are meeting with.

Lastly, if you find you are feeling scared or doubting that you want to go through with the procedure, cancel your appointment. There is no need to rush in making a decision to have plastic surgery. You want to go into it with a clear mind. Remember cosmetic surgery is generally not covered by insurance as it is considered an elective procedure.

Rhinestone-encrusted Vintage-look brooches are hot. Fashion jewelry continues trending well as shoppers embrace paste rather than splurge on the real deal.

The trend encompasses designs featuring everything from initials to dazzling starburst patterns, but the general rule of thumb is, if it ain’t baroque–fix it. In many cases, items are outright gaudy, providing a quick update that distracts attention away from staid neutral wardrobes.Oversized pieces that look like they came straight from grandma’s costume jewelry collection were featured on runways from Perry Ellis to Prada. These brooches complement the 1940s-style looks coming down the pipeline for fall. Most of all, when assorting accessories departments, remember that it’s hip to be square.

ong gone are the days when it was thought of as a sign of refinement or breeding to match one’s skirt to one’s blouse … to one’s jacket … to one’s bag … to one’s shoes … to the wall one happens to be standing in front of.

Today, with the liberating shift toward dressing in separate items, a strange thing has happened: Wearing a fully matched outfit has become a postmodern act. This season, as shown above, designers have created clothes that put to pasture the idea that wearing an outfit of matching items is kitsch or old-fashioned. Of course, how far one extends the matching beyond one’s clothes is open to interpretation.

NATIONAL REPORT — When it comes to determining what’s hot in home furnishings, fashion is weaving its way into everything from rugs to wallcoverings to paint. So ask retailers how they spot trends in home decor, and chances are they’ll say that they take their cues from fashion designers or color and design forecasting companies with fashion veterans at the helm.

One of the key groups that retailers and manufacturers rely on is the 1,700-member Color Marketing Group, an international association for color and design professionals. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., the CMG hosts four-day conferences in the spring and fall where retailers and manufacturers, as well as many in the fashion industry, collaborate in a series of workshops to decide on color palettes for upcoming seasons.

What is unique is this face-to-face forum where you are interacting with people on an international level,” said Linda Trent, director of color marketing and design for paint maker Sherwin-Williams. “It’s an interesting approach to identifying the direction color is going to take. You can be in a workshop and be sitting with 20 people, from industries ranging from wallcoverings to tile to paint. Many of us are competitors, but if you are going to be successful in the marketplace you can’t afford to be out in left field.”

Trent, who oversees a staff of eight employees, all with memberships in the CMG, said that she has noticed the growing influence fashion is having on home decor, and she takes that into account when making decisions on color.

“Some [fashion trends] will translate into home decor very easily and some won’t,” said Trent, who has been in charge of Sherwin-Williams’ color direction for nearly 20 years. “Case in point, casual fashions of the 1990s had a more laid-back approach with denim and khakis. There was also a real run on neutral colors [in home decor]. It could be grayish-green, khaki or taupe with a plum undertone — a sophisticated neutral. I think there is more of [a fashion influence] than there used to be.”

Cleveland-based Imperial Home Decor Group, which manufactures wallcoverings, is trying to capture fashion-inspired trends by relying on the expertise of a fashion designer. Susan Unger — a high-end fashion designer for 20 years who has her own collection of bedding and home decor accessories — produced a wallpaper collection for IHDG that came out in July and is sold through retail outlets such as ABC Carpets.

“What the wallpaper collection encompasses in terms of trends is a return to nature in a contemporary way,” Unger said. “Some people find it Zen-like, because the structure and design is what you see in Asian art.”

Unger’s wallpaper collection for IHDG has a dozen themes that focus on nature, with colors like honey, eggshell, sage green and lavender as well as metallic shades of gold and bronze.

“I find these colors rich and neutral,” Unger noted. “They’re elegant without being pretentious or sentimental.” The patterns focus on geometrical shapes as well as nature scenes such as willow leaves, tree branches and even insects like dragonflies.

Overall, Unger thinks that the home decor industry is becoming more willing to take chances with colors and designs as it moves toward a more seasonal orientation — the way fashion does. She noted that fashion and home decor have become somewhat interchangeable at times.

“For me, whether I’m making a scarf or I’m making a throw, it’s a very fine line,” Unger said. “Some people take a scarf and throw it on their piano, or some take a throw and wear it. They are very closely related.”

Other experts who track the home decor category agree. Take Fran Sude. As owner of Los Angeles-based Design Options, a color and trend forecasting company, Sude tracks trends for about 1,200 fashion-based clients, but in the past few years, she quickly has expanded her business to include home decor.

“I started realizing that there was a tremendous untapped potential in my business to get involved with the home area,” said Sude, who has three decades of experience in the fashion industry — including a stint as a retailer — that evolved into the launch of her own trend-tracking company.

“About three years ago, people started to come to us in the home area,” Sude explained. “I found myself selling the same color ranges to Bed Bath & Beyond and the Gap at the same time.”

Home decor clients make up about 15 percent of her business now. Donna Rogers, director of design for rug manufacturer Bacova, based in Bath County, Va., is one of them. Bacova rugs are sold through a wide variety of retailers including Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target and Sears.

“I do use her and her [trend] books as one of my main reference materials,” said Rogers, who became Sude’s client about three years ago when Bacova was a division of Burlington. “I take that knowledge and put it onto a product. I think it helps me with the customers to justify the direction of where we’re going.”

Two of the latest styles found in Bacova rugs are from Sude’s design trends for summer and spring 2002. One is called “Island Fever,” which Rogers renamed “Tropical Treasures” for the rug collection. Another is “In Bloom,” with lots of florals, which is now called “Bringing Back Romance.”

Through its limited-edition, quarterly GO International apparel program, Target is continuing to do what it does best: add excitement and buzz about its brand. Apparel continued to be a top performer for the mass retailer in 2005, and the company hopes GO International will help further its fashion credentials even more in 2006.

“GO International is a series of limited-engagement apparel collections from internationally renowned designers geared toward our trend-conscious junior and contemporary customer,” said Gregg Steinhafel, Target Stores president, during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. “She’s already shopping in our stores, and it’s just a way for us to add freshness and newness … so we’re excited about it.”

Target launched the Luella Bartley for Target collection in February. Bartley, a British fashion writer turned designer, is known for her preppy yet punky fashion design. Her collection at Target reflects this, and includes items such as a denim sandblasted biker jacket, $49.99; a heart tattoo screen T-shirt, $12.99; and tartan plaid dress with bubble skirt, $39.99. The entire collection’s price points range from $8.99 for a plastic bangle to $149.99 for a suede jacket.

Target’s next designer, Canadian-born and Paris-raised Tara Jarmon has a completely different approach to fashion. Although specific pieces or prices for her collection have not been announced, Jarmon’s high-end line is known for its refinery and femininity. Her Web site says her line includes “smart and comfortable pieces, colored and sexy but never provocative, embellished with details such as embroidery, bows [and] flowers.” The Jarmon for Target collection will land in stores in May

Target has not announced the designers for its other two collections just yet, but the retailer expects that they will perform well.

“Luella is off to a great start. We’re very pleased with her,” said Steinhafel. “We expect that the subsequent brand and designer launches will be equally successful.”

The GO International program is not Target’s first experiment with limited-edition collections in its apparel department. During holiday 2005, Target debuted its limited collection of luxury gifts. It included women’s cashmere sweaters with Swarovski crystals and silk scarves. For men, the collection had $29 silk-jacquard ties, silver cufflinks and cashmere sweaters. Also during the holiday season, the retailer sold a 60-day run of merchandise from Italian fashion house Fiorucci.

Target’s move to sell limited-edition merchandise most closely mimics the one-off designer series sold by Swedish retailer Hennes & Maurtiz. H&M has had three designer collections in its stores over the past year and a half or so: Fiorucci, Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney. The McCartney collection was so successful that it sold out within a few hours of being in some stores.

Unlike H&M, Target has not chosen designers who are particularly well known in the States. Bartley has more of an identity than Jarmon does. Bartley’s handbags sell at high-end department stores, and her collection has shown at New York Fashion Week. Jarmon’s high-end line only shows in Paris, and her apparel is not readily found in the United States.

But the GO International program is not as much about driving sales as it is about building upon Target’s reputation as a destination for fast fashion and great design, say some retail experts.

“I’m not convinced that the Fiorucci or the Luella collections have really done all that well in terms of sales,” said Jane Hall, vp and director of retail and merchandising for the Coleman Research Group. “But it creates excitement, and it makes them a great place to go for those looking for fashion.”

Hairstylists are pleading with women to unplug their straightening irons. After all, the look of the moment is big, ’80s-inspired hair. In fact, these big, voluminous hairstyles took center stage at the spring fashion shows.

Hair care manufacturers, some of which include celebrity hairstylists, are encouraging women to trade their pin-straight locks for voluminous hair with new salon-inspired hair care products. The good news for retailers is that, like straight hair, big hair requires a special regimen of cleansing and styling products.

For years, chain drug stores have stocked single volumizing SKUs, typically a spray or mousse, but recently, hair care makers have together entire collections focused on giving consumers thicker, fuller hair. Marketers have done a good job of convincing women that for extra oomph, they ought to use specially formulated hair products to add volume.

Charles Worthington has followed the introduction of its first chain drug store line Charles Worthington Results, a U.K. hair care line that launched exclusively in Walgreens almost four years ago, with Big Flair. Charles Worthington has since expanded distribution of both lines to additional chain drug stores.

Rite Aid’s exclusive hair care brand Umberto Giannini is supporting the big hair trend with its Big & Beautiful line, which, in addition to a shampoo and conditioner, includes a volumizing spray and mousse.
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The Marc Anthony True Professional hair care brand, which is available at such retailers as Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid, also includes a collection of six hair-thickening products called Instantly Thick. Each product in the line, which includes such items as Hair Thickening Shampoo and Hair-Fibre Putty, is formulated with Phytokeratin, a blend of natural botanic amino acids and a special thickening agent that expands hair by wrapping a vitamin-enriched layer around each strand. Other products in the line include Weightless Conditioner, Root Lifting Foam, Thickening Cream and High Volume Spray.

Procter & Gamble’s Pantene brand has responded to the trend with the introduction of the Pantene Pro-V Full & Thick collection, a new line formulated to target the 17 percent of the population suffering from thin or thinning hair. The Full & Thick shampoo strengthens hair to prevent hair loss and makes hair look 35 percent thicker, according to P&G consumer tests. The collection also includes Full & Thick Complete Therapy Conditioner and Full & Thick 2 in 1 Shampoo + Conditioner.

Along a similar line is L’Oreal’s new Giannini Vive For Men, which features the proprietary ingredient Regenium and is targeted to men with thinning hair.

While some women have embraced the big hair trend, it’s not likely that they will abandon the clean, polished look of straight hair completely. They likely will do both, which means they ultimately will need to purchase products for both regimens.

From trends straight off the runway to what’s “hot in jewelry, this is the place for insider tips on the latest in bridal fashion. Today’s guest is Monica Cotto and she’s the fashion editor for Elegant Bride magazine. Prior to that, she was the fashion editor for the YM Your Prom Spring 2005 edition. She’s also worked as a freelance market editor and stylist for Vanity Fair, New York, Self, Teen Vogue and Glamour. Monica started her career at Mirabella as a fashion assistant. The transcript follows below. Stressing over strapless : So what’s the deal with strapless? I keep reading that it’s a tired silhouette, but then almost every dress I’ve seen in stores has been strapless. Is a strapless gown going to look tired in a year?

And more on strapless: for those of us who don’t love our arms, any tips for how to make strapless work?

Monica Cotto: Strapless will always be a part of the bridal silhouette. I believe it’s about your personal style and how you want to look on your wedding day. I personally feel that if you are not comfortable with your arms, a strapless dress is not the way to go. There are so many other styles that would be more flattering and will stand the test of time.

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Dupont Circle, D.C.: Hi Monica,
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So many wedding dresses in the magazines right now have colored sashes. How long do you think this look will stick around, or is it already on the way out?

Thanks!

Monica Cotto: The sash is a great way to introduce color, but there are so many other ways to do this right now. I have seen a lot of colored dresses or dresses trimmed in color.

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Culpeper, Virginia: Our wedding is the last weekend in September, 2005. This is my second wedding and his first. We want the attire to be casual, sort of “Jimmy Buffet meets cottage casual.” What sort of bridal dress should I be looking for? (The wedding celebration/party will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be located in the same room as the party.) Any suggestions?

Monica Cotto: A lot of designers have been creating “Destination ” wedding gowns. They tend to be lighter weight with less beading. A more beach like feel. This might be the best way for you to go.

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Alexandria, Va.: I am very short and petite everywhere but in the bust and have never been able to find dresses to fit me — I’m like a 14 on top and an 8 on the bottom. Are there any types of dresses that you can recommend?

Monica Cotto: You wouldn’t want a big gown because that that would be to overwhelming for your frame. You should consider a tea-length or knee-length dress. Think 1950’s silhouette. Nipped in waist and full skirt to balance out your top. You also, might

Monica Cotto: want to consider a two-piece dress. One that has good support on top. I would not suggest strapless.

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Foggy Bottom, D.C.: Is lace making a comeback in wedding gowns?

Monica Cotto: Definitely. The dresses I have been seeing have beautiful lace from all over the world. The prices can range from inexpensive to outrageous. I love the way the designers are using lace in their designs right now.

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D.C.: So … what are the trends in engagement and wedding rings these days? What styles do you consider timeless and that won’t be dated in 10, 15, 20 years? Is yellow gold really making a comeback?

Monica Cotto: Yellow-gold is making a come back. Because it is very big in the fashion world right now and women wear it every day, the ring designers have started making wonderful engagement rings to reflect that. Also, there is a big push towards artisnal and ethnic jewelry. However, platinum will always be timeless.

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Silver Spring, Md.: This may be more of a question for a hair stylist but it’s my last detail to work out and I think a good hairstyle can really show off a dress and pull the ensemble together. Anyhow I’m having a hard time with hair for my bridesmaids (a.k.a. — my sisters). They are wearing strapless dresses (mocha brown with an empire waist) and have asked they wear their hair down. I prefer their hair to be up but in the spirit of compromise, I have agreed. All four have varying lengths, but none are shorter than chin leg nth. Do you have any tips for what people are doing with their hair down that is soft and elegant?

Monica Cotto: Since I am not a hairstylist I can only give you my personal opinion on this. Decide if the girls look better with soft waves or stick straight hair. They do not all need to have the same style or put anything in their hair. A great necklace or amazing earrings will make them look elegant.

Robert K. Futterman & Associates, LLC has completed leases for two new Intermix stores. The fashion retailer signed a lease for 3,600 s/f. at 64-68 Main Street, Southampton, New York and a lease for 4,000 s/f at 98 Prince Street in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Both stores are Intermix’s first entry into these destination shopping locales. Karen Bellantoni, Senior Managing Director and Marc Finkel, Director, of RKF represented the tenant in both transactions. Susan Penzner and Nathan Stange of Susan Penzner Real Estate represented 98 Prince Street in that transaction. The Southampton store is scheduled to open July, 2005 with the SoHo store opening in August, 2005.Southampton is a perfect extension for Intermix with its stylish and trend setting residents and what has become an all year round customer base. 98 Prince Street is one of the best spaces in SoHo with great frontage and fabulous co-tenancy across from the Mercer Hotel,” said Bellantoni.RFK exclusively represents Intermix. In addition to the new SoHo and Southampton locations, RKF represented Intermix in its lease ay 365 Bleecker Street in 2003.

FROM A PURELY practical standpoint, your eyelashes are there to help keep dirt and sweat out of your eyes.

But anyone who’s ever wielded a mascara wand — or seen a flirtatious flutter of fringe — knows that they have another function: To make your eyes look pretty.

Don’t discount this evolutionary perk. A little hubba-hubba is what guarantees that the human species continues.

And the newest way to get an eyeful of gorgeous lashes is eyelash extensions.

These aren’t false eyelashes, which are glued to eyelids in a strip or in individual clumps for a day or evening and removed before bedtime. They’re extensions of each eyelash.  Here’s how it works: An esthetician trained specifically in this technique separates each eyelash and, using a medical-grade surgical glue, attaches a synthetic eyelash to the real one.

It’s time-consuming — sometimes it takes more than two hours — and pricey — $200 and up. And on some women, the lashes only stay on four to six weeks — including a touch-up halfway through.

But the results are startlingly natural-looking and pretty, and many women who’ve had it done say they don’t regret a penny.

The trend? Extend

As trends do, this one started in Hollywood.

Kristin Liang, who does eyelash extensions at her Burlingame business The Lash Bar, says it’s still relatively new in Northern California. She’s been an esthetician for three and a half years, but only started doing lashes last fall.
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Several companies provide training and supplies to cosmetologists and estheticians. Some of the big names are Lavish Lashes, NovaLash and Xtreme Lashes.

Liang got her training through Texas-based Xtreme Lashes.

“It’s kind of a science,” she says. “It’s like surgery. It’s really precise, and it takes an attention to detail and a good eye. I love it.”

In fact, the founder of Xtreme Lashes, Jo Mousselli, was an ICU nurse before she started the company.

She noticed that many women have short lashes.

“Mascara can only do so much for you,” Mousselli says. “So I saw there was a need to enhance the lashes.”

Since the process takes time and money, many customers do it only for a special occasion.

“It’s nice for a wedding or a honeymoon,” she says. “But there are people out there who really do love these lashes and become addicted to them. It’s no different than having hair extensions or nail extensions. When you have something that helps your self- esteem and makes (you) look beautiful you’re going to keep having it done.”

Doing it right

But before you plunk down a couple of Benjamins for serious lashes, check up on your esthetician.

Palo Alto property manager Libby McBrian says the first time she had extensions done, the esthetician glued the lashes to her eyelid instead of her own lashes — a big no-no.

She had them re-done by Menlo Park esthetician Mary Ely.

“I wanted it to look natural instead of fake, so Mary got to clean it up,” McBrian says. “Some people like the thicker, more dense look, but I like it to be a little sparser and more natural- looking. Nobody knows I have false eyelashes on, but everybody says ‘What’s different?’”

To keep your fringe fine, you need to avoid rubbing your eyes, washing your face too vigorously, and give up mascara, especially sticky waterproof stuff. But most women don’t mind the last one, because even mascara-free, their lashes look pretty darn good.

“The bottom line is the more you baby them, the longer they’ll stay on,” Ely says. “Some people really just want them for a special occasion, and they’re going to put mascara on and let them all fall off.”

Women who keep them on say that splurging on lashes lets them skimp on their other makeup.

“I always have them,” McBrian says. “I don’t have to wear one stitch of makeup anywhere else, and I look like I have makeup on. My face, because I’m not glooping stuff on it, is clearer, and I’m a happy camper.”

Elizabeth Jardina is a Bay Area Living staff writer. E-mail her at ejardina@sanmateocountytimes.com or call (650) 348-4327.

To extend? Or not?

- To find a salon, try the manufacturers’ Web sites: Xtremelashes.com, Lavishlashes.com or Eyelashextensions.com. Ask where your esthetician was trained. - Putting on extensions is time-consuming. If you find someone who claims to be able to do it in less than an hour and for less than about $150, be skeptical. - Lashes should never be glued to the eyelid. The surgical adhesive should not smell bad or make eyes sting. - If you sleep on your stomach, rub your eyes a lot or are committed to mascara, lash extensions may not be for you.