Hollywood magic and the power of photo shop welcomes us into a daily life of false perceptions. Imagine if you could wash off the concealer and lipstick, take off the fake eyelashes, wipe down the blush and the highlighting eye shadows, do away with the bronzer, volumizer and hairspray, and undo the curls to see the real person, the real untouched  beauty. How would that person really appear?

The Self-Esteem Fund is Dove’s way of trying to change the Western concept of beauty being conceptualized as ultra-thin models and instead making every woman feel positive about their looks. The Dove Self Esteem 2006 campaign that is still surfacing demonstrates exceptionally clever, online-based short films promoting self-esteem and perception. These thought-provoking ads are meant to build confidence and send messages that embrace all levels of beauty teaching us today’s beauty standards displayed in our favorite celebrities and highly-sought after supermodels are made up of false, photo shopped perceptions.

Watch to see what ordinary billboard models like look before being touched up:

How does the Dove Self Esteem campaign make you feel now?

When you flip through an entertainment magazine do you end up gawking at the stars’ luscious eyelashes? The Kardashians, Beyonce and Jennifer Aniston—they all seem to have out-of-this-world thick, long eyelashes that make their eyes pop. You may not be Hollywood royalty, but surely there’s a way to pump up your eyes’ volume more than a few coats of mascara. Right? There are many ways to give your eyes a “come hither” boost but your eyes’ health and safety should always come first. We’ll highlight a few solutions that will make you want to bat your eyelashes.

Better Lash Care
One of the easiest, safest ways to get longer, fuller lashes is to simply take care of the ones you’ve got. Don’t tug or pick at your lashes, be sure to wash off all mascara before bed and be especially careful if you wear waterproof mascara, which can dry out lashes. Be sure to replace tubes of mascara that are 3 to 6 months old. After time mascara tubes can build up bacteria that can cause eye infections.

Conditioner
Just like your hair needs conditioned, your eyelashes do, too. You can use Vaseline or Aquaphor at night or buy an over-the-counter lash conditioner that contains proteins that strengthen your lashes such as keratin or biotin. The protein helps prevent lash breakage. Conditioners generally carry very few risks when used correctly and can show significant lash growth in a matter of weeks.

False Eyelashes
False eyelashes that can be applied with glue are a fast fix to give your lashes a little va-va-voom. In fact, many celebrities have false eyelashes applied by make-up artists for their special events. However, there are health risks with this alternative. False eyelash glue can cause allergic reactions, irritation and swelling. Reusing false eyelashes can also increase the risk of eye infections. If you are going to use false lashes, try to use them just for special events where you don’t have to wear them for long periods of time. Also, throw the lashes away after each use.

Extensions
You may have heard of hair extensions, but what about eyelash extensions? With eyelash extensions, tiny synthetic eyelashes are glued onto individual lashes. However, this option doesn’t come cheap. Eyelash extensions can cost up to $300 and may last only a few months. Also, extensions can cause damage to natural eyelashes when they fall off.

Medications
A lot of attention has gone to new medications that increase lash growth such as Latisse, but does it work and is it safe to use? At about $90 a month, Latisse is an expensive option, but according to most research and doctors it works. Latisse uses an ingredient called Bimatoprost, similar to the body’s natural chemical Prostagladin, that makes eyelashes grow. Like any medication, Latisse can cause complications and infections. Some reports of eye pigmentation change, darkening of the skin around the eye or redness and itching have occurred.

Logging into TweetDeck yesterday, this flashed across my screen: “Soooo… i can’t wear heels higher than 1 1/2 inch to cosmetology school?? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?”

Tweeting her back, I asked. “Really??? Is that a new rule?”

She sure enough confirmed. The cosmetology program at Trezevant Career and Technology has a one and a half inch heel requirement, which is part of the Memphis City School Stands. Should a rule like this really be instated? At first I thought, this could cause morning dress preparation problems. What if your wardrobe has mainly two inch heels, which are only a tiny half inch higher than the cosmetology dress code standards? According to this rule, you would have to put them all into hiding until getting your cosmetology license and graduating from cosmetology school. My second thought was though, if you are standing on your feet all day practicing and training, why would you want to wear super high heels? The soreness could disturb you and get in the way of your focus, preventing your from demonstrating your best work. My third thought was in the salon I go to get my haircut, almost every girl in the shop is wearing heels higher than one and half inches. If salons allow this in the real world, shouldn’t your training prepare you fully for the real world?

Looking further into this, Paul Mitchell has a strict dress code also as commented by fellow students on the web. One student wrote, “I went to a Paul Mitchell partner school, and you have to wear all black, except on certain days they’ll allow you to wear jeans with no rips. You need your name tag on and closed toe black shoes, and your makeup and hair has to be done. No buns. No ponytails. Braids, updos or wear your hair down. Friends have gotten sent home to put on makeup because they didn’t have makeup on.”

No ponytails allowed and sent home from school for not wearing makeup? One could view this as strict. Another could view this as a hardcore training program to make their students strive for their full potential in their clients work and on themselves. For best practices and dress code, I suppose to each its own and that’s what sets the good cosmetologists apart from the best.

Throughout history women have done just about anything to achieve beauty, even if it kills them – literally. For every potentially dangerous and odd ancient beauty regime, we are sure glad that there is a much safer and more modern approach used today.

Lead eyeliner, (that’s not painful at all!)
Once upon a time (this is no fairy tale mind you) ladies of the Middle East used to grind up lead – an obvious metal poisoning element when consumed– and apply it to their eyelashes, eyebrows and eyelids. You’ve seen the warnings on various lead-based products to never consume lead, right? Well, I have a feeling that rubbing lead around your eyes is equally, if not more severe.

Today, thankfully, there are much safer ways to make your lashes, brows and lids look great. With the creation of mascara, eye liners, primers and eye shadow, women have a much easier and harmless way to make their eyes stimulating.

A little poison to achieve a little radiance
Women in England used to ingest arsenic for the purpose of achieving a certain glow to their skin. As we all know, arsenic is deathly poisonous. Although those English women had beaming skin, they had to pay a price – shorter, much shorter life spans.

Lucky for us, we have learned a lot over the past couple centuries about what affects the look and texture of skin. Simple things like cleansing, exfoliating, consuming fluids (non-poisons of course) and maintaining certain diets, in addition with modern skin creams can help keep skin beautiful and glowing.

The alternative uses of lion urine
Venetian women in the past used to pour lion urine on their hair and sit in the sun to achieve their beautiful blonde highlights.

Fortunately, we have advanced our methods for highlighting hair over the years with do-it-yourself kits or by going to professional cosmetologists and hair dressers at salons. Regardless of the method you choose to don those beautiful blonde locks, you can rest assured that you won’t need to worry about using lion urine, or any kind of urine for that matter, to achieve your desired golden color.

Bug Blood (do you even need to guess?)
In England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, lovely ladies of the time sought rich red lip coloring. Don’t we all? To achieve that luscious red tint, beauties would take the squashed remains of insects and rub it on their mouths for that crimson-red shine.

Unless you’re partial to using insect guts as lip balm, you too can achieve lusciously red lips at a much easier price. Between lip balm, lip gloss and lipstick, women today have several choices to gaining that ruby-red look without having to go to extremes.

It’s safe to say the days of using animal urine, insect remains and poisons as beauty products are behind us. Just remember, the next time you’re putting on your makeup or opening a new hot red lip stick, to thank all the dedicated beauties of the past, who sacrificed themselves to make today’s products realities.

Finally! A resolution has been reached for hair braiders licensing laws, bringing much relief. To catch up on the licensed hair braider versus women who braid hair debate, read our previous entry on “Should Hair Braiders Be Required To Have a Cosmetology License?”

The answer to this proposed question is – sort of. Hair braiders won’t be required to get the typical cosmetology license but rather a simpler and special license to braid hair. Before, they were required to go to cosmetology school and pass the state cosmetology exam to become licensed. Sounds simple enough, but throw in the $15,000 cost for school and the language struggle of having English as a second language, and this becomes a difficult feat.

Under the new law, which goes into effect January 1, 2011, hair braiders can apply for a special hair braiding license. The license will require 300 hours of training on hair technique and sanitation methods. A win-win for both sides; hair braiders will be able to stay in business and customers won’t have to worry finding business elsewhere.

It’s officially back to school time, one of our favorite times of the year. Beauty School’s has decided that this year we would like to show our passion by supporting a great cause – Della Lamb’s Operation Back-to-School.

Based in Kansas City, Della Lamb Community Services provide low-income families with early education and back-to-school supplies. We would like to invite you to join us fund school supplies to those who can’t afford them by donating as little as $5.

All donations need to be in by August 2nd. Look at how much has been given so far.

If you are a nail technician or even polish your own nails at home, then you’ve experienced the awful nail polish smell that invades the room as soon as the cap is twisted free from the bottle. Now, imagine giving manicures and pedicures for eight hours straight unable to leave the room! For many nail technicians, dizzy spells and significant health concerns result from the daily intake.

“About 50 percent of nail technicians are reporting that they’re experiencing headaches, skin irritations, all types of irritations after they’ve begun working in this workforce,” said researcher Thu Quach with the Cancer Prevention Institute of California.

For California nail technicians, these health concerns have been taken into consideration. A toxic-free nail polish was introduced to San Francisco nail technicians during a free manicure kickoff campaign to encourage others that safe nail products will be better for all. Nail polish typically contains three hazardous chemicals known as the Toxic Trio. These chemicals, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene, are absent from the polish. To go along with this, a new ordinance was also introduced in San Francisco.

“It will be the first in the nation and it will recognize nail salons that use toxic trio free products,” said Julia Liou with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and Asian Health Services.

If the ordinance goes through, San Francisco nail technicians and salons that use these safer non-toxic products will be publicly recognized through the use of signage in the salon’s window.

We shouldn’t have to risk our health or others health in order to feel pretty!

State laws seem to be up for discussion in the state of Nevada. It was instituted July 1, 2010 that skin specialists (the ones that practice making you look years younger by taking the wrinkles out of your face) will be required to receive training before getting licensed. Training hours are also being upped from 500 to 600 hours for students studying at Nevada nail technician schools and from 600 to 900 hours for  aestheticians schools.

“The additional training is needed for infection control,” says Vincent Jimno, executive director of the state Board of Cosmetology.

But now this appears to be up in the air. After the instatement of these laws, a spokesman for the Nevada governor recently said the state cosmetology boards will be reconsidered for this state, posing the question “Are they really necessary?”

Make up your mind Nevada!

If interested in attending beauty schools in Nevada, click here for more information.

With the acquisition of Empire’s newest cosmetology school in North Carolina, (Pineville school in Charlotte to be exact), came two reasons to celebrate: the opening of a new school and the incorporation of eco-conscious features. Other schools are expected will follow suit with environmentally thought-out designs. All we have to say is “Go Green Beauty!”

The North Carolina’s Campus Eco-friendly Features

• Exterior LED lighting fixtures to the 100% recyclable floors
• Energy saving devices in the student salon area such as water reduction shampoo sinks
• Green paint products
• Energy star rated heating
• Ventilation and air conditioning units
• Additional energy reducing hand washing faucets
• Motion sensing light controls
• Eco-friendly professional product lines like Regis Designline PURE Results

What’s Next: Domestic Abuse Training in Cosmetology School

Now that we are doing better for the environment, how about bettering ourselves! Two other newly acquired Empire schools, , New York and , Ohio will adapt a philanthropic program dedicated to fighting against domestic abuse known as Empire Gives Back.

What Empire’s Domestic Violence Training Will Involve:

• Training and education in identifying the signs of domestic abuse in their salon client
• Participation in fundraising efforts to aid their hands-on and real-world salon training
• Aid local women and children’s shelters across the country.

Empire Says…

“We are committed to bringing our charitable spirit, our dedication to supporting our local communities and our active engagement in anti-domestic violence causes.” – Franklin K. Schoeneman, chairman and CEO of Empire Education Group

It became official July 1. North Carolin hair law now requires anyone who braids hair to have their cosmetology license. Why the sudden regulation? Health concerns! Many customers complained to North Carolina legislation about insanitary conditions and head wounds received at their salons.

“People often got lacerations on the scalp because the braiding was too tight for their hair,” said Rep. Earline Parmon, D-Forsyth. Now, state law enforced by the State Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners requires all hair braiders to obtain a cosmetology license in North Carolina. The process involves passing a  state cosmetology exam, which usually has two parts: a written portion and a practical portion.

Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong! Many hair braiders are from West Africa and primarily speak French, knowing little English. Passing the cosmetology exam suddenly becomes a huge obstacle. Many salon owners are worried that they will be forced to close shop and lose their jobs due to being unable to meet these new requirements. Parmon tries to reassure saying, “I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that these people have a fair chance.”

It’s going to be an interesting road up ahead.

For information on this topic:

How to obtain a cosmetology license for hair braiding:

Cosmetology Schools in North Carolina