October 20, 2009

Wink

Going from stunned to stunning and back again in a blink of an eye

By Micah McGarry

Before hanging up, my “always supportive” sister declares, “Well, working from home does have its advantages.” In this case, that is similar to saying that having a power outage does help you keep your electricity bill down. But as I venture past a mirror on my way downstairs to my cozy office, safe from prying eyes, I cannot disagree.

While most narratives start innocently enough, mine actually starts with a mysterious loss of underappreciated eyelashes—a visible section almost dead center on my right eye—the morning of a family reunion. While untimely, and rather strange, this crisis turns out to be the least of my worries. In the days, and weeks, that pass after my familial rendezvous, I begin focusing—okay obsessing—over my lack of lashes. I find that this loss of growth is somehow weighing heavy on my lid and causing me much undo stress.

So what’s a girl to do? What any modern girl might do; query Ms. Google. I find, as usual, she has all the answers. I find my knight in winking armor—the latest craze in all the right crowds—eyelash extensions. I continue researching until I find a matchmaker that is able to introduce us, the lashes and I, that is.

Her services come well recommended, if not a bit pricey, but vanity comes at a price. I lay down in a dimly lit physician’s office with a single beam of light blaring on my eyelids for well over an hour as she works her magic, attaching one stunning lash after another. Sitting still is difficult given that I am almost giddy with anticipation. She suggests a dramatic look, as with my coloring and shear mass of hair, she thinks I could pull it off. How right she is!

These lashes turn out to be unbelievable. My eyes look stunning, alluring, sultry, and any other adjective you might come up with that would describe being eye-catching to the opposite sex; the same sex for that matter. I would have never guessed how much difference the length of one's lashes could make. I find that I now have the ability to wear my hair in ANY style and look smashing without an ounce of eye makeup. Audrey Hepburn would be proud and stunned. Waking up in the morning has also turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I look awake and fresh, even adorable. Oh, sweet life!

All is right with the world…for a bit. Not unlike many relationships, things cannot stay perfect forever though. The first major setback starts a few days after falling in love with these blinking bombshells. Several of the extensions have been strategically placed to cover my missing lashes. Unfortunately, the new lashes are heavier than my own and when you attach counterfeit lashes to super short lashes, the result is…well…"drupage." However that is just the beginning of the downfall. The next sign that this was not meant to be; my long, lovely lashes start to interweave, clump, and poke in some type of childish rebellion. I start spending excessive time brushing my lashes only to find that I am making things even worse.

In the end, as with most of my romances, I find myself starting to try to separate myself from these once-loved guests of my eyelids. I can be found in the bathroom blobbing on eye lotion in order to soften the blow AND adhesive on each lash in order to begin the painful task of twisting each simulated strand until it either disengages from the natural lash or pulls out the extension and real lash altogether. I probably do not need to address this reality, but it hurts…a lot! But most separations do, right? By morning after many tears and some twangs of regret, my task is complete. All the extensions have been removed—as well as most of my original lashes. To boot, the natural lashes that are left seem to have been trimmed by the lash supplier introduced in the 13th sentence of my epilogue. How apropos.

So as I sit here mourning my loss with maybe twelve stubs of upper lash left to my name between both eyes, I jot down my thoughts—lessons learned—for when I am feeling weak and thinking about giving it one more try…

1. Long eye lashes are incredible!
2. Fake lashes may not be for me.
3. Sometimes I only see what I want from Ms. Google.
4. Working from home has definite benefits.
5. Oh, and did I mention, long eyelashes are beautiful?


Contact Information:
Michaleen McGarry
P: 602.819.2025
E: Michaleen@gmail.com