Ulta obviously offers a collection of beauty products that can keep most product junkie women busy for hours, but there is also a pretty impressive selection of guy stuff here too.  Ulta carries several just for men skin and hair care lines such as Jack Black, Billy Jealousy, and Anthony Logistics.  You can also find a good variety of colognes here, such as John Varvatos, Lacoste, Dolce & Gabbana, and many more.  Ulta also carries a huge selection of women’s fragrances.

Ulta’s recent opening was timed perfectly for the holiday shopping season.  Sign up on their emailing list for tons of great coupons.  I signed up, and I have already gotten awesome offers such as 20% off any item, and a couple of save $3.75 on any $10 purchase coupons.  I can see myself doing lots of holiday shopping here, both for gifts to give to others, and for gifts to give to myself!

Eyelash extensions – the procedure.  My appointment with Debbie was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.  She normally doesn’t work on weekends, but she made a special trip.  We arrived a little early, and I filled out a brief information sheet before Debbie came to take us back to the procedure room.  On our way back we walked through the pedicure area which looked very nice.  Note to self: get pedicure soon.  Debbie led us to a small room with a dentist style chair and a large magnifying glass.  I laid down in the chair, and though I was nervous about the procedure, the chair was comfortable and there was soothing music playing, so it wasn’t long before I began to relax. The glass of wine I was offered helped a lot too.

Since I have blond hair, before Debbie began, she tinted my natural lashes darker so they would blend better with the extensions.  The dye stung a bit, but she washed my eyes out with eye drops and the sensation went away.  The actual application process of applying eye lash extensions is extremely tedious.  I was instructed to close my eyes, and she began applying the lashes one by one.  Each lash is individually placed with tweezers and adhered to a natural eyelash with a strong glue.  My eyes began stinging and watering slightly after awhile, but it was just moderately uncomfortable.  Because the procedure itself is very tedious, it requires a very steady hand.  Debbie specializes in permanent cosmetics, which I would imagine takes an extremely steady hand so I felt totally comfortable, and was confident in her ability from the get go.  I definitely would not let just anybody that close to my eyes with tweezers and glue.

The entire process took a little over an hour.  When I got to see my lashes for the first time I was shocked by how natural they appeared.  There is no seam and no obvious distinction between my own lashes and the extensions.  That is what I like the most about them.

In addition to Debbie’s services; eyelash tinting, extensions, and permanent cosmetics, Belladonna also offers a full service hair salon, manicures, pedicures, massages and facials, an infrared sauna, and a good selection of product lines including Nioxin, Redken, True Cosmetics, and Priori.

I really enjoyed my experience at Belladonna.  The facility is beautiful, the people are nice, and they offer a plethora of beauty treatments from body wraps to microdermabrasion.  I am still getting used to my new lashes.  I have gotten tons of compliments on them already, but I still worry that they may be a bit too much for day to day wear, especially for a person who isn’t used to wearing much makeup.  However, I did ask my husband’s opinion, and he loves them.  For anyone who is considering getting them done, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have.  And, I would definitely recommend you call Debbie if you decide to do it.

1. It’s my first day back at work, and one coworker commented on my new lashes, and it was to say she liked them.  I’d say they are workplace appropriate.

2. The lashes took just over an hour to apply.

3. The lashes are somewhat manageable.  It is difficult to thoroughly wash my eye area, and  I’ve had some trouble removing all of my Halloween makeup.  Also, when showering water pools on top of the lashes and then runs into my eyes.

4. Unfortunately, I was unable to wear my Gaga lashes.  Debbie said it could possibly be a problem depending on how they were applied, so I decided to scrap the idea.