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We Tried It!

August 24, 2017

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Three 17th South staffers set out to try beauty treatments designed to target their trouble areas.

Amelia Pavlik
WHERE I WENT: Elite Beauty Bar
WHAT I TRIED: Full Classic Set of Lash Extensions

Over the years, I’ve tried mascaras and potions promising lush lashes—and have more often than not been less than impressed. So I was a bit skeptical when I heard similar promises about lash extensions. To see what all of the fuss was about, I headed to Old Fourth Ward’s Elite Beauty Bar.

Before

First, Lane Reid, the owner and my “lashtetician,” escorted me to the treatment room, where I laid down on a table with a pillow under my neck and a blanket over my feet to keep me warm. Reid cleansed my lashes and then applied an individual lash to each one of my existing lashes with tweezers and a tiny bit of glue. (FYI, over time, you shed the extensions as your natural eyelashes shed.) Getting a full set applied can take anywhere from two to three hours.

To maintain them, plan on returning every two to three weeks for 60 to 90 minutes. I have to admit, it was a challenge for me to lie still with eyes shut for such a long period of time, but, wow, was it worth it! Now, there’s nothing better than rolling out of bed to find that, thanks to these lashes, my eyes look like a million bucks even a few weeks later. And I haven’t had to reach for my mascara at all.

After

$275; $75 for two-week fill in.

626 DeKalb Avenue S.E., Suite 1104, 30312
404.909.9695
elitebeautybar.com

Joanne Hayes
WHERE I WENT: Blue Med Center
WHAT I TRIED: ThermiSmooth Face

Since my teenage years, I’ve been meticulous with my skin, so I’m open to trying things that stimulate collagen remodeling to stay youthful. I ventured to Blue Med Center in Midtown to try ThermiSmooth Face, performed with a thermistor-regulated hand piece at 48 degrees Celsius (that’s roughly 118 degrees Fahrenheit) for gentle dermal heating of problem areas around the eyes, neck, mouth and cheeks.

As with an ultrasound, gel is spread over the area, and the technician performs continuous gentle wave movements with the hand piece for three to 12 minutes, depending on the area of the face. The treatment requires no downtime It’s non-invasive with minimal discomfort. My skin was rosy for 20 minutes, then I put on makeup and went out for dinner. Six weeks later, after three treatments, I was pleased to notice a big difference in the quality of the skin on my neck. Best results are seen in about 90 days, with three to six treatments recommended. The technology used on the face is available as ThermiTight for the abdomen, arms and thighs. If my first experience is indicative of results, this may be in my future.

Treatments are $500 per area.

Blue Med Center
190 Tenth Street N.E., 30309
404.815.8880
bluemedcenter.com

Karina Antenucci
WHERE I WENT: Aviary Beauty & Wellness Collective
I TRIED: Intraceuticals Oxygen Infusion with Atoxelene facial

I headed to Aviary, a boutique, eco-chic salon and spa in Old Fourth Ward’s Studioplex for a hydrating, anti-aging Intraceuticals Oxygen Infusion with Atoxelene facial. Upon entering I was ushered into a cozy treatment room. After lying back on a plush massage table with soft blankets, my knowledgeable esthetician, Kelly Painter, first cleared makeup and grime from my face with a cream cleanser and a skin-pH-balancing cucumberand- witch hazel toner.

She then used an airbrush wand attached to an oxygen machine to infuse a cocktail of pure oxygen and serum with vitamins A, C, D, green tea, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid into my face and neck. Next, the cool air pumped an Atoxelene, a natural amino peptide serum to target fine lines around my eyes, forehead and cheeks. I saw an immediate difference: My cheeks looked lifted, my brow lines seemed softer and my skin was hydrated and glowing. Over the next two days, a few pesky small pimples vanished, and my skin continued to feel smooth.