Luscious lashes the key to glamour this season

The dusty dictionary tells me that a treat is anything that gives you particular pleasure or enjoyment. So how about one that takes less than 20 minutes and costs less than €20? Well, recessionistas out there it's all about the lashes right now. It may be down to Cheryl Cole battling in the style stakes with Danni Minogue on X-Factor every weekend, but everywhere you go, it's all about tinting, perming, lash bars or falsies, which are making a huge return to popularity. Even Girls Aloud have latched on to the craze in recent times, launching their very own funky range of eyelashes with a individual set for each member of the band. Born with a shaky hand, (I can hardly manage eye pencil, never mind eyeliner) I decided to consult a professional for my first flush with false eyelashes instead of ending up with glue in my eye and a disastrous result. I picture a more Cruella de Vil result than the required glamour puss. Instead, off I went to Skindeep Beauty Salon in Castle Street, Athlone, who are running a fantastic promotion at the minute offering lashes in 15 minutes for €15, the perfect pick-me-up for the grey, dank nights ahead. "It's a really quick way of updating your look," Debbie Curley told me as she inspected my own lashes, which are quite long apparently, so a natural sweep would be most suitable to bring about definition around my eyes, more subtle than showgirl. "They last well once you look after them. You should get a week to two weeks," Debbie advised, adding that afterwards she can remove them for you with a special solution that won't damage your own lashes. As she picked out the Salon System lashes for me and started the process of putting the glue on and fitting each one individually with a little tweezers style implement, I couldn't help admire the skill. There isn't much room for error when you are working with the peepers but she was a master at it. I definitely don't think I could manage the coordination. Interestingly, I have more lashes on eye than the other. Wonder what that means? With slightly sensitive eyes, I was a little worried the glue or lashes might bother me. Not a bit of it though! Thankfully, the lashes are extremely light so you hardly know they are there! Now, if you went for the more showgirl or famous Shemura styles beloved of the Japanese, which look like a variety of bobbles hanging off your eyes you certainly would not be able to say the same. However, the false eyelashes I got work brilliant with eyeliner or mascara according to Debbie and for night time, they can be really dramatic, a major plus with Halloween and a few party occasions around the corner. Just 15 minutes later I got to judge for myself as my new style peepers were revealed and I was certainly impressed. Subtle but stylish, a real eye opener, pun intended! I was reminded of all those mascara ads that you wondered how the hell they achieved the luscious, long, full lashes with the mascara when all you or I could muster was spindly eyes. The majority of mascara ads now use lash inserts, I'm told, and looking at the fantastic results I can see why. If eyes really are the window to the soul, then false eyelashes certainly make that window much bigger, defined and fabulous! For further information call Skin Deep Beauty Salon, 11 Castle St, Athlone 090 6492797. Proprietor Karen Curley.