I try to keep everything as natural as possible. No color in my hair, no acrylic nails, no cosmetic surgeries, eating right, drinking a lot of water & working out on the regular. I do have one aesthetic vice though, and those are lash extensions. I don't like to wear a ton of make up and I love that lashes can totally transform your look. 

Cecilli Grootemaat, founder of Sable Lash Lounge, invited me out to her space in the Sola Salon Studios in the elements building out in Bellevue last week. Before I wax on about Sable, I wanted to give a little insight into Sola first. I was fascinated when I walked into the Sola Salon Studios  space. Much like I (or any other independent business owner) would look for office space to rent, salon professionals often rent space/chairs in actual salons and pay rent to another salon professional. Sola Salon Studios was created in 2004 as a way for salon independents to essentially have their own space. They rent small studios in Sola, and in turn are surrounded by other industry types, while their customers have the opportunity to support a few local small business owners in one common space. To me, it's a lot like co-working spaces geared towards digital types like myself. 

With lash extensions, you are spending at least an hour every 2-3 weeks with someone who is applying adhesive & extensions to a very sensitive part of your body. I definitely don't recommend going somewhere cheap or low-quality, and if you're going to go to a new stylist, make sure you know where they've been trained!

Cecilli was a senior lash stylist at Swink Style Bar before branching out on her own back in March 2011. She specializes in NovaLash eyelash extensions, plus eyebrow couture shaping & lash lift. As far as I know, Sable Lash Lounge is the only place in the area to get NovaLash extensions.  Award-winning, long-lasting, medical-grade lash extension adhesives have earned NovaLash its reputation as “the healthiest” professional eyelash extension system. 

As the industry leader, NovaLash offers superior lash extension education and training to its most talented and dedicated lash artists, and superior products and service to its clients. NovaLash works diligently to embody and exemplify the best that technology, science, creative artistry and customer satisfaction can achieve.

Cecilli recently won an award from NovaLash as one of their Artists of the Year in the "Most Dramatic Look" category. When I saw this accolade, I knew I was in good hands with her!

I sat with Cecilli for two hours for my "initial set" (the first set for those who've never had them, or for those who've gone more than five weeks since their last fill.) Check out her full list of eyelash extension services - including Candied Lashes!!! - on her site, along with more info on Cecilli and her other services.

You can book an appointment with Cecilli online (she books at least two weeks out), or you can ask her questions on the Sable Lash Lounge  Facebook page. 

Thanks Cecilli!