By Takiya Smith

With the new year fast approaching, 2011 is about to come to a screeching halt and turn into yet a memory as 2012 marks the beginning of a future to behold. Taking a look back at the year of beauty in review, Beaufort has made tremendous leaps and bounds towards fashion and beauty. Far from being recognized as fashion capitol of the world among the likes of Paris, Milan and Tokyo, Beaufort still proudly boasts a melting pot of culture, history and design like no other.
2011 marked the year of an increased interest in eyelash extensions, lash nutrient systems and growth serums, to name a few.  Latisse, Lavish Lashes and even extreme measures such as lash implants sprinkled the conversations amongst girlfriends, beauty columns and new reports.  This new phase of craze, previously seen in other cities across the West Coast to Midwest, finally reached our small southern town and not one, but two amazing lash and brow businesses gained recognition. Beautique Lash &amp; Brow, a facial spa dedicated solely to lash and brow grooming and enhancement, opened its doors in March of 2010, and Eye Candy Lash &amp; Inspirational Studio — a separate but unique entity — followed suite, opening its doors in October of 2011.
Adding to the grand plan of things, eyebrows also became a forefront in facial sculpting with the introduction of eyebrow threading.  Threading, an ancient method of hair removal that boasts perfectly precise eyebrows, frames and enhances the features of one’s face and is the preferred choice of method amongst celebrities and pop icons.  Known and used for centuries, threading made its way to Western culture over 10 years ago and is now offered in top salons and spas across the country, with Beaufort now being placed on the map as one of those sources.
Another fabulous beauty addition to the scene was the entrance of semi-permanent mascara.  SPM does exactly as it sounds — it’s mascara that is applied to last for an extended period of time.  The life span of SPM is normally 4-6 weeks, takes about 15-30 minutes to apply and is water resistant, resulting in perfectly coated lashes for days.
2011 has been a “fabu-lash” year and 2012 has much more to offer in the way of fashion, beauty and design.  Marking the eve of the new year, Beautique Lash &amp; Brow will be offering Swarovski Crystal Lash Enhancements to boost and add flash to your lash palette for all those late night parties. Crystals, commonly referred to as “lash bling,” range from small and discreet to bold and flashy and come in all sorts of colors and sizes.  The year of beauty in review has been one of fashion and fun, so let’s make the final night of 2011 one to remember and BLING in the New Year!