Press

Editorial Review – by Fred Schlatter

In Short Wedged along a busy part of Delaware, this storefront is little more than a small, handsomely appointed room and scant shelves selling products. Polite staff busily attend to a posh female audience. At the eye of the storm: semi-permanent lash-extensions available in full and half treatments for varying dramatic effects. Other services include eyebrow stencil-shaping, tinting, and lash perming.

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The Lashe Spot (lashespot.com) opened in August, specializing in semi-permanent eyelash extensions applied directly to natural lashes for $200 to $300.

The Lashe Spot, 1 E. Delaware Pl., also is an outgrowth of an established business: five-year-old Roque Beauty Lounge, 24 W. Erie. Women desiring longer and fuller lashes were eager to pay the hundreds of dollars and sit for the two hours it takes to apply the false eyelashes.

"I had a great demand, so I decided to open a shop that was just dedicated to that," said owner Melinda Rodriguez, 33. She plans to open a new site in Wicker Park.

Avoid a Brow-Beating

Put down those tweezers and leave your eyebrow care to the professionals.

"People didn't know that you could get a perfect eyebrow arch-they didn't know how good they could look," enthuses Melinda Rodriguez, owner of the Lashe Spot, a space devoted solely to the beautification and maintenance of brows and lashes. The business' philosophy hinges on one assumption: DIY eyebrow upkeep is incomparable to the trained hand of a waxing professional. "You don't know when to stop," Rodriguez explains. "You over-pluck and over-cut."

A thick, full eyebrow is fundamental for any contemporary style. The Lashe Spot staff emphasizes that trends right now focus on cleaning up the eyebrow's natural arch, which inherently complements facial structure. To help sculpt that shape, She Lashe Spot uses Anastasia brow stencils, which come in different sizes for every girth and length of brow. A standard dark-brown eye shadow. works well to fill in the stencil, marking guidelines for subsequent waxing. Once the wax is applied and stripped the technician goes over thee area with tweezers to ca" any stray hairs. Finally she'll comb, the brow upward to trim the hairs, being careful to leave enough length that the hair will fall In the direction of. natural growth.

Though all thee took for eyebrow cam cps be gathered for use at home-Anastasia brow kits can be purchased at Sephora for $75 Rodriguez maintains It's a job best left to professionals. And while an eyebrow wax at the Lashe Spot runs $30, Rodriguez does her best to make the experience worthwhile. Patrons he down on plush beds during the 30-minute process, at the end of which the technicians use an eyebrow highlighter to hide any redness from the procedure and fill in any gaps or thin spots with powder.

But waxing isn't your only brow-care option. Threading, a technique imported from India, is available at many local shops in the city's ethnic boroughs. The disadvantage, Rodriguez says, is that threading cuts the hair off near the surface, meaning he hair grows back quicker. And plucking has a tendency to break the hair, creating the "black dot effect" of visible hair just below the skin's surface.

"It's not only making the perfect eyebrow arch, it's using the right product," Rodriguez says. "We're taking this technique to the next level."

The Lashe Spot (1 E. Delaware. 312/932-0163)

The Lashe Spot's salon coordinator Marcus Cannon says fake lashes are great "if you're tired of using mascara and want to add oomph to the eye." A full set of lashes ($300-$350) takes an hour and a half to two hours to apply; refills of 10-15 lashes {565-5100) We minutes. The similarly brief "flirty, eyes" treatment ($75) adds a few lashes just to the comer of your eyes. Posh perks: An iPod is provided for mellowing out, and anti-wrinkle cream is applied to your hands, feet and eyes.

As if its fireplace, deep lavender walls, exposed brick, and complimentary coffee and tea bar weren't enough to relax you, Roque throws in a hand and foot massage with each treatment. The skin-care line of choice is Sundari, which manufactures ayurvedic products that contain botanical extracts. We recommend the Sundari Neem facial (regularly $90 and shown in the picture below), which utilizes the reparative, hydrating and firming properties of the neem plant.

LADIES GET READY TO THROW OUT THE MASCARA AND EYELASH CURLERS!

Summer Jackson Summer Jackson, the co-host of CLTV's "metromix" covers Roque Beauty Lounge's The Lashe Spot and interviews founder Melinda Rodriquez. Summer even gives extreme lashes a shot on her own peepers!

Open For Business - The Lashe Spot

Blame it on J-Lo's mink falsies or on the nation's new love affair with non-surgical enhancement, but salons have lately witnessed an epidemic of fluttery-lash fever. And now the Gold Coast has a sanctuary where those little hairs can reach their most sweeping potential.

Melinda Rodriguez, owner and founder of the Lashe Spot, sharpened her scissors as a Vidal Sassoon hairdresser. At 18, she was selected to study the salon's famous "precision cutting" technique in London, and when she came back to Chicago she went to work snipping inside the Water Tower Place. At the inner-mall salon, Melinda says, "I couldn't tell what the weather was like outside. I had worked for a while in Miami, in a storefront space where we had sunny skies and palm trees right outside. I missed that, and I realized it was time to start something on my own."

So when Rodriguez found a perfect pampering-place-with-a-view at 24 West Erie, she bought the space, hired some Sassoon pals (including her friend since high school, Ignatia Garcia) and Roque Salon was born. Aside from offering color, cuts and makeup application, Roque boasted XTreme Lash eyelash extension: In a process that takes one to two hours, eyelashes are made noticeably fuller and fringier.

Five years later (the salon celebrated its anniversary this past weekend), Roque clients were clambering for the XTreme treatment at such an XTreme rate that Melinda had to open a new spot exclusively for the service.

At the spankin' new Lashe Spot, four chairs allow patrons to sink back onto pillows and cushy white blankets as a lash expert goes to work on prettifying their peepers.

On a recent visit, I stood by as aesthetician Ignatia Garcia worked her lash magic and was unable to hold back a few of my concerns: "Doesn't it hurt?" I bellowed to Garcia's client, who replied serenely, her eyes closed: "I'm napping." Incidentally, the experience is set to become more tranquil in the coming months, when customers will don iPods programmed with soothing tunes and dip their hands into warm paraffin wax as the treatment takes place. However, I'm still a bit troubled. The lashes last up to two months, so my next pressing concern is: "Don't people get hooked? I mean, what happens when the extensions all fall off?" Melinda assures me that the danger of XTreme Lash addiction is comparable to the beauty frenzy fueled by a manicure: "Once you get your nails done, you like the way it looks, you want to do it again," she says. "It becomes about maintenance. You get inspired to keep it up." I have one last issue, and this one's about eye infection. But at-home research (the salon's website, www.roquebeautylounge.com, has all the answers lash neophytes could seek) assures me that the extensions are applied directly to each natural lash with sanitized tweezers; the skin around the eyes is never touched. No wonder the Lashe Spot client was able to nod off: her eyes, it seems, were in expert hands.

The Lashe Spot

Melinda Rodriguez owner of Roque Salon, has opened a stand-alone beauty lounge specializing in eye treatments. Services include Eyelash perms, tinting and eyebrow waxing.

I'm waiting for the day I can surgically rig my armpits to produce BO that smells like flowers. Since it's now possible to get my asshole bleached and my vagina tightened, that day will surely come soon--the sky seems to be the limit on remedies for the perceived misfortunes of the privileged.

Another case in point: the Lashe Spot, a brand-new Gold Coast salon devoted solely to beautifying hair in the ocular region. I rolled up to the grand opening last Thursday and was surprised by what I saw--or, rather, by how much I could see from the outside. The blinds on the windows of the tiny Delaware Street storefront were at half mast, allowing passersby to peek in and watch as well-heeled women lay on duvet-covered beds, enjoying complimentary brow shaping (the spa usually charges $30), eyelash tinting (usually $25), and the application of semipermanent lash extensions ($75), which owner Melinda Rodriguez refers to as "flirty eyes."

I'm used to spa services, especially ones designed to mask inadequacies, being performed in discreet, clinical, does-she-or-doesn't-she settings, but once I stepped into the small, white, one-room outfit, I caught the fever. The idea of ditching the clunky medieval torture device that I use daily to pitch my lashes dramatically upward, making me look more awake and Bambi-like, made it seem almost sensible to indulge in an eyelash perm. So I did.

Ignacia Garcia, my aesthetician, applied pads treated with antiwrinkle cream under my eyes, holding down the lower lashes. She then affixed a tiny rod that felt like it was made of flypaper to each upper lid and pressed my lashes against it, sticking them in place. Dipping a little paintbrush into tiny vials, she gingerly dabbed skunk juice onto my lashes and told me to relax for ten minutes. The sensation danced between burn and itch, which I found not unpleasant--but I'm one of those sickos who actually enjoy a hearty bikini wax after months of rocking it animal-style. (Tip: Haleh at Rocco and Rocco in Downers Grove does an immaculate Brazilian for cheaper than you'll find at any reputable place within city limits, and it stays rash free.)Then came neutralizing solution and an eyelash conditioner. Yes, I said eyelash conditioner.

Doelike lashes

Applying mascara has never seemed like much of a hassle, but it's apparently too taxing for the growing number of beauty junkies who opt for eyelash extensions—think hair extensions on a smaller scale. They last up to two months before shedding, and they're waterproof—so you can shower, swim and do all of your regular activities without destroying the long-lashed look.

Initially, we were skeptical of the benefits of lash extensions. Could it really be worth a few hundred dollars just to be more eye-catching? But aesthetician Ignacia Garcia of Roque Salon, whose own extensions looked surprisingly natural, promised that we'd love them. To get ours, we lay supine on a padded table while Garcia gently covered our lower lashes with a cottony pad (to protect them from tangling with the upper set). She then applied a bonding agent to the top lashes, and painstakingly affixed an extension to each individual eyelash.

The painless procedure took almost two hours, and although Garcia says that many clients nod off, we grew fidgety after 45 minutes. But the wait was worth it: We could barely believe our eyes upon looking in the mirror. The lashes were softly curled, thicker and longer, yet they looked completely natural. They even felt just like our own lashes. Even without any makeup, our appearance was fresher and just plain prettier. Our earlier skepticism dissolved with the blink of an eye. $300 at Roque Salon, 24 W Erie St between State and Dearborn Sts (312-863-7678).

OVERVIEW : Chicago's only storefront salon dedicated solely to eyelashes and eyebrows is located in Chicago's charming Gold Coast. Once regarded as an intricate Hollywood beauty secret, eyelash extensions are the hottest new beauty trend among women looking for a glamorous beauty boost. Perfect for brides and special events, or even just Friday night! Lashe Spot services include eyelash extensions, eyebrow shaping, eyelash tinting, eyelash perming and eyebrow tinting.

Come in for a full set of beautiful, luxurious Xtreme lashes and receive a free tube of mascara and long life coating.

Watch out for a new location in Wicker hark

DECOR : Zen-like minimalism with a hip, spa boutique twist

SIGNATURE TREATMENT : Xtreme eyelash extensions

PRODUCT LINES : Sundari

The Eyes Have It

Melinda Rodriguez, owner of Roque Salon in River North, has seen such a demand for better brows; she's opening a stand alone brow studio in the Gold Coast. Set to open this week, The Lash Spot will offer clients everything from top notch brow shaping to other eye inspired offerings such as lash extensions, eyelash tinting, lash perming, brow tinting and more.

As the only specialty salon in Chicago exclusively dedicated to eyes, lashes and brows, The Lashe Spot is sure to catch the attention of those wanting to experience the latest rage in non-surgical face enhancement.

Indeed, many of Hollywood's elite have discovered the secret to beautiful lashes: semi-permanent lash extensions. Just like those worn by Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani, the Lashe Spot's Xtreme Lashes enhance the wearer's natural beauty without the hassle of applying and reapplying mascara.

The weightless extensions are painlessly applied to individual lashes by one of our certified, master technicians with a water-soluble gel and last an average cycle of 30 to 60 days.

"Xtreme Lashes are in such high demand at Roque Salon that we decided to open a shop exclusively dedicated to eyes and brows," said Melinda Rodriguez, owner of The Lashe Spot and Roque Salon. "Every person who comes to The Lashe Spot can leave with glamorous lashes and perfect arches."

Clients can also enjoy the benefits of professionally applied brow tinting, lash tinting and stencil brow shaping.

In addition to Roque Beauty Lounge - The Lashe Spot, her Gold Coast location, visit Rodriguez's full-service salon, Roque Salon, located at 24 W. Erie St. in Chicago, for all other beauty needs, including precision hair cuts and color, nail therapy, facials, face and body waxing and hair extensions, among other services.