Gluten-Free Egg Beaters® "Pizza"

I know this is a style blog, but I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy a few months ago and it has been a pretty transformational time for me. I'm sharing this because I know a LOT of people who have Celiac or issues with gluten - or choose to be wheat-free for other reasons.

When I knew I had to give up the wheat, I most worried about craving pizza. my favoritest food. The nearest gluten-free pizza joint is about 20 minutes away and I just don't feel like driving there whenever the mood strikes me - because the craving is usually gone by then.

I don't normally cook, so if I make something edible, it's like WOW. And these are actually better than edible!

Gluten-Free Egg Beaters® Pizza

Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

Lightly coat a small skillet with butter.

Shake Egg Beaters® well and pour a thin layer into the skillet on medium heat.

As if making an omelet, lift the sides of the egg as they are cooking and allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Do this until the top is fairly well cooked. (Do NOT fold.)

Pour a second thin layer on top and do the same. The idea is to have a substantive "crust" for your pizza.

When the top layer of egg is almost completely cooked, turn off burner and slide egg crust onto greased aluminum foil. Top with pizza sauce, cheese and whatever you like. I'm all about peppers and olives, obviously. (One trick I've been doing is raiding the grocery store's salad bar for my toppings. It's good for making several of these because I can get exactly how much I need.)

Bake on 385 until cheese gets brown and bubbly (about 15 minutes).

Remove and eat or cool, wrap in wax paper and store in fridge.

It does need to be eaten with a fork and knife since the egg "crust" isn't stiff like a real crust. It could also probably be eaten folded or rolled up too. And if I get really ambitious, maybe I'll try making it into a calzone sometime.

Zumba Party on April 16th

Have you ever wanted to try Zumba but haven't had an opportunity? Or maybe you don't dance but think it looks fun?

It IS fun - so, so, so fun !!!! And you don't even need a hint of dancing ability! (As evidenced by yours truly and I don't mean the restaurant.)

Join me for a fabulous, super-size Zumba class on Saturday, April 16th, 11:30am-1:00pm at Mentor (Ohio) Fitworks.

If you can burn 600-1000 calories during an hour-long Zumba class, imagine how many you'll burn in 90 minutes!! Those are pre-Easter calories, yo. So we can all eat more candy :-}

My instructor Erica will be teaching it and she is a blast!!!
Lunch will be provided and the cost is $15 per person.

Eat us. You know you want to.

Spice Up Your Wardrobe with Prints

A couple of years ago, I realized how boring my wardrobe had become. I had precious few patterns in my closet, but those that I had, I wore quite often.
Several patterns I didn't feel were "right" and they quickly wrote their own ticket out of my closet. I looked at the patterns I wore the most to see what they all had in common and tried to figure out why I felt great and looked good in them.
I realized all the patterns shared one trait - they all contained beige or yellow. They worked with my coloring because I am a champagne blonde. It's all about harmony - my hair color was repeated in the patterns I wore.
 
I started using this new tactic, and you know what? I started buying (and more importantly, wearing) interesting patterns! My closet isn't boring anymore!! 
Most of us appreciate a rule of thumb so we are assured that what we buy will look great on us. Fortunately, this concept works for everyone - whether male or female, and regardless of hair color - brown, red, black, gray, or blonde. 
A pattern will generally work on you if your hair color is repeated in it. I think that's why leopard print is perpetually 'in'. It contains so many of our hair colors - blonde, light and dark brown, white, and black. And redheads can wear it because it's in their color palette!

A few more tricks for wearing prints:

The 80/20 Rule This is for anyone who has attended one of my color events. For best results, when you buy prints, make sure 80% of the colors in the print are from your own palette. The other 20% can be any color in the spectrum. Remember, it's all about creating harmony!

Filling Your Closet
The easiest way to incorporate prints is to use the following list in descending order:
1. Stripes 2. Plaids 3. Checks
4. Dots 5. Abstracts
6. Florals

Mimic your face and body shape
If your facial features are on the angular side with dramatic high cheekbones, a square jawline, or thin lips, and you are tall and/or slender, opt for bold, geometric patterns.

If you have softer features and are more curvy, choose soft or rounded prints, like paisley, swirls, and abstract florals.

A mishmash of prints from my very own closet: clothes, bags, shoes, scarves

I'm on the softer, curvier side, so I select patterns that are more rounded, leafy, or swirly - nothing too angular or with hard edges.

Mixing Patterns 
Guys do it all the time - a pinstripe suit, striped shirt, polka dot tie. Women, on the other hand, are generally afraid to mix patterns for fear of looking silly, I suppose. I do it quite a bit and I can assure you I don't look silly. I will pair striped or plaid pants with abstract print shirts or jackets.

How to make this look work:

1. Don't combine more than 2 patterns - unless you are going for a very fashion forward look

2. Items must have at least 2 colors in common

3. Make sure the prints are different proportions - for instance, herringbone (a very tight pattern) and a large print brocade jacket can work well together if you follow all the other rules

4. Mixing patterns mandates toned-down accessories

Corduroy Conundrum

The fashion helper needs fashion help.

I'm not one who lets items fester in my closet. If I'm not going to wear it now or in the future, it's usually outta there pretty quickly - either given to a friend, consigned or donated to a charity.

These corduroy jackets are the exception to the rule. I have these and a few more, which are at least four years old. I don't usually wear corduroy - it's a little too rough-textured and heavy for me. Plus these jackets are pretty boxy and I lose any sense of body shape in them.

I've stopped wearing them as part of an outfit, which I used to do with jeans and a top.

But I'm debating about keeping them around to use as outerwear. Unless it's bitterly cold, I rarely wear a heavy coat since I generally hop right from the car to indoors, so I tend to opt for either a voluminous sweater or lightweight jacket and accessorize with hat, scarf and gloves. I keep a big coat and comfy shoes in the car just in case ;-)

So do I dump the boxy corduroy? I don't have a huge connection to it, except for the leopard (which has more of a shape than the others) and dark turquoise ones. But they are warm and practical and I find myself grabbing them a few times a season. I just know there are better choices out there.

Do I keep them around for next fall and winter or give them away so the temptation to wear something so meh on me is gone for good? But I also feel like I will kick myself if I need one and it's not there.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Stripe Trend?

I can't go into a store this season without seeing black and white horizontal stripes everywhere. Because of all the image, style and body line analysis classes I've taken and the books I've read over the years, I've discovered just how conditioned I am - B.F. Skinner-style - to avoid them in the same way I avoid mosquitoes and bears. 

What I didn't realize is that most of my clients, no matter how un-fashion-savvy they claim to be, at the very least know to avoid the evils of the horizontal stripe.

Recently, a few clients have thought I was absolutely nuts when I slipped a couple of such pieces onto their racks of clothing to try on. Scary! This was one response from a 49 year old:

"Oh my gosh, my mother 

would kill me if she knew 

 I was buying this!"

Seriously, folks.

(If you want to read more about mothers, ex-boyfriends, 

catty friends and how they never leave our closets, 

check out my article Fashion Exorcism.)

Trends come into our lives to present us with opportunities to get out of our fashion comfort zones. Some are only for crazy fashion daredevils (did anyone buy into triple-pleated pants that were here and gone in about two weeks?) and other trends can be molded to fit any style, coloring and body shape. 

Horizontal stripes can work for pretty much anybody in one way or another - just follow a few simple tips.

1) Dresses and tops should be close to the body, but not clingy. 

Beware! This full skirt with wide stripes may not be your best buddy.

2) A narrow stripe is typically - but not always - more flattering than a wide one.

3) Don't wear the most obvious thick stripes across the widest parts of your body. (The above is not a good choice if you have a thicker torso.)

4) Confuse the eye - not all stripes have to be horizontal. 

5) Even a small amount of stripey-ness goes a long way. 

 Layer a striped cardigan or jacket over something plain or a plain jacket or cardigan over a striped top or dress.  

Kristen Kaleal is a wardrobe stylist, speaker and fashion writer. The black and white stripe trend reminds her of one of her favorite fashion icons, The Hamburglar. Ironically, she is a vegetarian.  *rubble rubble*

_

Wearable Spring Jewelry Trends

Musings from a Sole Diva

Give a girl the correct footwear and she can conquer the world.

- Bette Midler

What is it with women and shoes, anyway? Have you ever wondered why we are attracted to and feel compelled to purchase so many of them? Is it our womanly right to have as many shoes as we desire (or can afford)? Why are the words "women" and "shoes" forever linked in infamy? And why do men need 3 only pairs of shoes when the correct number for women is infinity? Am I the only person who thinks of such things? Probably, but indulge me anyway! Let’s take a peek at why, intentionally or unintentionally, every woman channels her own inner Imelda Marcos.

If the Shoe Fits…

Unlike men’s clothing, women’s clothing sizes are inconsistent and all over the place. What may be a size 6 in one designer may be a size 8 in another. There is no consistent method used for creating women’s clothing, and we all are shaped differently. What happens when you think you are a size 10 but instead a 12 fits because of the designer you selected? It doesn’t make you feel good, does it? If you’re like the rest of us, you probably feel disappointed, your self image is shaken, and you may want to rush into a crash diet, right?

For whatever reason, we internalize our clothing size, beating ourselves up if we aren’t the size we think we should be. Feeling rejected, we may find ourselves in the shoe department. Here, if we try on a pair that is a little snug, chances are we won’t have a full-on identity crisis like we did in the fitting room, right ladies? We just go up a half-size. We think of this as the manufacturer’s problem, not our issue. Problem solved - and another pair finds its way into in our closet.

Therapy for the Sole?

I happen to think that there are two things that never reject women – food and shoes. We use both for comfort and as positive reinforcement. Not that either is particularly healthy for us. I would rather have a smokin’ pair of strappy stilettos over a piece of cheesecake any day, but different women use different diversions to get through tough times. A relationship gone bad, issues with friends, and strife at work all seem to be lessened with a little momentary splurge.

But when you come down from the high from your funky new Marc Jacobs stilettos or when the sugar rush wears off, you’re still left with a problem that isn’t remedied. So the diversion of buying new shoes or indulging in some serious caloric intake won’t make the challenges of the real world go away. It just lessens the impact for an hour or two. Problem not solved – but somehow we still end up with more shoes.

The Shoe Hoarder

Psychological factors aside, there happen to be legitimate reasons why we seem to require a lot of shoes. We have a vast array of clothing needs that are very different from men. While traditionally, guys have the option of wearing pants most of the time, or shorts sometimes, women need different shoes for pants, capris, short skirts, long skirts, casual styles, dressy styles, and the list can go on and on. We need specific shoes and heel heights for our diverse wardrobe. Not to mention basic colors and accent colors, and different shoes for the cold and warm seasons! What does this turn into?

A wardrobe full of shoes, of course! Problem solved?? Fortunately, we are limited by budget and space, and eventually one or the other will run out! Hopefully this will happen before the A&E camera crews make their way to your house.

MY TRUE SHOE CONFESSIONS

Here’s some stuff I’m not too proud of, but feel I feel the need to get it off my feet….

1. I buy knockoff shoes (sometimes)

Yes, this is the same person who said don’t, under any circumstances, buy a fake bag! A knockoff shoe merely means that a style a famous maker created is produced with a slight variation in style and typically, with less expensive materials. You would be surprised how many high-end and low-end shoes are made in the very same factory, but the label makes all the difference in the price point! On frivolous shoe purchases, such as the 4” faux pony hair leopard peeptoe Steve Madden knockoffs I bought, I spend as little as possible. Shoes like this will spend most of their shelf life in your closet, so I would advise skimping on fun accent shoes such as these.

2. I don’t care what my shoes are made of

I’m a vegetarian - almost a vegan. Have been since I was a kid. But I will buy almost any kind of animal skin or fur to wear on my feet without thinking twice! They just have to be cute. (Next thing I know, PETA will be aiming buckets of paint at my feet!) I don’t care to own a leather coat, I would never wear real fur, but basically I would wear endangered snow leopard cub fur-lined boots if they looked cute enough.

(I am joking, of course. I would never wear endangered snow leopard cub fur! But I do have a couple of non-endangered skins and hairs that I’m not too proud of as a bona fide veg – sorry! I assure you they are really cute though!!)

3. I buy quantity over quality

There are 5 Basic Shoe Styles that every woman should have in her closet. This is where to be sure to buy quality since these are your workhorses and should last for several seasons.

1) Tall black or brown boots 2) Basic sneakers 3) Flats or loafers 4) Basic black stiletto pumps and 5) Strappy metallic sandals.

Once the basics are taken care of, I’m all about quantity, quantity, quantity!! The more shoes, the merrier!!! (Yes, I have a problem – but at least my feet always look good!!)

***

It’s funny that almost every guy I meet thinks his woman is the only one with a truckload of shoes. I assure them that while yes, we all love shoes (some of us more than others), the clothing that we wear necessitates at least seven pairs of black heels (I am such an enabler!) as well as various combinations of boots, sandals, flats, wedges, platforms, mules, etc, etc.

I tell them that we need our shoes because they complete our outfits. What I don’t mention is that in some bizarre cosmic way they may also complete us.

Kristen Kaleal is a wardrobe stylist who knows that the day she can no longer pull off five inch heels is the day that she will have to admit she is short. And that will not be a happy day. But until then, she's walkin' tall and writing quirky things about herself in the third person.

Phil Collins retires; my knee has never been happier!

I could not be happier to hear the good news today. Phil Collins is retiring!!! This gives me a great reason to dance a jig a couple of weeks before St. Patty's Day. Maybe not just a regular jig - I will need to invent a

!!! SUPER JIG !!!

for this momentous occasion.

A lot of people have seen my Twitter profile (yo, follow me if you're not already) and wondered exactly what my problem is with a certain Mr. Phil Collins. No, my "unresolved issues" are not just a quirky little made up factoid to give prospective followers a glimpse of what my quirky little tweets will be like.

My problems with the defendant, Mr. Collins, run much deeper than that.

Without a doubt, the guy is the purveyor of some of the worst music of my generation - even though he's old enough to be my great-great grandfather. (And that was what you call a hyperbole, kids. In reality, he's only old enough to be my grandpa - and yet with less hair than my gramp had in his 90's.)

I really didn't like the reincarnated Genesis and was too young to understand the original with Peter Gabriel (I still sorta don't see how that evolved into conventional bullcrap music with the addition of a balding drummer, but maybe that is the source - aka "genesis" ha ha - of the problem.)

I  truly hated the song Illegal Alien, even though at the time I didn't realize how extremely discriminatory it was. The video was racist and filled with stereotypes to the extreme.

NOT* RACIST

(*And by not, I mean TOTALLY, of course.)

And then there's the mid-80's video where he's a bum and wears fingerless gloves, which are a staple of my winter gear nowadays. Not only did he ruin an accessory which is mandatory for a writer who frequently suffers from cold hands and lives in a cold weather state, but he made me think of a bum every time I've seen him since then.

The worst "P.C." (Get it? And I don't mean "politically correct"!) infraction came when I was in 10th grade and had knee surgery, which was followed by a long stint in physical therapy. When my mom picked me up from school and took me to therapy twice a week, the only songs we seemed to hear in a six-week period were "Another Day in Paradise" (the irony of that song was completely lost on my teen mind) and "I Wish it Would Rain Down" or whatever it's called. It's not really worth the three seconds to Google it. (Which is actually ironic - I understand this concept now - because I'm taking precious time to write a post about the dude. Sorry, but it's not every day you receive life-altering news like this. And if you guessed that was another hyperbole, you are wrong. My existence will never be the same knowing there will be no more Phil Collins lite rock to fear for the rest of my life.)

Anyway, back to my knee...added to the fact that I was on crutches, in a brace and wearing ugly shoes all the time, it was also the yucky end of winter in Cleveland, which is exactly as wonderful as it sounds. The rain was frequently fallin' (in fact every day was kind of like today) and if anyone reading this has joint problems, you know I was hurting more because of the dampness.

And Phil just rubbed it in. "Let it rai-ai-ai-ai-ai-n down, let it rai-ai-ai-ai-ai-n down on Kristen and her crappy kneeeee...."

Can someone say D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-O-N ?

I can. "DEPRESSION."

More insipid Genesis music came along in the 90's. More craptastic solo music too. The list of music related to that guy that I can't tolerate is a mile long. Perhaps the only songs I can stand are "Groovy Kind of Love" - first, it's a cover and second, pretty good memories are attached to it. And second, "Easy Lover" because Phillip Bailey, the signature voice from one of my very favorite bands, Earth, Wind & Fire, dominates it.

Phil Collins won an Academy Award for perhaps the most trite and awful song from a Disney movie ever (and this includes the Siamese cats song from The AristoCats). Does anyone remember how South Park skewered him and his Oscar? I know there were sour grapes involved, but Trey's Blame Canada SHOULD have won.

Anyway, I've grown very weary of the subject matter. I'm surprised I've actually lasted this long.

Allow me to conclude with a few lyrics he once sang (and I was forced to listen to in countless convenience stores, car washes, and bus depots). Ok, I don't think I've ever actually been in a bus depot, but it's the sort of music I would imagine they might play in one.

Jesus he knows me
and he knows I'm right
I've been talking to Jesus all my life
oh yes he knows me
and he knows I'm right
and he's been telling me
everything is alright

And yes, Jesus, everything IS alright.

Phil Collins is no longer making music. All is right with the world :-) :-) :-)

The Underwear Drawer Revitalization Project

I have been through a lot of women's underwear drawers. I have also been in the dressing room with a lot of women. Needless to say, I have seen more than my fair share of ratty old panties and bras.

One of the hazards of my job, I guess.

In my estimation, almost all of the women I have been around keep their basic day-to-day undies around for far too long. At least 85% of them are wearing the wrong size bra. Many are also wearing the wrong size and/or style of panties as well.

One of my clients, I will call her "B." actually said, "I'm the only one who knows my bra is probably too small, and no one else cares about my underwear anyway."

Not quite, B. First of all, poorly-fitting underwear IS noticeable. And it's precisely what we don't want to see! People don't notice properly-fitting undergarments, but they can't help but take note when they're not quite right.

From pantylines cutting into your backside to "spillage" in front, underwear that fits properly is our greatest ally. Underwear can also be our worst enemy when we disregard its importance.

It is a sign of respect for yourself and your body when you choose to wear the right size and style of underwear that not only flatters your shape, but is also comfortable. And yes, it IS possible to have both!

Underwear is indeed a very important facet of a woman's wardrobe. It can make a distinct difference in the way your clothes fit, in your perceived body proportion, and even in the sizes you wear! It can also make you look 10, 15, even 20 pounds lighter! Imagine that!

Contrary to popular belief, undies don't have to be boring or binding. And you don't have to be built like a lingerie model to wear underwear that looks beautiful on you and that makes you feel good about yourself every single day.

I would like to cordially invite you to join me in the Underwear Drawer Revitalization Project!
Here's what to do:

STEP 1: Throw out your underwear! 
 
If you spill out over the top or sides

If they have faded or turned gray from washing

If the elastic is loose

If the underwire is sticking out and poking you (owwie!)

If any of the straps or elastic cuts into your skin

If they are uncomfortable in any way

If they cause any unsightly bumps or rolls under your clothes

STEP 2: Buy new Stuff! 

Bras!

Fit is everything, ladies. Go to a lingerie boutique for a professional fitting! (Nordstrom is a good bet – they have professional bra fitters on staff)

For a smaller bust - choose a padded bra (okay, this seems elementary, but it will help balance and create proportion and your clothes WILL FIT BETTER!)

For a larger bust - wearing a full-cup underwire or a minimizer will again create balance and make your clothes fit better. Also be aware that you will have to spend more on your bras. Having two bras that really fit well instead of ten mediocre ones is clearly the way to go.

My famous "path of least resistance"? Only buy black or nude-colored bras for day-to-day. White works too, but is more detectable under certain colors. Nude fades into your skintone, which creates the desired effect.

Be sure to have an unseamed "t-shirt bra" for wearing under clingy knits.

Panties!

If you have a flabby midsection, the worst kind of panties you can wear are ones where the waistband cuts right across your stomach. The answer? Wear high-rise shaping panties that end around the ribcage. (Bridget Jones did get it right, but wore the unsexy undies at the worst possible time.)

Somewhere, a smarmy Hugh Grant is saying "Hello, Mummy!"

If you are wearing tight or light-colored pants, beware of the dreaded VPL (visible panty line). This is why thongs were invented. Seriously. Try a silk one for comfort.

Boy shorts accomplish the same as above.

Keep in mind, "the flatter, the better". Rouched and ruffly, even lace panties, can create strange ripples and patterns under your pants and skirts. Wear fabrics that are matte and unembellished. Save the fun stuff for other occasions.

If you find a style of underwear that is wonderfully comfy and flattering, don't be afraid to buy a lot of it. Maintaining a stash of safe pieces sure beats hit-or-miss underwear buying!

As with bras, life is easiest if you keep your everyday undies to a minimum of colors - again, try black and nude here as well. Easier to wash, easier to organize. Just easy. Gotta love that!

Spanx. Use them. Love them. (Also try Assets from Target, made by the Spanx people and costing just a fraction of the original product.)

***

Get inspired to create the lingerie drawer you deserve, ladies! It's magical when you can feel beautiful and comfortable with the knowledge that you look totally fabulous in your clothes.

Underneath it all, you know that you are dressing your unique body to look its best.

Now banish those rogue underwires and that stretched out elastic to the trash!!! 

 Kristen Kaleal is a wardrobe stylist, freelance writer and speaker. She considers Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason an even worse sequel than Teen Wolf Too.

KK's Lash Bash!

I finally discovered how to use false lashes recently after about a fifteen year learning curve. Soon after, I learned what kind to buy and how not to make my eyelids a sticky gross mess of balled up latex goop and uncreatively smudged liquid liner. I mean, there's a difference between a big hot eye mess and a smoky eye -- right? Maybe??

So when my pantyhose pal @KimPossibleX (don't ask - but if you did ask, the answer would be really funny) wanted to know what kind of lash glue to use, I decided to put all my findings up to this point in a post. A video featuring my very own personal eyelids will be available soon! 

Lashes
I swear I've been failing at the lash game in many ways for years. It was only when @Cat_Marnell, former beauty editor of Lucky mag recommended Target's Sonia Kashuk lashes that I finally started WINNING in the falsies department. (hey, I'm just like Chuck Sheen! Except these are fake LASHES...not fake, uh...porn star parts.)

I started buying the Sonia Kashuk demi-lashes with glue kit, which they must be discontinuing because they're on clearance. Waaaa. Hopefully an even better version of it is coming. (It's also the first brand where I didn't feel like a spiky caterpillars had taken up residence on my eyelids for an entire day.)

By far, I think the widest array of lashes I've found is at Sally Beauty Supply. My local store even beats out Sephora.

I prefer my false lashes to start off looking pretty natural for everyday wear because you then pump 'em up with mascara. Leave the big drama lashes for night. Or costumes. Or drag queens. The demi ones seem to work for me because you don't have to cut them awkwardly. That's one of the many places I've gone wrong over the years.

I also don't like paying a lot per set because they don't have a long shelf life and I use a new set after maybe three or four wears. I probably shouldn't re-wear, but I don't like tossing money in the trash. So I just make sure to remove the glue and mascara and run a Q-Tip dipped in alcohol over them after taking them off.

Speaking of glue
Lash glue is not a happy subject and is the reason why a lot of people try them once and give up.

As everyone says...use a thin line of glue. Wait till it's tacky. In my experience, that means 15 seconds. It's too dry by the 30 seconds I had heard for years.

Slide them directly (straight) in over your lash line. I used to do this at an angle and they would be uneven and fall off. BAD!

It takes two hands and a magnifier mirror for me. Once they're positioned correctly, I use both hands to push the band into my eyelid (yes, I probably put a little too much force on my eyeball here. Hopefully I won't go blind but if I do, it will be for Beauty, the most noblest of causes! Whatev...).

Before you ask, I have tried individual lashes and I think a pro is needed to apply those. Also, the glue they require is like Super Glue and I didn't feel like gluing my eyelids together. I heard that's how Roy Orbison went blind - in an individual fake eyelash glue mishap. (Of course, I could be totally wrong here.) While I could then write some cool tunes and sing in a falsetto, other parts of my career would probably fail miserably. So strip lashes it is.

Glue Brands
Sonia Kashuk glue is killin' it for me. I finally have my go-to product. It has survived stressful days of travel, altitude changes, and the BIG TEST - hot and sweaty Zumba! class.

And it dries perfectly clear. They all don't, even though they all promise transparency. Much like politicians. *sigh*

Professional false lash wearer Kim Kardashian uses Duo, a surgical adhesive which doubles as lash glue and is sold at Sephora. It also comes in black, which I'm eager to try.

Another question I fielded recently is what kind of glue to use if you have a latex allergy. I asked my Twitter commuity for an answer, which was given by LA-based makeup artist @makeupbyangie - try the non-latex glue by Darkness. It's available on ebay.

Even if you're not sure you're brave enough to wear them in public yet, it couldn't hurt to pick up a pair and play with them at home. Once you learn how to put them on and get brave enough to wear them in public, your lashes will feel naked without them!