Beyond the obvious items it takes to rock false lashes, there are definitely some everyday accoutrements and doo-dads that can make the process easier.
Before that, though, you have to start with the basics, like a great pair of lashes, and I love the Ardell 120s, because they’re only $4 each and look pretty natural, as far as falsies go.
I also love, love, LOVE the MAC Mariah Carey 05s. In fact, I’m thinking about stockpiling them when the Mariah collection comes out.
You also need a good lash glue (I’ve been using the one that comes with the Urban Decay lashes because it isn’t stinky), a healthy dose of patience and a mirror.
It’s weird… On the surface, it doesn’t seem like false lashes would be that hard to apply, right? I mean, how hard could it be? You take one, put a little glue on it, and stick it on your eye…but it is sooo much harder than that.
Like, seriously, when I first started wearing false lashes, I had to block out at least 20 minutes to get it right, but I’ve figured some things out since then. It’s a little easier now, and here are five everyday items/hacks that help.
1. A broken Q-tip (yes, break it in half)
Here’s the deal: When you put too much glue on the lash band, your gonna end up with a hot mess. Glue gets all over your lids, your lashes, and you also run the risk of having so much glue on there that your eyes stick shut every time you blink (see: things I learned the hard way).
To avoid all that, break a Q-tip in half, and use one of the broken ends (so not the cotton end) like a glue spatula. Put a little glue on there, and then apply it to your lash band.
It’s a lot easier to control where you put the glue with the Q-tip than if you try to apply it straight from the tube, at least in my experience.
2. A makeup brush…handle (yup, just the handle)
Sometimes when I apply falsies I end up with a gap between the false lashes and my natural lashes, so I’ll grab a makeup brush, flip it around in my hand so that I’m holding it backwards, close my eyes, and then I’ll line the handle up horizontally on top of the false lashes and gently press on them to get them to stick my natural lashes.
3. Tweezers
OMG! OK, now, you can probably remove your lashes from their tray with your fingers, but uh…I have butterfingers, and sometimes (read: always) I accidentally smoosh part of them when I grab them with my fingers.
They just don’t look right after that, so now I carefully lift them out of the tray with tweezers. That way they retain their shape.
4. A black felt tip liquid liner
I also use liquid liner to darken the band of my false lashes before applying them, instead of after.
So, you know how most false lashes have that white band that looks super obvious? Well, after I remove the lashes from their tray with my tweezers, I darken the white part of the lash band with the liner. That way when I pop them on my natural lashes, I don’t have to go over the band again with eyeliner and risk disturbing the lashes or moving them around.
The one I’m currently loving is from Clinique. It’s pigmented, doesn’t irritate my eyes, and it isn’t too expensive.
5. Eye makeup remover
This might sound super obvs, and maybe it is…but I spent years just ripping my false lashes off.
Sometimes, you know, it’s the end of the day, you’re hella tired, and you just rip ’em off, but if you want to reuse your false lashes (I do), you have to be gentle with them.
Enter: makeup remover.
I’ll soak a cotton pad or a Q-tip with makeup remover, then hold it on top of my false lashes for 30 seconds or so to let them soak up some of the remover. Then I just gently wiggle the lashes to slowly remove them.
It helps them keep their shape for the next use, and it’s also good at breaking down the glue, which can stay sticky on your real lashes. Sometimes I’ll put some more remover on the cotton side of a Q-tip to do it.
Oh! — and if you’re looking for a good makeup remover, I think this waterproof eye makeup remover by Klorane is great. It’s gentle and removes errthing. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Darkening the band with black liner is really clever!
It makes it so much easier. 🙂 Hopefully you’ll try it next time you wear falsies.
Great Tips ! when i first started applying false eyelashes, i used to cut them in half and that makes it easier for me to apply them .
I do that too, Claire! Great tip. 🙂 Do you have a favorite lash glue?
Thanks for the tips Karen, I really suck at applying false lashes and hence, always skip 😀
I use most or all of these tips on the rare occasions I use fake eyelashes (Halloween and New Years). Those Mariah Carey lashes are fab and I love your hair, I think I need bangs!
So far I only did the tweezers thing. So thanks for the tips!
I am in desperate needs of the basics: When I wanted to use my lash glue for a tutorial I realized it was completely off. Like stinking and brown and not very nice. So I need to get me some new glue before I start to practice.
These are very timely tips with the holidays here and a desire to amp up the makeup look. Nice to know the UD glue isn’t as smelly.
#4 is a pretty good idea!
Reading this post made me remember.
When I used to wear lashes, I used a toothpick to apply the adhesive to the strip and then used the other end of the toothpick to press and hold the ends in place while the glue set instead of my fat fingers. Probably not so wise using a toothpick around my eyeballs, but you know, for beauty …
Tweezers are critical for me. I can place the falsies on my lashes fairly easily, but I always have an issue with the inner corner sticking just right, so using tweezers is really handy.
Thanks for this, Karen! I’m pretty terrible with false lashes, and have definitely stuck my eyes shut on a few occasions! Nightmare!
Fab post! Would love your thoughts on applying individual lashes?