Everyone looks better with false eyelashes. They make your eyes look larger and most importantly, defined. Drawing attention to your eyes makes you look younger and more beautiful. Don’t believe me, Just follow these simple steps and decide for yourself.
Most discount retailers such as Target carry several types of false eyelashes. Makeup stores like Sephora, M.A.C. and Ulta also sell false eyelashes. However, under no circumstances should you spend more than $8 for a set of false eyelashes. Unless you are buying some specialty pair with peacock feather accents for some weird special occasion or Halloween.
I have always used Ardell lashes which are around $3.99. They are relatively inexpensive but they look the most natural and they stay put. For glue, I use Ardell Lash glue for single strip eyelashes, it is in a white tube with black writing. Do not ever use Ardell’s individual lash glue for any type of falsies you are putting on unless you want them on forever. The strip lash glue will work but your false eyelashes will not come off with soap and water, you will have to tug the false eyelashes off and some of your real lashes will likely be pulled out in the process. If this happens too many times, you will have to wear false eyelashes because you won’t have many real lashes left.
Supplies you need: tweezers, false eyelashes, eyelash glue, scissors, well-lit area, mirror and an eyelash curler if you would like.
1. Make sure your real eyelashes are completely clean, no mascara.
2. Curl your natural eyelashes.
3. Take one strip of false eyelashes out of the package.
4. Hold the strip of false eyelashes up to your eye as though you were going to put them on, lining them up with where your inner top eyelashes begin. If you put them too far inward, before where your natural eyelashes begin, they will not hold as well and they will certainly look fake. Your goal should be to have them look as natural as possible.
5. After you have properly lined up the false eyelashes, there will usually be about 2-3 cm of eyelash strip that extends past where your natural eyelashes end. On the strip of false eyelashes, place your fingers a little tiny bit beyond where your natural lashes end and cut the extra portion off. The tiny portion of false eyelash strip that extends past your natural lash line will allow your eyes to look bigger because it creates the illusion that your eyes are also larger, because your lash line looks longer.
6. Using a tweezer, hold somewhere on the top of the false eyelash strip. Make sure you are holding the lashes so you are able to apply glue to the proper side, the lashes should be curving downward. Use the lash glue and squeeze a thin line onto the entire lash strip, paying special attention to the beginning and end of the lash strip.
7. Wait 10-15 seconds for the glue to get slightly tacky. Try to do the remaining steps as quickly as possible.
8. Continuing to hold the lashes in the tweezers, place the false eyelash strip onto your natural lashes, making sure to match the false strip up with the short lashes on the inside of the eye.
9. Use your fingers to gently but firmly press the lash strip onto your natural lashes-lining them up as best you can between the natural eyelash line and where your eyelid begins. Many people mistakenly believe that you glue the lash strip to the eyelid, which is incorrect and looks terrible. If the false lash strip looks lopsided or is too short on either end when compared to your natural eyelashes, grab the lash strip off your lashes, reapply the glue and try again. Note: you can’t do this too many times or the glue will start to clump on your natural eyelashes and you will have to clean your lashes and begin again.
10. Once you have the lashes positioned the way you would like them, use the tweezer to carefully and gently squeeze the false lashes onto your natural lashes. This is a step that many people miss. It is important because it secures the false eyelashes and makes sure they will remain as close as possible to your natural lashes. There shouldn’t be any puckering of the false eyelashes.
11. Repeat steps 1-11 on the other eye.
12. Admire yourself in the mirror, you look fabulous!
You may think this process seems overwhelmingly difficult, but as with anything, the more you practice, the better you will be. Try it at home once or twice before a big event, just so you know how long it may take you and you will have better control over the end result.
You may choose to apply mascara to the false lashes, or only at the outer corners for an even more dramatic effect, but you certainly don’t have to.
If you are looking for a more natural look and have mastered the application of the single false eyelash strip, see my False Eyelash Tutorial Part II: Individual Lashes coming soon.
