Everyone loves long, voluminous lashes, but unfortunately we aren’t all naturally blessed with them. Thankfully, we have the option of using false lashes to give us the look of beautiful, plentiful lashes we love. False lashes can elevate even a minimal makeup look and add that extra “something” to make your eyes look stunning. False lashes can be intimidating if you don’t know how to apply them, much less how to make them look natural. Read our detailed post filled with all the tips and tricks on applying false lashes, and you’ll be a pro in no time.
It can be intimidating to wear false eyelashes, especially if you aren’t the type to wear a ton of makeup. It does take practice, but it’s really not as hard as it might look. Once you get good at it you’ll wonder why you hadn’t started wearing them sooner!
Apply Eyeliner & Mascara
Even if you aren’t planning on doing a bold or dramatic eyeliner, it’s important that you add some sort of liner. This will help disguise and camouflage the lash band, making your lashes look more natural. We love the Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner because it glides on super smooth, but use what you’re comfortable with. Adding a coat of mascara will also help the lashes look more natural and give them something to grip onto.
Choose your lashes
Choosing your lashes is like choosing a shoe. You want something that compliments your style and is appropriate for the occasion. There are so many lash options out there it’s hard to choose, so we’ll make it simple for you. If you’re reading this post, you’re most likely a beginner or haven’t quite mastered the art of wearing false lashes yet. And that’s perfectly fine! It takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. But if you’re new to the game, we suggest starting with something more natural looking. Not only is it going to be easier to blend with your natural lashes, it’s also going to look and feel lighter on your eyes. Our favorite natural lashes are the Ardell Natural Demi Wispies and the Red Cherry Wispies. Any “wispy” style lash is a good one to start with because it has a comfortable band and it’s not going to look too dense. Not only that, these babies only cost a few dollars. Some of the higher end mink lashes cost $30 a pair — try with some cheapies first, then when you get the hang of it you’ll feel more comfortable spending more.
Size your lashes
Lashes at their original size will probably be too long for your eyes, so you’ll have to cut them to fit your lids. Since everyone’s eye size and shape is different, it’s important to measure them to fit your eye for optimal comfort. In the tray, the lashes are set up how they are supposed to look on your face — the shortest part of the lash should go on the inner corner of your eyes, and they should flare out on the outer corners. Using tweezers, gently pull your lashes from the tray. There’s already a bit of glue on them to hold them in place, so pull from one side to the other instead of from the middle. Hold them up to your eye to see how much you’ll need to cut off. The lash should roughly begin at the middle point of the whites of your eye, right between the edge of your iris and inner eye corner. If you put the lash too close to the inner corner, it’s going to poke your skin, leading to irritation and eye watering. The outer part of the lash should end where your upper lash line ends, or even a little shorter. If you leave your lash too long on the outer corner, it’s going to look heavy, drag your eye down, and make it look more closed. Cutting the lash just a little bit short will help open up the eye and give it a more sultry, cat eye shape. Use cuticle scissors or even nail clippers to trim your lashes down a little at a time. It’s better to take more time trimming than to guess and end up cutting it too short.
If you do cut it too short, you aren’t completely out of luck, they are still usable. Just be sure to scoot your lash to the outer part of your eye — adding length and volume to the outer part of your eye is the most natural looking. If you apply it to the inner part of your eye, the end of your false lash is going to stop too short, and there will be a noticeable gap on the outer corner.
Shape your lashes
Shaping your lashes is an important step in natural looking lashes and easy application, but it is often overlooked. We suggest holding your false lash on either end of the band and “rolling” and “waving” it up and and down to loosen them up. You can stick them around a lip balm or makeup brush for a little while before applying them to give them a more round shape. Since our eyes are curved, it’s important that the lash band is also curved. It’s going to fit better and be a heck of a lot easier to apply.
Use an application tool
There are tools specifically made for applying lashes that make the process exponentially more simple. Fingers are big, you can’t see what you’re doing, and they aren’t as controlled. If you are experienced, you can use tweezers, but they can easily poke your eye if you aren’t careful. A lash applicator is like a tweezer, but has a rounded end to mimic the shape of your eye. This is to make it easy for you to get right up to the lash line and do a precise application. Be sure to keep your applicator clean and sterilized. Any residual glue on your tool will stick to your lashes and make it hard to keep your lashes on your eyes instead of your tool.
Find the right adhesive
Finding the right lash adhesive is one of the most important parts to this process. Our favorite is the House of Lashes Lash Adhesive, and it’s available in Clear or Black. House of Lashes Lash Adhesive gives instant “stick” and you don’t have to wait for it to get tacky like other brands of glue. It’s ready to apply as soon as it goes on the lash band. The clear is perfect for beginners because it’s not going to leave a trace on your lids if you mess up and need to remove your lash to try again. There’s nothing worse than finishing your entire eye makeup, then messing it up when you make a mistake applying your lashes. The black adhesive from House of Lashes is the same as the clear, except — Surprise! It’s black. It blends more easily with your lash band, but you really only get one shot to put them on, so that’s the payoff. Regardless of what color you choose, the House of Lashes adhesive is amazing because it does not budge. DUO lash adhesive is a drug store option that is also a winner. You have to wait a little while for it to get tacky, but it works great and many makeup artists use it.
Apply your lashes
To apply your lashes, first you’re going to grab your lashes with your applicator tool. Be sure that the tool is in the middle of the lash and close to the band. This is going to give you maximum control and precision when you go to place them on your lash line.
Apply glue to the band. A little goes a long way, and if you’re using the House of Lashes Adhesive, it has a nice applicator to “paint” it right onto the band. This is especially nice, as most adhesives you squeeze out of a tube and it’s difficult to get even coverage. Pay special attention to coat the inner and outer ends of the lash band, as these are the places that tend to “lift” or come loose with wear.
Tilt your head back and look down into a mirror. With your head back, your eyes will automatically go more closed, giving you more space to apply your lashes.
Lower your lashes onto your lashline, getting as close to the base of your natural lashes as possible. When you feel the glue on your lashline, that’s when you know you’re in the right spot. Once the middle of the lash band is secure, use your tool to then secure the inner corner. Lifting tends to happen mostly on the inner corner, so making it a priority will ensure that you have a solid hold while the glue is still wet. Once the inner corner is secure, move to the outer corner.
Blend your lashes
Immediately after securing them, it helps to use an eyelash curler to mesh them with your natural lashes. This will remove any gaps you have between your lashes and the false lashes, blend the hairs together seamlessly, and make them more secure. To hide the glue and band, take some black eyeshadow and with a small angled brush, dab it along the band. This will camouflage any shiny or clear glue and make it look more natural. Some like to apply one more coat of mascara to their lashes, but we actually suggest skipping this. It can look clumpy, heavy, and is going to reduce the amount of times you can wear the false lashes. Which brings us to our next point— Yes, you can re-wear them! It actually becomes easier to apply them the more times you wear them, because they begin to mold to the shape of your eye. Just try to remove as much glue as you can before you apply them again — glue buildup will make the band look large, clumpy, and unnatural.
Now that you know these tips and tricks, you’ll be a pro in no time. And don’t fret, even the most experienced false lash wearers will tell you that some days it just doesn’t go as planned. And if they don’t tell you that — well, they are lying to you, ha! Mistakes happen. But practice makes perfect, so go bust out some lashes; you’ll get there.
For more makeup tips and tricks, visit our posts on 7 Simple Makeup Tricks Every Mom Should Know and 15 Beauty Hacks, Tips, & Tricks.
Photo credits: Kristen Love
