As an all-day, everyday solution for lashes, mascara works wonders on your lashes. However, nothing beats false eyelashes for that added drama when you have a night out on the town.
Unfortunately for most of us, struggling to put on our false eyelashes adds serious drama to our stress levels when getting ready to go out. There has been many an evening where I ended up removing one perfectly applied lash because I couldn’t get the other one on properly and was out of time.
Don’t feel like a failure if you struggle with your lashes because even makeup professionals can have trouble figuring out how to make false lashes go on just right every time.
There is just no such thing as a foolproof lash application. However, here are some tips that could help to relieve some of the struggles.
Keep reading because, below the tips, I’ve listed 10 hacks that makeup artists use to make false eyelashes even easier.
How To Apply False Eyelashes
As with everything else, the more you practice putting on false eyelashes the easier it becomes. To help with that here are the five key steps for you to learn.
Apply Mascara First
This is where I always used to go wrong, right at the beginning. You need to prepare your natural lashes with mascara.
Mascara works wonders to help you blend your natural lashes with your false lashes for a seamless look. Using a few coats of mascara will give you a curled and lifted look that matches your false eyelashes.
Snip The Lash-Strip
Impatience will have you wanting to apply your false lashes just as they come out of the packaging. The chances are, however, that they won’t always be designed to fit your unique eye shape perfectly.
Start by checking to see if they are the right size for your eyes, and if not, you’ll need to give them a quick trim for the perfect fit.
Glue Your Lash-Strip
Now that you have both your false eyelashes and your natural lashes prepared and ready, the time has come to add some glue into the process.
Brush the eyelash glue onto the band of the lash strip and wait for it to get tacky. If you apply to apply the lashes too soon, while the glue is still very wet, your false lashes won’t stay in place.
This is another impatient beginner error that I can remember making. I can still remember trying with too wet glue before rushing out the door. When I got to my destination I checked my makeup in the car’s rearview mirror, as we do, and saw that my left lash was halfway off and sticking out at an angle.
Once the glue feels tacky, you’re ready to move on to the second to last step.
Apply Your False Lashes
Place your false eyelashes as close to your natural lash line as possible.
Importantly though, start in the middle of your eye, then stick the sides down to ensure that your false lashes are correctly placed.
Finish With Eyeliner
Eyeliner is the hidden gem of the process. This essential step is how you get your false eyelashes to look natural.
Applying a thin line over the band of your false eyelashes. Eyeliner makes your lash line appear wider, hiding the false eyelash band. You will also be able to cover any glue spots that may be visible.
I use a waterproof liquid eyeliner in matte to get the job done.
10 Hacks For Using False Eyelashes
Now that you have learned how to put on your eyelashes, let’s elevate your technique and really become the lash master you were meant to be.
Use these 10 hacks to raise your eyelashes game.
Work In Shorter Strips
While we already covered snipping your false eyelashes to get a great fit. What you can also do is snip some more off to give yourself better control.
By simply snip the strip in half and apply the lashes in pieces your lash-strip becomes much easier to control.
For me, if a lash starts to come loose it is almost always the outer half. Using shorter lash-strips solved this problem.
What you could also try for a more subtle and natural look, is wear only half a strip on each eye.
Try It One Lash At A Time
You don’t have to limit yourself to a full strip of lashes in order to get a false lash look.
Instead, try using individual lashes. I know that at first glance it can seem way more time consuming than gluing on a whole strip at once.
What it does do is allow you to customize your lash look. Individual lashes give you more control over your falsies.
Try placing a few at the outer corner of your eye for a cat eye effect.
Individual lashes also allows you to replace lashes that have fallen out so you can fill in any blank areas in your lash line.
Double Up On Lash Sets
Sometimes, two is better than one. If you want your lashes to have major drama, layering. Give wearing two sets of lashes directly on top of one another a shot for a seriously statement-making look.
We can literally say drama with this hack as it comes from the world of stage/theatre makeup.
What you can do is either layer two of the same false lash sets or try blending lashes with different qualities. For instance, start with one really full set and layer another that’s wispier.
Look Down At Your Mirror
When applying false eyelashes, you may be in the habit of looking straight ahead into a mirror just like you would if a makeup artist is applying your lashes for you.
Instead, place your mirror low and tilted up. This is so that you can look down to help give you a better view of your natural lash line.
Your goal is to get as close to your lash line as possible to glue on eyelashes correctly.
Remove The Lashes With Greater Ease
While you may be tempted to just tug your eyelashes off after a long day, that’s not your best answer to how to remove false eyelashes.
Carelessly pulling off false lashes can easily pull a whole clump of your real lashes by the root at the same time.
The best way is to use an oil-based eye makeup remover to help break down the lash glue so that you can easily remove the lashes. Once you’re done applying makeup remover with a cotton swab or ball, carefully lift the lashes off and stow them away for next time.
Make Tweezers Your New BFF
In case you didn’t know, tweezers are good for more than just plucking stray hairs.
Give your tweezers a new job as a lash application tool. You can use tweezers to hold the lashes and help place them perfectly.
Getting the hang of using your tweezers to place lashes will be especially useful when you progress to applying individual lashes.
Don’t Forget About Your Brows
Long lashes with thin, wispy brows tend to look fake. Full, bold brows make your lashes look more natural. Filling in your eyebrows will balance out the drama from your false lashes and keep them from creating a harsh contrast with the rest of your makeup look.
Curl Your Way To Blended Lashes
Using an eyelash curler is one of the best ways to blend your actual lashes with false lashes.
If you are not sure how to do your eyelashes a curler, read my article, How to Use an Eyelash Curler.
Keep The Lashes Clean
Remember that you can use false lashes more than once.
Being able to reuse lash strips is all about knowing how to clean your false eyelashes.
The key thing to keep in mind is to be gentle when you are cleaning them. After you remove your lashes, place them on a paper towel. Then dip a cotton swab in Micellar Cleansing Water and carefully wipe away any mascara or glue that’s on the lash-strips.
The trick is to clean your false lashes immediately after removing them before any buildup really has a chance to settle on the lash strip.
Use The Right Lash Glue
Just like other makeup products, there are different types of lash glue to choose from.
Ideally, you want to use a lash glue that has a matte finish. Glue with a shiny finish tends to be a dead giveaway against your lash line.
If you are stuck with a lash glue with the wrong finish, don’t stress too much about it. You can line your upper lash line with eyeliner to conceal any unsightly glue. You can also opt for a black lash glue formula, which will blend with your eyeliner even better.