If you know me you know that I am a huge lash wearer, so much so that it has turned into a little bit of an obsession. I adore them and I think that they can complete any makeup look (natural or not). Back in 2016, I started wearing them for parties and since then I wore them everyday for about a year. I don’t wear them everyday now but I do still wear them a lot, and it does often spark a fair number of questions. In real life I often have questions from my friends, asking me how to apply them and how I have time to do it everyday! Lashes are known for being the makeup item that takes the longest and is the hardest, so people are often deterred from even trying them… and this lashes 101 post is to convince you that this is definitely not the case and I would recommend them to anyone, even if you aren’t too into makeup.
So this post is my Lashes 101, and I do hope it helps some makeup lovers with the phobia of falsies!
I wear two types of lashes normally, depending on the rest of my makeup and the type of event. I will be discussing both in this lashes 101 post! During the day (and at college) I wear more wispy lashes, as they are more subtle and natural. I also find that they down come off as easily, so I can just put them on and go. My faves are the 107’s by Ardell, as they are long enough for you to see that you are wearing lashes but are still quite natural. If you are new to lashes or want a day lash I would definitely recommend Ardell, the Demi wispies are really popular and were actually the first pair of lashes that I ever wore. They are very subtle, but the thin and flexible band makes them so easy to apply in comparison to others on the market.
For an evening or a more dramatic look, I honestly adore big lashes. They are a bit like marmite though, you either love them or hate them and I have probably had the same amount of people complimenting me on them as I have had people saying ‘I think I prefer you without’. I like them though and will continue to wear them as they make me feel so confident and fabulous, but I do appreciate they aren’t for everyone. As far as big lashes go, I have two favourites. My first are from LashhouseUK (use INDIGOROSEE for 15% off at the checkout) and they are stunning. However they do have some lashes on their site that are mink, so if you are against the use of animal products then I would not use their brand. My recent discovery is doll beauty, and I am so in love with them… I can’t wait to buy more of them in the future, and its so easy now as they are stocked in Topshop! I have tried 3 pairs so far, and I love them. So big and fluffy and not too expensive either in comparison to other big lashes that I have used. My only tip for big lashes would be to use them when you are more confident in applying them, as the band is thicker and therefore more likely to come off or flick up in the corners if you don’t apply them quite right, but definitely worth having a try as they are stunning and really add to a makeup look.
These are the lash house lashes:
These are the doll lashes:
Now you have chosen the lashes for you, it is equally important to get the glue right, as I think the glue is often key to whether your lashes apply correctly or not. I would never use the glue that comes with your lashes, they are often cheap and not great quality. Instead I would recommend investing in the duo glue (either white or black), its about £5 but lasts me for about 6 months and I wear lashes most days. It is the best quality and sticks so well, I have to really tug to get them off at the end of the day which is a good sign. If you take one tip from the lashes 101 post, make it to buy the duo glue! After applying them, I also keep the doll beauty glue in my handbag, in case part of my eyelash starts coming off during the day and I have to reapply it. Its like a paintbrush style applicator so perfect for quick reapplication but the glue itself isn’t as strong as the duo so I wouldn’t use it all of them time (just touchups).
Applying lashes is something that just requite practice and there isn’t much advice that I can give you in this lashes 101 apart from what I do, but just practice! I think one of they key ways that really improve the look of your lashes is cutting them. I always cut my lashes down now even though I never used to, I thought it was a waste of product but once you start you will never go back to not cutting them down. I cut about a 1/5 off my lashes now, but it will just depend on your eye shape and size, my eyes are quite big but I still have to cut a little off to make sure that they apply correctly. After cutting them, I will apply the glue and then leave them for a couple of minutes. It says 30 seconds on the packaging but I don’t think that is long enough and instead I leave them for longer to really make sure that it is tacky. I then apply lashes with my fingers although I know a lot of people do it with tweezers, its purely personal preference and if you are new to lashes then I would try both and see which is easiest for you. Finally I place them down and then hold the corners in to make sure that they stick, then to finish it off I always go over them with a little bit of eyeliner, just to get rid of the white areas where the glue hasn’t dried properly.
After a day of wearing lashes, its time to remove them. I always just pull my lashes off at the end of the day, which although incredibly satisfying isn’t good for the quality of your natural lashes! As soon as I get home I always just pull them off, which leads to a falsies graveyard on every work surface in my room, where I rip them off and then just leave them. One of the most common questions I get asked is how much I spend on lashes, and there is no way that I would wear a new pair of lashes each time, that would be ridiculous and also super expensive! After I have worn my lashes about three times, I will clean them and then they are pretty much as good as new to wear again. I repeat this three then clean cycle until they are literally dropping to pieces, I get the very most out of my money!
To clean them, I first pick off any bits of excess glue that I can with tweezers, taking care not to break them. Then I use an oily makeup remover and soak two large cotton pads in it. I place the lash in between the two pads (like a lash sandwich) and leave them there for about 10 minutes, usually whilst I go in the shower or wash some makeup brushes. Then when I go back to them, the lash glue has been softened and its so much easier to remove the glue with the tweezers. Once all the glue is removed, I place them in a little bit of water to get rid of the excess makeup remover and then they are as good as new. This works a lot better for the big lashes, as the daytime ones are often too flimsy to take being played around with and often just break apart. Just bear in mind that you need to be so careful or else they will definitely break!
So thats my lashes 101, I hope that this has been helpful if you are a new lash wearer or want to get more into it. If you are someone who has been scared away from lashes due to a bad experience, then I hope this has encouraged you to have a go. If you want me to do any other 101s I will happily do them, I’m thinking of doing an acrylic nail one next month that I hope you will like.
[…] I was obsessed with them as soon as I looked in the mirror, I’m an almost daily falsies wearer (click here) but these were so easy and I loved waking up and feeling like I already was more put together. I […]