Someone once said that a woman’s best accessory is a well dressed man on her arm. Obviously it was a man who said this because women know the best accessory is great eyelashes! Nearly every woman I have ever asked what they won’t leave the house without responds with, mascara. If eyes are the windows to the soul then we are experts on putting the best drapery’s on them. Lashes and making them look good is a million dollar industry. From mascara to false eyelashes women are willing to go the distance to make our eyes look glamorous. So what is the big difference between all the options and what will work best for you?
The first and cheapest option is mascara. If you go into your local drugstore you will find about 50 different mascaras that promise you they can change your world. In a nutshell maybe three can make a difference and the other 47 will be as disappointing as a bad date. Here’s the scoop. Drugstore brands are often made in the same labs as high end cosmetics. For example Loreal is Lancome. Are the products the same? Yes and no. There are products that are very close to department store brand and some that are a poor man’s version. Don’t despair there are mascaras out there for everyone in every price range. So where to start? Look at your lashes are they thin, curly, long, short or maybe you are lucky enough to have full lashes. Determining your lash type will make a world of difference in what you should be buying. Once you have figured that out look for a formula designed for your lashes. Here are a few that I suggest:
Rimmel London Lycra Lash Extender-This mascara gets every tiny lash then lengthens it, plumps it and darkens it until both eyes are equal.
Loreal Paris Voluminous Original – L’Oreal certainly did an [apt] job when naming this mascara ‘voluminous.’ The thick brush applicator does a great job of separating the lashes and giving great definition
Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara– Great for sparse lashes and lengthing plus it’s great for sensitive eyes!
Prescriptives False Lashes– Great for length, curl and bottom lashes
Dior Blackout– My personal favorite- Provides length, volume and lots of drama!!
Lancome Hypnose– A cult favorite lengthen’s, thickens and provides a very natural dramatic lash.
So you have the mascara now how do you apply it correctly? There aren’t really any secrets. You start at the bottom of your lashes and wiggle the brush to coat them. My advice don’t overcoat or you will look like a spider. As for bottom lashes gently tap the mascara brush to coat them and be careful not to get it clumpy. Women often ask me if they should coat the bottom lashes. While I prefer it, it really comes down to personal preference. As long as you are not over coating the lashes it can really enhance and frame the eye to give you a complete look.
Its Friday night and your lashes just are not enough for your hot date what to do?? False lashes of coarse! I find that women are very intimidated by false lashes. I have heard it all from throwing them across the room to poking themselves in the eye. Ladies they are not that scary I promise! The first thing you need to do is buy the correct kind to start with. I highly recommend the Ardell brand in the “babies” style. These are a great first timer lash set and they look great on everyone. You will also need glue. I suggest the DUO brand in the dark. Now how to apply them:
Where to start? Applying false lashes will be the last step of your eyes. So, make sure to prime your eyes with an eye shadow primer(Clinique touch base), apply your eye shadow and eyeliner & you’ll be ready to apply your false lashes!
Why apply them last? You apply false lashes last because you want your lashes to be very black and clean of any eye shadow or other products. If you apply them first, you may have lashes that are full of eye shadow. If you’d like, you can apply a thin coat of mascara beforehand. But it’s not necessary. I like having a thin coat of mascara on my lashes before I apply false lashes.
Step 1: Take your false lashes out of the box. Using your tweezers (or fingers), gently peel the lashes off of the tray. You don’t want to apply too much pressure, or else you may bend or damage the band.
Step 2: Using your pointer finger and thumb, you want to hold both ends of the eyelashes at the bottom band. Lightly move both of your hands up and down a centimeter or so. Doing this will stretch the band so it isn’t as stiff. This will help the lashes sit better on the contour of your eyelid.
Step 3: Now we are going to test the lashes to see if they are the correct length for your eye shape. If you have smaller eyes, you may need to cut a little bit. Pick up the according eyelash to your eye. The shortest part of the lashes should be matched up near your tear-duct. The longest part should be at end. The way you will set them on your eyelid is with the curl facing up. Set the lashes down in the middle of your lash line. Look to see where your natural lashes start (inner corner) and pull the false lashes to the same spot. Look to see if the band extends farther out (outer corner) than your natural lash line. If it extends out longer, grab the end with your thumb & pointer finger and lift them off.
Step 4: With your scissors, cut off any excess lashes. (Set it on your lash line again to see if you cut enough)
Step 5: Squeeze a little dab of lash adhesive on a clean surface. Don’t apply it from the tube directly to the lashes. A lot of product comes out at once and you don’t want to damage the lashes.
Step 6: Using any tool you’d like for precise application of the glue, (many like to use a toothpick or the opposite side of the tweezers)pick up the glue up. Don’t worry it’s too much. You don’t want it to be too little, otherwise your lashes might not stick well.
Step 7: Pick your lashes up with your fingers or your tweezers and drag the glue across the band of the lashes. Apply a little more to each end of the lashes, as they are the spots that tend to wear off.
Step 8: Pick the lashes up with a tweezer, holding them in the middle – close to the band but not touching the glue.
Step 9: It’s difficult to apply lashes while looking straight forward into a mirror. The easiest way is by sitting down or standing up and tilting your head back a little – so when you look forward, your eyes are slightly squinted. This way, you’ll be getting a better view of your lashline. Like you did in Step 3, set the lashes down on your eyelid as close as possible to the base of your natural lashes, but not touching them. They should be on your eyelid, not your lashes. Make sure they are lined up with the start of your natural lashes before you press them down on your skin.
Step 10: Once the lashes are lined up with your lashes, grab the beginning of the lashes with your tweezers and press it down on your lid. Again, make sure they are lined up with the start of your natural lashes. You don’t want them to be any closer to your tear-duct, or it may cause your eyes to water or a pinching sensation. There should be a small space. Grab the outer end and press it down on your skin. Work quickly before the glue sets.
Step 11: Go along the whole band, pressing it down onto your skin with the tweezers.
Step 12: To make sure it’s very secure, use a brush (smudge brush, eyeliner/brow brush, etc) or sponge applicator and go across the band again pressing it down on your skin.
Step 13: Wait patiently for 1-2 minutes while the adhesive dries completely.
Step 14: For this step, you can use eye liner (liquid/pencil or gel) or a dark eye shadow (brown, black, etc). If you’re using an eye shadow, take a small smudge brush and smudge the shadow on your lid, close to your lash line – blending it into the band of the false lashes. This will blend in the band better as well as cover up any adhesive you may have gotten on your eyelid. If you’re using a liquid liner, line your eyes as you normally would – against the band of the lashes.
Step 15: Apply a coat of mascara to your lashes, starting at the base of your natural lashes all the way up to the end of the false lashes. This will blend your natural lashes in better with the false lashes as well as make the lashes look darker.
So now you have the tools to make your lashes glam for a day at the office to a night on the town. In part two of this article I will be discussing lashes more in depth from extensions to lash dip what you need to know and if it is a good match for you.
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