A lot of our readers have been asking us to share our tips on how to apply lashes perfectly. Let's face it, putting on lashes is an intricate activity, yet totally worth it once you get those luscious lashes on! Ali is by far the expert on applying lashes so we asked her to give us a step by step on how to make putting on lashes easier.
Step 1: Buy eyelashes & glue from any beauty supply store or drugstore. Our favorite brands include
Ardell Professional, and
Lilly Lashes. We prefer black
Duo eyelash adhesive because the glue dries black and will blend in with your eyeliner. A few things to keep in mind... winged lashes (longer at the outer ends) will emphasize a cat-eye or smoky eye look, while rounded lashes (same width all the way around, or longest in the center) will emphasize a more doll-like and rounded eye look. The ones we used on Karen, for example, are more rounded. After you purchase the lashes and take them out of the package, bend them a little bit with your fingers to round them more in the direction of the curve of the eye. This will help to make them curve better along the natural shape of your eye, before you apply them.
Step 2: Do your eye makeup first, completing every step except for eyeliner and mascara. You will finish eyeliner and mascara after your lashes are applied and have dried. Now, get ready to put your lashes on, one at a time! A secret we like is to keep a Q-Tip on hand with one of the tip ends snapped off. The now cotton-less end of the Q-Tip can help to clean up the glue line after you apply the lash, in case glue gets somewhere it's not supposed to be. If you really have a glue accident, wait for the glue to completely dry first- it will peel right off.
Step 3: Squeeze the glue gently from the tube, and line at along the lash line of the faux lashes. Wait about 20 seconds, allowing the glue to get slightly "tacky". Then, grab the eyelashes in the center of the strip, placing them on your upper lash line in the center of your eye. Aim for
slightly above your own lash line-- this will help to not remove your own eyelashes when taking them off later. We like to start in the center, and work our way around! Next, bring the lashes to the outer corner, then the inner corner-- we recommend tweezers for eyelash newbies, to really get the corners applied. Press the lashes to your lash line (pressing straight "in", not pressing up or down), applying the pressure from your fingertips to the inner and outer corners, as to secure the edges. Press and hold for about 5 seconds at a time (repeating if necessary), until you see the glue start to turn from grey to black. As you press "in" you can also make the eyelashes appear slightly curled, just by using your finger! If someone else is helping to put them on you, the trick is to look down when putting them on (not completely closing your eye) so that glue does not get on your lower lashes.
Step 4: Repeat process on other eye. If your eyes water, gently blot with a tissue; careful as to not move the eyelash or glue. Avoid touching your eyelashes for about a minute or two to let them dry, and you're done! Oh wait, one more thing...don't forget to apply eyeliner and
mascara. Once completely dry, mascara can help to blend your real lashes in with the fake ones. You will need less mascara than normal, just a little does it. Eyeliner above the lash/glue line is also an important step, to cover up any traces of the glue, and blend the lashes into the rest of your eye makeup. One tool to
not use: an eyelash curler! The curler will likely pull your faux lashes off.
Step 5: When removing your lashes after a long night of being fabulous, gently peel from the outer corner first, peeling inwards.
What techniques do you have on applying lashes? We want to hear!
