Have you ever wanted that extra pop in your eyes and found that your mascara just couldn’t cut it?

Have you ever wanted the sultry eyed drama of a leading lady? 

If you answered yes to either of those questions, then I think you are ready to go all the way; falsies (get your mind out of the gutter, I’m talking about your lashes).

False Lashes are lush and glamorous, but the majority of women out there are afraid of them. Some of you think they look too artificial and some think they are just too much effort. Let me shed some light on this for you…First, false lashes will look artificial if you put them on wrong (or if you choose the sort of lash that should only be sold at a drag queen boutique). Secondly, they are fast and easy, seriously.

Strip Lashes

1. Curl your lashes. A good curl is essential to making your own lashes blend into and become one with the strip. This step is especially important if your lashes naturally grow downward (your strip will point down with your lashes if you don’t curl them. I can assure you that is not what we want).

2. Trim the end of your strip lash so that it is the same length (or a little shorter) than your eyelid. If they are too long, they will be uncomfortable and eventually peel away.

TIP: Before applying your lashes, wrap them around an eyeliner pencil for a few minutes. This will give them a curve that better holds to the shape of the lid.

3. Apply eyelash glue (Duo is my favorite) evenly along the band that runs through the lash. Allow it to dry for about ten seconds. Tacky glue will adhere quickly and easily to the lid.

4. Lay the strip right along your lash line and hold it there for a few seconds. Be sure that the outside end of the strip lies exactly in line with where the eyelashes begin at the outer corner of your eye.

Tip: Use an orange wood stick, or the handle side of your tweezers to push the glued band right up against your lash line. Please do not use the slanted edge of the tweezers…accidents do happen.

5. When the adhesive has fully dried, draw a line of pencil or liquid liner over the strip (and the glue). This will hide that seam (which is often clear or white), making the lashes look more natural.

6. Apply a coat of mascara from underneath your lashes. This will mix and hold your natural lashes to the false ones, again, making the strip look even more natural.

TIPS

Easiest Application

If you set a mirror onto your counter and look down into it, your eyelids will be in the ideal position for application and you’ll be able to see exactly what you are doing.

The Half Strip

With a pair of scissors, cut the strip right in half and use one half starting at the outer corner of each eye. This will look entirely natural and give you flirty length exactly where you most want it-the ends.

Individuals Flares and Singles.

For some ladies, there is a bit of a learning curve to applying these lashes, but 10 to 1 they are the most natural.

1. Curl, but don’t crimp, your lashes.

2. Apply one layer of mascara to the lashes. This will give the individuals something to grab onto as you place them.

3. Squeeze one small drop of glue onto the back of your hand.

4. Hold the lash with a pair of tweezers. Dip the bulb at the end into the glue and give it a few seconds to become tacky.

5. Place the flare or the individual right on top of one of your lashes. Use the tweezers to push the bulb as close to the base of the lash as possible.

6. One at a time, place the rest across your lash line.

TIP: As you lay each lash, be sure that you space the bulbs far enough apart so that the tips of each lash (at the end if the flare) just touch. If you place them any closer, it will look bunched and unnatural.

7. When the glue is dry (usually a minute or so), apply one more coat of mascara. This will hold the two together and blend away any signs of the bulb.

Just a Touch of Drama.

For flirty, fluttery, fun ends, apply individual lashes only at the outer edge of the eye.

For added openness, only put a few in the center of the upper lash.

Now I told you it was easy.

TIP: If you just want to experiment with this, keep it inexpensive. At drug stores and beauty supply shops, the strips, flares and individuals can be found for about $5 a pack (sometimes less). Save the expensive ones, like the stunning array at Make Up Forever, for when you have application down to second nature. AND…if you gently remove and clean your lashes, you can reuse them a time or two (or three)!

A myriad of celebrities, from Beyonce to Liza Minelli, have made false lashes a part of their everyday routine. Do you know how they make them work so well? Proper application and the confidence to rock a wide-open, strongly defined eye. That’s all it takes.

With these tips and tricks, you are moments away from the sort of lashes any A-list starlet would envy. The best part of all is, done right, no one will ever know that Mother Nature didn’t bless you with these herself.