Beauty 101: How To Apply Fake Eyelashes

Got an upcoming wedding? A friend’s wedding? Anniversary, party, seminal night out on the town? Many of us ladies have problems trying to properly apply fake eyelashes for a big event. I am normally satisfied enough with my mascaras themselves and my ability to apply them, but for this a big event where I know photos will be snapped all day, some extra definition is in order. Even if you’re not doing anything special – what better time to glam it up than for no event at all, when you can relax and play with it?

Here’s how I go about applying falsies:

Step 1: Get some great false lashes. Individual lashes are VERY hard to apply for beginners, so I use MAC 7 Lash ($11.00), which come in a strip. These are great for several reasons: they look natural because of the varying lengths and separation, and they are reusable unlike the drugstore ones, so they’re a bargain in the end. I also recommend MAC Duo Adhesive ($8.00) for your glue, as it dries clear and not gloopy like cheaper brands.

Step 2: Apply mascara first. I highly recommend a mascara with a focus on lash separation, since these will give you great volume anyway, and you want the appearance of many separate lashes and not a big clump of black. For this reason, I’d go with a comb mascara like Maybelline Lash Stylist ($4.87). Sweep through several coats, getting the lashes as perfectly separated and coated as you possibly can. Do NOT allow any clumps, and don’t miss a single tiny lash. I also recommend you do this before applying any other makeup, as it can get messy and frustrating. (In general, do your eyes first.)

Step 3: Take out one strip of the false lashes and flex it a bit, making the strip pliable. Carefully apply glue to the very edge of it. You’ll want the line of glue as thin as possible. Wait a few minutes to allow the glue to thicken along the edge of the lashes; the glue becomes watery in the bottle and won’t adhere as well if you don’t do this step.

Now, the hard part: Close your eyelid partially and be very relaxed. Holding both sides of the strip, place the lashes gently on top of your eyelid as close to your lash line as possible. Maneuver the lashes into place, again as close to the lash line as possible, never taking the contact of the glue away from the lash line. Once you’ve got it in place, apply some pressure backward toward your lash line to set the glue. Hold it for a minute. Move your fingertip along the lid, pressing down the glue a little in each spot. Make sure to get the corners. When you’re confident the lashes are stuck on there, leave your eye partway closed for a minute to allow the glue to set. Repeat on the other side. Be very patient with the drying and try not to blink much.

Step 4: Once your initial glue has set, blink a few times and make sure nothing feels loose. If the lashes feel loose at the edges, take a tiny drop of glue and apply it directly to the lash line. Allow it to thicken for a moment, then press the falsies down on it again and hold for a moment. Repeat this step with much patience until you’ve got them all glued on. You may notice some haziness along the lash line – don’t worry, we’ll be fixing that now.

Get out your trusty black liquid liner of choice and, ensuring that your glue is entirely dry first, drape it over the glued portion of the lashes. Please do NOT go intense on your liner; this is just to keep everything its blackest black and make sure the line on top looks even. If you do a big coat of liner over this, I promise, you will look like a drag queen and you’ll lose all that definition we worked so hard for.

Step 5: If you didn’t before, apply a light coat of mascara to your bottom lashes with a more traditional mascara like Diorshow. (The combing mascara isn’t necessary since we’re just trying to get some color on there, not highlight every lash in the place. You don’t want to look like a spider lady, do you?) Sweep your liner gently along your bottom lid to about halfway across. Voila!