Beauty Box 5

As I’m sure all of you have noticed, eyelash extensions more popular than ever! Unfortunately for me (and for every other working woman out there) these fabulous falsies can get expensive. Don’t be discouraged however…there is an alternative! Glue-on lashes or “strip” lashes are a great, inexpensive answer to those lashes you’re lusting after. After years of applying these falsies to my clients, I know how difficult they can be to put on if you don’t apply them regularly. So, here are some fool-proof tips and tricks for applying both strip and single lashes.

1. Choose the right lashes for your look.

There are a TON of different styles of lashes on the market. Some have thicker bases (the part you actually glue to your lash line) like the "Soft Cross" from Shu Uemura and some have thinner, almost non-existent bases like the Katy Perry “Sweetie Pie” from eylure. As a rule of thumb, only use the lashes with the thicker base if you’re wearing a thicker swath of black eyeliner and/or have darker lashes. The lashes with thinner bases are better for a more natural look and/or those of us with naturally lighter colored lashes. When the entire strip lash is thick and black like the "Sugar Mama" from NYX, then eyeliner/lash color don’t matter. When looking for “individual” lashes, the most important factor is length. Singles typically come in short, medium and long. If you can find a combo pack like the one from Ardell, I strongly recommend adding it to your makeup bag. Use the singles that are most similar to your own lash length to fill and then go over with the longer singles toward the outside corners. For something more fun than the traditional lashes, try PaperSelf…these Chinese paper-cut-inspired lashes are SUPER CUTE!!!!

2. Strip lashes are NOT one-size-fits-all.

Before putting on your lashes, make sure to measure them against the actual size of your eye. There are very few eyes big enough to wear un-cut lashes. When you do cut your lash, make sure you’re cutting on the inside corner so you don’t lose any length. For smaller eyes, one of the best tricks is a half-lash like the "Demi Flair" from Japonesque.

3. Glue matters.

While a lot of lashes come with glue included, I recommend DUO. This is a latex glue that is easy to use and remove and it won’t pull out your natural lashes. DUO comes in white (dries clear) and black (dries black). It’s amazingly easy to find and is quite inexpensive. I typically get mine at Target. Dealing with glue is typically the most difficult part for most of my clients so here’s my tip. When applying glue to your strip lash, put a drop of glue on the end of your brush handle (or the handle of a Q tip) and use that to apply the glue to your strip lash…NOT the actual tube of glue. What you want is a thin, even strip of glue on the lash. Then, blow on the glue for about 30 seconds so it becomes tacky before trying to apply the lash. The biggest mistake I see my clients make is trying to apply the strip lash immediately to their lashes after applying the glue. The glue is not tacky enough at this point and will move around quite a bit on the lash line making it difficult to finish application. With individual lashes, the dry-time is not as important…you can go straight from the glue to your lash.

4. Curl your lashes and put on mascara FIRST.

…especially if you have straighter and/or lighter-colored lashes! After applying your lashes use a lash comb or empty mascara wand to blend the your lashes with the falsies. If you feel the need to curl your lashes again after application, just be gentle and careful not to squeeze so tight you pull your new lashes off!

5. Lash placement is key.

When applying strip and individual lashes, the base of the lash should be applied to the base of our own lashes, NOT your eyelid. This is not always the easiest thing to do so don’t get discouraged if it takes a few tries to get it right. Practice makes improvement! :)

6. Tools are your friend.

Tweezers are a great what to hold your strip lash in place while you’re trying to finalize the placement. They’re also necessary for applying individual lashes. Look for a tweezer like Wide Grip Slant from Tweezerman. The wide grip helps with precision and the slant gives you more surface area to work with. Another tool that can application easier is an Eyelash Applicator like the one from Eyemimo.

I think that covers it all my BB5 beauties. As always, if you have tips, tricks or questions, drop me a line!

Peace, Love & Samples,

Felicity