False eyelashes for dummies

[beckwall]

I have never tried out fake eyelashes, but I want a more glamorous look for the holiday parties and dinners, so I am asking for help here. I went to the store and checked them out - they seemed inexpensive, wondering if that is normal? I don't want discount crap glued to my eyelids. I liked the little individual lashes, but just how difficult are they to apply successfully? What about the glue and the adhesive remover, just how icky and harmful is that stuff? How long can you leave the lashes on? My lashes and brows are on the medium to light side, so I'm not looking for that "Elizabeth Taylor/Cleopatra" look. I just want something thick and lush .

Any info/opinions/life experiences will be greatly appreciated.

[FreeRange Maniac]

I asked at the cosmetics department where i work, and they said that all the stuff to glue them on (and take them off) is non toxic, but the general consensus is "use mascara". I've never used them myself, I don't have the patience! Or the manual dexterity!

[Eve]

I'm really good with eye makeup, but I was never able to manage false eyelashes. I tried them back in the late '70s, when the Liza disco look was in. No matter how carefully I dribbled the glue on the lashes with a toothpick, no matter how carefully I arranged and positioned them, they always wound up a quarter-inch above my lashline, making me look like I had four eyebrows.

[Squink]

Originally Posted by Eve

no matter how carefully I arranged and positioned them, they always wound up a quarter-inch above my lashline, making me look like I had four eyebrows.

I loved that look! It was so exotic, it made a guy wonder whether there were also 4 tits under the hood or something.

[foxymoron]

'Tis the season for false eyelashes. I answered a question like this almost exactly a year ago. Ta Da!

[Antigen]

I've never had any luck with false eyelashes. The final result was absolutely hideous. Maybe after years of practice, it can look excellent, but don't expect to be able to just toss them on a half hour before your party and look like a glamour queen. Unless you have a special eyelash talent. Anything is possible.

Maybe you should get your makeup done professionnally somewhere if it's that important to you to look good at these parties. Those people do this for a living, and have lots of practice.

Otherwise, I swear by that double-extend mascara stuff. You know, one end has white "primer", the other has the black mascara? When I put that on, my lashes are amazing - long, curled, and thick. Mine is L'Oreal, but I think other companies have their own versions too.

[pokey]

I'm good at false eyelashes. The way I do it is I use the individual clump ones, and I use 3 per eye. I do exactly like foxymoron except that I put a drop of glue on the kleenex box and then hold the lashes with tweezers and dip them in the glue. I don't mind really using a lot of glue. I place the little lash clump on top of my lash as close to the roots as I can get without hitting the eyelid. Then I push it back a bit and hold it there a second to give the glue a chance. Then I curl the whole works and put on a lot of mascara to blend it all together.

When I was in highschool I used to leave them on til they fell off I always remember one of my friends asking me how I got my eyelashes to stick out on the sides that way!

There is a solvant to get the glue off. It's not a big deal. You just use a q-tip.

[beckwall]

Think I might try the double extend mascara thing first. I'm not the most dexterous of creatures, plus I had Lasik a few years ago - the type where one eye focuses close and the other focuses far - and I think I might have trouble seeing the little falsies.

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe some bright lipstick and a winning smile to draw attention away from my puny lashes???

[LifeOnWry]

I have puny, straight eyelashes myself, and I'm a contact lens wearer. Falsies are out of the question for me, but I have discovered that using the eyelash curler very near the base of my lashes (not all along the length as people with naturally long eyelashes do), then putting on two coats of 2000 Calorie waterproof mascara makes a HUGE difference.

[TheOtherOne]

I have nothing to add here, except that when I read the OP my brain wanted me to believe that it read "false eyebrows" instead of "-lashes". Talk about some interesting mental pictures...

[Cinnamon Girl]

Whatever you do, please don't pull off your false eyelashes and set them on the table in front of people. It's really creepy and yucky. I was with someone who did this recently. We were all wondering what else was going to come off.