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Manchester-based dressmaker and sewing skills teacher with a passion for vintage glamour and fabulous costume.

Monday 24 December 2012

How to apply false eyelashes

This is just a quick little set of instructions I put together for my sister. I thought I'd share them online in case they can be of use to anyone else! Sorry no pictures but I can't draw for toffee. If you've got any questions just ask :)

False Eyelash Instructions

  1. Put on any primer/foundation and eye shadow first. Avoid any cream or oily products as they’ll mess with your glue later.
  2. Put on a line of liquid eyeliner on the lash line of your upper lid. This will help disguise the false lash strip when they’re on. Make sure this has dried by the time you’re applying the lashes.
  3. If necessary curl your eyelashes to match(ish) the curl of the false ones.  
  4. Prepping the false lashes: Trim off any excess strip either side of the actual lashes. You can even snip off a bit of the lashes themselves if they’re too long or you want to go for a certain effect. If they’re a bit too straight you can roll them back and forth to get a curve to match your eyelid. 
  5. Start with either lash (I always start with the right for some reason). Hold the lash by the sticky-out bits and slather a good helping of glue on the strip. It goes on white but dries clear. The more you use a pair of lashes the easier they become to apply because of a build-up of this glue but if they’re getting a bit clogged up you can just peel of the excess before you begin.  
  6. Count 30 elephants. (This is important – do not skip the elephants!)  
  7. Apply the lash to your eyelid at the very edge. (Lots of instructions will tell you to apply the lashes to the roots of your own lashes. This is a terrible idea unless you want to pull out all your own lashes when you’re taking them off later!) Match the outer edge of the lash to the outer corner of your eye first and then set the rest of it in place.  
  8. Use tweezers to do any tiny tweaks or push corners down but try not to over-fuss them. If it has gone horribly wrong just pull them off and start at step 5 again. Do not get frustrated with yourself – these are tricky little buggers and starting again is much easier than trying to fix a cock-up.  
  9. Once they are in place try to leave them alone until the glue dries and avoid fluttering until completely set! (Usually about 3 mins).  
  10. You may want to touch up any eyeliner once it’s dry but hopefully you won’t need to. Some people like to apply mascara once they have lashes on. This can help combine your natural lashes with the false ones but it does mean that they are less re-usable. I like to avoid mascara if possible with false lashes because it cuts out any chance of clogging or shedding black crud on my under-eye.  
  11. Knock ‘em dead!  
When it comes to taking them off, grip gently at the inner corner and slowly pull off with your eyes closed. This shouldn’t hurt. Any glue residue can be peeled off quite satisfyingly but if you’re having difficulties getting rid of it all first try an oil-based cleanser, then try a gentle rub with an exfoliating cloth. Or ignore it and it’ll come off eventually!