Your Ultimate Guide To Fabulous Lashes
Beauty trends are constantly changing throughout the decades, from the classic ‘50s winged eyeliner to that regrettable ‘80s perm. Whatever your opinion is on fashion in the past, there is one thing that has never changed and that is the ever-growing longing for perfect, Hollywood eyelashes.
But exactly how do those celebrities achieve their famous full-fanned, fluttering look? Beauty salons have mastered techniques to fool us into thinking their clients have been naturally blessed with the Kim K lashes. But don’t be fooled! This is achieved by providing strip lashes (502) and other ‘natural fakery’.
This is great news, it means we can look like that too! Whether your eyelashes are a bit lacking or you are blessed with wide-eyed long, full lashes, there is always an opportunity to enhance your natural beauty.
Here are our top three ways to get your lashes looking fabulous and a full guide on each one.
1. Take Care of Your Natural Lashes
Why should you take care of your natural lashes when you can just fake it? It’s the same reason we take care of our hair when we could just wear a wig.
Taking care of our natural lashes means less effort will have to go into making them look spectacular in the future. Many people don’t know how to take care of their lashes and they are often forgotten about but just following a few simple steps can make a world of difference.
Always remove all your mascara at the end of each day. Try to avoid makeup wipes as these can rub and pull on your lashes and can cause them to weaken and fall out. Instead, opt for a light cleanser, gentle eye makeup remover or micellar water, use a cotton pad and gently wipe from your eyes until the mascara is completely gone. Don’t forget both sides of your lashes and your lower lid too.
If you haven’t heard of it before, this may seem strange but you can condition your lashes. This helps to not only keep your lashes looking great but it can encourage growth while strengthening your lashes. There are plenty of products on the market, the most common is known as eyelash serum.
You simply apply this once a day using an eyelash wand and that’s it! Super easy! Before you rush to the nearest makeup counter to buy one, it’s good to read all the eyelash serum facts first.
While you’re looking after the outside beauty, you need to think about your insides. Eating a well-balanced diet can be one of the most important changes in your beauty regime. Foods high in good fats can help your eyelash growth while also aiding your skin, nails and hair.
2. Fake It With Falsies
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, our natural lashes simply won’t give us the look we are wanting.
Especially if we have a glamorous party to attend, we all need a little bit of help here and there to heighten our current elegance.
Strip lashes are perfect for both makeup novices and seasoned artists. They are quick to put on, don’t require a professional and can be removed easily too.
However, if you have never tried strip lashes before, it can be daunting so it’s worth knowing a little bit about them before you take the plunge.
Firstly, don’t opt for the cheapest pair you can find. Just like anything else in this world, you get what you pay for. Cheap strip lashes can easily look tacky and due to the lower-quality materials they are made from, they can be harder to apply and can fall off due to their lack of moveability.
It’s worth investing in a good quality pair and with the right care, you can use them more than once. A pair of strip lashes will rarely fit your eye right out of the box so you may need to trim the ends a bit before fitting them.
A top tip for making sure those falsies stay on your eyelids all day and night is to not just apply the glue on the strip itself but also add a few dots on your upper eyelid. When applying the glue, allow it to dry for 20-30 seconds, this helps the glue become tacky and it means they won’t slide around when you try to apply them.
3. Lash Extensions
This is the best way to get that A-list look so many of us are craving. Eyelash extensions are meticulously placed individual lashes on your upper lid with specialist eyelash adhesives.
This can’t be done at home, you need a trained professional. Eyelash extensions aren’t just about glueing eyelashes on but it is also the knowledge of being able to analyse your eye and face shape, along with your natural lashes.
This is known as ‘lash mapping’ and it means you’ll leave your treatment with the most natural look while still stunning everyone with your new fans.
They are brilliant for weddings and holidays, and they last 6-8 weeks and can even come into contact with water.
There is no need to wear mascara with them, so if you are getting married, you don’t need to worry about your makeup running with happy tears.
Eyelash extensions don’t come cheap, they can range from £130-£300 depending on what you want. Although you might be able to find a cheap artist willing to do them at a lower cost, do some research first.
Are they properly trained? Do they use the right products and do they know what is in these products? Any good artist will have full knowledge of what they are using and can assess your skin to make sure you don’t have a negative reaction to anything.
These are the most popular ways to gain beautiful lashes but with some online research, you will be able to find even more!
Remember that what looks good on one celebrity might not look good on you. Have a look at what eye shape they have and compare it to your own. With eyelashes, it’s all about the shape of your eye.