Sarah is a web designer and circus performer who lives just outside of Detroit. She is highly motivated, full of ideas, 100 percent Scorpio, running on sugar, ambitious and bordering on fearless when it comes to the things she loves. You can follow her adventures at her blog Sillygrrl or on Twitter.
After doing aerials performances for over a year, I’ve come to have lots of experience with fake lashes. I feel a little like a drag queen now, walking through the makeup aisle looking for the biggest, brightest and most glittery palettes. It took some practice, but I can now glue those babies on in two minutes and I have definite favorites as far as brands go.
What to Buy
I’ve found, the more curved and bendy the base of the lashes is, the easier they are to apply. They cheaper ones seem to work best and since they are tiny and delicate, I wouldn’t recommend spending more than $10 on them anyway.
NYX lashes look really, really fantastic, but they are very stiff and difficult to apply. If you’re a first-timer or running late, these are probably not a good idea. But if you have some time and patience they are definitely worth the hassle.
MAC lashes work well for an every-day, natural look. I’ve only used them a few times and found they were too delicate for all the wear and tear of performing and honestly, not really worth the price. They are flimsy, which makes them better for filling in sparse lashes.
Ardell lashes – long-lasting, easy to apply and CHEAP. These are my favorite. I probably have about six pairs I’m currently rotating for shows. They are bendy enough to put on fast and when they get too gunked-up I just toss them and buy another pair. They also have a pretty good selection of natural-looking lashes and big, crazy, spidery circus lashes. I also use the Ardell glue no matter what lashes I’m wearing.
How to apply
1. Check to see how the lashes fit. I usually end up having to trim a millimeter or so off the inner corner (sometimes after they’re already glued >_<)
2. Do all of your eye makeup first and add the lashes last
3. Apply a line of black liquid liner and let dry – this will prevent any space between your lashes from showing. (I use Maybelline Ultra Liner)
4. One at a time, apply a thin line of glue to the base of the lashes. Let the glue dry for about 30 seconds before placing it just above your lash line.
5. The plastic gripper thing that comes with some fake lashes is a piece of crap – throw it away. Instead, use the end of a bobby pin to gently nudge the fake lashes as close to your real ones as possible.
6. Once the glue has dried, add another layer of liquid liner. This will help to keep your lashes in place and make any line between your lashes and the fake ones disappear. You can add a little mascara too if they just aren’t bold enough.
Fake lashes can be cleaned with makeup remover or you can be like me and treat your lashes poorly by picking all the old glue off.
Don’t get discouraged if they are crooked and falling off on your first try – it takes lots of practice!