5 Quick and Easy Steps to Flawless False Lashes

A step-by-step guide to applying false eyelashes:

1. Size and trim your lashes.

Once you’ve got your falsies in hand—we recommend slightly more subtle wispies for beginners, like RED CHERRY EYELASHES Wispy WSP, it’s time to fit them to your eyes. Set the lash strip over your own lashes–no glue yet—to see where you’ll need to trim so that it fits comfortably. (Leave a little room in your inner corners, where eyes can be sensitive to falsies.) Remove the strip from your eye before proceeding. “Cut off any excess, preferably from the inner corner of the lash,” says makeup artist Melissa Mangrum. “Outer corners tend to have more detail, which you won’t want to trim away.” Repeat with your second lash.

2. Break ‘em in.

“Take your strip lash, and bend it back and forth,” says makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor. “Like breaking in a new pair of shoes, they’ll be more cozy and less likely to lift from your lashline.” Mangrum prefers to wrap her faux lashes around her pinky finger to break them in and give them a more realistic curve.

3. Dot on lash glue.

Sotomayor swears by this rhyme: “Glue. Let it dry. Glue. Apply.” First, use a pointed cotton swab to apply lash glue to the lash band. BEAUTYGARDE Eyelash Glue for False Lashes goes on clear and won’t irritate sensitive eyes. Let the glue dry for 30 to 45 seconds, or until tacky, then dot on a bit more glue. This layered approach will make your falsies last all day long.

4. Apply your falsies.

If you haven’t already, pick up a pair of slanted-tip tweezers to hold your lashes. (CHELLA Slanted Tip Tweezers have a nice grip to keep your fingers steady.) Then look into a mirror. “Turn your hand so your palm is facing your face and lashes are in position to be applied,” says Mangrum. “Tilt your chin up and, beginning with the center of the lash band, lay the false lash as close to your lash line as possible. Connect the outer corner, then the inner corner, adjusting slightly as needed.” The sweet spot is that little dip in your lash line right before your lashes start. Avoid applying the falsie onto your actual lashes. The adhesive won’t last there, and your faux strip will look less realistic.

5. Blend them in.

Now for a few final touches that’ll make all the difference in the look of your lashes. After the glue has dried (give it a couple minutes), “use a lash curler to gently push your falsies even closer into your real lashes,” says Sotomayor. “This can fix the gap that happens sometimes when a lash isn’t glued quite as close as it could be.” We swear by ROYAL & LANGNICKEL Chique Eyelash Curler, which gives the most natural curve.

Finally, reach for your favorite mascara. “Use it sparingly at the base to connect your falsies to your natural lashes,” says Mangrum. EYEKO Lash Alert Mascara has a curved wand to make reaching inner and outer corners a cinch.

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