How to Apply False Lashes, Easy as 1, 2, 3

At least twice a month when I’m buying groceries at one of the local supermarkets, a new cashier will say to me, “You have beautiful lashes. I wish I had lashes like yours.”

It’s rather embarrassing – depending on who is standing behind me in the line-up. If no one is behind me, I tell the cashier, “Darlin’, you can have beautiful lashes just like these. They’re called Demi Wispies down at your friendly drugstore.” Then I hear the same kind of protest I’ve heard for decades: “Oh! They’re not yours? They’re false? I’ve tried applying false eyelashes and they turn out a mess. Cockeyed. One goes this way, one sticks out that way! Glue everywhere!”

I can’t remember if I went through any experiences like that when I first tried to apply false lashes. It was eons ago.

There are days when I have earth-shattering topics on my mind, but today I want to write about how to apply false eyelashes.

I’m talking about natural-looking false lashes on a strip, not individual false eyelashes.

Ardell has made false lashes for as long as I can remember. Ardell seems to have other labels for the same line of false lashes. One distributor or label is Salon Perfect. The lashes are numbered the same as Ardell’s false lashes.

There are also many other brands in the United States and Canada. Beware, though. If the eyelash strip is particularly thin, these can be troublesome. One particular brand like that is sold in little black cases with transparent lids. I cannot recall the name of the brand, but you can recognize them because the strip is very black. Application is easy the first time with this inexpensive brand, but the next time you apply each false eyelash, you will notice the strip of each lash is bent this way or that. It doesn’t adhere in a nice shape ever again.

Personally, I think the best false eyelashes are Ardell’s or one of the brands of the same line. (Perhaps brands like Salon Perfect are made by a subsidiary company of Ardell.) For realistic, natural looking eyelashes, I use Demi Wispies in the Ardell brand. Alternatively, I like number 120 of Ardell’s. Look over the many styles of false lashes and choose your favorite. Remember, though, you want your eyes to look beautiful not Halloweenish.

The package of a starter kit of Salon Perfect contains a so-called lash applicator. Most of the 'starter kits' do. If you use that thing, I wouldn’t be surprised if you never try to apply false lashes again. It's a clumsy little utensil.

I'll be giving simple instructions a bit later in this hub on how to apply false eyelashes. You won't need a plastic applicator. You will need a thumb and an index finger. If you’re right handed, use your right thumb and index finger to apply the lashes. If you’re left-handed, use your left thumb and left index finger.

You don’t necessarily have to buy the starter kit when you embark on your new little adventure. Starter kits contain the pair of lashes, the ‘applicator’ and a small tube of glue. Starter kits usually cost between $5.00 and $7.50. All you need to buy is a package of lashes, two in the package and you will also need to buy a small tube of false eyelash glue. I use LashGrip Eyelash Adhesive. It comes in a small tube. You can buy it in black or clear. I buy the ‘clear’. Within a minute or two of application, the white glue turns transparent and invisible.

After wearing false eyelashes for several decades, I did read an article stating eye glue can – in a small percentage of cases -- cause eye problems. The glue used in the research was not Lashgrip as far as I could tell, but I began to take my lashes off at night once I’d read the article. That was five years ago. I have since reverted to wearing my false lashes to bed whenever I want.

It’s a personal decision.

I hope you will do a little research for yourself and reach your own conclusions. Another thing to consider, albeit much less serious, is if you toss and turn a lot at night or if you sleep with your face buried deeply into your pillow, you will wake up with deformed false eyelashes. When they’re done, throw them out. They're not salvageable.

I am going to get to the three easy steps of how to apply false eyelashes as soon as I explain two small subjects:

Removing false eyelashes is easy. You gently lift the outer corner of one lash at a time and pull it off.

When you want to clean the lashes, you don’t need a pair of tweezers to do so. Tweezers just get in the way. You simply take your thumb and index finger, place them on either side of the strip of the lashes and gently pull at the residual glue that is stuck there from your previous day’s (or week’s) wear. Gently peel the glue off so that you can apply fresh glue when you're ready.

You need a dry, clean counter surface. You need a small pair of scissors, one pair of false lashes and one tube of false eyelash glue.

Take each strip of lashes out of the case with care. You pull the outer end, the wider end, of the lash from the case. If you do this wildly, you will ruin the shape of the lash.

In the above photograph, you can see where I have placed a pair of scissors perpendicular to a 'right' false eyelash. Exactly where I have the scissors pointing is where you should cut the lashes. You need to cut away the excess amount of lashes so the effect will be more realistic. Please note: You are never cutting the inner area of the false eyelash. You cut the extra amount from the outer area of the false eyelash.

Do note in the next photograph, it is not the same eyelash. It is the 'left' eyelash which has had the outer edge cut off. However, you would cut a little less off each eyelash, the right and left eyelash strips, if you have very wide eyes. I have fairly wide eyes, though. This is approximately the same amount you will need to snip on any eyelashes you plan on wearing.

Now – very important – you need to carefully take the excess glue from the two strips of lashes. This is not LashGrip glue that is on each strip to hold into the case during shipping. This is a toxic glue, I think. If I have forgotten to remove the tiny amounts of glue from the strips before I apply the false lashes, I find my eyes watering within a short period of time. If I don’t have the opportunity to remove the eyelashes right away, my eyes begin to hurt. It’s serious stuff, the glue which is used to hold the lashes in the case, so be sure you clean it off.

First, gently squeeze the glue tube, holding it at least eight inches from your body. You need to learn to control the amount of glue that comes out. When you first try this, you can have a champagne moment where the glue comes bursting forth like bubbly out of an uncorked bottle. Squeeze only enough glue for this one application.

Pick up the first false lash and hold it steady with one hand while you apply the glue straight from the glue tube with the other. I know you’ve no doubt been told to use a toothpick for this phase, but really, it’s not necessary. Draw a thin line of glue across the top of the lash, just slightly inside of the strip. Put down the tube of glue.

Are you ready? This is when you have to realize you are bigger than the eyelash. You can do this! It’s just like when you’re trying to place a piece of material in a sewing project. You know you’re in charge. You know you can arrange and rearrange the fabric until everything is perfectly suitable to you.

Stand in front of the mirror with your one strip of lashes. Lean forward. Place the strip of lash on the top of your eyelid, aiming to have the outside end of the strip lay at the far end of your eye. Don’t concern yourself too much with the exact placement as the glue will be tacky and pliable for at least 30 seconds. The glue has an approximate 30 second set-up time.

Place the strip on top of the lid, as I said. Pretend you have a sort of mini-ditch or mini-canal where your natural lashes grow out of your eyelids. This is the imaginary ditch you want to place your strip of lashes into. Now comes the important but easy little trick. You gently take hold of each end of that little false eyelash -- your right thumb and finger on the right end of the false eyelash and your left thumb and finger guides the left end of the false eyelash -- and you press very gently on each end so the ends slip into that natural groove or ditch where the roots of your eyelashes originate. If, in fact, you didn't have it quite placed correctly on your eye, lift it up, move it slightly to the left or right (still holding and guiding it with both hands) then place it down and press the right and left end of the lash strip into the groove as previously explained.

You are three hundred times bigger than this little strip of lashes. You can do this!

By the way, I don’t recommend you use mascara on your natural lashes before applying false lashes unless you do so very sparingly. If, for instance, you’ve purchased black false eyelashes and your own natural lashes are very light brown, you can apply mascara very lightly, but if you apply too much the mascara will cause the eyelashes to separate from the natural lashes. A space will be between the two sets of lashes.

Now apply the other false eyelash. It’s easy. You're still learning this, so if you’re not quite happy with the placement the first moment, lift the false lash, clean any glue you might have gotten on your natural lashes and reapply another thin strip of glue. Repeat the application of the false lash into the imaginary ditch where your own lashes grow. (Ditch isn’t a very pretty word. Crevice? I’ll try to think of a better word one day.)

Don’t forget to wipe the excess glue from the glue tube and put the lid on. Your glue will last you for months and months even if you apply lashes daily, but it won’t last if you leave the cap off. It dries up.

When you are first learning this, you may want to apply a touch of eyeliner so that you can ‘even out’ the look of each eye. You want the strip of false eyelashes to be even-steven in comparison to one another in their placement on the eyelid. Soon you will find the application of false eyelashes to be very easy. After four or five applications you will be confident in your new ability. Practice makes perfect.

Oh. Postscript. You are half-blind, you say? You can’t possibly apply eyelashes at your age?

Do you wear glasses? It’s a little trickier, I’ll admit, when one’s eyesight is not what it used to be. But I can still get the ol’ eyes on. I apply glue to one strip of eyelashes and place the pretty little eyelash into my imaginary 'ditch' as noted above. Recess might be a better word than ditch. Then I put on my eyeglasses to see how I’ve done. The glue is pliable, remember. I don't usually have to apply the same eyelash strip twice, but hey, if I do, that's okay.

You only live once. Have a go!