Here's J-Beauty lash queen Mai Miyagi; so pretty and – more importantly – office-friendly, right? Image: instagram.com/p/pkh2uVncX1
Fact: Long lashes are lovely to look at. The longer and thicker, the better. (Yes, still talking eyelashes here!) Best thing yet? Falsies aren’t the sole purview of burlesque dancers; with some sourcing and snipping, the end result can be incredibly subtle and OL-friendly – think K-Drama damsels Yoo In-na and Jun Ji Hyun.
If you’re new to the art of artful deception, consider this story your convenient (and definitive!) guide to faking it with falsies. Keep this browser window open on your tablet or smartphone, and follow the step-by-step manual below. With any luck, you’ll be able to master this in five minutes or less!
STEP 1. CURL I picked the beauty brains of makeup artist Larry Yeo for expert advice, and the first thing he told us was to start by curling your natural assets: “If you just slap falsies on bare lashes, you’ll look ridiculous when viewed from your side profile.” Crimping your lashes will ensure that the real and the fake hairs intertwine for a seamless, is-she-or-isn’t-she appearance.
Singapore beauty representin', yo. Per Larry, Star Lash offers really good falsies for your money
STEP 2: CUT Much like wigs, all falsies demand some degree of customisation – lashes that are too long for your lids will create a disconcertingly droopy effect. Product recommendation-wise, Larry’s all about the Asian persuasion: Try Star Lash, a suite of made-in-Singapore synthetic lashes; or Bambi Eye from cult J-Beauty brand Diamond Lash (both brands being sturdy, reusable and happily available for online shopping, BTW).
Now that you have a pair of hairy caterpillars in your hand, don’t panic and back out: They’ll look just fine when applied properly. Looking in a mirror, hold the spine (the flexible bit that grips the hairs) up to your eye and see if they need to be shortened (they almost always do).
Great, so now we have to be both makeup artist and hairdresser. Once again, don’t panic! Use a pair of sharp scissors to snip off the excess from the outer edges, then a little from the inner side. When you’re done with your “butchering”, the falsie should line up with your natural lash-line, give or take an inch.
Another of Larry's lash picks. Diamond Lash is apparently super sought-after amongst the falsie online community!
STEP 3: BEND Now that you’ve got your lashes down to the right size, it’s time to prep them for application. Using your thumb and forefinger, hold down both ends of the modified lash to mold it into a U-shaped curve.
Applying the gentlest of pressure, bend the lash for oh, about five seconds, to break it in. Lashes that are fresh out of the box are usually stiff and unyielding, so this “setting” process makes all the difference in ensuring your falsie hugs the natural contours of your lash line.
STEP 4: GLUE Always use a decent cosmetic adherent for the longest-lasting results; try M.A.C’s Duo Adhesive. Unless you have the steady hand of a Zen meditator, don’t squeeze directly from the tube onto the lash. Too much glue will gush out, creating a syrupy, soggy mess. Instead, dole it out onto a clean, flat surface, then glide the spine of the lash strip across the adhesive, like swiping a credit card.
Pay extra attention to the inner and outer corners, which may unfurl if they’re not well and properly coated with glue, and always remember to keep within the line of the spine – getting glue onto the hairs themselves will mean the sticky kiss of death for that particular pair of falsies!
Important note: For illustrative purposes only. Your glue should be just a tad more translucent than what you're seeing here. Image: pinterest.com/pin/48765608440158147
STEP 5: WAIT Now that you’ve got the glue onto the strip, wait for 10 seconds. You can blow on the glue to speed along the process – you want the glue to cultivate a tacky consistency so that the spine doesn’t flop about when you’re maneuvering it onto your lids. You’ll know the strips are ready when the opaque glue starts to develop a glassy translucency.
STEP 6: APPLY & SET Almost there! Looking into a mirror, tilt you head upwards, lower your lids ever so slightly, then pick up the false lash with tweezers and press the spine into your lid, starting from the middle outwards.
For an elongated CL of 2NE1 effect, position the false lash so that its outer edges extend just a little from your natural lash line. Tamp down the inner and outer corners of the spine and hold slightly. The edges are the most likely to peel away. and aim to ease the strip onto the base of your natural lash line, just above your real lashes.
Next, take the blunt end of your tweezers to nudge the spine into the skin, using gentle tapping motions. “Once the spine has adhered, smoosh the fake hairs together with your real lashes by pressing them between your fingers,” Larry adds. “As a final step, run a finger through the hairs to check that the real hairs are weaving through the longer false strands.” In other words, press and prod until you can’t tell where “real” ends and “fake” begins.
See how easily falsies can lend themselves to your best kawaii clubbing game face? Switch up your lippie, stick a lollipop in your locks, set! Image: www.facebook.com/DiamondlashSingapore
STEP 7: FINISH UP At this point, you should be feeling plenty pleased with how your eyes are looking. Final lap! To fully integrate the natural lashes with the fake ones, wiggle a generous coating of mascara through the hairs; the inky viscosity will further mesh the hairs together into one.
And you’re done! Super sexy peepers that will induce serious lash envy among your girl friends. Signing off with a #QOTD that pretty much sums up my philosophy towards those inexplicably important hairs lining our eyes: “I want my eyelashes to be as black as my soul and as long as the list of people I hate.” Cheers to that!