No, it isn’t that hard after all. As Sara Kye, beauty blogger and Youtube star finds out from Daen A. Ali, makeup artist (or MUA as they’re known on the web forums) , who came over to our office to give both of us a much-needed private lesson in applying fake eyelashes.
This is Sara, looking pretty and natural before the application of 3 different types of fake eyelashes.
FIRST TYPE OF FAKE EYELASHES – NATURAL
Daen recommends this natural set from Ardell so that your lashes will appear fuller and lengthened (available at Watson’s for $8.90): ‘It’s something you can wear every day – once you get the hang of it.”
STEP 1 – APPLY EYE MAKEUP
Apply eye makeup as per normal – your favourite eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara (try Maybelline Volum’Express Turbo Boost Washable Mascara, $17.90) – this is so that it’ll camouflage the fake eyelash band and that the fake lashes blend in with your own ones.
STEP 2 – APPLY LASH GLUE TO LASH BAND
Spread a thin layer of eyelash adhesive (Daen gets his from Watson’s too) onto the band and wait for 10-15 seconds until it becomes tacky – too wet, and the glue will make a mess on your eyelid.
STEP 3 – APPLY FAKE LASHES TO EYES
The all-important step from our MUA– get up close to the mirror, stretch your eyelid up while tilting your head at a 45 degree angle and look down – it’s best to see exactly where to place those falsies.
Start sticking on the fake eyelash from the outside of your eye, working in.
STEP 4 – ADJUST LASHES
Once the lashes are on, don’t be afraid to use your fingertips to adjust them to fit your eyes. You can also use the end of a makeup brush to ‘fluff’ the lashes into a more upright position – so that the lashes appear like you’ve curled them.
RESULT
Can you tell that Sara did her right eye by herself?
SECOND TYPE OF FAKE LASHES – INDIVIDUAL LASHES
Contrary to popular belief, individual lashes (like these: Shu Uemura Fel Flare Black, $21) are trickier to put on than single bands of fake eyelashes. But, Sara mastered it in the end – here’s how:
STEP 1 – PICK UP LASHES WITH TWEEZERS AND DIP IN LASH GLUE
Using a tweezer with flat tips (tweezers with sharp tips are for plucking wayward hairs), pick up a single bunch from the box. Then, dip a makeup brush lightly in lash glue before dotting it on the node of the fake lashes.
STEP 2 – APPLY INDIVIDUAL LASHES
For natural, fluttery lashes – continue placing the single bunches in a triangular shape so that they layer over one another. Sara used a total of 8 bunches for each eye.
STEP 3 – APPLY MASCARA AND CURL LASHES
Because this look is so natural, putting on mascara is a must. You can also curl the lashes after.
RESULT
A subtler look, but worth the effort!
THIRD TYPE OF FAKE LASHES – DRAMATIC
For the second round of demonstrations, we chose this dramatic pair – Shu Uemura Black Velvet Feather from the Fantasy Lash Collection, $41.
STEP 1 – COMB THE LASHES
Because the lashes were made of a soft feather-like material, Daen chose to comb them out with a mascara brush to neaten them first.
STEP 2 – CREATE A SMOKIER EYE WITH EYESHADOW
The dramatic eyelashes called for a smokier eye, so our makeup artist added on more eyeshadow along the lash line.
STEP 3 – CUT THE LASHES IF NECESSARY
If the lashes are too long for your eyes (as this pair was for Sara), you can use a small pair of cosmetic scissors to cut them at an outward angle.
STEP 4 – APPLY LASH GLUE TO LASH BAND
Same step as the first pair of falsies – squeeze the tube gently and layer on a thin strip of eyelash glue.
STEP 5 – APPLY FAKE LASHES TO EYES
Starting from the outside of your eye, gently apply the eyelash on.
STEP 6 – ADJUST LASHES
Sara faced a common problem with this one – the eyelash band wouldn’t stick on properly at the inside of her eyes – but a little adjusting with your fingertips (and instruction from our makeup artist) ensured that the lashes stuck on correctly.
Alternatively, you could dab lash glue on the tip of a makeup brush and then fill in the spot on the eyelash band that needs more glue.
RESULT
Definitely choose these for a glam night out!
HOW TO REMOVE THE FAKE EYELASHES
Removing your fake eyelashes isn’t as easy as pulling it off (ouch, it could damage your eyelids!) and chucking it back into the box. Here’s the proper way to take care of both your lid and the fake eyelashes:
STEP 1
Gently pull out the lash band in an outside-in direction. Then, pull off any hardened bits of lash glue from the band.
STEP 2
Shake out a few drops of an eye makeup remover onto your palms – (you can try Sephora Eye Makeup Remover, $12 from Sephora) then place your fake lashes in between your palms and massage the lashes gently.
This helps to lessen the damage on your fake lashes, as well as remove traces of lash glue and eye makeup more effectively.
STEP 3
Wipe off the makeup remover from the fake eyelashes with a tissue paper and place it back into the box.
OTHER USEFUL TIPS
- Alternate your fake eyelashes if you tend to use them every day – for hygiene purposes. If you take care of them properly, a pair of fake lashes is usually good for a week’s worth of usage.
- For beginners, keep fake eyelashes for special occasions – your eyes could get infected if you don’t use and remove them properly.
- "Lashes can be worn the whole day, unless it’s a hot day and you perspire a lot. Once moisture gets to the glue, you have an hour maximum before the eyelashes will start falling off," advises Daen. A good tip? Always bring the lash glue with you, especially since it’s small enough to fit in your wallet.
- A secret that our makeup artist let us in on when we asked where to get the best lashes: “Go fake eyelash shopping if you happen to be in Kuala Lumpur, some brands are cheaper by almost half the price!”
- Lash glues now come in different shades – white and black. White is still more commonly used, but black is also suitable when you’re using darker eyeshadows so that it blends in better.
- Other go-to brands for fake eyelashes include: MAC (their lashes retail at $22), Make Up For Ever (pictured, $32) and i Nuovi (pictured, far right, $9 – $14).
Sara’s thoughts after the makeup lesson:
‘I’ve learnt that putting on false eyelashes isn’t as difficult as I thought it was – it just takes practice and the right guidance. False eyelashes can also easily transform a look by making it bold and loud or just adding on a subtler touch. They truly are a great tool for transforming one’s looks!’
You can read Sara’s makeup blog at http://icyabstract.onsugar.com/ and see her videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/icyabstract. Daen’s work can be viewed at http://ihardlyknowher.com/daen-a-ali .
