How to make eyelashes longer
Eyelashes aren’t just a home for dead-skin-nibbling mites. Eyelashes also make your eyes look bigger and brighter and more come-hither. Here’s how to make eyelashes longer and bigger and curlier and stuff!
Okay girls. Relax. I’m not going to start going all L’Oreal/Cheryl Cole on you here. I was just applying some (Rimmel) mascara this morning and I got to thinking about eyelashes. Yes, eyelashes, of all deep and meaningful things!
Unless you are lucky enough to have long luscious lashes au naturelle, you will, like me, sometimes indulge in a little help from sources other than Mother Nature.
Make eyelashes longer with Mascara
Mascara is good for everyday use.
Mascara is a good long-term solution, suitable for daily usage. Mascara prices start from as little as a couple of pounds and go up to ten pounds or more, depending on the brand. As a bit of a mascara addict I’ve tried all brands from Revelon to Benefit and everything in between. In my opinion the most cost effective mascara brand that still does a nice job of enhancing lashes is Rimmel. Rimmel mascaras are pretty well priced for what they do (around 6-8 pounds approx) and will lengthen, curl or thicken lashes more than sufficiently.
Eyelash tinting
You can also dye your eyelashes with 45 Day Mascara or some other kind of semi-permanent eyelash dye that lasts about a month. This stuff is wonderful. If you don’t have a skilled friend to do your eyelash tinting for you, you will look like a panda. Getting your eyelashes dyed in a salon will cost around £8 (London prices) and will last for up to a month. Your salon expert will help you choose the best colour (brown-black looks gorgeously natural, blue-black will make your eyes pop – in a sexy way, not a cartoon way). Dying your eyelashes with semi-permanent mascara looks more natural than mascara because it never stands a chance of looking caked-on – and you’ll never have to think about mascara again.
Eyelash curlers
Eyelash curler. Sounds like a torture device, doesn’t it? Jeanne d’Arc and her thumbscrews… you and your eyelash curlers. Fortunately, eyelashes can’t feel pain.
How to use an eyelash curler
Your eyes look wider and brighter with curled lashes. Go for a metal eyelash curler not a plastic one – plastic eyelash curlers just aren’t as good. Use make-up remover or have a good proper wash to make sure your eyes are free of mascara, product and gunk. DON’T curl your lashes when you’re still wearing mascara. Heat your metal curler on a low heat hairdryer for a few seconds, then clamp to your eyelashes. Et voila – a curl! Just curl your top lashes – the bottom ones don’t matter. And you’re done! And don’t worry, you won’t burn yourself.
Eyelash extensions
Eyelash extensions are good for special occasions.
For a more dramatic look, eyelash extensions are an excellent choice. Although a bit fiddly to apply intially – I always have a friend on hand to help – once fitted, eyelash extensions add instant va-va voom to your eyes.
You can either go with full false eyelashes (see above – these are much less fiddly to apply) or special individual eyelash extensions that just add a few longer lashes here and there. Individual eyelash extensions are much more fiddly.
Eyelash extensions are kept in place with glue, so aren’t really ideal for daily wear.
Semi-permanent eyelash extensions from beauty salons will stay in for up to a month.
Beauty salons offer extensions which can be worn for longer – up to a month in some cases. I get my eyelash extensions for £15.00 and I usually have them on for two to three weeks. Eyelash extensions from a salon may sound like something for women who spend too much money and time on upkeep – but, like hair, the eyes are one of the exterior things that makes a women feel really good about herself. Many people who have tried eyelash extensions from a salon have enjoyed have a natural but enhanced look for that month.
You need to avoid mascara and other eye products to help keep your extensions in place, but they enhance your eyes so much you don’t really need much else on your eyes.
My favourite eyelash extenstion brand is Eylure. They have some truly beautiful designs on the market, including coloured and bejewelled lashes. The choice is seemingly endless.
eBay is a haven for faux eyelash bargins, as is – surprisingly – the trusty old Poundland store. I found a gorgeous pair of extravagant red eyelashes in my local Poundland recently. They certainly turned a few heads when I wore them!
Eyelash beauty tips
Dont forget to give your eyelashes some TLC in between products. A good eye make up remover is essential and vaseline applied to lashes before bed can really help to replenish any lost moisture.
I wear contacts and don’t have any problems with eyelash extensions. If in doubt, consult your optician or beauty therapist before use.
Eyelashes can also enhance a certain style. For instance, they give that 1950’s wiggle dress extra va-va voom, or add gothic glamour to your PVC bustier.
Eyeliner tips – how to apply eyeliner. Properly!
Lastly: If you’re looking to boost eyelash growth, a friend of a friend of a friend cut her eyelashes really short to make them grow back thicker and fuller. It worked for her. Would it work for anyone else? We can’t say. We take no responsibility. She might, quite frankly, have been a mutant.
You can always take the soft and more sensible option and take vitamins for hair growth like vitamin B6, beta-carotine and Vitamin A…
Your eyes are expressive. They are, as the saying goes, ‘the windows to the soul’. Don’t be afraid to make the most of them.
The truly lovely Gala Darling shows the world how her eyelashes look before and after a beauty salon treatment to get eyelash extensions. Talk about Bambi!
An eyelash tint makes lashes look longer, more defined – and utterly natural. Even better than mascara.
False eyelashes. On special occasions, too much is never enough!
We repeat… too much is never enough!
And once more with feeling…
