False eyelashes are an amazing way to accentuate your natural assets and really add some ‘wow’ to your style. There are so many different variations on the market, from individual lash extensions to the ultra-modern L.E.D lashes.
If you are a false eyelash novice and thinking of adding them to your beauty regime, we recommend using strip lashes. But, if you have never tried these before, you may want to read on as trying to apply this for the first time without any prior knowledge can lead to very frustrating situations.
What Are Strip Lashes?
Strip lashes are the most common type of false eyelash and you’ll find them in all good beauty stores. These are a horizontal line of faux eyelashes with a curve to fit on your upper lid.
You can find these in a variety of styles from every-day subtle looks to full, pump-up volume for a special occasion, you can even buy ones with glitter and different colours for festivals and parties. They vary hugely in price, depending on the quality, be wary of very low prices as these can look cheap and give you the wrong look entirely, reputable brands like Flawless Lashes by Loreta may be a little more in cost but look natural and last longer, not to mention comfier, definitely worth the investment!
How to Apply Strip Lashes
This is a very common question as many people, especially those new to strip lashes, struggle with. So, let’s explore how to apply false eyelashes. Firstly, you need to remove your strip lashes from their packaging. Don’t just pull them off with your fingers as this can damage the false eyelash and make them nearly impossible to apply correctly. Use a clean pair of tweezers to gently lift the stip lashes from the outer corner, this is because if you do need to trim the lashes, you’ll do so from the outer corner so you can take a little more risk as you’ll likely be cutting this end off.
Using the same tweezers, hold the strip lash up to your eye, along your eyelash line to judge if they need trimming or not. The strip should begin and end where your natural ones do, any longer and you risk them irritating your eye. So, how to trim false eyelashes? If they do need trimming, use a pair of good quality scissors to make the cut from the strip side on the outer edge, don’t cut downwards through the lashes as you may accidentally catch the other lashes.
Next comes the fiddly bit, how to put false eyelashes on, you need to add the eyelash glue. Use the applicator that comes with your eyelashes and apply a thin line to the strip lashes, now wait. The glue needs to become a bit tacky before you place it on your eyelash if you don’t allow this to happen then your eyelashes will slide around and look awful, this takes around 20-30 seconds. If you are planning on wearing your lashes for a long time you can ‘double glue’ them by also placing a few small dots above your natural eyelashes for a stronger adhesive. Then, look down and press your strip lash together to your lash line, starting in the centre and working outwards. You can apply mascara both before and after applying your false eyelashes but having it applied before can help if you are struggling with placement. A light covering of mascara lets you push and pinch your false and natural lashes together so it is easier to set. So, now you know how to put false eyelashes on!
How Long Do Strip Lashes Last?
How long do false eyelashes last? This can come down to varying factors, depending on what you wear them for, how you apply false eyelashes, how well you take care of them and the quality of the false eyelashes you buy.
If applied properly, your strip lashes should last you all day, or at least long enough for the event you are attending. You should always remove these before you go to sleep as you need to give your natural eyelash and skin on your eyelids time to breathe.
How to Remove False Eyelashes
On the topic of removing false eyelashes, you need to know how to remove strip lashes properly. Firstly, because you may want to use them again and don’t want to damage the strip lash, but also for your own safety.
Before removing your other makeup, take your tweezers and just like removing them from the packaging, gently pull them from the outer side. Place them back in the box to make sure they aren’t damaged.
Ensure you clean all the glue from your eye and eyelashes with a gentle makeup remover, if you don’t, you can risk irritation, especially if you are planning on wearing these on a regular basis and don’t remove the glue properly, you can suffer from a condition called madarosis, which is the loss of lashes.
How to Clean False Eyelashes
Now we move onto how to clean strip lashes. Using your false eyelashes just once is wasteful and costly so try to make the most out of them. The better you clean them, the more uses you’ll get out of them.
The most important thing is how to clean the glue off-strip lashes and any mascara you may have applied. You’ll need makeup remover, cotton balls, and your handy tweezers. Make sure you wash your hands first, seeing at these are going to be so close to your eye, you want to make sure no bacteria is transferred. Soak a cotton ball in your makeup remover and gently swab the lash and strip part of the lashes and make sure you do both sides, keep doing this until all makeup is removed.
Then use your tweezers carefully to pull any leftover glue off, don’t use your fingers as you may accidentally catch the lash and cause damage. Once all the glue is off, use a fresh cotton ball soaked in makeup remover and do a final clean.
Leave your lashes on clean paper towels to dry then once they are dry you can use an eyelash comb or a clean mascara wand to run through the lashes, this is a very important step as it helps them keep their shape. With all this in mind, you should now have an insight into the wonderful world of strip lashes. Next time you are envying those with long lashes, why not give some strip lashes a go, we promise they’ll make you feel fabulous.