How to DIY False Lashes
How to Totally Trick Out Your False Lashes For Halloween
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If you've decided to go glam instead of gory with your Halloween costume, false lashes are probably on your shopping list. But did you know you can customize your own lashes at home instead of spending extra cash on crazy effects? Lijha Stewart, Make Up For Ever director of artistry and education for North America, breaks down her professional secrets. Now you can glitter, bedazzle, trim, and layer your falsies like an expert. Everyone will be so envious of your creative lash looks, but you'll just have to remind them that these falsies are exclusive!
Source: IMAXTREE
1 Trim Your Lashes
Treat your falsies like you would treat hair and give them a trim. Before you apply, always fit your strips to your lash line by snipping off the ends. You can also use a feathering technique to get rid of excess length and thickness. "You don't want to take them and cut bluntly across," Stewart said. "Use small cosmetic scissors, and then go vertical into the lash. It will give them a fluttery, full effect."
2 Bottom Lashes
Warning: don't go for the longest lashes in the aisle if you're planning a Twiggy costume. "The lashes are always going to look bigger on the eye than what they look like in the package," Stewart said. "I think it's mostly because we're not used to seeing so much drama on the bottom of our eye."
While your first instinct is to probably look up while you apply lower lashes, you won't be able to see a thing (duh). Looking at your nose is out of the question, too. "You'll notice that if you look down at all, your lower lashes get in the way . . . You want to have your head straight-on with the mirror."
3 Layer Your Falsies
Getting the perfect custom lashes is all in the layering. You can build your own using a few strips, clusters, and even individuals. It doesn't even require any glue! "You know how lashes kind of have that little bit of stickiness on the band? They naturally just stick together," Stewart said. "Then you just apply your glue right to the base of the lash line and apply like you normally would."
4 Bling Out Your Lashes
Adding small crystals ($21) to your lashes is actually supereasy. Just grab your fine-point tweezers and dip each appliqué in lash glue. You can just bedazzle the band or apply bling all over the lash. "One thing I've done is add small diamonds going all the way to the tip of the lash," Stewart explained.
5 Glitter Your Lashes
Glitter is another option if you want to truly sparkle. Stewart prefers to use Duo adhesive ($9) because it doesn't stay too sticky after it dries. "You can paint the lash with a nice throwaway blush or lip wand, paint your Duo on, glitter it, and then you'll have a stunning beautiful glitter eyelash," she said.
Note: contact-lens wearers should proceed with caution.
6 Paper Lashes
"One thing we do a lot backstage is paper lashes using cardstock. It comes in every texture, every finish, every color," Stewart said. "The easiest lash to do out of paper is a really long straight eyeliner design, but it's kind of 3D." Creating paper lashes only requires first-grader skills. Draw, cut, trace, and cut. Then you can add to lids with regular lash glue.
7 Paint Your Lashes
"One of my favorite things to do with lashes is to actually put nail polish on them," Stewart said. "I'll do a purple-black nail polish and lacquer them to give them a spiky effect. Let them dry completely overnight, and you have this really cool vinyl lash that's almost superhuman — it's crunchy and strong." You can also use water-based paint to change the color of your falsies or do an ombré effect.
8 Anime/Doll Lashes
Anime and demented doll costumes are always popular for Halloween. You can enlarge eyes by using fake lashes. First apply the bottom lashes a few centimeters below your natural lash line. Then line your eyes with white pencil. Finally cover the falsie band with black liner. "The white would really make the eyes go bright, and the black would almost give the illusion that you have a new lash line," Stewart said.
9 Removing Your Lashes
To loosen up stubborn falsies, put eye-makeup remover ($24) on a Q-tip. Begin rubbing the product over the outer corner of the eye and slowly move inward. "Work the Q-tip across the base of the lash line," Stewart said. "Let it sit there for a second, and then start to pull up and shove the Q-tip underneath the lash line." By getting the product in between lashes and your real hairs, you can avoid losing your natural fringe in the process.
