When it comes to our eyelashes, we’re firm believers in bigger is better. The thought of peeking out from beneath thick, seductive lashes à la Elizabeth Taylor has us swooning—and cursing our mere mortal gene pool. Luckily, we’re not ones to discourage faking it. A good set of falsies can add just enough fullness to your fringe to get that romantic, doe-eyed look and really up the wow factor.
With an onslaught of holiday parties on the horizon—and many eyelash batting opportunities in our future—we turned to the lash gurus at Assembly Salon to shed some light on how to achieve the envy-inducing look without breaking a sweat. Creative Director Jacqueline Bush and Stylist Laura Hernandez give us all the details on how to choose the right lash for your eye shape, how to apply the sticky strips like a pro, and just how to keep those falsies in place, even after the second glass of champagne.
Best Lashes For Your Eye Shape
Round Eyes
Red Cherry Natural #107 Lashes, $2.50
Long dramatic eyelashes that fan upward look best. Avoid lashes that are too thick—they can make your large eyes look smaller!
Almond Eyes
Winks by Georgie L’Avant Lashes, $15
Almost any pair of lashes will work for almond-eyed ladies. Feathery voluminous lashes are a good go-to or place individual lashes on the outer corner of your eyes for extra oomph.
Hooded Eyes
House of Lashes Femme Fatale Lashes, $9
Frame the eyes with long and short strands. Choose a strip with extra-long lashes in the middle, which hit right above your pupil. Adding lower lashes can work well for this eye shape: place individual lashes on the outer bottom corners for a wide-eyed look.
Deep-Set Eyes
Velour Oops! Naughty Me Lashes, $35
Ultra long and full lashes are best to bring lashes out and away from the face. Choose a pair that will make you want to bat your eyes all night.
Application Tips
Start With Shadow
Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Compact, $42
Always apply shadow to the lid first to avoid getting dust on your lashes post application.
Break Them In
Take both edges of the lash strip and bend them into a C-shape. Hold them like this for a few seconds to take the straightness out of the strip and to give them a curved shape to easily fit the eyes.
Trim To Fit
Nordstrom Beauty Scissors, $10
Measure the strip against your lash line and trim the inner corner of the strips if they’re are too long for the eye. (Always cut from the inner rim of the lash set, to maintain the length at the end!) If they extend past the natural lash line, they not only look obvious, but also can irritate your eye.
Apply Dark Glue
Duo Eyelash Adhesive, $7
If you have a steady hand, squeeze glue straight from the tube onto the strip of lashes. (We like a dark glue like Duo, which tends to blend better than a clear option) Make sure to put a generous amount on the inner and outer corners so the glue won’t unstick when you blink.
Tip: Allow glue to dry for a moment before applying the strip to your lashes—this is the best way to keep the strip from slipping around and will give it a firmer hold.
Press Down Firmly
Tweezerman Zebra Tweezers, $25
Place each strip on the eyelid positioning it as close as possible to your natural lashes. You can use the opposite end of a make up brush or even tweezers to press a little more firmly down. Allow the glue to dry, removing any excess glue with a q-tip dipped in a very small amount of eye makeup remover.
Finish With Mascara
Lancome Hypnose Mascara, $27
Apply mascara to help blend natural and false lashes and fill any gaps between the falsies and your real lashes with liquid or gel eyeliner.
