There are a million and one ways to get longer eyelashes. From prescription eye drops to glued-on false lashes, you can totally transform your look. It’s all about learning your options and knowing how to work with what you’ve got.
Far too many of us have been neglecting our lashes for far too long. Amazing eyelashes don’t have to come from a tube! Stop tugging, pulling and ignoring your lashes! Show them a little love and you can get them plusher and lusher that you ever thought possible. In this article, you can learn how to get longer eyelashes that will complete your look.
Give them some TLC
If you want to get long lashes, you’ve got to take care of what you’ve got! While we obsess about taking care of the hair on top of our heads, a lot of us forget that the humble eyelashes need a little TLC sometimes too! Even if you’ve been abusing them, it’s never too late to start fresh, but you need to be patient.
Eyelashes grow on a two month cycle, so don’t expect to see results overnight. If you start making changes now, you can expect to see noticeable results in about eight weeks. It’s definitely a slow process, but it’s well worth the wait.
Clean up your act
You’ve probably heard it before. If you want to wake up looking gorgeous, you need to go to bed with a clean face. It is incredibly important to remove all of your makeup at the end of the day, so don’t skip your nightly face washing, no matter how tired you are. If you want your lashes to love you back, you’ve got to get every bit of your mascara off before bed.
Mascara is a heavy load for your lashes to bear. Leaving gunky buildup on them at night can cause delicate little hairs to break. Make sure that you don’t just scrub away at your lashes. Use a proper makeup remover. If you are wearing waterproof mascara, use a waterproof mascara remover.
A lot of people love using different oils to remove eye makeup and there’s no harm in that. There’s nothing wrong with DIY makeup removers as long as you know what you are putting on your skin and you are using a gentle touch.
The truth about Vaseline
According to a million and one home remedies, Vaseline is a cure-all. Legend has it that if you apply petroleum jelly to your lashes three times per week, you’ll have long lashes in no time. While that sounds like an easy fix, it’s a little too good to be true.
Yes, petroleum jelly can prevent your lashes from getting too brittle, but that’s about it. There is nothing actually magical inside of that little jar. The good news is that petroleum jelly is noncomedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a great thing to rub all over your body. It can still cause issues for acne-prone skin so it’s important to proceed with caution, just like you should with any new product.
There’s been some debate about the safety of petroleum jelly. People have claimed for years that there are components in it that can cause cancer. While most dermatologists agree that it’s generally safe, there are some exceptions.
“Vaseline supposedly has all of these [components] removed,” says New York-based dermatologist Dr. Alan Dattner. “But there are probably plenty of petroleum jelly imitators, and one doesn’t always know the extent that they’re removed.”
He also mentions that petroleum jelly can be found in “different grades of purity” so you don’t always know how non-toxic your petroleum jelly products really are. In other words, don’t cheap out too much. Stick with petroleum jelly brands that you know and trust if you’re going to use it.
It’s also important to know how petroleum jelly really works. While it’s a great way to hold in moisture, it doesn’t actually hydrate your skin. In other words, it’s perfect for keeping your skin feeling smooth when you’re out in windy, cold weather, but don’t expect it to nourish your skin after it’s already dried out. Think of it like putting a piece of plastic over your skin. It’ll protect you but it won’t really change anything beneath the surface.
That said, petroleum jelly is still a great tool. Fake lashes are a must have for all of us with lash envy and you’ll need a little Vaseline to get those off. While it might be tempting to just yank them off at the end of the night, that’s the worst thing you can do! You can cause serious damage to your lashes by pulling too hard and it’s just plain uncomfortable. Instead of tugging out your precious real lashes with the falsies, let petroleum jelly help!
The best way to remove false lashes is by using a cotton swab and Vaseline. All you need to do is smear a little bit of petroleum jelly onto a cotton swab, then smudge it over your lash line. Let it sit for about five minutes so that the Vaseline can penetrate the glue then pull it off. It’ll slide right off with zero damage to your real lashes.
DIY lash potion
You’ve probably seen those two-step mascara kits. If you haven’t tried them, you’ve been missing out. Basically, you’ll use the first step to cover your lashes in little white fibers that’ll create the illusion of thickness and length. The second step is to cover up the white fibers with a smooth black finish.
It creates the illusion of falsies without all of the hassle. While they are great, they are also expensive. You don’t have to dish out a ton of cash to get longer eyelashes though! You can make something equally amazing at home.
The only thing you need to get your lashes looking ultra-lush is a bit of baby powder. Here’s what you’ll want to do:
Step one: Curl your lashes. Start at the base of your lash and hold your eyelash curler down for a few seconds… release. Move up to the midpoint of your lash then curl again. The two-step curling process will double the WOW factor.
Step two: Apply your mascara. Use whatever mascara you like and go for your normal routine with one or two coats.
Step three: Shake a little baby powder into the palm of your hand. Swirl your cotton swab into it until you’ve got good coverage, then run it over your lashes. Your goal is to make your lashes look completely white. Keep swabbing it on until your lashes look as light as you can get them.
Step four: Apply another coat or two of mascara. You might have to be a little more thorough than you normally would be, but it shouldn’t take long. Just make sure that you’ve got all of the baby powder completely covered. And you’re done! You’ve just made your own DIY falsies.
Find the right mascara wand
source via perfectlyhealthyskin.com
The right mascara will only get you so far. If you want to get your dream lashes, you need the right tools for the job. Here’s everything you need to know about mascara wands.
Rubber brush: These are great for short lashes. The ultra-small plastic bristles are flexible and spaced far apart, which makes them perfect for grabbing onto even the shortest lashes.
Flat comb: If you’ve got ultra-pale lashes, grab a comb. The flat, slim shape will get you as close as possible to the root of your lashes so you don’t get that two-toned look where you’ve got blonde roots and black tips.
Jumbo bristle brush: Fat wands are perfect for making fat lashes. If you’ve got sparse lashes and really want to get a thick coat of mascara, go for a jumbo brush.
Master fake lashes
Are you ready to go for the gold with some lush falsies? You may not want to hear this, but you absolutely must commit to using clusters. Sticking one long strip to your eyelid is never going to be quite as flattering. Unless you are looking for a look for a glam night out, go the subtle route. Falsies can look totally natural if you know what you’re doing.
Rather than adding lashes all over, focus on the center of your eye. Add just a few small clusters to the center of your eye. Keep them directly above your iris and you’ll look wide-eyed and ready to go!
source via lashaholic.eu
Get professional help
If you’re ready for the next level, check out bimatoprost. It’s only available through licensed doctors and distributors because it is hardcore. It’ll make a serious difference to your lashes that you won’t be able to wash away. The medication bimatoprost (aka Latisse or Lumigan) received widespread approval for the treatment of “inadequate eyelashes”. Bimatoprost is a prescription eye drop that was originally meant to treat glaucoma.
Patients were shocked to find that their medication left them with AMAZING lashes. Of course, the beauty industry jumped all over it as a quick fix for getting longer lashes and now the rest is history. If you decide to go this route, you’ll start to see maximum results after about two months of use. The only drawback is that your lashes will go back to the way they were when you quit the drops.
OTC solutions
If you aren’t quite ready for eye drops, then go for a serum. There are some impressive non-prescription enhancers. Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum is an industry darling. It uses hydrolyzed soy proteins to make your lashes look instantly plump and stronger.
If you’ve got a little patience, you need to try Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer Nighttime Treatment. Apply a quick coat every night before bed and the amino acids will go to work, leaving you will lush eyelash in about a month.
Easy hacks to get longer lashes
Bend your mascara wand. When you pull the wand out of the tube, bend it so that it’s perpendicular to the handle. This will make it way easier to get into those hard-to-reach spots on short eyelashes.
Use your favorite regular mascara, and then layer good waterproof mascara on top of it. By using the non-waterproof formula underneath, your mascara will wash right off at the end of the day. On top of helping your makeup stay put, waterproof formulas will also make your eyelash curl last much longer.
Don’t let mascara clumps get in the way of your dream to get longer lashes! If your mascara is getting clumpy, soak the tube in a cup of hot water for a couple of minutes. Just be sure that your mascara tube is tightly closed so that water doesn’t get inside.
source via fabandfru.com
Hold a spoon under your eye when you apply mascara to your bottom lashes. Do it with the curved side facing outward, and then apply your mascara just like you normally would. By keeping the spoon in place to cover up your skin, you’ll be able to reach down to the root of your lashes with the wand without making a mess.
Using a heated eyelash curler can change everything! When you use hot metal, your curl will last twice as long.
There are self-heating curlers that are well worth the investment or you can make your own with a blow-dryer. Just stick your eyelash curler in front of your hair dryer for a few seconds until it’s hot, then (and this is very important!) wait. Let your lash curler cool off a little bit before you use it. You want it to be warm, but not so hot that it burns your skin. So, before you get it close to your eye, hold it up to your hand to make sure that it’s ready to go.
How do you make your lashes look long and lush? If you have any other tips, share them in the comment section.