Allure, the first and only magazine devoted to beauty, is an insider's guide to a woman's total image. Allure investigates and celebrates beauty and fashion with objectivity and candor, and places appearance in a larger cultural context.
Every night for a week in sixth grade, I tried to make my eyes rounder with a piece of Scotch tape. (Imagine that Clockwork Orange scene but with a clear piece of tape. Beauty torture porn.) Misguided, I know, but I figured that if braces could straighten out my teeth over time, maybe I could train my eyelids to open wider in a matter of time as well. Like so many young girls, I spent years feeling self-conscious about parts of my appearance, but my eyes—so different from everyone else’s outside my family— were a constant target. Once I discovered fake lashes, I loved how they gave me the doll look that’s so popular in—you guessed it—pretty much all of Asia. If they weren’t such a drag to put on…
FOR FULL, FANNED-OUT LASHES: CoverGirl Peacock Flare. The fine teeth on this wand look more like a comb than a brush, so they’re best at separating and gripping individual lashes to lift them up. The bristles’ lengths are staggered, and the funky undulations look cool but miss some hairs—use the tip of the wand to pull limp lashes up. FOR THICKER, CHUNKIER LASHES: L’Oréal Paris Voluminous X Fiber. This two-step mascara system comes with a black priming formula that doubles the amount of time you’d usually allot to mascara-ing your eyes but adds noticeable girth to lashes. The fiberfilled mascara that you put on next has a formula that’s on the drier side, so it builds additional bulk quickly but can look pixelated or rough if you go overboard (stop…
COLOR: Black lashes work on most people (you should top them off with a coat of mascara to blend the fake lashes with your own, anyway), but dark brown looks less harsh if you’re very fair. CUT: Look for a strip with hairs that vary in length and thickness, the way your real lashes do. FIT: Choose a band that’s flexible, so it’ll conform to the curve of your lash line, and thin, which makes it easier to conceal than bulky ones. Lash strips typically extend longer than your natural lash line does. Trim the band with small, sharp scissors, or try “trio” lashes, which are about a fifth of the length of a regular strip and can be placed to conform to any eye shape or length. 1911 YEAR…
Most lash strips and extensions today are made of a flexible polymer called polybutylene terephthalate (which sounds scary but isn’t—even the Environmental Working Group gives it a thumbs-up) or sterilized human hair, a popular material among PETA-approved brands like Ardell. Some, however, still use mink or fox hair, because they’re lightweight and mimic natural lashes’ thickness and texture. And although companies often claim to use only hair that comes out when the animals are brushed, “it’s really difficult to know the truth,” says makeup artist Katey Denno. Silk lashes look as realistic —and feel as lightweight—as fur, but they’re not an option either if you’re vegan. Whatever you go with, you want lashes that are soft but not highshine. “Shiny plastic lashes tend to look extra fake next to real…
DON’T TOSS YOUR LASHES AT THE END OF THE NIGHT—YOU CAN REWEAR EACH STRIP UP TO 20 TIMES, SAYS MAKEUP ARTIST AND BEAUTY MOGUL HUDA KATTAN (WHO WEARS A FULL SET OF LASHES AT LEAST FIVE DAYS A WEEK). HERE’S HOW: REMOVE DRIED-ON GLUE, PRESS LASHES BETWEEN COTTON PADS SOAKED IN OIL-FREE MAKEUP REMOVER (IT’LL LEAVE LESS RESIDUE) FOR 30 SECONDS, AND WIPE AWAY LEFTOVER MAKEUP. ONCE THE LASHES ARE DRY, STORE THEM IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING— THEY’LL BE READY AGAIN WHEN YOU ARE.…
Accent: Also known as half lashes, these are precut strips for use on the outer half of the upper lash line. Bottom: Sparser, shorter versions of strip lashes designed for, yes, your bottom lashes. Double-stacking: Placing two strips of false lashes on each eye, for megathick fringe. Add one more and you’re triple-stacking—and possibly compromising your ability to keep your eyes open. Individuals: Groupings of several to a dozen lash hairs knotted together in a V shape, meant to add targeted density or fill in gaps. Also known as flares. Knot-free: Individual lashes that are glued together (rather than knotted) at their base, so they’re better camouflaged against your natural lash line. Length: Refers to how far each lash protrudes from the lash line—short, medium, or long. Go shorter for…
