Scared of gluing your eyes shut? Fear not, we’re here to help.
Halloween is approaching, and we all know what that means: it’s falsies time. Nothing spices up a costume like some funky-fab false lashes, but applying them isn’t always fun.
Do you even need glue? Which eye is left and which one is right? You blinked. Oh god, you BLINKED. Why is this glue so sticky? Your eye is glued shut. Is this permanent?
Have no fear, ladies. These five tips will save you time and tears:
1. Apply your make-up first.
If you try to apply eye shadow after you’ve glued the lashes on, the excess powder will collect on top of the lashes and work its way into your eyes and on to your face throughout the night. Unless you’re trying to channel a raccoon for Halloween, remember: make-up first, lashes second.
2. Fit the lashes.
Most false-eyelashes are longer than the actual length of your lid, so be sure to trim the excess so that they actually fit your eye. Place the inner part of the eyelash towards the inner part of your eye, and fit it to the contour of your natural lash-line. Use a pair of nail-clippers or scissors to snip off the extra length. Most importantly, use some common sense and avoid chopping off your actual eyelashes in the process.
3. Be cautious with the glue
Too little and the falsies will fall off, too much and you’ll have shiny globs of dried adhesive stuck all over your lashes. The line of glue should be about the width of a toothpick. Helpful tip: you can purchase eyelash glue that dries black instead of clear, and it’s available just about anywhere.
4. After you apply the glue, give it about a minute to dry
And make sure it becomes tacky. If you try to stick the lashes on immediately, they’ll refuse to stay in place and end up smearing glue all over your eyelids. Cue the cursing.
5. Use a regular old pair of eyebrow tweezers
They can help guide one end of the lashes towards the inside of your eyelid, and your thumb and forefinger to guide the other towards the outside of your eyelid. Hold them in place for 10 second or so, and don’t be afraid to pinch and push them so that they’re as close to your natural lash line as possible. If you’re really committed, you can apply a few coats of mascara to blend the fake lashes into your natural ones.
Now you can direct all that time you’ve saved towards the things that truly matter, like calculating how far you can walk in those heels, or determining how much Halloween candy is too much (trick question: you can’t ever have enough candy).
Best of luck, Collegiettes!