Makeup Monday: Lashes.

I'm too impatient to think up a clever intro and I want to get right to the point:
I love lashes. I'd date lashes if I could.

Lashes are my favourite because they add the allure to all eyes. The smokey eye would be nothing without lashes. The cat eye would be nothing without lashes. What the F would Twiggy be without lashes?
Nothing.

So, over the years I've experimented and can finally say I've found some great tips that have not only worked on my lashes, but on all the lashes of my beautiful friends that ask me to do their makeup. The best part about lashes is you don't necessarily have to have the best of the best mascara, some of the most popular mascara's in the world are ones you'll find at the drugstore.

One. 
Be kind to your lashes - this is probably the most important step. Wash your mascara off every night with a gentle eye makeup remover and avoid picking at clumps. Vaseline is a great eye makeup remover and also works as a lash conditioner

Two.
Curl your lashes. My mom doesn't use an eyelash curler and it's definitely affecting our relationship. I've explained time and time again that curling her lashes will open up her eyes, making her look more awake and giving her the ability to give a solid wink to selected Doctor's that she works with. You can get eyelash curlers anywhere; however, the best of the best and most popular curler in the world is by Shu Uemura, it's around $25 and available at Sephora.

To curl your lashes: looking forward (not up) place the curler at the base of your lashes. Gently pulse the curler twice at the base of your lashes, holding each one for about 2-3 seconds. Then, gently pulsing at different points, walk the curler down the length of your lashes until you reach the tips. Extra: If you tilt the curler up (handles towards the mirror) as you walk the curler down your lashes you'll get an extra opening effect. Extra extra: a lot of lashes have a hard time holding a curl (especially if your lashes naturally point down), what you can do is using a clean lash wand (you can swipe get these from Sephora at the tester counter places) and put a tiny bit of hair gel on the wand. After you curl your lashes, run the hair gel over them, let dry, and then apply mascara. Voila! Perfectly erect lashes ;)

Two point five.
This is set as a 2.5 because using a lash primer  may not be a big thing for some people. Lash primers are applied before mascara and can help give your lashes some extra volume or length. I use a lash primer everyday, but only at the tips of my lashes. I used to use the primer all up my lashes, and then discovered it works better if I play a little game of just the tip. Your lashes are thinner at the tip, so putting primer only there creates a longer, more uniform lash that really stands out. If you are going to use a primer, make sure your mascara completely covers the primer, there are a lot of girls out there with black lashes decorated with random pieces of white primer, and nobody likes a speckled tip.

Three.
Apply mascara to the tips first. Just like primer, applying your mascara to the tips of your lashes first will even out the thickness, allowing your lashes to appear longer and your curl to hold better. The way you apply mascara is crucial if you love lashes as much as I do.

1. holding the wand horizontally, apply mascara at the tips of your lashes, making sure to get all outer and inner corners
2. place the wand horizontally at the base of your lashes and wiggle the wand back and forth as you fully coat each lash - wiggling the wand will make sure the mascara doesn't clump and you get the maximum effect. [I usually do this a couple times over my lashes] tip: while at the base of your lashes, twist the wand, letting it raise your eyelid up and touch the inner lashline - this will create the illusion of thicker lashes just like tightlining does. In a pinch? Skip eyeliner and just do this, eyeliner and thick lashes in one step. WIN.
3. to get the outer lashes, keep the wand on a diagonal and "pull" the outer lashes up and out, it will give extra definition to single lashes on the outside creating the perfect flirty look
4. comb through lashes with a lash comb to make sure there are no clumps. The best lash comber is the Sonia Kashuk Lash and Brow Groomer and unfortunately its available at Target. Now, there is  a dupe for this but it is a) only for you girls with a very steady hand and b) available for you to try only at your own risk, I am not responsible for any damage. The SK groomer is the best because it isn't a plastic comb, if you look closely, it is a row of tiny, needle like pieces that are very sharp. So, what you can do is take a pin and open it up so it is in one straight line and c a r e f u l l y run the pin between each of your lashes - I learned this from a very good friend [thanks Lady] and it creates amazing separation of your lashes.

Four.

Double up. I use two types of mascara every day - a thickening and a lengthening. Following the application steps above, using the lengthening mascara first. Follow steps one and two, and instead of doing multiple full swipes with the lengthening, switch to the volumizing and get a couple good swipes in there too. All makeup books and lessons will tell you to wait until each coat dries before applying another one, but this is BS. Who has time to wait in between swipes? If you do, who wants to put mascara on dry-mascara'd eyes? It works better if you layer while the mascara is still semi-wet, just make sure to run your comb through at the end to get rid of any clumps

Five.

We all make mistakes, and every single day I will have a mascara smudge on my eyes. To remove it, instead of wetting a Qtip or licking your finger and rubbing, wait until the mascara dries. Finish your makeup entirely and when you are done, take a Qtip and "flick" the mascara off. Instead of it smearing with your finger, the dry mascara will just chip off your skin leaving no smudges!

I stated in the intro that it really doesn't matter what mascara you use, especially if you aren't a fan of lashes. I, on the other hand, am a lashes freak and have compiled a top 10 list of my favourite mascaras for you.

1. Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill 
2. Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash
3. Givenchy Phenomen'eyes
4. Christian Dior Diorshow *cult favourite worldwide
5. Max Factor 2000 Calorie [discontinued, RIP Max Factor]
6. Blinc Kiss Me 
7. MAC Plush Lash
8. Maybelline Pulse Perfection
9. Maybelline Full n Soft *great everyday, soft lashes
10. L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen

Yes, I own all of these and yes I have more.

Yes, I use all of these - some three at a time.

Yes, it's a little over the top but I love it. 

Last but not least - I've had a lot of questions about lash enhancers - Latisse, Revitalash, etc. These are treatments designed to be applied to the lashline at night, aimed at growing your natural lashes. The only product I have experience with is RevitaLash and I used it for a good three months. I did notice a big difference using it, and it's effects seem to have kept somewhat intact. The downside to these - they are expensive and are somewhat irritating to your eyes, along with Latisse being only available by prescription. However, L'Oreal has now come out with a drugstore alternative, Lash Boosting Serum and I did purchase this. I haven't started using it yet, but will review once I have used it for a good 4 weeks. 

Second last but not least - remember the eyeliner post when I mentioned Bare Escentuals Buxom Lashliner claimed to grow your lashes? Well, aside from being the best gel liner I've ever used, it actually has done a lot for my lashes. I've noticed new growth with the lashes on my inner corners, and my lashes seem fuller and healthier as well. WIN.

Lots about lashes I know, but they're my favourite. And, this is my blog so I can make it as long as I want [that's what she wished].

Happy Family Day

xxLM

*All images courtesy of Sephora.com