Please note that for the purposes of this guide we will be focusing on full strip lashes only however the ideas in this guide are universal when considering demi or partial false
eyelashes and when designing your own look with individual cluster lashes.
Also, this is not a guide on how to apply false eyelashes. For that tutorial please go here How To Apply False Eyelashes.
Which False Eyelashes Are Best For Me?
Whether you are new to false eyelashes and eyelash extension or you wear them every day it can be overwhelming with all of the choices that are thrown at us beauties when we are finally ready to purchase some new enhancements for our eyes. In 2018 eye makeup was the top trending focus on social media. Industry reports show that it is one of the fastest growing segments in the cosmetics industry.
The great news for those among us who love to enhance their eyelashes is that there are more available styles than ever before! The bad news is that navigating through all the options to get just the right look without wasting time and money on the wrong strip lashes has never been more challenging.
It’s not easy being a woman… the struggle is real! 😛
This is why I decided to draft up The 2019 Ultimate Guide to False Eyelashes. This tool can help you choose false eyelashes from any brand. It is also a very handy tool if you are a make up artist. In fact, most of the information in this guide is the same information we provide to our Lashique Authorized Dealers for product knowledge training. So by the time you finish reading this you will be a legit falsie pro! 😀 Enjoy.
1. Mink vs Silk
Over the years we’ve seen many types of fake eyelashes come and go but the most popular false eyelashes in 2019 are without a doubt mink and silk lashes.
What are mink lashes and how are they different from synthetic?
False eyelashes as we know them today have been around since 1915 when Anna Taylor of Ottawa Canada patented them. Animal furs such as horse hair, mink hair and even human hair
were used during this time. Considering that 3d mink hair has been all the rage lately it is safe to say that mink eyelashes are not going away anytime soon.
Mink lashes are popular for their extremely light weight and fluffy character. The sheen of the lashes match that of human hair. More often than not these lashes are adhered to a soft
cotton band. Mink lashes have an element of ranomization to them that when coupled with the hand-made manufacturing process results in fasie that looks convicingly real.
Note: Be careful when purchasing mink lashes as the term seems to be thrown about loosely by many companies when what you are really purchasing is faux mink. Faux mink is a
synthetic plastic product that is designed to look like real mink. While there is nothing wrong with faux mink lashes, the characteristics are different and do not offer the
feather-light and easy-to-wear features of mink.
Features
- Ultra Light
- Hyper Realistic Texture
- Extremely comfortable
- Very easy to apply
- 30% Lighter than Silk
What are silk lashes and how are they different from fur?
Silk lashes or sometimes referred to as faux mink are a synthetic lash that can have either a synthetic or cotton band. Generally the sheen is a semi-matte finish that mimics real hair. Silk lashes are made from a type of polyester called PBT (Polybutylene terephthalate) which is 100% safe for your skin and eyes. In fact, you put PBT in your mouth every day!… or at least I hope so. 😛 The bristles on your toothbrush are made of PBT fibers.
Some of the advantages to silk lashes are price and durability. As you may have already guessed, these advantages also come at a cost. Silk lashes are heavier than mink and
usually have a more stiff band that makes application a little trickier. That being said, either are quite easy to use once you get the hang of how to apply fake eyelashes.
Features
- Realistic look for synthetic lashes
- Soft and light compared to el cheapo Wal-Mart lashes
- Lower price than mink
- More consistent design between sets
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Band Material
The band of the eyelash can come in many materials.
The most common are:
- Plastic
- Polymer (Rubber)
- Cotton
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The band is arguably the most important material when considering how long your strip lashes will last.
Here are Lashique build our falsies using a unique woven blend of cotton and PBT for an ideal mixture of durability and ease of application.
We also offer a 100% polymer-based band for our invisible series falsies. This band is ultra soft and durable enough to live up to our reputation for 25X use with cleaning.
The Verdict
Ultimately, you should choose your false eyelashes based on what works best for your desired look and eye type. I know that what I am about to say is NOT what you wanted to
hear but…. EITHER type is a great choice!
For the sake of a mink vs silk argument… if you want realism, ease of use and comfort then you should be considering mink. If durability, consistency and saving a few bucks is
what you are after then venture on down the silk road.
2. Eye Type
Let’s take a page from the instruction manual of make up artists and lash artists. Eye type, eye type, I type, you type…. we all type!… wait… okay I think I got lost there
😛
If you want to enhance your make up and bring your look that that instagram-ready level then you need to identify your eye type so that you know exactly how to choose the best
fake eyelashes for the desired effect.
Round Eyes
If you can see all or most of the iris of the eye than you are looking at a round eye type. This striking eye type shows more white because the height of the eyeball is almost equal
to the width. Lashes that flare out (cat eye) are particularly effective to keep this eye type looking big and beautiful.
Try a criss-cross v patterned lash with a subtle flare to the outer corner like K-Town Gurl from the Everyday Angel collection or a light and fluffy cat eye like First Kiss from the Blush collection for this eye type.
Natural: First Kiss, K-Town Gurl
Glam: Drama Queen
Almond Eyes
If your eyes are shaped like and almond with a slight point on the inner and outer corners and wide centre then consider yourself blessed. This eye type is easily the most versatile.
There really isn’t a style that won’t work.
Try Soprano from the Diva collection for a glam look. Try Charmed & Dangerous from the Blush collection for a natural look.
Natural: Charmed & Dangerous, Dreamer
Glam: Soprano, Night Out
Close Set Eyes
Close set or narrow eyes are less than one eyeball’s width apart. For beauties with this eye type we suggest that you choose a false eyelash that elongates the appearance of the
eye making it look larger.
We suggest cat eye style lashes that aren’t too thick or full as the more dense lashes tend make an eye look smaller. First Kiss from the Blush collection
is our go to.
Natural: First Kiss, Little Charmer
Glam: Drama Queen
Wide Set Eyes
Wide set eyes are farther apart than the width of a single eyeball. Wide set eyes tend to be larger which is great to work with for almost any makeup look! Try a voluminous layered
lash whose longest hairs are in the centre.
Lashes that feature a layered V pattern like Hypnotize Me from the Blush collection work to open the eyes exaggerating the flirtatiousness of the big beautiful eyes.
Natural: Hypnotize Me
Glam: Soprano
Deep Set Eyes
Generally larger eyes set deeper under a prominent brow bone. False eyelashes with good length and volume are ideal for this eye type as the shorter more subtle lashes tend to get
hidden beneath the brow bone. We just love the way Sugar Mama from the Diva collection looks on this eye type!
Glam: Soprano, Sugar Mama, Night Out
Hooded Eyes
Hooded eyes are characterized by having an additional layer of skin that covers or droops over the crease. This results in an eyelid that is mostly hidden. For this eye type we
suggest creating the illusion of bigger and brighter eyes while at the same time adding a layer of depth. For this effect we suggest choosing a false eyelash like Hypnotize Me from
the Blush collection it features a design that has the longest individual hairs in the centre of the lash.
Natural: Charmed & Dangerous, K-Town Gurl
Glam: Hypnotize Me
Monolid Eyes
Precisely how it sounds, monolid eyes tend to have no visible crease line below the brow area. This results in a single lid from the brow bone to the eyeline. Beauties with this
eye type tend to have flat lashes that point downwards. For this reason we suggest a falsie that features a stronger curl with more length. This eye type is generally associated with
smaller eyes so we suggest avoiding very full lash styles as this would make the eye appear smaller. Our top pick is Neat & Petite from the Everyday Angel collection.
Natural: Neat & Petite, Just Enough
Glam: Night Out
Upturned Eyes
This flirty eye type tends to be almond shaped with a slight rotation that results in the outer corner of the eye being higher than the inner. Because of this slight rotation the
lower lid tends to appear longer than the top lid. This eye type is flexible due to the almond shape. To accentuate the upturned features choose a false eyelash that flares out
towards the outer corner. To balance the shape of the upturned eye try a falsie like Neat & Petite from the Everyday Angel collection that is round and full to add width to the
appearance of the eye.
Natural: Neat & Petite, La Chic
Glam: Drama Queen
Downturned Eyes
This eye type sits with a drop or slightly lower outer corner. Elongation is your secret weapon with this eye type.
Choose a cat eye style like First Kiss [Blush] to lift up the eyes. Add a winged eyeliner for a very sexy look.
Natural: First Kiss
Glam: Drama Queen
General Tips for Choosing False Eyelashes
Two general rules that will help you choose the best false eyelash for the desired look are as following:
1) Thick and Full makes the eye appear smaller.
2) Cat Eye elongates the eye making it appear larger and more striking.
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3. Fake Eyelash Patterns
With the amount of impressive marketing language being thrown at us when shopping for fake eyelashes it’s enough to make a gal’s head spin!
We like to classify three main segments to categorize the different designs.
Criss-Cross
Criss-cross lashes feature a design in which one lash or group of lashes intersects and overlaps another.
Take a look at Hypnotize Me [Blush]. The criss-cross pattern is most easily recognized when looking near the band.
As the lashes extend it results in a double layered look for an ideal volume and intensity.
This style adds density without reducing the overall size and brilliance of the eye.
Cluster
Cluster style (Wispy) lashes can come in many shapes and sizes. Sugar Mama [Diva] is probably the best example to share.
This particular pattern uses a slightly layered repeating V-shaped cluster spread boldly across the band.The result is a high-volume look.
If your motto is go big or go home this is where you start!
Straight
Straight lashes are exactly how they sound. This design features individual lashes that shoot relatively straight out from the band.
The result is a hyper-polished look.
For our own lashes here are Lashique we tend to use this pattern when designing our more petite lashes.
Dreamer [Everyday Angel] was one of our top-selling styles in 2018 and continues to trend in 2019.
This type of design feature can be used in almost any scenario. When in doubt…
4. Fake Eyelash Shapes
When we talk about the overall shape of the false eyelash we are referring to the length of the lashes at the inner/outer corners and the middle.
Cat Eye…meow!
Cat eye lashes flare out towards the outer corner.
First Kiss [Blush] is a shining example of the flirtatiousness that a cat eye style can offer.
Use this style to elongate (make appear wider) the eye or to add distance between the two eyes.
Round
Round lashes features a relatively uniform length across the band. Round lashes can either be dramatic or light and playful.
Night Out [Blush] is an example of a dramatic and heavily layered mink lash that is used to add depth and finish to your look.
Round lash designs can be useful when the desired effect is the maintain distance, and natural shape of the eye while adding the desired amount of depth and fullness based on the
lash length and pattern.
Double-Taper
Double-tapered lashes feature added focus to the centre of the band thanks to a shortened lash length at the inner and outer corners.
This shape offers extreme versatility and can be worn in almost any situation.
Use this style when you want to maintain balance while adding laser focus to the centre of the eye.
5. Must Have False Eyelash Tools
When trying to learn how to apply false eyelashes having the right tools can really save
your bacon!
Tweezers
You should have two types of tweezers handy. One set of regular tweezers, preferably squared end so you don’t accidentally make a shish kabob of your eyeball!
The other invaluable tool is called a lash applicator. These tools can come in different shapes and sizes but the general idea is a tweezer type tool with a countoured end that can open wider
than traditional tweezers allowing you to easily grasp beyond the lashes. It saves a lot of potential frustration!
Lash Glue
There aren’t too many brands out there but for now we like to use DUO Brush-on glues. The glue dries to a tacky finish that results in a more reliable hold that works well with both
cotton and synthetic bands.
We should warn you though that it is a little more challenging to clean than some of the more traditional latex glues that peel off easily. You have to work at it a bit picking it
off in small pieces. Just make sure that you are holding the band of the lash when cleaning so that you don’t risk pulling loose and lashes.
You can buy the glue in two variations.
White/Clear which goes on white then turns light blue and eventually cures clear.
Dark Tone which goes on dark and dries dark.
Mascara Wand
A simple but very useful tool that you can use to blend your natural hairs in with the fake eyelashes. You don’t need mascara to use it but just a touch on your natural hairs might
help meld the natural and false hairs together if your having a bad lash day. Just remember to carefully clean the lashes when you take them off in the evening.
Lash Curler
If a simple mascara wand doesn’t do the trick when blending your lashes is a necessity then you can try using a lash curler as a more intensive technique. Just press the lashes
together lightly. You don’t want to destroy the perm of the false eyelashes so easy does it 🙂
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Conclusion
If you made it to the end of this monster blog post , pat yourself on the back! You are now finished your make up artist crash course 😛 I hope that you benefit from this long and detailed ultimate guide to false eyelashes when you are choosing your eyelashes.