DIY Lashes: Everything You Need to Know!

By guest blog author Kaelin.  Kaelin is a competitive dancer, AP scholar, and a captain of the varsity cheer team at AVHS.

Strip lashes are a way to really elevate your look.  There are a ton of tips and tricks to making them look absolutely perfect.  Read on to help figure out the right brands, right styles, and the right way to apply them to take your look to the next level!

First, you need to decide what level of boost you want to go for with your new lashes.

If you are on stage with heavy makeup definitely consider a more dramatic lash.  For these I would recommend House of Lashes in the style "Iconic".  They are quite bold and will hold their own with the rest of your stage makeup.

For everyday wear, wispies are a great choice for a natural look.  If you are going to wear wispies, I highly recommend Ardell.  They have the perfect balance of "natural but better" that is great for Homecoming, photoshoots, and any event where you really want your eyes to pop.

There are pros and cons for different brands.  For example, House of Lashes and Lilly Lashes are more expensive, and can only be bought online, but if you are careful with them you can reuse them up to 10 times.  Drug store lashes like Ardelle and Kiss are more affordable but you can only use them once or twice.

For general all-around wear my favorite lash for any occasion is Lilly Lashes in the style "Miami."  They are perfect for a glam look and even though they are pricey you can wear them up to 25 times!

So go pick out some pairs to try and don't forget the glue.  My favorite eyelash glue is Duo (which is formaldehyde-free. Yay.) which you can pick up at any drug store.  You'll also want a few other things to help with the application process...

The key to strip lashes is the application.  Before you start, gather together everything you will need:  

• the set of lashes
• mini scissors
• lash applicator tool (or tweezers, although the tool is specialized and very helpful)
• lash glue
• eyelash curler
• mascara
• a bobby pin

​First- the glue.  Before using the glue, squeeze the tube to get out any air bubbles.  Then apply a little bead of glue to a piece of paper towel or the tray the lashes came in.  Wait around 30 seconds for the glue to become tacky. ​

While you are waiting... Eyelashes are made super long so you'll likely want to trim part of them off to fit the length of your eye.  I prefer to trim from the outer side.  You can also apply mascara to your natural lashes while you wait.

Now take a bobby pin- dab the edge into the glue and use it to apply the glue along the edge of the lash taking special care to apply a bit extra to the inner and outer edges (the parts most likely to come undone).  Once the glue is on, wait another 30 seconds to a minute for it to become more tacky.  You can blow on them to help speed this up.

To apply the lashes, hold them with the lash applicator tool and push the ends of the lashes onto your lash line.  Make sure to actually push the strip lashes into place so that they won't lift. ​

Once your lashes are completely dry (about 15-20 mins) curl them to blend the natural and fake ones together.   And finally, apply mascara. My current favorite is "Better than Sex" by Two Faced which is a true waterproof mascara.   ​

My trick for applying mascara for the top lashes to hold a mirror (or your phone) below you and look downwards.  For the bottom lashes I like to apply several layers of mascara and use my fingers to "pull off" the clumps to leave behind just the darker color.  

With the right tools and some practice, you'll be able to get your lashes on in 5 minutes.  So don't be intimidated- give it a try! 

Check out the before and after!

These lashes are Ardelle wispies.

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Samantha Grant Photography is a boutique photography studio in Pleasanton, CA specializing exclusively in high school senior portraiture.

Take me to info on booking my own photoshoot!