Which false lashes look least fake?
The new generation of falsies can flatter — without looking cheap
FROM crow’s feet to drooping lids and crepey skin, ageing r eally aff ects our eyes. Add thinning lashes, a common symptom of the menopause and suddenly what was your best feature is adding years to your face.
At 53, my eyelashes have not only thinned, but they appear shorter, leaving my eyes with no real definition.
Add to t hat t he dull complexion that so often strikes women of a certain age, and I feel thoroughly gloomy about my looks.
My eyelashes are patchy and sparse in places.
And as a blonde, without mascara you can barely tell they are there at all.
So, could the false eyelashes that are such a staple in the older woman’s make-up kit — celebrities such as Helen Mirren and Nigella Lawson are rarely spotted without them — also help me?
Previously, false lashes have always looked, well, false, but in the past few years, the technology has evolved.
They’re now lighter, easier to apply, and it’s possible to choose an exact shape, style, colour and length of lash to suit your face.
I put three of the leading lashes on offer to the test . . . EYLURE MISS FLICKLASH WITH BUILT-IN LINER €7.20, eylure.com. Two sets. Adhesive included. Reusable. I WAS excited about trying these, as they promised extra-thick lashes and a perfect line of eyeliner in one fell swoop — perfect for women l i ke me whose hands aren’t steady enough to apply their own.
Like most ready- to - wear lashes, the strip had to be trimmed with nail scissors to the correct width of my eye.
If the strip is too long, it will make your eye look droopy — the last thing I’m looking for.
Usually, you trim any excess from the outside, but these must be trimmed from the inside, as the outer flick has been shaped into a thin point to elongate the eye.
Make sure you peel the backing paper from the flick before applying glue to the whole strip from corner to corner, including the flick. I left the glue for 30 seconds, until it was tacky, before applying.
Once the lashes were on, they felt a little stiff, scratchy and heavy on my lids, but they gave a Sixties, bright- eyed Twiggy look and they didn’t come loose with wear. 4/5 LAUREN’S WAY MIDNIGHT DIVA From €8.35, laurensway.com. Lash glue included. THE girls from TV show The Only Way Is Essex are known for their huge, spidery lashes and these ones come from a range endorsed by TOWIE star Lauren Goodger.
In the box, the strip of lashes looked thick and scarily long. But once on, I was blown away. The exaggerated outer flick gave a sophisticated look, which made me look glamorous, without being WAG-like.
They looked natural, felt light and I didn’t have to hide the strip with any eyeliner.
I forgot I was wearing them after a few minutes and they stayed firmly put. 4/5 ARDELL DURALASH INDIVIDUAL FALSE EYELASHES From €3.29, ardelllashes.com THERE are 56 i ndividual lashes in the box in a choice of short, medium or long, so you can create a bespoke look. I added five medium lashes to each eye, but you could use more for a dramatic look.
It’s a lot fiddlier than applying a strip, but worth the effort as the result is amazing.
Ardell recommends pouring a pea-size drop of adhesive on to a piece of tinfoil, before using tweezers to lift a lash f rom the tray and gently sweeping the base of the lash through the adhesive.
Then, using a magnifying mirror, I applied each lash over one of my own, as close to my lash roots as possible without touching my eyelid.
I gently supported the lash with my fingertip for a few seconds until the adhesive set, working towards the outer corner of the eye. I then returned to the centre and worked inward until the lashes blended.
For a natural look, use the longer lashes on the outside of your eye, and the shorter as you work towards the bridge of your nose.
It took me 15 minutes to do both eyes, but it was worth the extra effort as they stay in place for up to two weeks.
I absolutely loved the result. Not only did they look natural, filling in sparse areas, but they were so light that I forgot I was wearing them. 5/5 KIM CARILLO