makeup

It seems I’m asked at least once a day, “are your lashes real?” Most of the time, my answer is yes. I don’t have lash extensions, but I do wear fake lashes on occasion (more on those in a bit). My natural lashes are quite long to begin with, but I’m a firm believer that with a little patience and a lot of mascara, anyone can get envy-worthy lashes. Wondering how to get the look of longer lashes? I’m dishing the secrets.

AU NATURALE

Are you ready for the secret? It’s pretty simple, actually. Just use more than one mascara. Most mascaras are designed to give different results — some are great for adding volume, some are great for adding length, etc. I have tried many a mascara, both high-end and drugstore, and I have yet to find one magical mascara that does it all. 

I typically use two different mascaras. The first one will separate the lashes and add length. The second one gives that “wow” volume. I also used to be an avid user of only high-end mascaras, but now I mostly use drugstore mascara.

WHY?

It’s the same thing. Truth be told, the actual formula of each mascara does not differ from tube to tube. The black stuff is basically the same ish. The difference is in the brush/applicator and in the stopper that controls how much product gets on the applicator. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather pay 1/3 of the price if I’m gonna get the same thing and splurge on other products.

SO WHAT DO I USE?

My go-to right now for the “base” or 1st layer mascara is Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious in “blackest black.” This mascara is AMAZING. It even adds a teeny bit of volume, so if I have a fresh tube of this stuff I can almost get away with just using one mascara for the look I like. 

Another great base is the L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara. Y’all, this mascara has a cult following FOR A REASON. It’s amazing for separating and and lengthening lashes. If I’m using this one, I use it first and then follow with the Maybelline I previously mentioned.

My second layer mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise, also in “blackest black.” This one gives allllll the volume. Gimme gimme. Another reason I don’t like to shell out all the $$ for high-end mascara? This one is a dupe for Too Faced Better Than Sex. It’s the same thing — just a fraction of the price. 

For something more high-end, I decided to try the NARS Climax mascara recently, and I actually like it a lot. I’m a sucker for packaging, so that’s what really drew me in for this one. I don’t like using this one on it’s own, but it’s really great when paired with the Maybelline mascara I mentioned previously for an “everyday” look. This mascara is also a good “base” mascara, and it’s particularly great at separating your lashes and giving definition to them so they don’t look clumpy.

Those three are just the ones in my current lash rotation, but there are others I also like. I pretty much always stick to Maybelline and L’Oreal mascaras as far as brands go. I’ll link a few others I’ve tried and liked at the end of the post! If you MUST go high-end for mascara, opt for Lancome Hypnose Drama or Benefit Roller Lash or They’re Real, or the NARS Climax I’ve been using. Other honorable mentions are Milk Makeup Kush Mascara and Lancome Monsieur Big.

FAKIN’ IT

I have yet to hop on the bandwagon of lash extensions. I’m terrified of destroying my lashes as they are now since they’re already quite long and always have been. However, I do wear fake lashes from time to time since they don’t damage your lashes as long as they’re applied correctly. I also love the feeling of a totally clean face — if I’m taking my makeup off I want it ALL off. 

I tend to go through periods of time where I’ll wear falsies literally every day, and then not wear them at all for weeks. I can typically get roughly five or so wears out of each pair, considering that Stevie doesn’t find them and eat them first. We’ve had a few incidents of that. 

I also don’t like to buy high-end lashes. I’ve tried Huda Beauty lashes and while they look gorgeous, the band is quite thick and heavy and just makes me want to rip my eyelids off. I am a Taurus through and through and while I love high-end, I can’t justify spending $20+ on lashes that end up making me a crazy person by the end of the day. However, I do like these and these for particularly fancy occasions.

I LOVE Ardell lashes. They’re cheap, there’s tons of styles, and you can buy them in multi-packs most of the time. My favorites are the Wispies and Double Wispies for a more dramatic look. Because you know, I love a dramatic lash look. I typically buy Wispies in a four pack and it will last me a month or two before I need more.

One thing about fake lashes if you’ve never used them: you have to have glue to apply them. Most lash glue typically contains latex. I’m allergic to latex, so I opt for the Duo non-latex glue which works like a charm. The original glue works great as well, but it makes me want to scratch my eyes off. 

GROW ‘EM OUT

YES, you can grow your real lashes! My absolute FAVORITE lash serum that I will now never go without is Rodan + Fields Lash Boost. I have a few friends who sell R+F, and I heard great things about the product, so I decided to give it a try to support them as well.

Oh. My. Word. I didn’t think my natural lashes could get better. They were already long, and I TRUTHFULLY didn’t think any serum could make a big difference, but it did. My lashes are fuller and a bit longer. They seriously look as good as my falsies with just a few swipes of mascara! I don’t have a link for you to this product, but I would reach out to someone you know who sells R+F and tell them you want some lash boost! If you don’t know anyone who sells it, send me an Instagram DM and I’ll connect you with someone!

Another lash serum that I’ve tried is Latisse. Latisse is made by Allergan, which is the pharma company I used to work for, and it requires a prescription in a few states including Texas and New York. 

I know a few people who have seen great results from using this, but I’ve never really used it consistently enough to see results. It also has some possible side effects (like turning your eye color more brown) that I’m not fond of. This did not happen to me, but I’m paranoid of it happening which has kept me from using it consistently. 

If you’re interested in Latisse, you can get a prescription for it from your doctor to fill at the pharmacy or you can get it through the website SkinSolutions. To my knowledge, this is the only approved online vendor by Allergan to purchase Latisse, so I wouldn’t buy it from anywhere else online to be safe. It still technically requires a prescription, so you’ll have to fill out some medical info as well!

And that basically sums it up! Do you have any lash secrets to share? Head over to my latest Instagram and leave a comment telling me your secrets!