How to Apply False Lashes Like a Pro
The instant eye-opening power of false lashes is not lost on our very own Gayle King. She's worn them on TV-courtesy of a makeup artist-for decades. "They make such a huge difference!" she says. But she's never had success applying them herself at home. So we brought in makeup artist Carmindy to show her how it's done. Gayle was skeptical (to say the least), meeting every instruction with a cocked eyebrow and "Are you surrrre?" Even so, within minutes, she had applied her own lashes-and they looked terrific. "That's unbelievable," she said as she stepped back from the mirror to observe her handiwork. Of course, Gayle being Gayle, the skepticism remained. "I need some more practice before I really get it," she said.
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Step 1:
Maneuvering a full strip of lashes is tricky, so Carmindy recommends cutting the strip in half with cuticle scissors. Gayle used Andrea Modlash #33. (For a less full fringe, try #53, $3.50 each; Drugstore.com.)
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Step 2:
Squeeze a fine line of lash glue (you don't need much) on the back of your nondominant hand. (Try Duo Eyelash Adhesive in Clear-White, $6; Drugstore.com.) Gently run the seam of the outer half of a lash strip through the glue.
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Step 3:
Wait a beat (so the glue gets a little tacky), then lay the strip on the outer half of your upper lashline, positioning the seam as close to your lashline as possible. The trick is to drop the strip onto your lashes from above (don't come in from the front, perpendicular to your eye). The glue will do the rest-no need to press. Then, after running it through glue, drop the other half of the strip onto the inner half of your upper lashline. The two strips should overlap slightly at the middle of your lashline.
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Step 4:
Once you've done both eyes, gently run a liquid liner (like Clarins Instant Liner in Black, $26; Us.Clarins.com) over your upper lashlines to conceal the seams of the strips.
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