I was not born with long, full, soot-colored lashes. In fact, I was born with lashes so pale and short that I very often think I have cat hair stuck to my lash-line ... only to shortly discover that it is only my own, sad excuse for lashes. For formal occasions or the days I wake up and want to do my best Bambi impression, I think false lashes are the way to go.
But, nobody wakes up every morning and is all "Girl, I cannot WAIT to adhere glue to my face! Bring it on!" Luckily for us, falsies are no longer the only way available for us to make our little ol' peepers pop. There are so many lotions, potions, tips, and tricks that with a little bit of research and some test runs, your real lashes will be putting the fake ones to shame.
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There are several brands of mascara that claim they'll make your lashes rock your face off. Though most of them are pretty gimmicky, I've had really good luck with ANY brand of tube-mascara. Check out Clinique's, it's amaze-balls. These tube mascaras actually adhere fibers to your lashes with each coat. They don't run, and they are easy (if slightly alarming, you'll be all "SPIDER LEGS IN MY SINK" the first time) to remove. If you think all those campaigns are bogus, I also like this trick from the '80s. Break out the Great Lash in darkest black, apply a coat, curl the lash, and repeat ... as many times as you can. It's a slightly brutal, vaguely clumpy way to get that dramatic lash look. Very Keri Russell in The Americans. For bonus fullness, use an angled liner brush and a dark colored eye-shadow to fill the small spaces between your lashes.
They are also now selling drugs (like Latisse) to extend your lash-length. True story, Latisse was discovered after longer lashes were found on people using certain glaucoma meds. This is a pretty die-hard commitment with big ol' side effects -- your eye color could change! There are also vitamins that promote hair growth, but these modes are more for the long haul. I'd rather whip out the mascara and shade my lash-line with charcoal liner than take a pill any day.
What tricks do you use to make your lashes look longer?
Image via liakepelke/Flickr