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9 Best Eyelash Curlers of 2020: Drugstore, Luxury & More


Despite their ability to make your eyes appear more open, give your lashes a lift, and amplify the mascara you thought couldn’t get any better, eyelash curlers tend to be the unsung heroes of beauty shelves. Well, it’s time to give the under-hyped beauty tool the praise it deserves, because aside from taking a dramatic smoky eye to new heights, the best eyelash curlers will be the cherry on top of your no-makeup makeup look.

Eyelash curlers are true multitaskers. When you have little time or energy for anything more than the bare minimum, they can make all the difference during a day of errands or a laid-back brunch. On the other hand, a full-blown face of makeup can reach its full, selfie-worthy potential when the best eyelash curlers are put to work. Whether you’re here for the less-is-more beauty vibe or wish you could have eyelash extensions in every day, you won’t regret incorporating a good eyelash curler into your routine. In an effort to bring great lashes to all, Glamour editors put the best ones to the test—from drugstore classics to heated options, ahead.

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.



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Eyelash Extensions: How Long They Last, How Much They Cost, and More


A consultation will also help you determine what material you want (most common are silk and faux mink; silk is bit more shiny and pops more, whereas mink is most fluttery and natural), length, curl type (J is the slightest curve, but ends up looking longer, and C and D are the most flipped up), and how many lashes should be applied. A great lash artist will also mix lengths to give lashes a naturally wispy vibe, Shirai says. “At Blinkbar we use a minimum of four different lengths for every style we offer.”

Stay away from cluster lashes

If your lashes are sparse, some salons may suggest 3D lashes, or clusters, which are three hairs glued together to give your eyes a more voluminous look. Avoid them—they’ll only weigh down your lashes and lead to breakage. “You should always have one extension applied to one natural lash, there should be no visible glue, and the extensions should not be touching your lid in any way,” Shirai says. Basically, if they look like falsies, they’ll be way too heavy.

They WILL feel weird at first

It takes a day or two to get used to the feeling of wearing extensions, but I found them to be much more comfortable than strip lashes. They’ll also mess with the way you normally sleep (unless you’re already a back sleeper). “If you sleep on your side and stomach you’re going to crush them and they won’t last as long,” Shin says. “Try using a travel pillow or something that helps to elevate and keep you on your back.”

You might need to adjust your skin care routine…

The general rule of thumb is to avoid anything too oily. I love nothing more than rich face oils, but had to give them up while I had extensions. And if you’re going to apply eye cream, Shin recommends using it in the morning instead of at night so it doesn’t travel into your lashes (skip greasy ones that are packed with mineral oil, Shirai says). Stick to non-oily makeup removers as well: Shin recommends using micellar water with a cotton swab to remove makeup around your eyes (cotton pad fibers will stick to your lashes), whereas Shirai prefers pre-soaked, oil-free makeup removing pads.

…And the way you do your makeup

While there are some “extension-safe mascaras” out there, Shin recommends avoiding mascara completely. You just splurged on lashes—don’t jeopardize them! Also stay away from waterproof eye makeup—the removal will take a toll on your eyes and can soften the glue. Shin also recommends avoiding loose powder or glittery eye shadows, which can build up on the roots of your lashes, eventually weakening them and leading to breakage. And if you’re devoted to liner (though you may find you no longer want it), stick to gel and liquid formulas that won’t tug at your roots.

You’ll have to re-learn how to wash your face

There is nothing as jarring as leaning into a sink, washing your face, and accidentally bumping your extensions. It feels incredibly strange and I’ve lost more than a few lashes this way (RIP lashes!). Here’s the technique that worked for me: Get as low as possible to the sink—I basically stick my head into the bowl—and gently splash water on the bottom of your face and forehead. Then, carefully suds up the lower half of your face and forehead, rinsing it clean by lightly dabbing and doing a light, outward pulling motion. After that, I use my ring fingers to wet around my eyes with any leftover cleanser, following with water. No scrubbing.

And give your eyes extra attention

This is gross, but because you’re not washing your eye area as thoroughly as usual, you can and will get residue buildup, particularly at the lash line. “Even if you don’t put eye makeup on, there’s still outside impurities and dust [that can get trapped], ” Shin says. “I mix distilled water with a little bit of tear-free baby shampoo and use the mixture to thoroughly clean my top lids and the bottom of my eyes.”

Like your hair, lashes need to be brushed

My lashes would get a little wacky when I woke up or after showering. That’s why Shin ends every appointment by handing you a soft pink spoolie and demonstrating how to comb your lashes daily. Here’s how she does it: Looking down, support underneath your lashes with your pointer finger. Then, gently twirl the spoolie on the top side of your lashes (the opposite of how you’d apply mascara; brushing that way will tug at the hair). “It takes five seconds out of your day and it goes a long way,” Shin says.

Never—ever!—pick at them

The only way to remove eyelashes is with a pro—seriously. You’ll end up tearing out or breaking your lashes if you try it yourself, and it’s not worth it. “That doesn’t mean you have to remove them, you can also just wear them until they all cycle off,” Shirai says. Typically they last around three to four weeks, but don’t be surprised if you find yourself back for refills before then. I told you, they’re addicting.



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I Tried DIY Eyelash Extensions For A Month And Gave Up Mascara


I’ve always been a lash fanatic. Pro eyelash extensions, strip falsies, individual lashes—I’ve tried them all. Mascara has always been my biggest priority when it comes to my makeup routine—I swear by formulas that make my lashes look long, full, and nearly fake. In college, I never left my dorm on a Friday or Saturday night without a strip of Ardells rimming my eyes. And in recent years, I’ve sworn by in-salon lash extensions to achieve the fluttery lash look I so love. Honestly, there’s simply nothing better than waking up with a little eye drama.

But after a year of going to the salon for lash extensions every few weeks, I was over it: I started to notice that my natural lashes were becoming sparse. And I got sick of the application process which was long and, well, a little scary. It involves getting your your eyelids taped shut while a technician glues false individual lashes to each of your real ones. If, like me, you suffer from anxiety, it’s an hour spent freaking out about whether or not you’ll still be able to see once the application is complete. I was also dropping $100 a visit. All said, I still missed them Every. Single. Day.

So when I first heard about the at-home DIY eyelash extension system, Lashify, I needed to try it. It’s a DIY set of extensions that, if applied properly, can last anywhere from three to five days. Here’s how it works: you receive a control kit ($145) with two sets of lashes, two types of adhesive (clear, which I prefer, and black), a tweezer-type applicator and an adhesive sealant that magically removes residual stickiness on the glue. The lashes, or “gossamers,” come in tiny little pods with a set for each eye and they’re cut into small strips that are about 1/5 inch long. Depending on your eye shape and size, you’ll need around four to seven little strips—I typically use five. They’re each applied with the special glue, which is similar to (but not nearly as strong as) the adhesive used for in-salon extensions. Then, you clamp them into place with the included tweezers, and clean up the glue with the sealant.

The difference between these DIY eyelash extensions and regular falsies lies in two things: the adhesive, which is lasts much longer than typical lash glue, and where you apply them. Regular lashes are affixed on the top of your lash line, whereas Lashify lashes are glued to your actual lashes, but on the underside. This is the key to making them appear much more natural and basically undetectable. The best part? Once they were applied, I could barely feel that they were there.

Now, I’ll be honest: my first foray in applying the lashes didn’t go smoothly. Similar to applying regular strip lashes, it took a lot of time and practice to get it right. And if you’re someone who doesn’t have experience wearing contact lenses, tugging at your eyes for a stretch isn’t easy. But after about 30 minutes of trial and error, I got the hang of it. I’d reapply them every few days, cleaning the adhesive off of my lashes with an oil-based makeup remover in between. The only struggle: not being able to fully wash off my eye makeup when I had lashes on. But for a full set of fringe that didn’t cost me a ton of time or money, it was worth it. Here are a few tricks I picked up after a month of trial and error.

GOOD TIPS!

1. Turn the clamp upside-down.My first instinct when applying my lashes was to hold the tweezer with the outer end of the curve facing up. Instead, flip it over so the curve is facing downwards. It gives better control when it comes to lash placement.

2. Remove the lashes at your outer corners before bed.Not even my lashes can convert me from being a side sleeper. So after a few nights of waking up with wonky extensions at the outer corners of my eyes, I decided to remove just those sections before bed. Sure enough, the remainder of my gossamers were still intact in the morning, and I simply had to re-apply the pieces at the outer corners—a quick, easy fix.

3. Only use the black glue once you’ve really gotten the hang of things.Without enough practice, the black version of the adhesive can be really, really messy. Stick to the clear glue until you’re expert level, and then switch to the black. Once you’re a pro, the black glue can define your lashes even more.

4. Mix and match gossamer types and lengthsIn order to achieve a lash style that looked glamorous yet still natural, I played around with the different types of lashes that Lashify offers: A for amplify, B for bold and C for curl. Each style comes in multiple lengths, so I tend to stick to bolder and longer lashes at the outer corners, and a shorter, more subtle lash towards the inside.

All things considered, it’s no surprise that the Lashify obsession is real. A Facebook group called Lashify Life has over 5,000 members who share tips and tricks—everything from new ways to clean and reuse the gossamers to how to store them. But if you don’t want to reuse your lashes, you can score another set online for $20—a major savings from what was shelling out for in-salon extensions.



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