It can take a chemo-kick in the butt to master false lashes
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of 2017, I was ready for a fight. What I wasn’t quite prepared for though, was losing my hair.
Unfortunately, hair loss, including eyelashes, is a common side effect of chemotherapy drugs.
As a registered nurse I knew in no uncertain terms what the next year would hold for my makeup routine.I needed to learn how to apply false eye-lashes, and fast. The good news is there are tons of options these days, and you can choose from a variety of styles and brands. I chose the natural look because I just really wanted to look like myself while undergoing chemo.
Now for the tricky part, how to apply them.
I am not going to lie, I’ve glued my eyelid to my eyebrow more than once. But with just a little practice you will get the hang of it in no time. I started playing with them before I lost my lashes. That helped me to feel a little better prepared.
Here are some tips I learned:
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Start with a clean face
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Before applying any glue, check to see if the lash is the right length by holding up to your lash line. If its to long, trim from the end that will be at the outer corner of your eye.
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Now your ready for the glue. Here again there are several choices in both color and how to apply. I like to use black glue with a brush on applicator. If you used to wearing eyeliner, the black glue makes it look like you have eyeliner on. The white glue works fine if eyeliner is not for you. It dries clear so no need to worry about it showing.
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Use eyelash tweezers to hold onto the lashes, otherwise you get glue all over your fingers and lashes. Apply a thin line of glue to the outer seam of lash strip and wait about 30 seconds to allow glue to get tacky.
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Holding the lashes with your tweezers, place the center of the lashes as close to your lash line as possible. Once the center is stuck, you can use the tweezers to grasp the ends of the lashes and move them into place.
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All the instructions that I’ve read say that it isn’t necessary to press the eyelashes to make them stick but I found that if I press and hold the ends down gently with my fingers they do seem to adhere better.
