Lavish Longer Lashes!

Most of the eyelashes in
mascara commercials are
fake. Sad truth.

So you don't exactly have the longest lashes and you always envy the 100% Spanish belles who don't need fake eyelashes to do the mascara commercials. Yep. That's right. If you didn't know this before, I am telling you now. Eighty-nine per cent of the eyelashes you will see in mascara commercials are fake. While your eyelashes give everyone less than 10 feet away the illusion that you have bona fied, thick and full lashes, they will never really look quite like the ad models'. It's time to face the fact that many of us aren't "born with it".

This odd-looking instrument may
be the answer to your prayers

So, my blog is about natural beauty, and this post will be about intensifying your natural allure. You will always have the option of buying fake eyelashes. However, for some reason, I never wanted to go down that route. Maybe it's because after bringing a guy home, I never wanted to traumatize him with the dramatic face alteration that accompanies fake lash and fake hair removal. Maybe it's because I never wanted to be in the middle of a great date when half of my eyelashes begin to fall into my eye as it twitches uncontrollably. (That actually happened to my roommate two weeks ago). Among my alternatives were eyelash extensions, which are a semi-permanent eyelashes, glued individually to your real lashes until the real lash falls out. The main reason this option was never explored was whenever the opportunity presented itself, my pockets were a little too shallow. They are costly! For a long time, I did nothing about my stubby eyelashes, which were constantly entangled with each other, pointing in all directions but the right one. Eventually, I stumbled on a lash-enhancing technique that worked for me and barely cost a thing: the eyelash curler.

All you need is mascara, a
curler and vaseline

I will admit when I first bought my eyelash curler, I had no idea how to  use it. I mean, it looked like a surgical instrument. I believe it reassembled what I had always imagined was use to pry eyes open and rip out eyeballs in horror movies. For a week, I used it the wrong way and when that wasn't successful I, stashed it away in a pile of cosmetics that would not be used for another year (I kid you not). It was only after I washed a "curler girl" commercial that I discovered my erroneous ways and pulled out the curler to use again. It only took a week of use for me to see a notable improvement in the aesthetic look of my lashes. The magic of the curler is that it leaves typically straight lashes curving outwards, giving the appearance of longer lashes. It also presses your lashes in a line, leaving disastrously messy lashes, like mine, uni-directional and neat.

I had to share this photo of an African girl with
fake eyelashes, taken by Luba V Nel. She is
breath-taking!

The correct way to use your eyelash curler is to, first, ensure that there's nothing on your lashes and they are dry. Back in my misguided days, I would use it after applying mascara. That actually damages your lashes. Never pull on the lashes, because rather than lengthening or curling them, it will just uproot them. Simply, keep your eyes half open and place your top lashes in the "clamp opening" of your curler. Beginning as close to the eyelid as you can, without pinching your skin, close the curler so your lashes are gripped in the clamp opening.  Hold it in place for 3-5 seconds without blinking. Why? Blinking will tug on the lash roots and high hair tension is your worst enemy. Never drag the closed curler over your lashes while holding it closed- that's pulling on your lashes! Unclamp, move the curler a little further down your lash and repeat clamping. That motion, of walking down the lash, rather than pulling down the lash, is a crucial skill to master. Once your are done curling, apply mascara. The difference will be conspicuous and you will have harnessed your lashes natural allure. Curling, I have found, doesn't have to be a daily thing. I imagine that incessant curling stresses the eyelashes and leads to damage. For the past month, I have only been curling 3 times a week and the results are undeniable. The rest of the week, I use mascara solo.

The results of a curler and mascara on real eyelashes

Finally, strengthening lashes is also important. One way to do it is to thoroughly remove the makeup on and around your lashes before bed. Once the lashes are completely clean, rub a dab (very small) amount of vaseline between your (also clean) thumb and index finger. Then, with the pad of your index finger, apply vaseline in the same way you apply mascara- i.e. underneath the top lashes, from root to tip. Don't rub! If you have too much vaseline on your finger, you will only get it in your eye and you do not want to err that way. Make vaseline-eyelash application a part of your make-up removal regimen and start enjoying that natural glamor in a few weeks.