Different types of false Eyelashes and Choosing the best one for you

Dreamy, magical eyes with a flutter of luscious eyelashes…. are only found in the novels. In reality, not everyone’s blessed with the long, thick lash line. Just like makeup is used to enhance your features, false eyelashes are used to make your eyes look popping. There are so many brands and types of eyelashes available in the market, it can be confusing finding the right one for you. Material, shape, thickness, and length are important factors to keep in mind when buying falsies.

Types of eyelashes:

For convenience and to have a better understanding, I’ve classified eyelashes into three main types.

Strip lashes:

These are the common type of lashes we’re familiar with; in the form of a strip. They can be applied along your natural lash line with a skin-friendly adhesive. But for some people, these can be a little heavy and difficult to wear especially for longer durations.

Individual flare lashes:

These come in small clusters that can be adjusted within natural eyelashes in custom eyelash boxes. They’re also applied with an adhesive and are relatively more comfortable to wear. They also look more natural and don’t put much strain on the eyes.

Individual single lashes:

These come in small portions, just two or three lashes. They can be adjusted within natural eyelashes and give the most realistic look. if you want to wear falsies without making it obvious, these are for you. in my experience these are probably the most comfortable to wear for longer durations. You don’t even feel you’re wearing some foreign in your lashes.

Materials for False eyelashes:

False eyelashes have come a long way since their dawn. At first, it was just synthetic lashes, that were extremely uncomfortable to wear, some people were even allergic to these synthetic materials. No good makeup brand makes these cheap synthetics anymore. There are four main materials used for making falsies.

Silk lashes:

Silk eyelashes are synthetic, they’re soft and have a luscious feel to touch. These are the cheapest type you can find these days. They come in the strip, flare, and individual hair form. These lashes are not ideal for wearing for longer durations.

Mink lashes:

Real mink lashes come from the fur of Siberian or Chinese mink. These are harvested from farm-bred minks. These are soft, fluffy, and very comfortable to wear. I personally don’t like wearing these because, even though companies claim that minks are not harmed during harvesting, no living being deserves to be treated like a commodity. How would we feel if a giant kept us in a cage just to harvest our hair? I mean at the end of the day it’s just hair, we’re not being harmed… right?

Human hair lashes:

Just like the name suggests, these are made from actual human hair. Human hair has a huge market and is very desirable in the false lashes and hair extension industry. These lashes have the exact consistency of human hair and they fit right in your natural lash line.

Unethical practices in industry:

The brands that make lashes from human hair claim they use hair donated by people or they buy hair fair and square. I don’t believe it to be a complete truth. Last year, my cousin who is a medical resident (she has tough working hours and doesn’t get much time to work out) was coming back from the gym around 11:30 pm. She was mugged near her dorm, in addition to taking her wallet; the perp cut off her 2 feet long ponytail as well and took her hair. It was a very traumatic experience for her.

To make hair extensions and eyelashes on such a large scale, you need a lot more hair than just donated ones. Human hair are very expensive, I was once offered $2000 for my hair (I have almost 4 feet long hair). The longer the hair, the expensive your mane gets.

Faux mink lashes:

These are the lashes that I believe everyone should be using. These are fine, lightweight, look closest to natural hair fibers, and most importantly are synthetic. No animal or human is used for their production. These lashes being cruelty-free and vegan are my favorite. They come in custom Eyelash Packaging Boxes that can be used as a storage container as well.

Be responsible and considerate:

I understand that we all have different preferences when it comes to wearing falsies. People who can afford expensive human hair or real mink lashes are adamant about wearing them. Just because they can. Indulging in practice just because you can afford it is the most absurd argument one can give. Our sense of responsibility and conscience makes us human. So be responsible and use faux mink lashes instead of real mink or human hair lashes.

Lashes according to eye shape:

First, you have to determine your eye shape. Once you have done that, you can choose from multiple styles and shapes. I prefer individual flare lashes for my close-set eyes. I can apply lashes towards the ends leaving the inner corners alone. This technique makes my eyes look bigger and brighter. Normally you can choose from curly or long pointed lashes in flare form.

Conclusion:

False eyelashes make your eye appear bigger and brighter and may even enhance your confidence. But the most important thing is to be comfortable in your skin. Your sense of self-worth shouldn’t depend on a product but yourself. But if falsies make you feel good about yourself then you go girl (or boy) and wear them all you want.