Not every girl is blessed with long, thick, luscious lashes. Sometimes your natural lashes are on the shorter side and that’s not something to be ashamed of. But there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little more oomph from your lashes. While you could embrace how your lashes normally look, there are many techniques and products to help you achieve the long lashes of your dreams. Perhaps you want a more dramatic and defined eye or just want to change up your look without going too far. Playing around with your eyelashes is one way to do so. Besides relying on false lashes or extensions that can even pull out your already-short real hairs, what else is there to do? If you’ve got short, hard-to-see, or barely-there lashes, then check out these tips.
1. Update your mascara technique
There are more techniques than you realize when it comes to swiping on mascara. If you want your lashes to look longer with the help of mascara, examine how you apply it. Do you find that your lashes end up looking clumpy and heavy with mascara? You might be applying too much mascara on just the bottom part of your lashes. To really spread out the product evenly for more length, coat your lashes evenly by using a zig-zag motion starting from the root of your lashes to the tip. This will ensure that the mascara doesn’t bunch up at the roots which can give you spider-looking lashes. If you want both volume and length, coat both sides of your lashes. This will make your eyelashes look evenly thicker.
How you take the mascara wand out of the bottle also matters. If you’re pumping your mascara to coat it, that could make the product look clumpy on your lashes. Instead, swirl the mascara wand around inside the bottle before taking it out. This will make the product go on smoother and more evenly onto your short lashes.
2. Check the wand of your mascara
Ever noticed how there are different types of mascara wands out there? Each variation serves a different purpose. Some wands are better for adding volume and making the lashes look thicker while others are better for spreading out the lashes to create a fan-like effect. If you’ve got short lashes, you might want a bit of both volume and length to really add drama and definition to your eyes.
Check the wand of the mascara you currently own. You want something that doesn’t collect and apply too much product that your lashes end up becoming heavy. Dense brushes tend to weigh down lashes and this can make your lashes look even shorter. Opt for mascara wands with soft or flexible wands so that the bristles can really get in between your lashes and spread them out. This will make them look longer and allow the product to coat each lash evenly.
Make sure to regularly de-clump your wand before use so that each application is smooth and even. You can glide the brush over a piece of tissue to remove any excess product. By only applying a little product at a time and allowing coats to dry before reapplying, you can slowly build up your lashes for a more natural look.
3. Know when to curl your lashes
The standard procedure for curling lashes is usually before applying mascara. But many girls, especially those with short lashes, find that that the curl doesn’t usually hold or last long. Some also find that after applying mascara, the curl is completely gone! If this happens to you, try curling your lashes after applying mascara. Yes, that sounds messy and pretty weird, but it could work better for lashes that don’t hold curls well or are short. Allow your mascara to dry completely before using an eyelash curler on them. Starting from the roots of your lashes, gently and slowly press the curler on them, moving your way up towards the tip. Be sure to work very carefully! If you rush this process or get careless, you can end up breaking off your lashes or plucking them out! But if done correctly, this will ensure a curl that lasts all day long. Curled eyelashes look longer and help your eyes look bigger and brighter, so who wouldn’t want to try this tip?
Make sure to change your eyelash curler’s pads every 6 months so they don’t stick to your lashes and cause any mishaps.
4. Comb out your lashes
If you have short lashes, the last thing you want them to do is clump together and end up looking like you only have 5 short lashes. Fanned out and feathery lashes give off the illusion of them looking longer and fuller, but how do you do this with short lashes? Try combing through your lashes before applying mascara and before curling. You can use a small eyebrow comb or a clean spoolie to do this. Carefully brush through your bare lashes and make sure no hairs are sticking together. This will help you apply mascara much more evenly and smoothly. Each hair will get a nice coating of mascara without them sticking together, so each strand will look thicker and longer. Brushing out your lashes is a good thing to do no matter what your natural lash length is.
5. Use a lash-growing serum
Nothing beats having naturally long and thick lashes. Falsies and extensions can be time-consuming or expensive. One of the easiest ways to change your short lashes into long ones is by using a lash-growing serum. Eyelash growth serums don’t just help your lashes grow, they also help reduce shedding and make the hairs more resistant to breakage. There are many eyelash-growing serums with different ingredients and price points. Some lash serums contain prescription-strength ingredients, but be careful as the side-effects include skin irritation and eye-color change. Others have more natural ingredients like soybean oil, while others are packed with peptides and amino acids to promote hair growth. These serums are best used at night so the formula can really seep into your roots and lashes. You can also try a DIY-hack for lash-growth which is just to apply castor oil to your lashes.
Resources— AllWomensTalk, Superdrug, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Cosmo PH
