How I Clean My False Lashes

I know almost nobody does this, most girls have tens (or even hundreds!) of falsies in their kits/vanities, but I'm sorta on a budget. And I also hate wasting anything if it's still good to use, so why not?

What follows is my personal manner of dealing with the process of making sure you can reuse your false lashes- cleaning them. Most videos on YouTube and blog posts do other things, namely the infamous 'alcohol cleansing method' or what I call 'maceration'- leaving the falsies in some container with water and alcohol. I never did this, my 'recipe' is simpler, faster and really cool (because it's mine!). So here's what I do. For the record, I only use Duo Lash Adhesive in Black. 

1. I never rip my false lashes off, like I saw everybody else doing. It takes your natural lashes off as well, pinches and pulls the skin and you're also damaging the falsies if you're using a high-quality adhesive, like Duo, which has strong endurance.

Instead, what I do is pat my face (especially the eye area; take some warm water in your fists and put them over your eyes, above your sink) with warm/hot water, depending on mood and weather. I soften the makeup this way, the mascara that is attached to my natural lashes and the false ones as well, binding them together, and i soften the adhesive. I just need one splash and they're ready to be peeled, not ripped off. It's the best manner of removing them as gently as possible.

2. I leave them aside while I remove my eye makeup in my usual routine. Don't start cleaning the lashes because the softened mascara and eyeshadow is already a mess and it gets into the eyes immediately. I just take off my makeup and make sure there's nothing left.

3. I just let warm water running, and keep the lashes under the tap for about 15-30 seconds, depending on the water temperature and the type of lashes (will get to this one in a minute). 

4. The adhesive softens very easily, and sometimes (I guess if combined with other products, or just depending on the water temperature, not sure) gets light gray, like a little discolored. It usually stays black. 

5. I can literally peel small strands of adhesive off the false eyelash margin; carefully, really gently, and I don't even have long nails. I am saying 'gently' because you might wanna pay extra attention if you're using lashes that are $50 a pop, like Shu Uemura, MAC or any other expensive brand. To be honest, I sometimes just rip the softened adhesive strands off the eyelash line and call it a day, it's so soft that I don't need to be 'careful'. Just saying. Oh and if adhesive has gotten into/among the base of the hairs, then I do have to be careful not to destroy the lash; I use the tweezers or pick every bit of softened adhesive really carefully. It has the consistency of chewing gum, minus the stickiness. Really easy.

6. I never leave my lashes soak in liquid, because it damages the hairs and softens their own adhesive.

7. I never rub them between my palms- what's the purpose? The mascara I had on (and I use very little or no mascara on false eyelashes...I think it looks better with my makeup style) has already melted and dissolved by itself; if I really really wanna make sure everything is gone, I can use the tiniest bit of Dove face soap suds, or some face cleanser, a bit of (baby) shampoo (gentle), whatever. Something really mild. 

8. I never apply alcohol. It is just useless- you're disinfecting something that will get filled with bacteria and germs as soon as it comes in contact with oxygen or another surface. What's the point? Plus, it dries out the hairs of your falsies if they're natural and completely effs up the adhesive. Boo. Never!

9. Now, time to put them back into shape- take the lash, 'shake' it a little to remove any water drops off your fingers/the lashes. Take the lash by the base line and hold it with your index and your thumb. With your other hand, take a soft towel. Gently come forward with the lash, not the other way around, and just touch the lash against the towel. You can also use makeup removing wipes, paper towels, etc, whatever you wish as long as the material doesn't leave residues/lint. 

Press them against the fabric you're using just to make sure you're getting the water 'residue' soaked out of the hairs; do not rub or push hard. 

Then keep the lash in the same position, just curl the hairs back to their previous shape with your other hand, then press the fabric against the 'new curl' until you see it holds. You can dry them naturally (what I usually do because they dry up really fast) or close to a heat source, it doesn't really matter as long as you're attentive. 

I'll put some pics to demonstrate, as soon as possible. 

Now, there is a difference between handling natural hair false lashes and falsey-false ones.

1. No hot water on the natural ones.

2. No hair pulling, scratching, anything in the family. It will ruin your lashes, especially if they're expensive. Use a pair of tweezers to remove what's remained between the hairs, at the base. 

3. You need to reshape them once they're no longer soaking wet, because the natural hair will change its curl after the bath. It will not look identical, however what I personally think is that the 'new' shape looks much more natural than the original version and the lashes do look as if they were yours once you reuse them. However, this depends on your preferences. The synthetic hair falsies remain the same no matter what, but they have a little problem- the hairs are glued with their own adhesive, so you need to be careful when you clean them as well. 

Then you can store them like I do (very frugally shown here http://mariesbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-clean-brusheshow-to-store-lashes.html), or place them back to their original cases. 

How to clean the brushes/How to store the Lashes

So I just discovered the best product to clean foundation brushes/sponges or any kind of brush that you use for oily/thick products. It's a strong detergent meant for cleaning baby 'stuff'- toys, cutlery, strollers, and for disinfecting and cleaning surfaces of all kinds babies might come into contact with. It's really useful because it's so effective (I actually cleaned blueberry juice off white fabric with this baby) yet gentle. 

The product is Chicco Disinfectant and I have the Italian/European version. Perhaps it's found in different names/descriptions on markets outside the European Union. 

It comes in a large plastic bottle (700 ml, or 22.66 fl. oz) and it's a white liquid. Has an atomizer that you can turn to 'off' mode so you won't spill it or endanger the little ones if you leave it around the house.

It worked amazing on my foundation brush. I could never clean it properly, down to the base of the hairs, because foundations and primers always used to remain stuck among the hairs especially in the middle of the brush. Leftover makeup is quite gross and can breed a ton of germs if left uncleaned for a longer time; it also hardens, gets even more difficult to clean and affects the quality of the bristles and the adhesive. Boo.

I had to only spray this little miracle worker and the foundation residue just started pouring out of the bristles with no rubbing/touching of the brush whatsoever:

It gets dispersed in a bit of a foamy consistency when you spray it on; however it's runny, since it's liquid (duh) so careful not to stain your clothes:

The thing about this product is it's strength, as I said. It cleans everything, leaving the brushes squeaky clean yet soft at the same time.

Since it's designed for objects that come into contact with children, it has some ingredients that counterbalance the 'harshness' of the substances inside. Really great stuff. It also cleans makeup stains- I never mentioned this but I had a white t-shirt stained with Estee Lauder's Double Wear. Good luck trying to get that foundation off of anything, even after 90 degrees repetitive washes. Just spray this on the spot and wash your clothes as you normally do- it just works wonders. Very, very happy with it.

There are two 'disadvantages' with this product:

1. The scent- it smells very strongly of baby powder. It's the scent I always associate with babies and what I imagine fresh baby laundry to smell like. It's VERY strong, and it lingers a while after you've dried your stuff. If you use fabric softener then this wouldn't be a problem; however, if you don't like the scent, it will linger onto the surfaces/objects you've cleaned and it might bother you. I like it so that's not an issue for me.

2. It can make the color of darker brushes bleed- don't get me started on my Sephora #44 Platinum (BOO!). I always had problems with that brush and everything else makes the color bleed, even face soap. However, it was a real hemorrhage with this product. The color just wouldn't stop coming out, it stained towels and sinks/floors, even the top white bristles got blue so I had to wash them again to get the hue off...not cool. However, since the Sephora Platinum brushes ALL have this problem, I think it's not the product but the brush. My foundation brush didn't have this problem, so was the case with all my other brushes. If you're using something cheaper, it's almost certain the color will bleed. If you use MAC, test it on a couple of bristles first. You never know. 

However, it looks like it conditions the bristles as well, I didn't have to apply conditioner on them or anything else. 

If you don't have this brand, don't wanna buy it or just have something else you trust, I still think it's useful to get a generic baby disinfectant for your brushes, just to make sure you have cleaned and disinfected them thoroughly. Next time you give your brushes a bath remember to check in the middle of the bunch of bristles, as close to the base as possible- if you notice lighter areas, or residue leftover, that means your cleanser didn't do its job properly and maybe you should change brands or get this little baby instead. Highly useful to me. Not going to stop using it, ever. 

How I store my (used) false lashes:

Take a generic blush/powder, anything that has an extra compartment/that little plastic divider for the brush that comes with it, or the mirror:

Pull up the little 'wall', remove the brush (they're usually bad quality, weirdly shaped thus useless) and place your lashes on the pan. Gently press on the base of the lashes to make sure it will slightly attach to that bottom:

My blush (a no-name that I still like) came with a little mirror and a terrible brush I threw away on the spot. It's perfect for me because I always reuse my lashes and I never put them back in their bulky, uncomfortable to carry or prone to damage (cardboard!) boxes. This way I can always carry the lashes around, either for me or if I'm doing someone's makeup, and I can see all of them and choose accordingly. It really works and it's so easy and simple I slapped myself for not having thought about this earlier! The plastic packaging will also protect your lashes from humidity or other damage since it's a hard material, and you're also closing the lid and putting it in your bag/bag pocket. Crisis submerged! 

Next post- how I reuse my lashes and how I clean them (DO NOT clean them with alcohol! grr!)

Current Addiction- première partie

Caused by falsies. I never thought i'd say that.

My lashes haven't grown at all during the past month...it looks like they're actually receding. I am incredibly disappointed and angry...not at the products i've been using but at their natural growth rhythm. Hopefully it will break soon enough and get back on track again.

On a slightly different spin, i have recently fallen in love again with the Ardell 116 falsies. They're the most beautiful and natural looking lashes i have ever tried and the only model i've been constantly repurchasing. Couldn't help it after seeing how gorgeous they look and what  tremendous difference they make.

 Depending from the makeup style (uppercases explanatory), the effect can be dramatic, a bit over the top, really natural, etc, whatever you want it to be. If i go out i will obviously pack on the mascara and then apply them...otherwise, for a daytime glam look, i'll only use neutrals/golds, a bit of brown eye pencil and a tad of mascara (L'Oreal Lash Architect is perfect- doesn't clump if applied in one layer only) and the effect is still gorgeous. 

I always use a pair several times, quite a lot, between ten and thirteen from what i can recall. The natural hair they're made of makes all the difference- they're easy to clean (no thick, tacky band), easy to re-curl, easy to wear even after being technically worn off. If anything else fails- cut them in two and trim the edges accordingly. The effect is i might add probably even more charming than wearing the entire strip- Angelina Jolie-esque cat eyes all the way. It also looks a bit more natural yet dramatic at the same time, without giving exaggerated length (as it usually happens with full strip lashes).Here are the half-falsies from Ardell:

And about this 'technique' of cutting strip lashes in half...i'm doing it to all the other lashes i'm wearing. It's weird and probably not too budget-friendly but it surely pays off...i like how naturally elongated and almond-shaped my eyes look without giving the impression that i'm trying to hard. 

Case in point- some cheap Swedish eyelashes ( Depend is the brand) that looked gorgeous in the box but were an utter failure once applied. 

The band was thick and rigid, hard to stick to my lashline, and the design didn't do much for my eye shape.- the thick rubber line emphasized the 'eyeliner' - hello tired, droopy eyes. I ended up taking them off and resenting them...until seeing how easy cutting in half and attaching them on the outer sides of the lids was- pree-tee!

So now i've learned my lesson- if i ever come across some unwearable, trashy or plasticky pair of lashes, i know what to do- welcome scissors! 

One surely important, if not vital, aspect i've learned the hard way is that the adhesive is everything when it comes to wearing false lashes. I used pretty much everything from the original crappy glue lashes come with to unknown brands and never thought about investing in a good adhesive because i deemed it unnecessarily expensive. Wrong. My love for wearing false eyelashes and my actual ability of practically putting them on is due to the Duo Adhesive (in black...i wish i'd purchased the transparent one. when the black one dries, it looks like too much eyeliner so it's kinda fussy and tricky to apply it). If it wasn't for this one i would have never discovered how fun and gorgeous wearing false eyelashes is....*blushing*. Been living under a rock, i know, i know...

Ardell Duralash Experience....and why i am never doing it again

Oh well, well well. Where do i begin.

For an assiduous blogger like i am a prolonged  absence seems a bit painful to be honest, but i decided to st(r)ay away from any type of beauty blog since it would have talked me into writing...and i needed the time to be able to deliberate on my experience with semi-permanent lashes (the drugstore equivalent of lash extensions). I got the Ardell DuraLash in medium, black, regular individual false lashes, one box.

 

This is what happened so far. I first put them on the same day i last blogged, which would be september 24th. I took them off yesterday evening. This has been my journey with these lashes and my honest opinions are what follows. For your sake, i strongly recommend you to PLEASE read what i am writing here in case you're fancying the idea of a brand new set of fanned out falsies...i wish i could have had a detailed 'story' about these lashes before i even thought of purchasing them. So i begin.

Day One-Purchase and Application

I actually purchased the babies separately from their adhesive, the LashTite, since i thought it came inside the box-not. You must shell out other 4 € for the small tube of glue, which isn't all that but i was definitely super excited and wanted them on asap. Therefore i came back to the store and got the glue. My version is a very small one, not the huge tube depicted on makeupalley, so you might find the same type too; don't stress, it's the official adhesive marketed under different packagings around the world (i assume Europe and the US at least).

Putting them on is a hassle. Actually this is the key-the application process. Being the newbie that i was i frantically researched and came across a nicely written and detailed review on makeupalley. This is where it all started.

On the packaging you are advised to dip the small knot of the lash group in a tiny bit of glue and then apply it on your lash root-not on your eyelid skin, like you would regularly do with strip false lashes. The review (actually several of them) advised to engage in a more 'complicated' process that would mimic the salon lash extension technique-basically dip the knot, drag it along your lash (the one you decide to stick the knot to) so the adhesive would stick to a larger portion of hair, then fix it along this glue line, at the root of your lash. This way you are given more support for the false lash, hence increased life span. 

Well i did that. But it didn't work out because you have to be VERY handy to do it. I'll tell you why. No matter how much you comb and curl your natural lashes beforehand, it's impossible not to get glue on the neighboring lashes as well, especially around the base. The hairs are small and fine, and unlike hair, that you can clip while working through, there's no teeny tiny lash pin you can use. Therefore...disaster. This is what happened to me, on my first application- if you're handy and like these lashes by all means go ahead. 

Basically i ended up with small glue knots all over my lash roots, not sticking to the skin so it was quite visible i had 'balls' of glue all over my eye, from which the lashes started, darker and thicker than at the ends. It was quite unnatural but hey, they were long and bushy so i kinda loved the change. 

The other eye turned out more normal looking since i screwed the 'technique' and went with the packaging instructions-just attach the knot to your lash roots (or wherever you feel comfortable as long as it's not the skin, so they say) and you're done.

Another thing would be that if you don't have naturally thick and gorgeous lashes (which means you actually don't need falsies, but i'm just saying), you need more than ten clusters for each eye simply because they will look spiked, thin and unnatural. The best result you get by applying the clusters very close to one another, or coming back with other clusters and filling in the gaps. I used all the lash knots in the box for both my eyes, and i don't have particularly large eyes or desire for a dame Edna look. Some reviews mentioned combining two lengths for a maximum natural look- short and medium were the most common choices. I wholeheartedly agree, however one size (medium is the best in my opinion) isn't bad either since you can gently trim the inner angles of the lashes and make them look very natural. 

They can be easily curled and made up with mascara, they don't look fake or ugly or anything in the family. In fact, this is where it gets better-after a while, the hairs soften- you wash your face, take your eye makeup off, put your eye makeup on, curl them, clean them, rub them, etc- and they look like real, uber long and thick lashes, Spanish eyes style. Lovely. I adored them and felt super happy i had finally discovered something that didn't cost an arm and a leg, didn't involve salons and hours of sitting on someone's lap, high maintenance and regular 'refills' at high costs as well.

Then i started noticing the downsides....

First, the glue hardens very fast and creates a sort of 'bridge' all over your roots, especially if you use the 'technique'. If you have diligently applied  the lashes as described on the box, there will still be small glue 'stains' that once hardened, will sting your eyelids when you close your eyes, sneeze, squint, etc. It's very uncomfortable especially for people with sensitive eyes-i have no problems whatsoever and it still bothered me. I didn't use a large quantity of glue so i dare believe it wasn't 'my fault' with this.

Another thing-the glue will create the aforementioned 'bridges' and the eye makeup will slowly deposit on it, making the upper lash roots look dirty and full of shadow/eyeliner.

 what the roots of the lashes look like...scary. Filthy. Hazardous.The hardened adhesive keeps moist, bacteria and dirt stuck in your lash line, thus making it prone to infections and other dangerous happenings.

It's very hard to clean them because you have to use a lot of makeup remover and q-tips and gently rub; the cotton/fibers will get caught in the glue asperities and good luck yanking them out...no matter what you do, you'll always feel you haven't properly cleaned your lashes, and it is visible. Thumbs down.

Then, after a couple of days your natural lashes' curl will cease to exist so you'll feel the need to curl the falsies altogether- once curled, they don't come 'down' unless you wash them with lukewarm water. If you have applied your entire face and eyeshadow makeup and see your own lashes pointing down among the falsies, and if the falsies are already curled- you can't curl them again because they'll look excessively bent upwards, they'll touch your brow bone and mess your eye makeup-mascara on the lid and shadow on the lashes. Not pleasant at all. So pray that your natural lashes won't be too visibly sticking out from the falsies abundance, and that's about all you can do. 

These lashes didn't feel particularly heavy, actually they're lighter than strip false lashes; however, when you twist them and arrange them with your thumbs (they get a bit messy, mimicking natural lashes very well) you feel a bit of pressure on your natural eyelash roots thus an uncomfortable sensation. That's their weight and the pressure they put on your lashes, and it will take a toll. 

You get used to sleeping with them, swimming, taking showers, rubbing your eyes more carefully (you risk to rip your own eyelashes off if you're not gentle) and why not, a minimum amount of mascara; that was the best part of this experience- a tad of concealer, contoured eyebrows and i was literally good to go. Having these eyelashes on seriously cuts back on makeup time and allows you to feel fresh faced and pretty 24/7. It opens the eye, gives you a Bambi look, everything very natural and tasteful (especially if you have darker hair or larger eyes). I got a ton of compliments and they all said 'wow, your lashes are so long and full!' and not 'are you wearing falsies?'.

The lashes soften and gradually start mimicking natural lashes in texture, curl and volume-however, notice my own lashes through the falsies

The party's over

Then...a week and half after, when there was no sign the lashes were going to budge (as opposed to makeupalley reviewers claiming they experienced a softening of the adhesive and even fall outs two days after), i started losing my own lashes. Two, three hairs each eye, but it scared the hell out of me since i never, ever lose lashes. I think i lost one when i rubbed my eyes too hard trying to get rid of some overnight Shiseido mascara base, and that was all i can recall. I saw the lashes falling, and they weren't eyebrow hairs or the falsies- they were MINE. Oh no. Combine this with the cautionary instructions-don't use anything oil-based or you'll lose the falsies- and you get the perfect recipe for disaster. I couldn't condition my lashes with vaseline or anything else because i was afraid the adhesive will slowly soften and i will start losing lashes on my way to work, on the street or at my boyfriend's (not cool at all). Little did i know you can use ANYTHING, and i mean it, and the glue won't budge unless rubbed with industrial amounts of the Ardell LashFree adhesive remover....clever market move, huh. So if you're already wearing them and reading this, go ahead and use everything you desire-baby oil, vaseline, coconut oil, avocado oil, EVOO, the glue won't soften at all. 

Not to mention the worst part- a red inflammation of the lid on my left eye-partially caused by the hardened glue constantly poking my skin, partially by makeup residues i couldn't remove no matter what. It looked like a very bad irritation, almost like a small infection. Yikes. 

Then my own lashes were growing under; i could see the roots and the false lashes flipping and vibrating every time i blinked. They were losing their solid support base and were hanging on my lashes, weighing them down and putting even more pressure on. Well....i got the adhesive remover and started rubbing. And i rubbed, and rubbed, and massaged, and touched, and everything in the family. The LashFree remover comes in a tiny bottle, has an oily consistency, smells a bit like nailpolish remover and stings like crazy; hard to apply (how can you hold a paper tissue between your eyelids AND apply the remover at the same time??), time consuming, smelly, stingy, all in all a completely terrifying experience.

The clusters finally softened and started slipping down my real eyelashes; i didn't pull because i was really afraid to rip my own lashes off. Well, the only difference the adhesive remover did was to spare me of some pain- the horror. I saw most of my natural lashes stuck in the glue gunk as the falsies were coming out... and this isn't the worst part. I literally have no lashes right now. The adhesive has burned them down and made them fall out. 

This is what my lashes used to look like before.

This is what they look like now.

Notice the red spot on the lid- that was taken during the removal process. I no longer have the irritation going on therefore it must have been caused by the glue+dirt+makeup leftovers. Disgusting and dangerous if you ask me.

I have far fewer and shorter lashes than before; the glue literally destroyed them. I am never going to use the LashTite adhesive; if i fancy some individual falsies i'll go with the good ol' Duo adhesive or just regular glue. It's such a shame because they don't mention this effect...and for the ladies on makeaupalley who swear by wearing these lashes for twenty years- then you either have no lashes of your own left, or they're super-lashes. I can't explain it otherwise. This means i'm back to my vaseline+borage oil+castor oil routine again, slathering ten times the quantity and brushing them for ten minutes every night. I can't even begin to think what am i going to look like with mascara...thank goodness for the Shiseido mascara base, i hope it can help me a little in this department.

Bottom line-i strongly, strongly recommend you to stay away from the adhesive; it's just painful, complicated, and it takes a huge toll on your natural lashes. Goes straight into the trash can.

Therefore...: Yes, they look amazing. Yes, they can look natural and lift your entire look, particularly for a special occasion. However, there are serious problems you might encounter with these lashes, as i did. Everybody is different and if you are already a user and love them, by all means keep up the good work. What happened here happened after a decent amount of time, and perhaps my eyes are just built that way that it simply happened (the unwanted redness and inflammation). My advice would be use them, if you cannot resist the temptation (i almost felt the urge to apply them again after seeing how bald my eyes looked after removing them), but remove them as soon as possible, gently as possible, and then engage in an assiduous process of conditioning your lashes...because the adhesive does take a toll on them. I am never going to reapply the adhesive-i have no problem with the lashes whatsoever. So yep.