Have you ever seen those 1950s movies where the lead actress slowly flips her long flowing hair to the other side of her face, looks over her shoulder with a very coy expression and bats her extremely long lashes at the guy across the room? Of course he just melts. We might not have the “doe-eyed” look identical to Audrey Hepburn but we can definitely achieve “great lashes” with less money and less time. There are a few ways to do this: the artificial route or the natural way.
False eyelashes were invented in 1916 by the great American Cinema Director, David W. Griffith. He wanted the actresses in his silent film “Intolerance, Loves Struggle Through the Ages” to have “fluttering” eyes. He felt the look could only be created with false lashes. In the 1930s, actress Seena Owen was the first movie star to outwardly use falsies and it was soon adopted in numerous Hollywood productions. They were eventually popular with women in general. Maybelline was the first cosmetic company to produce a mascara package (it was only 10 cents!) and it soon became a hot commodity in the makeup market.
Falsies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from strips, clusters or individuals. The hardest to apply might be the individuals because it takes more time and patience. The strip lashes are the most popular because they are the easiest to apply but they can be heavy, and can also look the most unrealistic if applied the wrong way! Choosing the right falsies solely depend on personal preference. My first time wearing false lashes was when I went to my high school prom. It took the makeup artist about 20 minutes to apply them because I kept moving and fidgeting everytime the glue got close to my eye. Needless to say, I am not a big fan of strip lashes, or false lashes in general, but just the other day my thoughts were changed.
When I was at work I met a woman who was a dermatologist and had studied in Sudan. She now specializes as a Cosmetic Consultant. During our brief conversation I learned that she also worked for a company called Xtreme Lashes. She was the leading “Lash Stylist” in the area. Despite my lack of knowledge on lashes and nevertheless being absolutely oblivious to the fact that your eyelashes needed a stylist, I was honored to be in her presence. She then told me she was in town for an Xtreme Lash training session and she needed a volunteer for one of her trainees. Keep in mind Xtreme Lashes is a very profitable and successful company, they apply individual lashes to almost every one of your actual eyelashes, the process takes about two hours and cost about $200. I said “yes” without even thinking about the words that were coming out of my mouth and quickly gave her my contact info.
The next day as I made my way to the training session, I couldn’t shake the thought that I would be someone’s guinea pig for two hours while they probed at my eyelashes with tweezers in one hand and very tacky glue in the other. What if she accidently poked me in the eye or glued one of the false lashes to my eye lid instead of my eye lash?! I was terrified. However, when I walked in the room there was a glass of water, a white plush blanket folded on a white laying table with a nice woman standing next to the table smiling at me. She introduced herself and told me exactly what she was going to do and why it was going to take two hours. However, the two hours zoomed by with lighting speed and I could barely feel her attaching the lashes. When I got off the table and looked in the mirror, I could not tell the difference between my actual eye lashes and the falsies. They looked so natural and full.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Who has 200 bucks to spend on fake eye lashes? I know. Neither do I. So how can we get our eyelashes to grow healthy and long on their own? Easy.
First, watch what you eat. Your eyelashes are just a small fraction of the hair that grows from your body and your body cannot produce long healthy hair without the necessary vitamins and minerals. Vitamin E, Biotin, Vitamin B6, Inositol and Vitamin A are all needed to keep your hair healthy and growing.
Here is a list of foods and snacks that carry the nutrients we all need for healthy lashes:
- Salmon- protein and Vitamin D
- Walnuts- omega-3 fatty acids, biotin and Vitamin E
- Oysetrs- zinc (lack of zinc can lead to eyelash lost!)
- Sweet Potatos- source of antioxidant beta carotene (Vitamin A)
- Eggs- protein, zinc, selenium, sulfur, and iron (iron carries oxygen to hair follicles)
- Spinach- iron, beta carotene, folate, and Vitamin C
- Lentils- I know they are gross but they’re packed with protein, iron, zinc and biotin
- Greek yogurt- Vitamin B5 and D
- Blueberries- Vitamin C (not enough Vitamin C leads to hair breakage)
Now that we got that out the way, aside from eating the right foods it is also important to keep your eyelashes groomed if you want them to grow. Contrary to popular belief, brushing and combing your eyelashes with an eyelash brush can induce growth. If you don’t have an eyelash brush you can use an old mascara brush. Just rinse the mascara off with luke-warm water and there you go! Easy enough right?
Another trick to get your lashes growing and thick is using Vaseline. Out of all of the beauty secrets that revolve around Vaseline, this one has to be coolest. Just wiping a little bit of Vaseline over your eyelashes before you go to sleep at night can promote healthy growth by keeping them conditioned. Wearing too much mascara or wearing it every day can really dry out your eyelashes and make them brittle. It is almost the same concept as dying your hair. However, some people have sensitive skin and cannot apply Vaseline to their skin every night without seeing a new pimple every morning. In those cases, you can use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as a replacement. Olive Oil does the same thing as Vaseline but because it comes from natural resources it works better for sensitive skin types. Just dab a thimble full of oil on a Q-tip and gently swipe it over your eyelashes before you go to bed. Massaging your eyelids can also help with eyelash growth because massaging will stimulate the hair follicles. If you think you will feel like a total weirdo massaging your eyelids at night then I have one last option. Some cosmetic companies make eyelash lengtheners that come in a tube and look just like mascara. Most of the prices are reasonable but reviews are mixed so try them at your own risk and most of all, with skepticism. It is important to keep in mind that eyelash growth also depends on your genes. Some people naturally have long eyelashes and some have short ones. They are all still beautiful. So if all else fails, remember you are still drop-dead gorgeous no matter the length of your eyelashes! Until next time, collegiettes!