Compared to duck lips and cheek implants, sporting fake lashes is nothing. Just a small and temporary adornment. Personally, I prefer the look you get by judicious application of separate clusters, but sometime a full strip or a demi is quite lovely. But when is it too much? A couple of months ago at the Social Security offices (light years worse than the DMV) I saw a stunning woman. She was over 6' tall even without the outrageous platforms, had a jaw dropping figure, cheek bones sharp enough to cut diamonds... everything about her was extreme and exaggerated to the max, but the one thing that ruined it all for me was a pair of cheap-looking and too long eyelash strip. She was already larger than life in every way, but the lashes just killed it for me.
I was reminded of the woman and her lashes when I saw photos of Elizabeth Hurley and Miss USA Alyssa Campanella from The Breast Cancer Research Foundation's 'Hot Pink Party' at The Waldorf Astoria. Both looked as gorgeous as they come, of course, but I find the fake lashes on both of them to look over done, too Barbified, and just looking off. For comparison, here are designer Tory Burch and model Carolyn Murphy from the same event:
What do you think? Do you wear fake lashes? If so, when and what kind?
All photos via Zimbio.
I began wearing makeup in the early sixties. Throughout that decade, false eyelashes were extremely popular and ranged from the light and wispy to the heavy and theatrical. Except for the popularity of individual clusters, nothing much has changed this time around. Whereas some women know how to accentuate; others only know how to obliterate and that will always be the case. Personally, I think lashes are too much when they are heavy and cast unflattering shadow over the iris. It's the light striking the eyes that open them up and make the color pop.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I've only discovered false lashes recently and I've been absolutely loving them! Can't get over how easy they are to use and how much better they can look than strip lashes. Hard to say when it's too much as so much is down to individual feautures, but sometimes when I'm going for a bold look I do love some very dramatic lashes...I suppose it's all preference at the end of the day! :)
ReplyDeleteI wear fake lashes - either MAC or Ardell are my favourites but I wear other brand too. I have a very certain "type" that I wear...quite spiky and not overly long.
ReplyDeleteI'm Asian - I have small eyes, smallish face and a very discreet lid. The only lashes I've worn that doesn't overpower everything else are the set for bottom lashes. I think emphasize is a note you should go for, overpower is a no go. However I hate how fake lashes feel on my eyes, so it's a no go!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely *love* Carolyn Murphy's look here.
Never have and never will. They say that blondes are hairier than brunettes, and I'm exhibit No. 1 for the proposition. Anytime I feel like lamenting the long strands that grow on my arms, chin and cheeks, I try to remember that they also grow next to my eyes. I look like a camel just with mascara.
ReplyDeleteI like corner lashes for a night-time look, but a full set can be a bit much. Ever since youtube guru's became a 'thing' I see so many young girls with enormous fake lashes that don't even look like lashes, they look like rectangular eye-tents, probably because they wear multiple sets of lashes at the same time. Horrid.
ReplyDeleteI like false lashes on occasion but I don't want them to be too crazy. How about those really furry ones that JLo wears? Oh my!
ReplyDeleteI love lashes and Im open minded . 5 years ago i may judge other people, but now -If that makes happy that person , Im thumbs up :) So I dont really care . As for photos - all of them look amazing to me .
ReplyDeleteAs for me - my lashes is crazy small , and i really mean that . my boyfriends bottom lashes are like 3x longer than my upper lashes , so I do use false lashes , but not in everyday . I would do that too with everyday makeup , but Im still not that good with false lash application :)
I don't wear falsies since I can't make them stay on...but LOVE the look of them. For special events, I don't think they look over done, but yes, they are too much for every day wear.
ReplyDeleteI grew up dancing (ballet, modern, hip hop and tap) and so I was practically raised with a pair of false lashes on. My lashes are naturally quite long, dark and curled, so it is easy enough for me to find a demi pair that looks like my lashes, but a *bit* better. I'm partial to Ardell, because that's what I grew up using and you can now get them at my local Nordstrom Rack for less than $4 a pair. My favorite set is #120 - they give a good extra amount of length at the outer corner, but get shorter toward the inner, which makes them more natural. I wore them this weekend to a bachelorette party, and my friends argued with me that they weren't my real lashes! Highly recommend for fun/special occasions. (this is a link to my fave set: http://www.ardelllashes.com/product/?id=30)
ReplyDeleteOne of the worst threats of "make up enhancement" is that one tends to forget that in some particular areas of our face "unnatural" often equals "freaky".
ReplyDeleteIf you can immediately say "fake eyelashes" then you probably don't look good (and you certainly look tacky) - in real life at least.
Even overly-groomed eyebrows look strange on a real life face (as opposed to a l'oreal ad).
That's my very personal opinion, but I do understand that wearing over-the-top lashes can be fun!!
I have a soft spot for those crazy, feathery, colorful shu uemura lashes...
I have long and thick lashes so normally I wouldn't go for falsies. The only time I've worn them was for my wedding. I had a photographer who was also a makeup artist, who gently insisted on my using them, her thoughts were just a few individual lashes judiciously placed made my eyes pop in pictures. I'm so glad I listened to her. I am not a fan of the barbified over done look but this was perfect.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried them, not once. I wouldn't mind trying. Age and hormones have thinned my once lush lashes by at least a third of their original volume. I still have wicked length (hits the inside of my sunglasses), but wimpy volume now. I think falsies might be fun, but I haven't a clue how to apply them to myself. I'd end up looking like Benjamin Raspail's head in a jar in Silence of the Lambs.
ReplyDelete