Ask - Face

eye lash curlers

January 26, 2010

Have you tried eyelash curlers? Do they work and where do you buy them?

Kate via Twitter

I love eyelash curlers but must confess I don’t use them every day. Some days I simply forget, but when I do use them I LOVE the bendy eye-popping affect they create.

I once interviewed Troy Surratt when he was head makeup artist for Maybelline NY and he described lashes as being ‘the awnings of the eyes that you should flip open’. That’s stuck in my head and I think is a very apt way to describe the affect eye lash curlers have.

As a contraption they can be slightly terrifying, I mean they are really, just a mini guillotine. But they’re also incredibly simple to use. I have relatively cheap ones. I think they are manicare and I got them from Farmers for under $10. You can also buy eyelash curlers at pharmacies. There are snazzy ones that vibrate - these are good and worth the splurge, especially the ModelCo ones.

But back to our friend - barry basic. When you buy these they will come with a spare black liner that fits in the curler where your lashes get squished. You want to keep this sponge like pad in place to prevent breakage (and yes that could also mean snapping the lashes off).

Use eyelash curlers before applying mascara - mascara will make the lashes stick to said guillotine which could again result in a somewhat unhappy ending. We want long lashes not stumps!

Get the curlers as close to the lid as possible - the curve will shape the lash. Press together and hold for a few seconds. Then swipe eyes with mascara - two coats for full batty lashes. Flick a few times and smile! You now have weapons of mass destruction.

Do you use eyelash curlers? Got any funny stories about them?

Do you have an ‘ask our experts’ question?

Tamsin xo