How to choose false lashes for your wedding day
as a makeup artist, I carry a variety of lash styles in my kit. often, I have brides that prefer to spend time finding their ideal lash style + don’t mind doing the extra work! so, here is our false eye lashes guide for those who want to curate their own lash style for their wedding day.
choose your ideal length + VOlume
length = short → medium → long → extra long
take into account how much lid space you have and where your brows sit in relation to your eyes.
the less lid space between your brows and lash line, you’ll want shorter lashes. the more lid space you have, you have the room to experiment with longer lengths (if you want!)
volume = wispy → fluttery → dramatic
the density of the lashes you choose also depends on your available lid space as well as your eye shape.
what is your eye SHAPE?
if you haven’t already, let’s determine your eye shape. take a good look at your eyes in the mirror to observe the following:
can you see the whole iris in your eye (the colored part) or is it partly obscured by your eyelids?
do your eyes slant upwards or downwards at all? for example, if you have downturned eyes, winged lash styles will make your eyes look heavier. this in turn will give the illusion that your eyes are even more downturned than they actually are. crazy, right?
do you have a visible crease under your brow bone?
how much space do you have between your eyes? measure this by using your fingers to span the width of one of your eyes + see if that width fits between your eyes. if the space is smaller than the width of one of your eyes, you have close-set eyes. if the space is larger than the width of one of your eyes, you have wide-set eyes.
with so many eye shape charts out there, we should simplify into the following categories:
ALmond eyes
if you have a slight point on both sides of your eye, with a wider center, you may have almond shaped eyes. most lash styles look great on almond eyes! so if you were planning to experiment with a variety of lengths and fullness, you’re in luck.
try: full, evenly distributed lashes
Round Eyes
if you can see your entire iris, you most likely have round eyes. some strip lashes have a difficult time adhering to round eyes due to their curvy shape. to make this easier, look for styles with curved bands.
avoid: heavy lashes that can flatten your eye shape
try: curly/curvy band styles, wispy or fluttery styles
mono-lidded eyes
if little to no crease is visible, you may have this eye shape! mono-lidded eyes look lovely with voluminous, multi-layered lashes.
avoid: thin lashes
try: fluttery lashes to open the eye
prominent (protruding) eyes
if you have large eyes that stand out, and have an appearance of a “lower lid” - then this may be your eye shape. sensational lashes and/or winged styles can actually help balance the look.
avoid: thin lashes
try: dramatic, feathery styles
downturned eyes
if your eyes can look “heavy” or “sad” on the outer corners, you probably have a downturned eye shape. lift the eye by focusing on length in the center of your eyes.
avoid: winged lashes
try: length in the center of the lash
upturned eyes
upturned eyes have a natural “flick” at the ends + are perfect for a cat-eye look.
try: winged styles, flared half-lash in outer corner
close set eyes
based on our measurement trick above, if you have this eye shape (like I do!) - follow this tip: concentrate on the outer corners to extend the eye outwards.
avoid: fullness near the inner corner of the eye
try: winged lashes (with or without length in center), flared half-lash in outer corner
wide set eyes
if the space between your eyes is larger than the width of one of your eyes, you have wide-set eyes. bring more attention to the center of each eye with longer lashes in that area.
avoid: winged styles
try: uniform fullness in the lash with length in the center
deep set eyes
if your eye sit far back under your brow bone, you have deep set eyes. aim for extra long lashes to extend past your brow bone. you also don’t want these to be too curly since we want to avoid any unsightly mascara smudges on the brow bone.
avoid: short lashes
try: extra-long lashes
HOODED EYES
if you have a crease, but your eyelid is not clearly visible when your eye is open, you may have hooded eyes. since we are aiming to open the eye, go for longer lashes in the center.
avoid: winged styles or heavy lashes
try: fluttery lashes with length in center
when to choose individual / clusters
if you don’t want a visible band, individual and cluster lashes may be a preferable choice for you. but, some strip lashes do come with a clear band!
as an artist, sometimes I use individual lashes and/or clusters for more versatility. this type of application does take longer, so I personally prefer to leave this option for my brides only.
lastly, vibe check
keep your wedding mood board in mind when styling your makeup, hair + accessories. if you have an outdoor elopement in the middle of the woods, glamorous lashes may feel out of place. this is true even if you do have prominent eyes, which would be the perfect candidate for a dramatic style!
if you need assistance choosing your ideal lash style, or are looking for a beauty team for your wedding day, we should chat! you can also check out our instagram for inspiration, real brides, and plenty of advice!