Fun little fact about me: back in my college days I used to be a competitive ballroom dancer. No, I don't watch Dancing With the Stars (don't even get me started), but yes, the sport will always have a special place in my heart. While of course improving your dance technique and learning routines is a large part of what it means to be a ballroom dancer, there is also needing to wear elaborate costumes, donning your face in 10 pounds of makeup, and slathering yourself from head to toe in self tanner. Cultivating that perfect appearance of a professional dancer takes a whole lot of trial and error, and unfortunately for my much younger self, there was a lot of error.
If there was one thing I could go back in time and teach a college aged Lauren, having now had years of blogging and developing my beauty expertise, it would be how the heck to properly pick out and apply false eyelashes. Lord knows I had no idea what I was doing, and as a result I was completely turned off to the entire concept up until this last year. Honestly, I think falsies get that bad rep of being uncomfortable, difficult to use, or unnatural looking because a lot of other people are in the same boat as I was ten years ago.
But the truth is, false lashes don't really have to be any of those things. Take, for example, these Battington 3D Silk Lashes. Not only are they super lightweight and comfortable on the eyes, but I also know when I wear them it doesn't look like I'm wearing falsies. Yes my lashes look more full and beautiful, but they aren't obviously fake to the person I might be sitting across the table from. And, if the lashes themselves weren't awesome enough, this Birchbox exclusive starter kit that has everything you need to adventure into the world of falsies in one convenient package. Curious to know more? I thought you might be.
I myself am relatively new to Battington Lashes as a brand, but I have to say that I am digging everything I've learned about them so far. All of their false lashes use 100% handmade silk, giving you the same beautiful appearance of mink lashes with none of the animal cruelty. Their original false lashes retail for $26 and the 3D versions (which feature layered lashes to give a fuller effect) will cost you $28.
So if your first reaction to that price point is, "Lauren, why the heck would I ever spend $28 on a pair of false eyelashes when I can get them for $4 at the drugstore?!" I get where you're coming from. That was basically my line of thinking for a long time. However, when you consider the durability of a high quality pair of lashes its a lot easier to see why they're worth the investment. With proper care, you can rewear a pair of Battington lashes up to 25 times. That works out to be just over $1 per wear, which, if you're used to buying and throwing away your cheap lashes after one use, is actually a much more economical way to go.
You're also paying for quality, and the look that goes with it. Silk lashes have a soft, fluffy appearance that are much more similar to actual eyelashes than a lot of your drugstore offerings. That's not to say that every pair of affordable falsies is trash. I actually have come across a lot of less expensive options that I love. It's just much more difficult to get the same appearance as silk without investing in the real deal.
As of right now, Battington has six different styles of lashes (three original and three of the 3D variety) each named after old Hollywood starlets. They are your traditional strip style of lash on a black band. While you can purchase just the lashes by themselves, these handy starter kits also come with lash glue and scissors and retail for either $35.95 or $36.95 depending on the style you choose. I decided to go with Monroe, one of the 3D styles, because your girl here is all about volume and drama. If you want a much more subtle lash, though, the Kennedy set would probably be a great choice.
So, a quick word on the value of this set. Looking at the Battington Lash website, their glue normally retails for $8 and these cute little gold scissors retail for $16. Would I ever in my life ever pay $16 for these scissors? Oh heck no. But the set essentially brings the price down to $0.95, which is something I can actually handle.
That being said, if you've already got an awesome lash glue at home, it's probably the best value to just buy the lashes by themselves. But if you're starting from scratch I do think the glue in this set is really nice, and could justify buying the whole set from that perspective. It has a brush tip applicator that makes it easy to apply, and has a good amount of hold. Also, with this set being a Birchbox exclusive you can always use your points or a coupon code to earn yourself an extra discount (which is exactly what I did) and make all three products even more affordable.
While these lashes look super pretty in their white and gold packaging, the true testament is to see them on the eyes. Here are before and after shots for you to see the difference!
Before: Mascara only. My lashes look black and defined, but still a bit sparse and are lacking in length.
After: With my Monroe lashes you can see that my lash line looks much darker and fuller. My lashes are long, curled, and have a very soft, fluttery appearance. They seriously make a world of difference!
I'f I've managed to inspire you to start experimenting with falsies yourself, here are a few quick tips to help you feel like a pro in no time!
1. Try your lashes on and trim them BEFORE you actually plan on wearing them.
I was the worst culprit of being too lazy to do this in the past, but you NEED to measure and trim your lashes for them to not only look best but also to feel most comfortable on the eyes. If you've ever had extra lash band poking you in the tear duct you KNOW it's not a fun situation. Lash bands are designed to be extra long and fit the biggest of eyes, which means there is probably a good amount of excess that needs to be removed. My favorite time to prep my falsies is after I've finished my bedtime skincare routine. That way you a. don't have to rush, and b. won't get any makeup all over your shiny new lashes.
Pop the lash out of its case, give the band a good wiggle to loosen it up, and apply to your eye without any glue to see how it fits. Trim a little at a time and reapply until the fit is just right (the falsies should end where your natural lashes do), then pop them back in their case until you're ready to use them! It's neither right nor wrong to trim from either end, but you'll want to be mindful of how the lash is designed when you're choosing! Either way I like to make sure there is no extra band popping out on either side that might annoy me.
2. Don't rush the glue.
Patience is a virtue when it comes to false lash application. Let your glue dry for a full 30 seconds before you attempt to actually apply the lash to your eye, otherwise it's going to slip and slide all over the place and you'll probably end up pretty grumpy. You can also usually tell when the glue starts to go from opaque to transluscent that it's tacky and ready to go.
3. Treat your lashes with care.
Don't be one of those people that takes their eyelashes off when they get home and leaves them on the kitchen table. Put them right back in their case when you're done, and remember to remove excess glue from the band after every 3-4 uses. If they're starting to get a little makeup buildup, I'll spot clean with a little micellar water on a q-tip and then brush through with a spooly to reshape.
Whether you've got a special occasion coming up, or you've just generally been curious about taking your lash game to the next level, this starter kit might be a great way to get you started! Yes, it's a bit of an investment, but with proper care these lashes will probably last you months and months with occasional use. So far I've been very impressed with not only how natural they look, but also how lightweight and comfortable they are to wear. As far as my new everyday lash go-to, these are probably at the top of my list!
Would you ever try false lashes?
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