With false lashes ringing in at up to £20 a pair, throwing a set away after a single use feels just plain wrong. Turns out, we’re right to trust our guts on this one, because according to makeup artist Jamie Greenberg (whose celebrity clients include Rashida Jones, Kaley Cuoco, and Busy Philipps) there's plenty of life left in a duo of false lashes after you’ve turned down for the night. The trick: Treat them like dishes and wash them after every use.
The fact is, we should be able to get more than a dozen wears out of a set if we baby our fake lashes, Greenberg estimates — something that makes even the highest of price tags much easier to stomach. Ahead, get the makeup pro's blueprint for making lashes last into 2019.
Choose your tools carefully to start the removal process. You'll need a tightly-wound cotton bud, which Greenberg says is best to help ensure fibres don’t transfer onto the lashes. Also vital: Have a water-based eye makeup remover around for the job. “An oil-based remover will warp the lash,” she explains. “It can also leave a residue on the lash that might interfere with the tackiness of the glue or cause your makeup to run when you wear them next.”
To remove, Greenberg recommends gently peeling the falsies off your lashline slowly and smoothly. Now soak a cotton bud with eye makeup remover and use it to wipe away any excess glue along the strip.
Now it's time to clean the lashes themselves. Greenberg suggests sandwiching them in between two tightly wound, makeup remover-soaked cotton buds and combing through to the tips. When finished, lay those babies back in their case to dry. Once lashes are dry (and only when they’re completely dry), mist with 96% or 99% alcohol to kill any bacteria, Greenberg advises.
Finally, set yourself up for maximum re-use by going easy on the mascara when wearing lashes. Greenberg notes that cleaning falsies — and keeping their shape — becomes incredibly hard when trying to cut through coats upon coats of mascara.
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