WEDDING MAKEUP | Falsies vs lash extensions vs lash lifts- what's best for your big day?

Want your eyes to stand out on your wedding day? Most brides do, but aren’t sure exactly what route to go to get there.

What’s right for one bride won’t necessarily be right for you. There’s a lot of factors at play; budget, lifestyle, maintenance, eye shape - and how natural you want them to look.

There’s the traditional false lash, which gives fantastic definition and drama, is waterproof and sweatproof- but can be a little messy to apply.

Then there’s some more longer-lasting options like a lash lift, which can last for several months and gives a beautiful, natural lift; or eyelash extensions, which add instant drama that lasts for weeks.

Here, I’ve broken down these three popular methods for making your lashes stand out on your wedding day, so you can see what might work best for you.

False lashes

The easiest, most popular and most temporary option is to wear false lashes on your wedding day. Your makeup artist will apply these when they do your makeup.

You can experiment with different styles during your trial to work out what would work best for your eye shape; and what kind of style would work with your overall look and theme- whether that’s really soft and natural, more dramatic, or somewhere in between.

False lashes come in different types as well- there’s the traditonal strip lash which is glued on to the base of your own eyelashes with lash glue. These come in a variety of styles, lengths and widths- from full strip, half strip to outer corner strip lashes (a small cluster of lashes that are just applied to the outer third of your eye to accentuate and lift your eye shape).

Individual lashes are small clusters of lashes (they look like a little wispy V shape) that are glued onto the base of your lashes with lash glue. They offer more versatility than a strip lash as they can be applied in a variety of ways to suit your own personal eye shape. Makeup artists generally prefer these for brides because they can layer them up from very subtle- just filling in where you need a bit more volume- to a fuller look that still looks soft and wispy. Out of all the options, these will feel the lightest- in fact, you’ll hardly feel them at all.
Magnetic false lashes are the newest type of false lash on the market and they are becoming really popular. They can be re-worn multiple times and are generally less messy to apply than a strip lash- they use magnets that grip onto a magnetic liner that’s applied along your lashline, rather than a glue. They can feel a little heavier than a strip lash.

Lash extensions

Eyelash extensions are where small clusters of lashes are joined to your own lash line to give volume and length. You can go from natural to full-on drama with extensions, and the results generally last around 4 weeks.

Lash extensions definitely give you that extra va-va-voom - you’ll look done up even sans makeup. They are a more dramatic look; and definitely not for those wanting subtle or very natural lashes. They’re good for when you’re on holiday, have a lot of activities planned and not a lot of time to do your makeup; or if you are doing a lot of swimming and don’t want mascara going everywhere.

With lash extensions, you can get away with wearing very minimal makeup as your lashes will give you a made up look.

I generally recommend if a client wants extensions, they get them as close to the wedding day as possible, as they do start to shed within a day or so of application.

They’re not for everyone; some people find them irritating, they take a while to apply (you’ll be laying with your eyes closed for a good 90 minutes), and they can be expensive and high maintenance (you’ll need to get them re-filled every month or so if you want to maintain them).

If you have issue with picking at / playing with your lashes, you should probably steer clear as you’ll be pulling them out without realising, and possibly damaging your own lashes.

Eyelash lift / perm

An eyelash lift is another alternative, which involves curling your lashes up onto a silicone pad while your eyes are taped closed, and applying a solution that breaks the bond in the hairs and re-sets them in an upward curved shape (like a perm does to your hair strands). This lifts the lashes up and out from your eye, resulting in more lifted, longer looking lashes.

A lash lift is the least dramatic of the three options but the results can still be quite striking, particularly if you have long but quite straight lashes.

Overall, it’s a quicker process than lash extensions and is usually cheaper as well.

Again, they're not for everyone; the fumes from the solution can sting a little even with your eyes taped closed, but I much prefer a lash lift to extensions. A word of warning- don’t EVER attempt to lift (or tint) your lashes yourself or have a friend DIY. The chemicals used are very harsh and should only every be used in a salon environment by a pro- you have been warned.

Whatever you are thinking, or if you need help deciding between lash services speak to us!

We’re here to help if you want to weigh the pros and cons of either of these options and what would work best for you.

Have a question? Feel free to get in touch with me

I LOVE awesome parties and alternative weddings and know a lot of great wedding vendors that do too!

Making you look and feel amazing on your big day is the core of what I do, and I'd be over the moon to help you out with ideas, beauty prep advice and ways to stay zen on your big day.

At Killer Queen, we're here for you every step of the way and want to make your day as memorable and epic as possible- it's what it's all about.

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Hey, I'm Danee!

I’m a makeup & hair artist and all-round creative with a serious cheese fetish and a hankering for tequila. A badass beauty disruptor and educator with nearly a decade of clocked miles in the beauty industry. I’m a playlist ADDICT who also stans for writing, drawing, inhaling 70s design and 90s pop culture; and have a mad love affair for thrift shopping, sleeping, and going on roadtrips!