Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Due to a temporary loss of my own lashes (not a total loss, but they are very, very short just now) it is necessary for me to wear false eyelashes. Until this happened about a month ago, I'd only worn them once, and they were put on by a make up artist, so I've had to learn a lot on my own. I really have benefited from the product reviews that other women have posted on Amazon and am so grateful for the help. That is why i wanted to share my experience here. I am looking to have natural lashes, perhaps with the best mascara application on, not to be glamorous or obvious or as evening wear. That alone eliminates a lot of the options here. These lashes are quite nice. The hair is very soft, as is the band onto which it is attached. They are a bit longer than I would like, as they nearly touch my brows, but that is a common problem with false eye lashes. In experimenting with different types and different brands, I've learned the advantages and disadvantages of each. Soft banded lashes like these are very comfortable to wear because there is no stiff corner to poke you when blinking. On the other hand, when the band is so soft and flexible it can make it a bit more difficult to place the lash securely against the edge of your eyelid by pushing gently on the lash tips themselves or on the band. It can tend to shift or move, whereas lashes that have a stiffer band can be more easily nudged against the edge of the lid. One tip I can offer is to let the adhesive set up for a good 20-30 seconds. You want it to be tacky or sticky and not "wet" when placed against the lid so it will "stick". I tend not to wait long enough, and when the adhesive is wet it just won't "hold". These lashes do not come with any adhesive, by the way. There is adhesive in black, white, and clear. I tend to favor the white. It will generally dry reasonably invisibly, but if you need to you can always use some virtually black eyeshadow powder and a very skinny slanted brush to gently dab along the lash strip as an "eyeliner" to fill in any gaps between the lash strip and your own lashes, or to cover up any adhesive that may be showing. One problem with clear adhesive, I've discovered much to my surprise, is that it is impossible to tell where you've applied it to the lash strip, how thickly it has been applied, and while it sounds like a good idea, I've stopped using the clear one I bought as a result. As an experiment I also bought these lashes, which come in a pack of 10 pairs as well. New Thin 10 Pair Natural Black Long Fake False Eyelashes Eye Lash Makeup They appeared to be identical to the ones I'm reviewing here, and they arrived today, from Hong Kong. I can say that the packages look identical, the lashes also look identical, and the labels on the packages are identical. So if you want to save a little bit of money and can wait for them to arrive, go ahead and give these a try. For under $3 for 10 pairs, how can you lose? These lashes can be reused, and with care you can probably get 2-3-4 wearings out of them. They are basically disposable, but i would say that you don't have to toss them after one use. When this problem (needing to wear false eyelashes) developed, I was traveling in Europe. I found the UK brand Eylure to have the best, most natural looking lashes, but they are very hard to find here in the US. One of the "Naturalites" line of Eylure is available here on Amazon: Eylure Naturalites Natural Volume - 020 - Adhesive Included They do come with a tiny bottle of adhesive, and I've taken to carrying one in my purse at all times for emergency re-gluing. These particular lashes are very fine, have variable length, like natural lashes, and certainly look the most "normal". Because they are so fine they are particularly fragile so take care and you may be able to get 2-3 wearings out of them. They are also $6.99 each pair, so are much more expensive than certainly either of these two sets of ten pairs are, and more than the Ardell brand lashes that are commonly available in the US. In the UK there are several very subtle "natural" styles by Eylure, but regrettably are not available here that I can find. These Ardell "demure" lashes are available on Amazon as a single pair or in this pack of four pairs for $14.76. Ardell Fashion Lashes Pair - Demure (Pack of 4) They are fuller than the Eylure, but not as long as the lashes in the 10 pair pack mentioned above. The description on Amazon says "they may be reused up to three weeks". Balderdash. I've not come across any brand of lash that could possible be worn for 10+ hours a day, every day, for three weeks! They are very nice subtle lashes, and seem to be somewhat more durable than the Eylure. I like them quite a bit, so see what you think. In one of the helpful reviews I've read here on Amazon about lashes a reviewer mentioned Headcovers.com, a website for women with hair loss from cancer. She praised the clear adhesive that they sell (note my comment above about that) but when I went there I discovered some other false eyelashes to try and ordered two pair - one their #100 Basic Layered Eyelash ($4.99 plus shipping) and the other was on sale - #206 Criss Cross Low Volume lashes for $2.99. I've not yet tried the first pair, but the Criss Cross one turns out to be one of my favorites. I thought the criss cross lashes would look artificial but I'm assured they don't. They are 100% human hair, the lashes are longer than I'd optimally like, and the band they are attached to is stiffer and looks like black eyeliner when I wear them. But once you get the band a bit more flexible by wearing or by gently rolling them around a finger to make it softer, I've found that because the band IS stiff it is a bit easier to place correctly. With tacky adhesive it is easy to gently press down on the lash tips to put some gentle pressure on the lash band to adhere to my lid. I was surprised. And there are some days that both lashes go on just right the first time and I'm out the door, and others when one or the other (or both!) just will not seat properly and I'm frustrated and run late for work or whatever appointment I have that day. I never know how it will turn out. But it does get easier with practice. And I think that by the time I'm very adept with them my own lashes will have grown in enough that with some favorite mascara, I'll be good to go. Or maybe I'll decide that I love wearing false eyelashes every day. So, I hope this has been helpful. Thanks to all of you who took the time to write in about other similar products. I couldn't have done this without you!