This Surprising Hack Quickly Lengthens Lashes

I'm always down to find a quick and easy way to make my lashes look longer. But since I'm a little hesitant to try methods like eyelash extensions or even growth serums, I tried a bunch of eyelash-lengthening hacks instead. After all, if you just need those instant and inexpensive results, it doesn't get much simpler than layering some products you probably already have in your beauty arsenal.

So to see which lash-lengthening hacks work best and are actually comfortable to wear throughout the day, I tried six different tricks: Tightlining, layering different mascara formulas, adding an eyelash primer, adding eyelash fibers, adding cotton, and adding baby powder. While I always start by curling my lashes to help make them appear longer and open up my eyes, I combined this with each of the six tricks to make my lashes appear as long as possible without having to resort to more permanent solutions or using falsies. And while there were some hacks that worked surprisingly well, there are some that I wouldn't really recommend. Here's how each lash-lengthening trick worked, and which ones are worth repeating:

All hacks were attempted using the same Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, $21, Sephora

1. Mascara

For reference, here's how my lashes normally look with two coats of my favorite mascara. There's room for improvement on that length though, so let's see how different hacks compare.

2. Tightline

Tightlining, or lining your upper water-line, is supposed to help add some depth to give the appearance that your lashes are longer. I paired this trick with the same two coats of mascara that I always wear. While I don't think my lashes look significantly longer than with mascara alone, I can still tell a difference, and think this is a good, mess-free way to fake lengthened lashes. If you try this hack, just be sure to select a waterproof formula that will stay in your water-line all day.

3. Layered Mascara

I honestly can't believe I've never tried layering different mascara formulas before. Instead of just building up an all-in-one formula, I applied a coat of pure lengthening mascara before topping off with my Tarte mascara. And I have to say that combining formulas definitely gave greater length than simply building up one formula on its own. What is also great about this method is that it is totally mess-free.

4. Eyelash Primer

Even though many eyelash primers tend to be white, if they don't leave your lashes with a gray-cast after mixing in the black mascara, they can do wonders for lengthening. Before applying two coats of mascara, I first applied one coat of primer to bare, curled lashes. Another mess-free option, primers are a quick way to add length and volume to a lash look.

5. Eyelash Fibers

Fibers can be pretty hit-or-miss, and for me, it was more of a miss. For this lash look, I first applied one coat of my Tarte mascara, and quickly applied a layer of fibers while the mascara was still wet. I then topped off the fibers with one more coat of mascara to seal them to my lashes. While the lash fibers undoubtedly gave me that extra length I was after, it also left behind quite a mess. Perhaps my mascara wasn't wet enough or perhaps I wasn't neat enough. Either way, I couldn't deal with all of the little fuzzies left behind all over my face. Without the right pairing of mascara and fiber, this lash-lengthening method is a pass for me.

6. Cotton

Although a little more difficult to do, this DIY method of lash fibers did not leave as much of a mess. For this look, I used a spoolie brush to grab some fibers from a cotton ball, and applied them to my lashes which already had one coat of wet mascara. Then, just like I did with the lash fibers, I sealed the cotton to my lashes with a top-coat of the same mascara. Although this cotton approach was less messy, I don't think it lengthened my lashes quite as well as the previous fibers, and it did take longer to try to get the cotton to stick to my lashes.

7. Baby Powder

The last of the sandwich methods, I finally tried adding baby powder to my lashes for a more dramatic effect. While my first coat of mascara was still wet, I used a cotton swab to coat my lashes with baby powder. Then, I added a final layer of mascara to conceal the baby powder and the gray effect it had on my lashes. The baby powder definitely helped give my lashes some added length, but similarly to the lash fibers and the cotton, this method was also slightly more messy and time-consuming than some of the earlier approaches.

So...Which Worked Best?

Clockwise from top left: Tightline, Layered Mascara, Eyelash Primer, Baby Powder, Cotton, Eyelash Fibers

Overall, I was pleased that every hack worked as it was supposed to — all definitely made my lashes look longer. However, some were messier and even more uncomfortable than others. The sandwich methods where I sealed lash fibers, cotton, and baby powder between coats of mascara all took longer than tightlining, layering a primer, and layering a lengthening mascara underneath my regular mascara. What's more is that these former three methods could also be slightly irritating, as it was easy to accidentally get fibers and powder in my eyes.

So while these hacks still work in a pinch, my favorite methods and the ones I would recommend, are layering a lengthening mascara or an eyelash primer underneath your favorite formula for the most dramatic increase in length. And if you pair either of these methods with tightlining, you'll basically never need to wear falsies again.

Images: Miki Hayes (16)