Finding the best fake lashes is one thing. But getting your hands on the best lashes for small eyes is a whole other matter.
The internet is full of people claiming that this or that particular product is best. But when it comes to eyes, there’s really no way to say that just one product is the best since we all have such different eye shapes and sizes.
This is particularly challenging when you happen to be blessed with a gorgeous set of peepers that are on the small side. Your eyes may be pretty and petite but when it comes to finding ways to doll up your eyes, it can be tricky.
Eyes are important to a face, because they’re extremely expressive and they’re usually the ones to pull focus. And as much as wee all want big, beautiful, sparkling eyes, most of us just aren’t born with doll eyes. That doesn’t mean we can’t enhance them as much as possible, and the easiest way to do it is with falsies!
However, most falsies seem to also cater to our big-eyed friends, and they’re usually not a good fit for small eyes and can be overwhelming on a more petite face.
It can take a bit of work to find the ideal lashes, so give this a read to learn about what you should be looking for when choosing the best lashes for small eyes.
Types of Eyelashes for Small Eyes
When you’re after a bit of artificial help to really make your small eyes pop, the choices come down to two types of lashes: falsies and extensions.
Here’s everything you need to know about both of these options!
False eyelashes
The most obvious choice is to just go for a good pair of falsies. But there are multiple aspects to look out for, especially when you’re looking to fit small eyes.
Strip Lashes
Strip lashes can be difficult to fit for small eyes because they’re usually sized a lot bigger. It usually takes a bit of trial and error to find brands and styles that suit your eye shape best.
That being said, we definitely recommend that you go for falsies that are made with thinner and lighter lashes as they’ll blend better and look more natural on small eyes. Our favorite ones at the moment? They’ve got to be these ones from Eylure Naturals.
but you can also work with bigger lashes by cutting them to fit your eyes.
As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that you cut from the outer corner, rather than from the inner corner, because you want to take away the longest lashes and get the strip to fit you better.
You can also cut them into several shorter pieces for an easier and more natural application.
Demi/Corner Lashes
If you have small eyes, you probably often find that even if the strip fits your eyes, the lashes tend to overwhelm you anyway. They start too close to your inner corner, or they’re just too long and it looks unnatural. But there’s a way around that.
Have you ever tried demi lashes? Also known as corner lashes, demi lashes are short strips of (usually) shorter lashes that you only apply on the outer corners to give you some oomph, without overwhelming your whole eye or covering your beautiful eyeshadow.
Our favorite ones? It’s got to be Ardell’s Lash Accents – you can pick up a pair for drugstore prices.
If you can’t find corner lashes or you don’t want to pay extra, you can make your own by cutting your large strip lashes into smaller pieces and only applying them at the outer corners.
Individual Lashes
Individual lashes might just be the ideal solution to your problem – if strip lashes are often overwhelming, individual lashes allow you full control over how many lashes you add and where you place them, exactly. You can achieve a look that is as natural or as full as you want.
Individual lashes come in different lengths, just like strip lashes and extensions. Most women pick up a selection of different sizes, but you may want to stick to the shortest ones, at least for now.
They apply in clusters of three or more lashes, and you can apply them anywhere; it’s recommended that you start at the outer corner.
Do be aware that individuals come with their own set of challenges in terms of application, and that it may take a while to get the hang of things. Just arm yourself with patience, take your time, and don’t forget to use a pair of tweezers; it’s way easier.
Lash extensions
If you don’t want to deal with all the hassle of hunting down the right fake lashes or measuring and cutting them down into bits and then gluing and ungluing them every day, there’s a simple solution: professional lash extensions.
You get them done once, and then you wake up looking incredible for up to 4 weeks, no application necessary.
However, aside from the regular maintenance woes that one might have with extensions, you also need to keep something else in mind – a lot of women with small eyes find that extensions can easily overwhelm their eyes and their faces.
Here are the most common mistakes they make and what you can do instead to make professional lash extensions work for your features:
Mistake #1. Go for a full set
Look, full sets can look incredible, but they are also very hardcore and very heavy. You know what it looks like when you notice a woman wearing extensions because it’s so obvious? You don’t want that effect.
You want people to compliment your lashes, not your extensions, and to stare at you wondering whether they’re real or not.
What you can do instead: Have fewer lashes put in – say, if the full set is 100 lashes, only get 75 or 60.
Another thing you can do is to have the technician start the extensions closer to the middle of your lid, instead of right next to the inner corner. That will help make it look more natural and open up your eye more.
Mistake #2. Go for the longest lashes
You’re probably thinking that since you’re paying so much to get this done, you might as well get the longest lashes, right?
At least, that’s what a lot of clients think, and the technicians sometimes encourage this line of thought, because bigger = always better. But in the case of women with small eyes, it is not so.
What you can do instead: No one says you need the longest lashes! Just like you can get shorter falsies, you can also opt for shorter, more natural-looking professional extensions.
The extensions should suit your eyes, that’s the beauty of this highly personalized service! There’s no point, if we all come out looking the same. Make this work for you, instead of the other way around.
Mistake #3. Pick a cat-eye shape
The most popular shape is to apply the lashes for a cat-eye effect, so with longer lashes towards the outer corner of the eye, to create a slightly elongated shape.
That can be very elegant and sexy, but it makes your eyes look even smaller. A person with larger eyes can get away with it, but it may not be as flattering on your features.
What you can do instead: What is most flattering for small eyes is a rounded shape. That means that the lashes start shorter in the inner corner, are the longest in the middle of the lid, and then taper back out towards the outer corner. That achieves a bigger, rounded, more open look for your eyes.
What Material Works Best for Small Eyes?
Lashes – whether they’re falsies or extensions – can be made from various materials, but they come down to two major types: synthetic (silk, faux mink) or real mink.
There is nothing wrong with synthetic, and in fact, they last for around the same amount of wears as the mink ones. They’re even similar in terms of price.
Where they differ, however, is in look.
Even though they’re usually in the same styles, the synthetic ones have a bit more shine than the real mink ones, and that can betray the fact that they are not your real lashes. It can make the look more dramatic and not as natural.
On the other hand, if you’re cruelty-free, real mink lashes may not be something you want to support, so choosing synthetic is just fine!
If it doesn’t matter to you either way, mink lashes would definitely look more natural and suit small eyes more.
What are the Best Lashes For Small Eyes?
If you’re looking for specific product recommendations, here are some of the ones that worked for us, in addition to our favorites above!
Ardell Demi Baby Wispies & Demi Wispies
Ardell Wispies and Demi Wispies are some of the most (if not The Most) popular lash styles out there. They seem to work for absolutely everyone…except, they don’t.
As universal as everyone says they are, there are a lot of women for whom these lashes are simply too long and too dramatic for daily wear.
But that’s ok, because Ardell came to our rescue with a mini version of their best-selling lashes: Baby Wispies and Baby Demi Wispies. The same glamorous look, at a smaller scale!
Eyelure Accents
Accent lashes (from Eyelure and from other brands) are great because they’re shorter, and more tapered, and generally lighter, less dramatic versions of strip lashes.
They can be good for wearing day to day as a natural alternative, and they also work great for women with small eyes!
