I have stick straight lashes. Curling them is a challenge in itself, and they refuse to hold the curl after applying the regular type mascara (before I discover the right kind of mascara that holds my lashes curl). If you have the same problem, keep on reading. I can’t believe it took me this long to put this into a blog post. This is one of the biggest beauty struggles I’ve had my whole life. And I know many girls share the same problem, hopefully this post will help those of you. Here is how to curl straight eyelashes, the best mascara for straight lashes, and how to keep your lashes curled.

Why won’t my lashes stay curled?

My lashes, just like my hair, are naturally straight. So the only way for anyone to see them is if they’re curled up and a mascara is applied. However, every time I use a mascara after curling my lashes, they will straighten back out. The reason for that is because there is water in the list of ingredients of a regular water-based mascara. The same exact way my curled and styled hair on my head would go back to stick straight after I wash it.

After visiting a few beauty stores and bringing my frustration to the employees, I couldn’t find any solution that exactly solves my problem. Searches on the internet didn’t help either. Until I discovered how to curl my lashes and the right kind of mascara formula through trial and error.

How to curl straight eyelashes

Before we talk about the best mascara kind for straight lashes, let’s talk about how to curl them first. You need to get them nice and curled before applying any product. Here is a technique I’ve learned through trial and error, and practice over the years. All you need is an eyelash curler, no heat or spoon, or any special curler, a regular eyelash curler will do. The one I use is the ProCurl Eyelash Curler by Tweezerman, because the silicone pad is a little wider, making it gentler on the lashes, and the curler is rose gold, how pretty! You can use any lash curler you have.

Onto how to curl straight lashes: Imagine you have a straight straw, like the one to drink your beverage with, and the end result you want is a curled version of the straw that looks like the smile part of a smiley face emoji. How do you do that with an eyelash curler? You don’t just take the curler and press down once somewhere in the middle of the straw right? You take the curler and press down on multiple points across the straw and create a curve. So when curling your straight lashes, we’re going to do the same thing, but we’re working with much shorter length than a straw.

We’re going to use the curler and curl multiple sections of the lashes, each time change the angle of the lash curler accordingly, pointing the handle of the curler up.

First, you want to start as close to the base of your lashes as possible. Press with the curler and hold a few seconds. Then move the curler out halfway through the length of your lashes, point the curler handle upward, press on the lashes again. Hold for a few seconds and release.

If your lashes are long (see my tips at the end of this post for how to grow longer lashes), you can curl lashes at the base, move the curler out about a third ways of the length of your lashes, curl. And last, move the curler once more another third ways of the length of your lashes, curl. Each time, press and hold a few seconds. And make sure to point the handle of the curler (where you hold it) upward as you curl each section.

The best mascara for straight lashes

The short answer is: any non-water based mascara will be able to hold the curl of your straight eyelashes! The best curling mascara for straight lashes is the kind that does not have water as the first ingredient. Look in the list of ingredients of your mascara. See the first ingredient, if it’s “water”, or “aqua”, that’s the ingredient that puts your curled lashes back to its naturally straight shape (see the first image below), and that’s something you don’t want.

The ingredient you’d want to use to hold the curl is something that is water-insoluble, aka “waterproof” mascara. Most waterproof mascaras will have their first ingredient as Isododecane, and that’s the key to keep your lashes curled. If it’s not “water-soluble”, meaning if it’s “waterproof”, it’ll work, that’s what you’re looking for!

Some examples of waterproof mascaras (or non water based mascaras) that I use and love: the L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara is one of my favorite drug store mascaras and a great affordable option. It’s $11 and on promotion for BOGO 50% off. And the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara is a splurge high end version that I use and love. It adds such great thickness and length to my lashes. If you find this one clumpy, make sure you wipe off excess product from the wand before applying.

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Other tips for beautiful long lashes, and how to keep your eyelashes curled

• Curl your lashes BEFORE applying mascaras. If you try out a waterproof mascara and didn’t use it before you might find that the waterproof mascara is stickier, curl your lashes before, and not after mascara application. The wax based formula is a bit stickier, and harder to work with. Curling after will be challenging. Always curl before applying mascara.
• Keep in mind that humidity can straighten out your lashes. Even with a waterproof mascara, if you put your face in front of a steamy hot noodle soup bowl, or go to the sauna, maybe hot yoga class, you name it, the humidity can still straighten out your curled lashes.
• Use a lash serum at night. This doesn’t directly solve the problem of your straight lashes not holding the curl. But it will help with having beautiful lashes. I use LiLash serum (yes, I mention this so many times) for longer and thicker looking lashes, and I cannot recommend it enough. You can use lilash discount code LILYROSE20 for 20% off your purchase. I promise this serum works if you keep using it for a couple weeks! This blog post is my review on the serum.

Hope this post helps answer how to curl straight eyelashes for those of you who struggle with straight lashes that don’t stay curled. I google searched this issue but didn’t find a solution from Google. And after I did trial and error for years, I found the answer to my problem. So I hope this solves it for you. Let me know if it does!

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