We Tried Magnetic Eyelashes, And Tell You If It's A Snap — Or Not
Attracted (pardon the pun) to the idea of glue-free lashes that snap on via magnets? Here's a review.
Hello, Phase 1 post-Circuit Breaker — still no word on when beauty services such as lash extensions can resume operations? Oh well. If you're like us, your last eyelash extension probably departed ages ago, leaving your upper eyelid bald and bereft, but since many of us are still in a WFH situation, chances are no one's going to care much (unless you take and post a lot of selfies, maybe).
But if you are going back to work and in the market for power lashes that don't involve a lot of hard-to-remove and messy eyelash glue, or if you're in the mood to experiment with something new, or want your eyes to pop now that half your face will be covered almost all the time with a face mask, here's an attractive option — magnetic lashes. You might have seen local influencers hawking their own versions of these, and there are also imported ones available on platforms like Sephora.sg, Shopee, Qoo10 and others.
8days.sg got hold of some magnetic lashes from a local brand called Vieve, run by influencer Genevieve Wijaya (@genevievewijaya), who tried several magnetic lash samples before bringing in and branding her own lashes, which are made in China by a manufacturer that supplies to the US and Europe.
Magnetic eyelashes from Vieve. There are six variations that range from Natural to Glamorous. This set is called Babydoll. Each set is $45.90, and come with three pairs of lashes, magnetic eyeliner and a pair of tweezers.
So this is how magnetic lashes work. Most of the newer versions come with a magnetic eyeliner, which you apply to your eyes like a regular eyeliner. When the liquid liner is completely dry, stick the lashes, which have tiny magnets attached to them, to your lashline, as you would a pair of falsies. Sounds simple?
Like with false eyelashes that attach with eyelash glue, the concept is simple, but the reality is often a little — or a lot — messier. Having tried both, we can tell you that falsies and glue is trickier. There's the timing — you have to let the glue dry a little, but not too much. And after you place the lashes, they can slide around and move away from the lashline. Removing them is also problematic.
With magnetic lashes, if you apply the eyeliner well, all your placement problems are solved. The magnetic lashes will only stick where the magnetic eyeliner is applied, nowhere else. And if you attach the lashes wrongly, you can gently pull up the lashes and try again.
Vieve founder Genevieve Wijaya applying a magnetic lash after applying magnetic eyeliner.
Our virgin attempt at magnetic eyelashes was Messy, with a capital M. Of course, we expected this, as all new products and methods of beautification take practice and getting used to, but we didn't expect the eyeliner to be so sticky and tough to apply neatly. We consider our liquid eyeliner skills to be adequate, but of course, this isn't regular liquid eyeliner. The formulation, perhaps thanks to it being magnetic, could be a little different, and we felt this was thicker and tackier than usual (don't worry though, according to experts, the eyeliner is safe to use, and could even be safer than some lash glues, which can be toxic). It would also be better if the brush used in this eyeliner was thinner and more defined to offer more control. If you make mistakes, which you will on your first try, clean off quickly with cotton buds, otherwise it turns flaky if you try to rub it off.
In any case, the eyeliner doesn't have to be perfect, as it will mostly be covered over by the lashes. They definitely shouldn't look smudged or out of line, though, as this will show. Depending on how much eyeliner and how many layers you use, it can take up to five minutes to completely dry. Or, in our case, even longer, as we put on too much the first time. One layer is probably enough, otherwise the liner remains sticky and never seems to completely dry.
The magnetic eyeliner and applicator for Vieve magnetic eyelashes.
Next up, placing the lashes. This isn't too hard, though you might have to trim the lashes a little. Be careful not to cut off too many of the tiny magnet pieces, or the lash won't stick nicely. We pulled up and repositioned the lash a few times, and it still stuck well to the liner. We were quite happy with the final look, which was quite natural (we used the Natural look lashes), and happy to report the lashes survived a short but windy 10-minute kick scooter ride to deliver food to a friend, who commented: "Why do you look like you're wearing a lot of make-up?" Lol. It was probably more full-on than our usual more casual, eyelash-free look.
The last test was the removal of the lashes and liner. The lashes came off with no problem, and can be stuck back onto the magnetic strips in the box. The liner, however, was another story. It took both micellar make-up remover and an oil-based make-up remover, and several cotton pads, to completely clean off the sticky eyeliner, and there were flaky bits that had to be scraped off with our nails. Genevieve offered a hack which helped — apply another layer of the eyeliner on the liner you want to remove, and before it's dry, remove everything with make-up remover. It's like using a magnet to lift up another magnet, we suppose.
This writer's first time application of Vieve's magnetic lashes in Natural. Could be worse.
Our subsequent tries were a little better, less messy and a tad quicker, although we can't quite shake off the sticky feeling on our eyelids as we wore the lashes through the day. The effect is pretty nice though, and the lashes stayed on all day. It's probably a bit much (both in terms of the look and the effort) for stay home days, but once we can go out again, we now know we have magnetic lashes in our beauty arsenal. And for our first dinner back out on the town, the look has to be DRAMA or bust. Agree?
Up the drama on your make-up look with magnetic lashes? As seen on Vieve founder Genevieve Wijaya.
Vieve magnetic lashes are available at https://vieve.sg.
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