Holiday How To: Apply False Lashes Like a Pro in 4 Easy Steps

Unleash your red lips, gilded eyes, and sparkly nails. The holidays are the prime time to experiment with show-stopping beauty looks that, in any other season, may be a bit over-the-top. Lashes are one of the easiest ways to glam up your look, and add serious drama to your peepers, but don’t let the glue scare you off—it's surprisingly easy to master the look. Just follow this insider advice from Executive Editor Amy Synnott.

Why We Love Them ...

1. They're like a shot of 5-Hour Energy for your lids. A few well-placed lashes on the outer corners of your eyes give the illusion of lift, making you look more wide-eyed and alert.

2. They can take years off your face. Did you know that thinning lashes-along with droopy lids and hot flashes—is a sign of menopause? No need to lose your flutter: Think of falsies as hormone-replacement therapy for your lash line.

3. They're festive. Like a crystal-encrusted minaudiere or giant sparkly danglers, faux lashes boost the glam factor of even the simplest LBD.

Think Small

What, you're not hosting a live New Year's Eve webcast from the heart of Times Square? Then put down the Jumbotron strips and grab a few small clusters. After all, you want people to notice you, not your obvious strip fringe. Follow these four steps for look-at-me lashes that are believable too:

1. Curl. It's best to curl lashes before you apply mascara and fakes; otherwise, you risk ripping the falsies out. We are obsessed with this new tool from makeup artist Troy Surratt ($25; barneys.com): It's slightly less curved than the typical curler, so it never pinches the skin on your upper lid.

2. Coat. To keep the drag queen effect in check, choose a lengthening formula (avoid waterproof versions, which tend to clump). Apply two thin coats (MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Multi-Effect Lash Mascara in Charged Black, $22; maccosmetics.com), then separate lashes with a teensy comb.

3. Apply. Put a drop of tinted lash glue (Duo Eyelash Adhesive in Dark, $6; ulta.com) onto tin foil and pick up a cluster with tweezers or a lash tool (Sephora Bulls Eye Applicator, $12; sephora.com). Wait 45 seconds for glue to get tacky, then dip the root into it (Eylure Pro-Lash lashes, $6; ulta.com). Nestle strip into the base of lashes (it shouldn't touch skin).

4. Line. Apply three or four clusters moving from the middle of the eye outward. Mix it up: short ones closer to the nose, longer ones at the outer edges. Don't clamp the lash. Let it dry naturally, then outline with a thin swipe of black liquid liner (Lancome Artliner Precision Felt-Tip Liquid Liner, $31; lancome.com) to fill in gaps and hide the glue.