How do you curl eyelashes without an eyelash curler?

If they gave out prizes for beauty inventions (which they should) then the man or woman behind the eyelash curler would have an enormous gold trophy sitting on their mantlepiece. But what happens when you’re watching the runway disappear beneath you and you suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to pack your curler?  

Good news! There are actually a whole load of easy, natural ways to give your lashes a little extra bounce. Read on to discover how some simple home items can be transformed into your lashes’ new best friend.  

1) Use your hands

This is a great tip if you’re looking for an instant pick-me-up. All you do is rub your hands together to warm them (breathing on them like you’d do if it were freezing outside will also do the trick!), then place your finger horizontally across your lashes and hold them back against your eyelid for 10-20 seconds.  

2) Reach for the cutlery drawer

If you’ve got a spoon in your hand, you’re probably eating something delicious (sorry forks, you’re not half as fun) but you might not know that a spoon is also a fantastic secret weapon in your beauty arsenal. Take a regular spoon and warm it in a mug of warm water, then press the curved side against your lashes, pushing them up and back towards your eyelid for a count of 10-20 seconds. Once again, the warmth is going to have a curling effect on the lashes, but just be careful not to make the water too hot, otherwise you’ll be in for a nasty surprise!  

3) Mascara to the rescue

I mean, seriously, is there anything mascara can’t do? Not only does it leave your eyes bright and beautiful, but there’s also a super easy way to add curl whilst you’re at it. Once you’ve added a coat of mascara to your lashes, take the mascara wand and use it to press your lashes upwards at the base, holding for 10 seconds. You’ll be amazed just how much extra curl you get from something so simple.  

4) Trust your toothbrush

OK, this is one of the more unusual techniques, but it’s weirdly good. Take your normal toothbrush and run it under the hot water tap until it’s warm but not hot, hot, hot (you don’t want to toast your lashes!).  Once it’s warm, dry it lightly by pressing it onto a clean towel. Then, use the toothbrush to gently brush your lashes, starting from the base and rising up to the tips. Hold at the tips for five seconds to create the curl. When you’ve finished, we recommend locking in that curl with a coat or two of mascara. 

One thing to remember - for hygiene’s sake it’s maybe worth buying another toothbrush for your teeth if you’re going to be doing this regularly!  

5) Try a cotton swab

The trusty cotton swab is a make-up essential and now you can add one more use to the list because it can even help to curl your lashes. First, apply a coat of mascara to your lashes. Then, hold your lashes in a curled position by gently lifting them up from the root using the length of the swab. Hold for between 10 and 20 seconds and you’ll find that the mascara should hold the curl in place. 

Want even more natural curl? 

As much as you can bend and shape your lashes the way you want, a lot still depends on the length of the lashes themselves. Just like the leaf of a palm tree, the longer your lash, the greater the natural curve. You can find all of our tips for growing longer lashes here, but one of the quickest, easiest ways is to use a Growth Serum. Growth Serums work by activating your hair follicles, helping to promote growth and reduce breakage. You need to be careful they don’t contain any harmful chemicals, but we’ve taken away that stress by making our own! Our Lash Growth Serum is free of all sulphates, parabens and toxins, so you can get longer, curvier lashes that keep all of their natural goodness.