Giving our lower lashes, or bottom lashes, some love was dubbed a trend for 2024 at the start of the year and it’s here to stay for summer, ‘Best lower lash mascara’ and ‘lower lash extensions’ have both had a breakout number of searches over the past 30 days, according to Google trends.
Many people avoid drawing attention to their lower lashes as emphasising them can highlight fine lines and wrinkles under the eyes. Of course, makeup is all about self expression and wearing what makes you feel your best but there are some considerations to bear in mind with this trend, especially in hot weather!
Styling your bottom lashes can help you create a stunning, balanced look and really open up your eyes, making them seem bigger.
Saffron Hughes, makeup artist at FalseEyelashes.co.uk, has put together some expert tips for trying out the trend this summer to avoid looking like a hot mess:
1. Set your makeup on your lower eyelid
“The first step is to make sure you start with a solid foundation and get your prep right. Once you’ve done your usual base of foundation and concealer, set it with a high quality loose powder to keep you under eye makeup from shifting and settling into any fine lines or sweating off in hot weather! Plus, this will make it easier to flick away any mistakes.”
2. Consider using a waterproof mascara
“If you have long bottom lashes that sweep your bottom eyelid, are prone to sweating under the eyes or have watering eyes, there’s more potential for mascara to rub off onto your face. To help prevent this, consider switching to a waterproof mascara. Only apply a very thin layer and take it off with care. Never pull or tug your lashes in an attempt to remove it.”
3. Choose a mascara that has a thin wand
“The success of any makeup product comes down to the formula and that includes mascara but the shape of the brush also makes a huge difference. Big, fat wands are better suited to longer, fuller lashes. Typically, lower lashes are thinner and shorter so a thin wand is best. A thin wand will help you create definition and allow you to really get to the root of your lashes.”
4. Avoid applying mascara all the way to the tips of your lashes
“Speaking of getting to the root of your lashes, don’t coat your bottom lashes with mascara all the way to the tip. Put the mascara wand at the root of your lashes and wiggle the wand back and forth slightly. This will help prevent smudging, reducing the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. As well as avoiding your lashes looking ‘spidery’.”
5. Let any mistakes fully dry
“It can be tempting to wipe off any makeup mistakes straight away but with your lower lashes, it’s best to let any accidents fully dry before tackling them. Letting them fully dry means you can gently pick the mascara off your skin without causing a huge mess that would mean you have to redo your face makeup.”
6. Choose a straighter style when buying extensions
“If you feel like your bottom lashes look a little bit sparse and you are considering false lower lashes, opt for straighter styles rather than ones with a curl. Curly styles work well for top lashes because there is eyelid space to work with whereas generally, the lower eyelid is much smaller. If you chose curled extensions for your bottom lashes, they would end up brushing your cheek constantly which would be very irritating!”
7. Switch it up and use different colours
“One of the biggest eye makeup trends I’m seeing this summer is coloured mascara. So to take the lower lash trend to the next level, choose colours other than the safe black or brown. You could either pick a mascara that compliments your eye colour, or be daring and go for a complete contrast. For example, purple mascara naturally looks great with green eyes, but if you want to go for a clash, try orange.”
