Though I rarely wear them, I love a solid pair of false eyelashes. That being said, I've always found myself wondering why anyone would spend more than $5 on them because they're so disposable.
So, because I'm definitely not the only person on a budget who is wondering this — and because I am a certified beauty investigator, after all — I decided to find out. IS there really any benefit to splurging on lashes, or should we all just stick to buying and throwing away the cheap stuff?
Let's explore our options.
For our cheap option, I tried on a pair of Double Wispies from my tried-and-true brand, Ardell.
I love these because I much prefer lashes that are longer in the middle and shorter on the edges, which used to be a rare shape for cheaper lashes. But thanks to Ardell, you can find these in just about any store (Walmart, for instance), usually for around $5, depending on where you're buying.
And, for the expensive option, I bought the Doll Me Up falsies from Velour Lashes, a beauty vlogger favorite.
When comparing IRL, this is the pair that looked most like Ardell's in the box. Because they're mink, they're one of the pricier lashes on the market at $29 — an amount of money I could never justify spending on a pair of lashes.
Once taken out of their boxes, there is a CLEAR difference in quality between the two pairs.
Of course, that's to be expected. There's a reason most expensive stuff is expensive.
Ardell's lashes are considerably thinner than their luxury counterpart, despite being a double-stacked pair.
Their base is not just thin, but incredibly flexible — they lose their curve almost instantly after being pulled out of the box. The base is also coated in a glue so sticky, it stays on the base of the lash and sticks to EVERYTHING. Application with these is what regularly deters me from wearing them.
Velour Lashes, however, look plush and delicate, but are actually sturdy as hell.
As you can see, the base of this pair has a thick baseline, one that keeps its shape through literally everything.
The Double Wispies do the job well for what you pay for them, but they do come with a few catches.
Wearing these, I was a little underwhelmed by the length and volume. I was very blessed in the eyelash department, and for me, this isn't too far off from my natural lashes with a high-quality mascara.
Application, especially for a lash newbie, can be a nightmare with these. The flexible and thin base provides little space to apply glue. They're a little lighter and more comfortable, but they're also much more prone to falling off or peeling up in the corners.
After they're removed, they lose their shape completely, and it honestly feels like all hope is lost in terms of re-wearing them. No joke, several hairs fell right off during removal — and that's before I attempted to clean them.
But the Doll Me Ups take things to A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. They're pretty much the Mercedes Benz of eyelashes.
I can feel these lashes fluttering all the way up to my eyebrows — that's how long they are. I have never seen myself with eyelashes as nice as this, and I'm hooked.
That thick and unbending base makes applying these lashes easier than it's ever been for me. The curve of the lash meets the curve of my eye perfectly, and once that thick line of glue hits my lash line, these falsies are here to STAY.
But the best thing about the Velour Lashes — and in my opinion, the main reason the brand can charge so much for them — is that they are entirely re-useable. Because they have that thick base, glue doesn't spread and get onto the lash hairs themselves, so there's little clean up.
So, which of these pairs do I actually prefer? If you couldn't already tell, it's Velour Lashes. By a mile.
Will I actually continue to spend $30 per pair on falsies, though? That's a complicated question.
I love these lashes, but that price point is REALLY high.
But at last, I understand why people with the budget do spend so much money on these.
OK, luxury lash queens. I get it now.
