How to Get Your Lashes to Hold a Curl

Tip 1: Make Sure Your Lashes Are Clean and Dry

To help lashes stay lifted and curled longer, it’s key to start with a fresh canvas. Make sure your lashes are clean of any residue or leftover mascara by gently cleansing them with micellar water and a cotton pad. Try pairing the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 with the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Eco Pads, a set of three ultra-soft, reusable cleansing pads. Let your lashes fully dry before moving on to the next step.

Tip 2: Find the Right Eyelash Curler

If you have straight lashes, an eyelash curler is truly a must-have. It’ll lift your lashes and even make them appear longer. The Shu Uemura Iconic Eyelash Curler is an option. To use one, give the tool a few firm pumps at the root of your lashes.

Tip 3: Try a Heated Eyelash Curler

Classic eyelash curlers might not always give you the dramatic, long-lasting curl you’re looking for. If that’s the case, try a heated lash curler instead. Heated curlers can be especially great for straight lashes because the temperature gives even the most stubborn hairs an extra boost. Note that you can also use the lowest setting of a blow-dryer to heat up your lash curler. Just be sure that the curler is warm, not hot, to prevent burns or heat damage to your lashes.

Tip 4: Opt for a Mini Eyelash Curler

If your lashes are naturally short and straight, a mini eyelash curler like the Shu Uemura S Curler can help you achieve a defined curl. In addition to its mini size, this lash curler has soft padding and an ergonomic shape designed to help create a long-lasting curl on various eye shapes. In this guide to curling short and straight lashes, beauty YouTuber Cococho demonstrates the correct angle to hold an eyelash curler on her own short and straight lashes.

Tip 5: Coat Your Lashes with a Primer

Once your lashes are curled, it’s time to apply an eyelash primer. Just like a face primer, a lash primer enhances the product applied after it and extends the wear. Try the L'Oréal Paris Makeup Voluminous Lash Primer Mascara, which is formulated to moisturize and help lift lashes. The Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Tinted Mascara Primer is another option. This formula tints your lashes a soft, natural black shade, offers volume and length, and conditions lashes with a ceramide and vitamin B5-infused serum.

Tip 6: Curl Your Lashes Again

To help extend the longevity of your curl, give your lashes another few pumps with the lash curler after applying your primer. This can help set the curl and contribute to a longer, more lifted appearance.

Tip 7: Apply a Waterproof Curling Mascara

Waterproof mascara is really the key product here. Think about it like strong holding spray for your lashes, while regular mascara is like a soft holding spray. Using one can really make a difference in how long your lashes hold a curl for. Try the L’Oréal Paris Extensionist Waterproof Mascara. With a sculping-comb brush and a made-to-extend formula with magnetic pigments, it’s designed to hold a curl and maintain smudge-resistant volume.

Because waterproof mascara is harder to remove than a regular formula, you’ll need a good makeup remover, as well. Oil-based formulas, like the Lancôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover, or those that contain lipids, are the best for the task because these ingredients can break down the mascara—this way you don’t have to tug and pull at your lashes.

Tip 8: Curl Lashes Before and After Your Eyeshadow

As a helpful technique, try curling your lashes before and after you apply your eyeshadow. The first curl will fall slightly after you complete your eyeshadow and liner look, so the second curl will just give your lashes a little pick-me-up before you apply your mascara.

Tip 9: Curl After Applying False Eyelashes

The best time to curl lashes when using falsies is after you’ve applied the faux lashes. The curler not only curls both your natural and fake lashes together, it also makes them look more like one as opposed to two separate sets of lashes. Then, add mascara after curling to blend them into one unit even more.

Tip 10: Don’t Curl Your Lashes After Applying Mascara

Curling your lashes after applying mascara can make your lashes look clumpy and can also lead to shedding. Plus, lashes are more brittle with mascara on, so curling them post-mascara application can easily lead to breakage.

Curling-Mascara Options

Enhanced Long-Lasting Curl: L’Oréal Paris Extensionist Mascara
If you’re looking for a mascara that holds curl while lifting and enhancing your lashes, look no further than L’Oréal Paris Extensionist Mascara. This curling mascara is designed to give your lashes a lifted appearance with long-lasting hold. Its lightweight formula and curved brush work together to coat each lash evenly, delivering unparalleled definition and designed to promote an enhanced, long-lasting curl. Whether you’re heading to the office or out for a night on the town, this mascara is formulated to help your lashes remain curled and fluttery for hours.

Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Body Full Volume Lifting Waterproof Mascara
Featuring a Body Curve brush and a silk, buildable formula, this 24-hour waterproof mascara is designed to give lashes a dramatic, long-lasting curl. In addition to curling, it boasts 24-hour wear, and provides lashes with enviable volume.

L'Oréal Paris Telescopic Instant Lift Waterproof Mascara
For a lifted-lash effect, reach for this waterproof mascara. The double-hook brush is designed to catch each lash to create a lifted, lengthened, and volumized look for up to 36 hours. You can angle the wand and use the front-hook bristles to create a lifted effect, then turn and use the side hook bristles to comb through and separate your lashes.

IT Cosmetics Superhero Volumizing Waterproof Mascara
Dubbed a “life-proof” formula, the IT Cosmetics Superhero Volumizing Waterproof Mascara provides 24 hours of wear that lasts through water, sweat, and humidity without smudges or flakes. Infused with caring biotin, peptides and pro-vitamin B5, it conditions lashes as it adds volume, length, and curl.

Urban Decay Perversion Waterproof Mascara
This pitch-black mascara is formulated to give lashes dramatic, long-lasting volume—whether you’re on a beach trip or having a packed night out. Made with honey extract, amino acids and proteins, it keeps lashes soft and flexible instead of crunchy or brittle.

This article has been updated for accuracy, clarity, and relevant product data since its original publication.
Product selections are made using editorial research and brand knowledge; personal use or testimonials are noted where applicable.