I keep getting compliments on my eyelashes – this free trick is behind it

For beautiful eyelashes, our editor reveals a simple trick that anyone can copy.

The other day, I was sitting next to a friend's ten-year-old little sister in the car when she looked at me sideways and asked, "Why do you have such long eyelashes ?" That was the second time that weekend that someone had asked me that. It's actually the most common compliment I get. Usually followed by the question "Are they lash extensions?" My answer to that is always, "No, they're real." Because I've never tried eyelash extensions in my beauty history. I didn't need to – I have a really simple (and free) trick that instantly gives all your lashes an upgrade.

In my quest for long, curled eyelashes, I've naturally tried quite a few tips and tricks over the years. My biggest "problem" is that my eyelashes are completely straight and have no upward curl at all. My first stop was an eyelash curler . While it did have a great effect after curling them, as soon as I applied mascara, they hung straight down again. The only way to make it stay in place for me was withwaterproof mascara . It has a higher wax content than non-waterproof mascara, so it holds its shape better. But every time I took my makeup off, I got annoyed and rubbed my eyes until they were sore. The next morning, I woke up with puffy, red eyes—not an option for me.

I also failed with false eyelashes

I also tried the viral trick of blow-drying the eyelash curler before use. The principle is the same as with a curling iron – the heated metal of the curler shapes and secures the lashes. It worked wonderfully the first time, but when I burned my left upper eyelid the second time, it was clear: This was a flop for me.

Next, I tried false eyelashes . Once I'd completed the difficult, hours-long process of applying them, after at least 30 minutes, a little bit of the false eyelashes would always stick out at one end. I had an even harder time applying individual fake lashes, and they, too, would curl downward or to the side in a rather unflattering direction.

On YouTube I finally found the solution to my eyelash problem

This all happened during the glory days of YouTube beauty tutorials, so I turned to the platform in hopes of finding a miracle solution. I browsed through videos, most of which promoted ridiculously expensive (for me as a teenager) eyelash serums or demonstrated tricks I'd already tried and ruled out. After hours of research, I finally landed on a small, obscure channel—sadly, I can't remember the name now. A girl was presenting her eyelash routine, which included the very trick I still use today.