Twiggy-Like Lashes Are Back—Here’s How to Get Them

Photo: Henry Leutwyler

Runway beauty trends don’t often make it off the model-trodden strip—and for good reason. Bleached eyebrows or multiple face piercings aren’t exactly DIY Friday-night fare. For fall though, piled-on eyelashes, on both the top and the bottom a la Twiggy, are making a comeback. Thankfully, the look is only slightly more complicated to pull off than a statement lip.

Gucci, Prada, Rochas, YSL, and Vionett all turned their fall runways into a lash fest. Prada and Rochas featured spidery spikes, made of clumped together lashes—like the lash version of not bothering to brush your hair. Meanwhile, Gucci and YSL showed more of full fringe, similar to Twiggy’s iconic ‘60s style. Vionett did the most abstract take, with three short, vertical lines penciled in on the bottom lash line. On the red carpet, Zooey Deschanel, Emma Watson, and Ginnifer Goodwin have all played around with the retro style.

Related: 11 Red Lipsticks to Love Right Now

The last thing you should worry about is a heavy lash over-powering your eye. Makeup artist Robert Sesnek, whose clients include Chrissy Teigen, Lily Aldridge, and Kiernan Shipka, says big lashes actually make your eyes look bigger.

Twiggy allegedly piled on as many as ten strips of falsies at a time. Lucky for you, there are plenty of awesome mascaras out there; you can skip the strips. Romy Soleimani, beauty director at large for Beauty.com, says, “It’s such a heavy look already. False lashes make it look too costume-y and retro.” But do pick a creamy mascara with a thick brush, like Prescriptives’ False Eyelashes, Giorgio Armani’s Eyes To Kill, or Eyeko’s Fat Brush. Soleimani cautions against using a tube you’ve had around for a while. “You may think it’ll clump better,” she says, “but it will also flake.”

Related: Worth It: Fresh Creme Ancienne

Layer on as many coats as you like. Then—to up the Mod factor—hold the brush vertically and move it across the lashes, “sort of like a windshield wiper,” Soleimani says. “That will help you get those Twiggy points at the top.”

Sesnek says to use a waterproof mascara, like L’Oreal Voluminous, on the bottom lashes. “I never have to worry that it’s going to smudge or travel,” he says. Apply it either by holding the wand vertically or, as Sesnek suggests, painting it on with a separate tiny flat brush. “That makes it look so much more finished,” he says.

Related: Editor’s Picks: Best Mascara

Finally, with liquid or pencil liner, like the Too Faced Lash Lining Tool, put a small dot at the base of each lash clump on both the bottom and top. “It’s not going to look crazy or harsh,” Sesnek says, “It just gives you a little more definition.” And don’t look back to your single-coat days. “We took a little break from mascara,” Soleimani says. “It feels really great to wear it again in an exaggerated way.”