do dyed eyelashes pass for normal?

August 6, 2009 5:07 PM

I am a fair-skinned, light brown brunette who hardly ever wears makeup. I am thinking about getting my awesome but light-colored eyelashes dyed. Will it look natural or startling?
posted by Foam Pants to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

I think it will look good. Just don't get them dyed black; get them dark or medium brown. Black would look too unnatural and makeup-y if you don't normally wear mascara. A medium brown would emphasize your eyes without the jarring look of mismatched colors on your face.
Tell them to go even lighter on your lower lashes, if you get those dyed at all (to avoid the spider-doll-eyed look).
posted by rmless at 5:12 PM on August 6, 2009

It looks awesome - do it. I tint mine myself, and I love the way it looks. I think you could go brown/black, just not the extreme blue/black. Once you've had it done, and are happy with the outcome, doing it yourself is a massive saving.
posted by lottie at 5:20 PM on August 6, 2009

Make sure you are fond of the look of lightly applied mascara. Ask for the opinion of trusted friends. As the very pale owner of long, dense, naturally black eyelashes, I can attest to the fact that they can appear more bizarre than alluring under the wrong circumstances (as mentioned above, the lower lashes should probably be left alone.)
posted by biggity at 5:21 PM on August 6, 2009

As a fair-skinned blonde with nearly invisible eyelashes, I have loved getting mine dyed in the past. But I am also a regular mascara wearer. Still, I think you will like it - it's much more subtle than mascara.
posted by jay dee bee at 5:44 PM on August 6, 2009

I am dark blonde and have gotten those eyelash extensions put in before. They last about two months and look AMAZING. In case you haven't considered that route. Here on Long Island you can get them for about $100 so elsewhere, I'm sure it's cheaper.
posted by mittenbex at 5:51 PM on August 6, 2009

I have similar colouring to you and just got a blue black tint. It was startling for about a day and now just looks like I'm wearing mascara. I really like it.
posted by ukdanae at 6:09 PM on August 6, 2009

It won't last forever. Do it! If you don't like it, just wait till it's gone and never do it again.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:25 PM on August 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm a pasty-skinned strawberry/dark blonde and I looooved having my lashed tinted!!! go for it (nthing no black tho!)
posted by supermedusa at 7:35 PM on August 6, 2009

DO IT DO IT DO IT. I have similar coloring, and I can't wear mascara (very sensitive eyes and oily eyelids = lab rabbit eyes) and although it stings a bit, having my lashes dyed is one of my only "high maintenance" type splurges and I'll never give it up.
posted by peep at 9:02 PM on August 6, 2009

YES dye your lashes. Brows, too, if they're not at least medium brown. This makes a world of difference and looks fantastic. If you can't see your eyebrows from 10 feet away, they're too pale and will look better tinted.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:34 PM on August 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

oh, I was going to mention that, too! I always thought I had thin, sparse brows. Turns out they're there, but just so pale they can't be seen. A very subtle brown tint and suddenly my brows look like they fit with the rest of my features.
posted by peep at 10:42 PM on August 6, 2009

The difference is essentially imperceptible. But it is a small tweak in your favor rather than against :)

It's likely NOBODY will notice. And don't really expect people to be able to confirm that there has been a change even if you point it out.

Because the thing is - although the results are simplyamazing, lashes are such a tiny, tiny detail. You know? A lash might improve by 1000% but how much attention is actually paid to a lash? :)

Any shade will look good but you'll find there's one that just looks that tiny bit better. For me that's brown. Not black/brown (or anything even darker!) - just a nice plain brown. So don't be afraid to try different things. Try them all, see which one you're happiest with?
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 2:23 AM on August 7, 2009

It is illegal to dye eyelashes in the US, because of the risk of eye disease and the tiny but horrifying risk of blindness. If a salon is using illegal eyelash dye, who knows how many other health risks they are willing to subject you to?
posted by Ery at 7:42 AM on August 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm a ginger and used to get them dyed. I had some issues because the dye fumes made my eyes water, but not talking during the process fixed that. I loved it, I swim a lot and it made life a lot easier.
posted by poissonrouge at 10:28 AM on August 7, 2009

Hey Foam Pants - I've done this many times, and found the results much more normal-looking than mascara. It doesn't last for much more than a month now, I think. I just today noticed that pharmacies here in Canada are once again stocking do-it-yourself kits (as I think we briefly saw in this thread earlier from Australia), but you would do well to try it done by someone experienced first. If you have sensitive eyes at all, you may find the experience a bit irritating.
posted by fish tick at 4:52 PM on August 7, 2009