KISS Lashes: Falscara, imPRESS Falsies and What to Pair

On 10 February 1911, a Canadian named Anna Taylor filed a US patent, number 994,619, for false eyelashes: a crescent-shaped strip of fabric with tiny pieces of hair attached. It is a strange, specific little object to picture, a curved scrap of cloth meant to sit at the edge of an eye. More than a century later, the idea has not changed much. It has only become easier to use.

KISS lashes are the clearest example. The company began in 1989 as a small startup called Dae Do in Flushing, New York, founded by John Y. Chang, Sung Yong Chang and Won Shik Kang, and it reached drugstore shelves in 1992 with 18 nail products. KISS now says it is the world's largest maker of salon-quality nails and lashes, selling 233 units a minute in more than 100 countries. The point of view is in its tagline, Bring the Salon Home, and I think it is the honest one: make the salon result doable without the salon appointment.

The trick is to choose your commitment level. Falscara is the most involved. The Studio Lash Extension Kit comes with 54 clusters on three palettes, a bond, a seal and a remover, and the brand says it can last up to 14 days. The Falscara Clusters Applicator is the tool that does the placing for you. On the pre-glued side, imPRESS Press-On Falsies in Sassy Wispy and the Soft Natural kit skip the glue step. Lash Couture's The Muses are classic strips, its black adhesive is the pairing, My Lash But Better is the multipack for everyday, and Super Stick is the five-day glue for strips.

Your own lash line is the real guide, not the tray. Hold the lash against your eye dry, before any glue, and see where it ends. If it crowds the inner corner, trim it, and do that before the adhesive comes out.

Velour's Velour-Xtensions Self-Stick Lash Kit is the cluster option with no separate glue, and the brand's single-pack self-adhesive strips are the simpler, quicker version. Lilly Lashes' Self Adhesive Lashes work the same way, which suits anyone who finds glue the most annoying part of the routine. Ardell's Naked Lash Clusters come in over and underlash versions, and its Press On Pre-Glued Wispies are the soft, light choice. Eylure's Luxe Faux Mink Mega Volume Clusters are the dramatic ones. Sephora Collection's PRO False Lashes and tarte's Heartbreaker Tarteist Pro lashes are the strip options if you prefer the classic shape that Anna Taylor patented.

A pairing I like: clusters on the outer half of the eye, and your own mascara across the inner half, which looks more natural than a full set and is faster to apply.

What I would skip: a mega volume cluster on an eye that already feels heavy or hooded. Go wispy, and let the lash do less. You will blink more comfortably, and the eye will look bigger, not busier.

The tube is worth reading before you open it. Adhesives are the part of a lash routine where the small print matters, from how long to let the glue sit to how to take the lashes off.

Velour's Glue & Go Pen is the pen format, and its Latex Free Lash Adhesive is the choice if latex bothers you. Sephora Collection's Lash Glue is the plain, no-frills one. Ardell's DUO line covers the most ground, with Nourish Brush-On Lash Glue in Clear, the Gentle Lash Glue All Purpose Remover, and the Duo Underlash Bond & Seal Adhesive for clusters. Eylure's Underlash 7 Day Bond & Remover Kit is the complete underlash set, and KISS's own Falscara Rosewater Remover is the rosewater one for taking a set off.

Removing lashes is where people get impatient, so use a remover, not your fingernails, and do it in good light. It is the step that protects your real lashes.

What I would skip: a new adhesive on the morning of an event. Test it a few days before, away from your eye, and keep the kit out of reach of children, as the Falscara kit's own caution says.

Where the mascara goes decides which one you want: on its own, or over clusters. On its own it needs to lengthen and separate. Over clusters it only needs to blend your lashes into the set.

Lancôme's Lash Idôle Flutter Extension is the feathery, lengthening one. Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes is the lifting choice, and Benefit's They're Real is the familiar lengthener. Kosas' Soulgazer combines mascara and lash serum for sensitive eyes, so it is the gentle choice. Prada's Pradascope is the lifting and lengthening one, Tower 28's MakeWaves is the light one, and MERIT's Clean Lash is a tubing mascara, as is Too Faced's Ribbon Wrapped Lash Extreme Length.

I like a lengthening mascara on your own lashes first, then clusters underneath. The mascara blurs the line between real and false, and the clusters do the rest. Let it dry fully before you place anything, so nothing clumps. Check the kit's directions too, since bonds can have their own rules.

What I would skip: a dramatic mascara on top of a dramatic lash on a day you will be rubbing your eyes, such as a hay fever morning or a long flight.

Choosing KISS lashes really comes down to how much of a lash artist you want to be on a Tuesday. If the answer is none, pick the pre-glued imPRESS Falsies and be done. If you like a project, Falscara gives you the most control. I keep a spare pair in my bag for exactly that kind of Tuesday.

My pick is to start with imPRESS Soft Natural, wear it once, and step up to Falscara only if you enjoy the process. Anna Taylor patented a crescent of fabric in 1911. You get a tray, a mirror and a steady elbow. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Lashes 101 and Pool Party Dress to Impress.