Makeup is a magical thing. With a dab of a beauty blender or a swipe of your favorite liner, you can alter your entire appearance. Want rounder cheeks? Slimmer cheeks? Contour can help.
Always wanted a smaller-looking forehead? Or a warmer skin tone, perhaps? Bronzer is here to assist you. Or maybe you’ve been losing sleep and need some aid under the eyes? Concealer can have you looking refreshed in no time.
Makeup can definitely be an amazing ally when it comes to transforming your appearance, but we’ve brought you here to talk about the true focus of our Ted Talk: the eyes. With or without makeup, your eyes are the center of attention when it comes to your face. The windows to the soul, if you will.
That’s why knowing how to enhance those puppies is of the utmost importance in your efforts for the ultimate glow-up. What are two great ways to go about that, you wonder? We’re so glad you asked because we’ve got just the ticket for you waiting below: cat eye and doll eye extensions.
Scroll on to learn the various benefits and options for these two styles of eyelash extensions and discover what could quite possibly be a magical moment waiting for you.
WHAT IS THE CAT EYE LOOK?
A cat eye is probably a style you’ve heard of at least once or twice in your relationship with makeup, especially in relation to eyeliner. The cat eyeliner became the talk of the town back in the bold and brash world of the 2010s (although the history of the cat eye style stretches even further back).
During a time when brick brows reigned supreme and matte foundation was covering everything in sight, this intense liner look sunk its claws deeper into the makeup community than any other trend.
Having stuck around all these years, and for good reason, the cat eye has morphed into something achievable with more than just liner. Have you seen the lash options lately? Because they truly are endless.
Lashes are an incredible way to enhance your cat eye or create one with just a lash. Options with more length towards the outer corner of your eye will give you that sleek, elongated look that you really want.
There are six main eye shapes out there — almond, rounded, hooded, upturned, downturned, and monolid — and a plethora of other details can affect their appearance. Each of these variants will have a handful of makeup looks that really make them pop.
Since cat eyes are meant to draw out the corner of your eyes, elongating and narrowing their natural shape, we recommend a cat eye for rounded or prominent set eyes to lessen the space a bit.
This look also works well for monolid and hooded eyes when used softly, as well as downturned eyes in order to draw them up a bit. But of course, you can wear whatever makeup look you’d like — we’re all for expressing ourselves here.
And now you can achieve a liner-like appearance without eyeliner with Lashify I-Line™ Gossamer® Lashes. These lashes create an extended lash line that flares out at the end, providing your eyes with an elongated shape even without traditional makeup.
Experience longer and more prominent lashes that won't smudge, offering a durable look that can endure for days. These precisely angled Gossamer lashes are suitable for all eye shapes, with particular benefits for individuals with hooded lids.
WHAT IS THE DOLL EYE LOOK?
Most dolls have fairly characteristic eyes — from the traditional wide open, innocent eye to the doll eyelash style. The doll eye look is intended to mimic this look by widening and opening your eyes.
You can achieve this with certain makeup hacks, just like with cat eyes, and lashes can also grant you this end result all on their own when used correctly. So, if you’re not a full-face girlie, no worries. Lashes are here for you, always.
Just like with the creepily life-like eyes of your grandma’s favorite porcelain doll (but much cuter and less spooky), this eye look will have you serving your American Girl Doll dreams for your friends and enemies alike. Doe eyes are a similar look, but Bambi, honestly, could never.
When it comes to lashes, a doll eye look usually features lashes that are longer in the center than at the inner or outer corners. This draws attention to the middle of your eye, making it appear just a little wider.
We think a doll-eye vibe looks best on deep-set eyes to open them up and round them out a bit, as well as almond and upturned eyes. Both of these eye shapes lend themselves to a natural cat eye, and while the cat eye can also further enhance that natural shape, doll eyes offer the opportunity to switch it up and change your final result. Again, though — you do you, boo.
If you’re looking to brighten the eyes, bring them forward, and up the innocence factor, doll eyes could be just the thing for you.
THE CAT AND DOLL DOS AND DON’TS
Before you go scrambling to the nearest lash bundle, take a look below for a few quick tips and pitfalls for lash mapping your next set. Whether you’ve decided to go team cat or team doll, these could make the difference between a sultry and smooth lash map and a mess in the making.
1. DON’T IGNORE THE LASH MAP
With our Gossamer® Lashes, the lash map is crucial to success. Odds are you aren’t a professional lash tech who has access to the equipment and knowledge to make a lash map from scratch.
That’s why following the lash maps that are offered in our Russian Doll Gossamer® Set and our Cat Eye Gossamer Bundle — even if it’s just as a guideline — can be the difference between success and self-sabotage.
2. DO START SMALL
Now, this doesn’t apply to everyone. If you’re a lash expert who’s been applying lashes for years on end, either with Lashify or another option, you’re free to go as big and bold as you wish. But, if you’re new to the world of at-home lash application, letting your eyes get bigger than your skill might be the secret killer.
There’s nothing worse than having grand ambitions that fall flat because the process became too overwhelming to accomplish. This is especially true with the more complex bundles, so start small.
3. DON’T CUT CORNERS
We beg of you, don’t get your Gossamer® Lashes hoping for an easy-peasy time while ignoring the proper bonds, sealants, and cleansers made specifically for this product. You’ll make your life so much harder if you attempt a look without the proper toolkit, and that’s the last thing we want for you.
4. DON’T GO IT ALONE
Regardless of the eyelash extension style you go with, you shouldn’t have to struggle to learn how to put them on. Check out our extensive collection of video tutorials that run you through everything from choosing the right lash look to putting them on and eventually taking them off.
PERSONAL LASH RECOMMENDATIONS
To round out our little jaunt down Lash Lane, allow us to offer you a few great places to start with some recommendations for the best cat and doll lash extensions from our knowledgeable lash artists.
THE CAT EYE GOSSAMER® BUNDLE
With The Cat Eye Gossamer® Bundle, you’ll find an all-in-one Gossamer® Lash set perfect for creating the cat eye of your dreams.
Complete with our Plushy™ Gossamers, Amplify Gossamers, and Amplify Plus+ Gossamers, this bundle allows you to map and stack into a fanned-out and sultry lash by overlapping at the outer corner of the eye. It’s a cat-eye fanatic's dream.
THE RUSSIAN DOLL GOSSAMER® SET
The counterpart to the cat-eye, this Russian Doll Gossamer® Set allows you to open up and brighten those eyes to your heart’s content. Open those windows all the way up, why don’t you?
With a simple mix of Amplify and Drama® Gossamers, you’ll find it almost too easy to apply this mid-length set. Ready to enhance any and all eyes that heed its call, these lashes will serve you well for all occasions with their trendy and effective final look.
THE LASH CONTROL KIT
Want even more control? Check out our Lash Control Kit, which lets you control everything from the color of the kit to the lash extension style and wand style. You’ll get longer lashes the way you want them for a more open eye in the style that suits you best.
The Control Kit contains all the tools you need to get lash enhancement without mascara, including two pairs of Gossamer lashes to get you started.
Each kit contains:
- Two sets of Gossamer lashes. Pick two from our Curl, Amplify, or Bold collections. You can also use them to create fully customized looks using Lash Maps.
- Fuse Control® Wand. Ergonomically designed specifically for Gossamer application, you’ll never have to use a pair of tweezers again, at least not for your lashes.
- One set of Wandoms®. Because Lashify Bonds don’t fully cure, they become tacky during application. Wandoms keep everything clean and frustration-free, so your Gossamers don’t stick to your Fuse Control Wand.
- Whisper Light Bond™. Dual-sided and never clumpy, this popular Bond will help your Gossamers stay intact for days.
- Glass Finishing Coat. The perfect sealer for getting long wear out of your lashes. You don’t have to seal your Gossamers, but if you do, Glass is a great solution.
- Samples. You’ll get a sample of Pre Cleanse and Melt Away in each Control Kit. Pre Cleanse is our Japanese Cleansing Water that helps remove dirt and oil from your lashes and lids. It’s powerful yet gentle enough to be used as an all-over facial cleanser. Melt Away is our dual-phase, oil-based makeup remover that helps you easily slide your Gossamer lashes off of your natural lashes without damaging them.
BONUS LASHES!
If you’re looking for something a little more universal and beginner-friendly, a great way to achieve these looks is with more basic sets like the Amplify, Bold, or Curl (all amazing options). It all comes down to how you map them.
For a more open, doll-like effect, try mapping the bolder lashes to the center of your eyelid. Maybe play around with adding some lashes to the lower lash line to give your entire eye a glow-up.
For a more elongated and cat-like look, focus your efforts on the corners of your lash line, overlapping and stacking a few lashes to give the illusion of a longer and more lifted eye. Try it for yourself and see what works for you.
THE CHOICE IS YOURS
With all this newfound knowledge, we’re sure you’ll have your hands full with your next set of Gossamers®. And that’s the fun of it, isn’t it? When you get your hands on that next bundle, you can start playing around with all the endless options at your disposal. After all, it’s your face at the end of the day, and all that truly matters is how you feel when you see yourself in the mirror.
So play with your lashes until the cows come home, and by then, we hope you’re satisfied with what you’ve created. The world is your oyster, bestie, and the choices are yours!
Sources:
What's My Eye Shape? (Learn How to Tell Here) | Vision Center
Understanding Different Eye Shapes: Which Do You Have? | NVISION
