Looking for others' experiences: false eyelashes = shadows??

lyntopher

I had a make-up trial recently that included false eyelashes. I noticed in some of the pictures that I took to see how the make-up photographed that the lashes seemed to throw large shadows on the top of my cheekbones.

Did I just take bad pictures and stand in the light wrong (outside), or are cheekbone shadows a sign of poorly applied lashes?  Just a risk with false lashes?

cwaggoner07

I've worn false eyelashes a few times, including my wedding, and I never experienced that at ll. Maybe the lashes were too long?

lyntopher

Maybe. They looked really great and dramatic in person, but a little scary in pictures, so now I'm nervous about them.

Sassenach1743

Two things apply in the situation:

1. Those lashes were too large for your eyes. Either the strip was too long for your lash line (which means it should have been trimmed to fit your eye -from the inside corner only!) And/or the actual lashes were too big (i.e. stuck out too far past your brow which would result in a shadow cast on your cheek). 

2. If you're lit from above (the worst lighting situation for anyone, especially a woman) every possible shadow can fall from all your features resulting in dark eyes, bright nose and chin, etc. and you end up looking like scull. Sometimes when you're outside in natural light this can happen, mostly because it's too early in the day (which means the sun is higher in the sky, like from 11am to 2pm when the sun is directly overhead) -this is why photographers love to shoot outside in natural light after 4pm, because the sun has already moved to a lower position yet the light is still warm and glow like... very forgiving and flattering in photographs.

My advice, try smaller lashes and be sure they are trimmed to fit your lash line properly. And when you are photographed be sure to stand facing the light source. You can also ask your photographer to provide a "bounce" (basically a blank white board or card to hold just out of frame wherever you need more light reflected back up to your face, this fills in the empty pockets with more light and erases any shadows on camera) a very common trick we use in the film industry, any trained photographer should be able to do this.

hope this helps.

lyntopher

Yes, that information does help! The lashes were individual ones, not a strip, so it was likely the length issue. Also, it was noon or one and I was outside, taking pictures on a smart phone. Sounds like my photographer's shots will be significantly better but that I may need to ask that the artist (if I hire her) alter the lashes some too.