The History Of False Eyelashes

In 1911, Canadian woman Anna Taylor filed the first patent for artificial lashes, which were strips made of fabric material with tiny hairs attached to it. But there was no widespread use back then.

In 1916, during the filming of Intolerance, director D.W. Griffith had the film’s wigmaker create a set of long false lashes by human hair and gauze and glue them onto Actress Seena Owen’s eyelids. The first strip false eyelashes were born. False eyelashes were loved by actresses in 1920s.

The first eyelash curler invented by William Beldue in 1923 contributed to the popularity of false eyelashes. The curlers allow the false eyelashes to be aligned with the natural eyelashes, making them look more realistic.

By the 1930s, false eyelashes were in reasonably common usage and came in a variety of lengths and colors.

With the help of Hollywood, enhanced eyelashes gained more popularity in the 1940s and 1950s. It’s in the 

1950s when synthetic eyelashes were introduced to the market with lower price.

In 1960s, big doll-like eyes was very common for eye makeup. Women would pile on 2 or 3 pairs of eyelashes layered on top of each other to get the thickest looking lashes possible. 20 million pairs of false lashes were being old a year during the 60’s.

However, in the 1970s, the heat of false eyelashes has cooled down as natural trends came along. People preferred “natural” look of makeup in this decade.

In the 1980s, things like blush and dark lipstick were more popular than massive lashes.

Minimalist makeup is the popular aesthetic idea in the 1990s. It seemed not that fashionable to put on massive false eyelashes. However, false eyelashes had never made a full return.

In the early 2000s, modern semi-permanent lash extensions were first developed in Korea. In 2001, Jennifer Lopez showed up at the Academy Awards wearing fake eyelashes made of red fox fur. After that, more and more celebrity wore false eyelashes to make the glamorous look.

False eyelashes have roared back to the mainstream. Although lash strips were still commonly used and loved, eyelash extensions are becoming more and more popular with women of all ages because of their low-maintenance benefits, more natural appearance, and higher level of customization. Nowadays wearing eyelash extensions has become a fashion trend for lash lovers.

False Lashes Cause a Stir

There's no getting away from it; false lashes were considered racy; back in the late 19th century and early 20th century, makeup, particularly false eyelashes, was associated with prostitutes and (we hate to say it) actresses.

However, by the 1930s, attitudes had changed (slightly), and false eyelashes became more acceptable in society, due in no small part to the Hollywood film industry and fashion publications like Vogue.

The 1920s lash market was all about MORE is more. Times were wild, and women wanted their face fashion to keep up with a decade of indulgence. As false eyelashes became more popular, the style and design changed.

While life was less exuberant in the 1930s due to economic decline, Max Factor, one of the earliest makeup and beauty companies, reported that women will always want makeup even in a recession.

False Eyelash Predictions

We love having fun with predictions, so we watch what happens in fashion week. Makeup this year is all about fun. When times are tough, hemlines rise, and makeup uses increase.

Fashion week has not let us down. We have seen false eyelashes in all shapes and sizes, from the traditional to the so far out there.

We think false eyelashes are here to stay, and we predict that we will see even more creative styles emerge in the coming years. So if you're looking for a way to add fun to your makeup routine, false eyelashes are the way to go.

Now that you know more about false eyelashes and their history, it's time to get out there and experiment with your fake lash style - well, what are you waiting for? It's time to get lashed!