(Note regarding the Sherani glue which I mention below. They had a problem with the formula and it was off the market for a while. When it came back I ordered some and it seems like the consistency is thinner and that it doesn't work as well. For now I've mixed a new bottle with my last old bottle. Don't know what I'll do when that's gone...)

For those who wear false eyelashes, try Sherani surgical eyelash adhesive. It is without a doubt the best glue on the market. You don't have to have a single eyelash for an eyelash strip to adhere using this glue. I ordered it from Madge Elaine's World of Entertainment in Orlando, FL, (407-281-9333). It's around $4 a bottle, and lasts about a year after it's been opened. I always got 3 or 4 bottles at a time. Unopened bottles last forever as far as I can tell, and I was always worried this place would go out of business. You can also buy it from www.wilshirewigs.com. Just put the word Sherani in their search box.

With the Sherani glue, you can actually use eyelash curlers after the glue has dried, you can sleep in your lashes and more. If you have any trouble with the eyelash curlers sticking to the lashes (and thus pulling them off), wipe the curlers with a tissue that has baby oil on it. Once you learn the knack of using the glue, your eyelashes will stay on all day (and often all night, too.) I also bought the most natural looking eyelashes (Andrea, Ardell, Mod or whatever) and had to cut them to a narrower width. If you're unwilling to buy your lashes at Wal-Mart, CVS, Eckerd, etc., you can order them from Madame Madeline's web site at http://www.madamemadeline.com. There are pictures of all the lashes, which makes it easy to see the difference between those that look real and those that look fake.The trick to making them look natural is in buying a natural-looking pair. The brand I buy is Salon Perfect #21 black (from Walmart), but I've used natural looking ones by Ardell, Andrea, Mod (#21 or #110), and Maybelline, though Maybelline's strips seem to be a little stiff. Don't get any that are too long; if you have to trim the length, they don't look as natural.

Before I even put them on, I put on my eyeliner and powder, eye shadow, etc. I don't know what kind of eyeliner you wear, but it's possible that it will not work well with the lashes. I used to use a pencil that was greasy and the lashes didn't stick very well. I loved Max Factor Waterproof Linemaker in Black Brown but can't find it anymore. I've been trying several others and so far like Jane's liquid eyeliner the best. I like Revlon Colorfast liquid eyeliner, but the black is too black and the black brown is too brown. I find that if I use a pencil liner on top, the eyelashes don't stay on as well.

1. The first thing I do is remove the lash from the package and pull off any glue that is left on it from the package. To remove glue, always hold the lashes as close to the strip part as possible so you don't accidentally pull the lashes out, and then gently pull the glue away.

2. They are always too wide for my eyes (from inside corner of eyelid by nose to outside corner of eyelid by temple) so I have to cut 3/8 to 1/2 inch off. Sometimes I cut a little off each end, sometimes the whole amount from one end. When you cut, mske sure that there is not even a tiny piece of plastic strip left without a lash on it. In other words, hold the scissors perpendicular to the edge of the strip and be sure to cut right alongside a lash. If there is any sticking out at the end, it will jab into your eyelid and be uncomfortable the whole day. Believe me when I say it!!!

3. Next I bend them (curve) them so that they are more of an arc than a straight line, and then I put one along the rim of my eye to check the width and curve. Sometimes I switch lashes, using the one on the right eye that is supposed to be for the left eye. Sometimes that makes them fit better; it just depends on the lashes.

4. When you have a lash that you think fits the eye pretty good, apply glue along the strip (I only recommend the Sherani glue that I mention on my web site. None of the others have stayed on for me). Don't put too much glue on, i.e., you don't want gobs of glue, and if you get too much glue on it, you can smooth the glue along just the edge with your fingernail to spread it evenly. When I get ready to put the lash in place, I hold the lash a little bit vertical (with the tips of the lashes pointing up rather than straight out) while I place the flat strip part against my eyelid as close to the edge of my lid as possible. I usually try to get the end closest to my nose in the proper place first, and then I lay the rest of the strip into place. Practice makes perfect, so the more you do it, the better you get. If you get it in the wrong place, take it off, wipe the glue off the strip and off your lid and start again.

5. While the glue is drying, keep pressing the lash in place so that it gets a good bond - especially press periodically at the ends until they are dry. To press them in place, you don't need to push on the strip part, but just push on the tips. That will push the strip against your skin for a good fit. Just keeping doing that until it dries. Press on the tips at one end, then the middle, then the other, etc. It only takes about 2 minutes for it to dry completely.

6. New lashes (wearing for the first time) should be curled with an eyelash curler after you put them on. Make sure the eyelash curler is clean (you can clean it with baby oil on a tissue or cloth) so that it doesn't stick to the lashes. When you curl them, get as close to the base of the lash as possible. If you don't have any lashes at all, curling the false ones may dislodge them so you may have to reapply them but go ahead and finish curling them even if you can tell that you'll have to apply them again because the next time you put them on, you probably won't have to curl them, or if you do, you can just curl lightly to refresh the curl.

The lashes fit better the second time you put them on because you've already worn them once and they have curved to your eye shape. The first time you put them on, you may want take them off after a couple of hours and reapply to get that "second time" look--especially if you are planning to go out somewhere.

I usually can wear the same pair for a week or longer. After you get used to putting them on, it takes less than 5 minutes from start to finish. Using the Sherani glue, I have been able to sleep in lashes (they might start coming off a little bit, but not enough that it's noticeable). I've gone swimming and taken a shower in them, but didn't put my face in the water, of course.

I just carefully pull the glue off at night, i.e., I don't use any type of remover because the removers usually flatten out the lash and then I can't get them to fit right. You can, of course, use a makeup remover to remove the glue if you have a difficult time getting it off. I used the Maybelline non-oily remover. The oily removers made the glue harder to get off.