How To Curl Eyelashes Without A Curler: 6 Expert Tricks For Maximum Lift

If there's one product in my beauty arsenal I frequently misplace, it's my eyelash curler. Seriously: That thing just seems to get up and walk away, particularly on days I'm dedicated to mega doe eyes. After launching an unsuccessful search party for my missing tool, I'm left with two options: either forgo the curl (not a fabulous choice for my stubbornly straight lash hairs) or attempt to curl the lashes without a curler. Yep, experts do have a few tricks up their sleeves. 

Not all mascara brushes are created equal: Some are great for volume, others provide separation, and some are strictly meant for lift and curl. For the latter, you'll want a curved mascara wand, which helps provide lift to the base, and the bristles should be fairly dense, especially on the inner end. 

"If you're looking for curl, you want a mascara wand that is dense with a lot of bristles," says makeup artist Jude Andam. "Similar to a round brush for your hair, this mascara brush will grab lashes and gently pull them up as you apply to create a lifted look." Graylane Beauty's Curling Mascara and Kosas' The Big Clean Mascara both fit the bill. 

Your mascara application can make all the difference, too: "Building a heavy layer of mascara at the base of your lashes can help give them some lift," says Patinkin. "Go in with a densely bristled applicator and press and lift into the base of your lashes while making a gentle back-and-forth motion. Don't take too much [product] all the way up to the tips, but do hold your lashes up with the applicator while the base dries, and then repeat once or twice more." By holding the lashes up as the mascara dries at the base, they should stay lifted. Just don't pack on pigment at the tips of the lashes, as you can weigh them back down. 

Similar to the cotton swab trick, you can also use a toothbrush to manually lift the hairs after coating on mascara. Apply your product of choice, brush through the hairs with the toothbrush, then hold the tips of the lashes upward while the mascara dries. After a minute or so, the lashes should stay put.  

Let's say you want your lashes curled and lifted but you don't feel like wearing makeup. Consider castor oil your lash hero: Brush the oil through the lashes with a clean spoolie from base to tip until they're fully coated, then hold the tip of the lashes up with that same spoolie, a cotton swab, or a brand-new toothbrush while the oil absorbs into the base. 

Technically, heat works: Like the hair on your head, you can manipulate your lash hairs with hot tools to achieve dramatic, long-lasting curl—that's why heated lash curlers are a thing. But just as daily heat styling can do a number on your hair, your lash hairs can become damaged and brittle over time; and if you try a heated DIY trick, you can risk burning those fragile hairs or even the surrounding lid skin. 

For example, you may have come across a tip to heat a spoon before using the old-school technique we described above, but celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, founder of Blighlighter, says it's best to avoid the heated trick. "Do yourself a favor and skip over the heated spoon trick (you can burn yourself easily)," she notes.