The claim: You can use cotton balls to get longer, thicker eyelashes. There’s been a lot of buzz lately around this eyelash hack from YouTube user Huda Beauty, which involves applying fluffy cotton to your lashes to enhance them — essentially, they’re DIY eyelash extensions. As someone who has gone so far as to perm and dye my eyelashes (crazy, I know!) and uses mascara hacks on the daily, I had to give this trick a try for myself.
The best part of this beauty mythbuster is that you likely already own everything you need to test it out on yourself: mascara, a spooli and cotton balls. That’s it! The main things to keep in mind when you’re DIYing lash extensions with this method is to not let the mascara dry in between coats. Let’s get started!
STEP 1: FLUFF UP THAT COTTON + SWIRL IT
Working with super fluffy cotton is key for this hack to work. Take a cotton ball (I’ve found that jumbo-sized ones work best) and tear it apart so you’re left with light, fluffy wool instead of the more compacted texture you’re used to. You want to be able to work the cotton through your lashes in a combing motion, so having a soft, airy texture is key! Swirl your spooli into the cloud-like cotton until it’s covered. There should be little strings of cotton hanging off the spooli.
STEP 2: ADD LIGHT MASCARA + COTTON FIBERS
Now, apply one light coat of mascara to your bare lashes. Don’t go crazy here, though — this step is just meant to give your lashes a bit of grip so the cotton has something to adhere to. *Don’t* let this coat of mascara dry! Quickly and carefully sweep the cotton-filled spooli through your lashes, depositing the cotton strands — you’ll instantly notice they’ll look longer (stringy, yes, but longer!). Continue to do this until your lashes are as long and thick as you want them. Add another couple coats of mascara to blend it all together and cover up the cotton.
WOULD WE ACTUALLY DO THIS IRL?
Yes! You can see my lashes on the left have the DIY cotton extensions, while my right eye just has regular mascara on. There is such a big difference! I have turned to this hack when I am going out and want a more dramatic look but don’t want to use false lashes — I LOVE it. It’s so easy to do and really makes a big impact. I definitely recommend trying out this beauty hack if you want lashes for DAYS.