Perfect Pin-Up Lashes: Esqido 'Unforgettable' Mink False Eyelashes

Confession no. 1: I haven't worn false lashes in nearly three years. Confession no. 2: I also haven't worn (or featured) a pin-up inspired make-up look in roughly the same time span. Confession no. 3: I really don't know WHY, because when done right, not only do pin-up and falsies go together like peanut butter and jelly, but they're just as marvelous. Too marvelous for words. Like glorious, glamorous and... *breaks into a song*

Yes, pin-up and falsies make me sing Frank Sinatra, AND pull duck faces. You're welcome.

Myself & Kar Yi had the pleasure of visiting Esqido booth at IMATS and chatting with the super friendly Brenda and the rest of the crew (some selfie action ensued as well, which you can check out on my Instagram). I stroked their ridiculously fluttery offerings and eyed Kar Yi's purchase of their 'Little Black Lash' pair with envy, so when Brenda later offered to provide a pair for review, I was super excited!

If you haven't heard about Esqido False Eyelashes The Mink Collection, they're handcrafted, cruelty-free lashes made of mink hair. The benefit of mink is that the hairs are much wispier and also taper at the ends, much like our own lashes, which gives a more natural look. Esqido's mink lashes are also reusable up to 25 times, which somewhat justifies the higher price tag.

I decided on the 'Unforgettable' style* ($42.99 for a pair, currently on sale for $36 with free shipping in the US), which is my favorite kind of falsies: not overly dramatic and gradually increasing in length and thickness towards the outer corners for a slightly winged out effect. As you can see in the close-up, Esqido lashes have a fine cotton band that sits comfortably on the eyes, and the hairs have a beautiful curl to them. I did trim a very small section for a better fit, and applied the lashes using Duo lash adhesive and my Tweezerman slanted tweezers.

Let me tell you that after three years of not wearing any falsies, my application skills were, ekhm, a bit rusty. I can't fault the lashes though - the band wasn't stiff in the slightest, and I thought that with some black eyeliner, the Unforgettable lashes blended very well with my own, mascara-ed lashes for a subtly volumized look (mind you, Esqido recommends not applying any mascara or other products to the lashes themselves). I may however be allergic to something in my lash glue *sheds some allergy-provoked tears*, unfortunately.

Removing the lashes was pretty easy: I placed a cotton square soaked in some Avene micellar water on my eyes, waited a couple seconds, and the lashes slid right off. The brand actually recommends not washing or soaking the lashes at all - you're supposed to remove by running a cotton bud with some make-up remover along the band - but I forgot, and my pair was just fine. I did experience some shedding, which is natural, and I didn't notice it affecting the lashes in any way - they still look brand new. Esqido also suggests cleaning the remnants of lash glue from the band after every use (well, of course) and storing them in their pretty white leather and rose gold case.

All in all, it was a lot of fun to play with a pin-up inspired look and some falsies again after such a long break - I definitely need to do this more often! For my eye make-up, I used Inglot eyeshadows and a mix of black pencil and liquid pen eyeliners. My base is Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Porcelain set with Make Up For Ever HD powder, and I used Stila Convertible Cream blush in Lillium on the cheeks. I'm also wearing a YSL Rouge Pur lipstick in Pink Grenadine on my lips (discontinued, sorry!).

Do you ever experiment with pin-up inspired make-up looks? How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Disclaimer: The product marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from Esqido for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!