The 12 Best Magnetic Lashes for Bambi Eyes

Confession: I was not blessed with naturally luscious lashes, which means I’ve had to resort to lash lifts and lash extensions to achieve any sort of volume. Of course, that wasn’t the optimal solution—for one, eyelash extensions are pricey, and two, they took a toll on my natural lashes  (opens in new tab)after repeated treatments. Put simply, fake lashes on hooded Asian lids are hard. Really hard. Since my lash line completely disappears beneath my lids when I blink, the friction wears away at the glue, turning everything into one sticky glob by end of day. So when I saw magnetic lashes floating around my Instagram feed, I was intrigued. Fake lashes that eliminate eyelash glue from the equation entirely and stay on all day? All for the same price as a cup of coffee? I was skeptical, but intrigued nonetheless.

How do magnetic lashes work?

Magnetic lashes have, well, magnets, and the included lash liner has iron oxide in it, which attaches to the lashes. (Don't worry, they're safe for your eyes—especially compared to false eyelashes, which often use harsh glues.) You just shake the bottle to spread the iron oxide through the liner, draw a line on your eyelid, and place the lashes on the lid.

Do magnetic lashes work?

It sounds simple enough, but I was dubious. I decided to test out a few versions for myself to see if these liners are worth the hype, choosing three accessible brands and putting them through the ultimate magnetic lash challenge: wind. And what better place to do that than in my hometown of Chicago? Read on to see which ones withstood the Windy City.

Ardell Magnetic Liner & Wispies Lash Kit

When applying the liner, I noticed that the formula was a bit...gloopy? It skipped a lot and definitely didn't go on as smoothly as I'd hoped. As it clumped, I applied more and more liner to try to save the mess, which just made the line thicker. Eventually, I had to bust out my normal eyeliner to draw over the messy parts.

After I got the line down, I followed the instructions and applied two coats—allowing for drying time in between—but the lashes still didn’t stick very well. It was only after a third coat that the lashes stayed in place. Once they were on, though, the lashes were pretty good. They didn’t unstick at all until I took them off at the end of the day. So, despite the hassle, I would give this kit two thumbs up for longevity.

Hana’s Rating: 7/10

 Kiss Magnetic Eyeliner & Lure Lash Kit

First, I need to give kudos to these lashes, because the day I wore them was one of the windiest days in Chicago I’ve ever experienced. They had to brave blood, sweat, and tears (okay, maybe not blood), and those strips still remained loyally attached to my lids for about 10 hours.

KISS's eyeliner brush is thin and the formula is really pigmented, so the application process was smooth. The lashes stuck instantly to the liner—one strip has 5 magnets, which meant that even after trimming it to fit my eye, it latched seamlessly. I will say that I did notice the liner got a bit crusty and flaky in some areas after a few hours, but nothing too noticeable. Plus, there was definitely no smudging (as the box promises). Overall, highly recommend.

Hana's Rating: 9/10

Eylure ProMagnetic Magnetic Eyeliner & Faux Mink Volume Lash System 

The first thing I noticed about these lashes was how soft they are. They're made of faux mink, giving them the fluffiest texture of the three I tried. Plus, they’re virtually weightless; I couldn’t feel them at all once I had them on.

While the lashes did adhere to the liner without problems, I have a small qualm with the magnets themselves: Because of the location of the magnets on the lashes, the ends lift a bit, which is a dead giveaway that you're wearing false lashes. It was an easy fix, though. I cut the lashes into smaller wisps and applied them individually, which made them look more natural.

During the wind test, I did have one lash casualty, so I wouldn't say that Eylure is 100 percent windproof. However, the beauty of magnetic liner is that even if a lash or two fall off, you don't have to wear a crooked strip of falsies all night. Because the lashes stick to magnets and not a glue that will dry up, you can reposition them as many times as you need. Overall, hats off for good eyeliner and lash quality, but you might have to do a bit more work when applying them.

Hana's Rating: 8/10

The Verdict

Color me impressed—I definitely think magnetic lashes are the real deal. Application is super easy, the lashes stay on all day, and the lack of lash glue also means no more picking leftover clumps of the stuff out of your real lashes (or washing the gunk on your falsies before reusing them).

The liner formulas are super long-lasting—a swatch on my hand didn’t budge, even after a shower—which means you'll need oil-based remover to get it off. On the flip side, because the liner formulas are thicker than average liquid eyeliner, it’s harder to control and create a perfect line. You have to make sure to put a good amount on the innermost and outer most part of the line (don’t forget to keep cotton swabs on hand in case of mistakes). Ultimately, I’d take all three of these over normal strip lashes any day. If you have hooded lids like me or you’re just a fellow anti-glue gal, shop more of our favorites below.

Other Magnetic Lashes We Love