Mag-Neato: Magnetic Eyelashes, Eyeliners, Anchors and All the Sorcery You Need to Know - How You Can Benefit From This Witchcraft

Ladies, gentlemen, folks of all kinds - hold onto your mascara wands as we dive into the world of all things magnetic lashes.

Yes, you read that right, magnets!

We've finally found a use for those pesky fridge magnets that always seem to clutter our kitchen drawers. Who knew they could revolutionize the world of beauty?

Just kidding, put your craft supplies away, we're talking about tiny magnets that adhere to false eyelashes and then to our eyes by way of magical eyeliner or the newest revolution, magnetic anchors - which then make us look really super gorgeous (even more than you naturally are, of course).

Now, if you're anything like we were circa 2018, you're probably thinking, "How the heck do magnets and eyeliner and eyelashes even go together?" or how about "Is that SAFE??"

Well, fear not friends, because we've got all the juicy details on this lash-tastic trend. 

If You're Wondering - How Did I Get Here?

Well, you're likely here because:

1. We nailed our SEO and you searched something in the Google like: What in the heavenly witchcraft are Magnetic Eyelashes??
2. You're generally interested in learning the science behind magnetic eyelashes and/or eyeliner and this clearly descriptive article title has tweaked your interest
3. You've been poking around the site and came across lash anchors, you really want them but you saw where it asked you if you want positive, negative or mixed poles and immediately asked, "What in the dickens does that MEAN??"
4. Purely by accident (or as we like to see it, luck)

So, grab your drink of choice (preferably one that won't spill when your mind is blown), sit back, and get ready to learn about the magic behind magnetic lashes. Because trust us, it's not just a load of attraction and repulsion nonsense.

Let's Take it From the Top - What Are Magnetic Eyelashes?

"Unlike traditional false lashes which are applied using a glue, magnetic eyelashes eliminate the hassle of applying glue to your eyelids - they're reusable and don't damage your natural lash line."

First and foremost - what are these magnetic eyelashes?

They're false eyelashes that have tiny magnets attached to the lash band - which then attach to either a second band designed in the same way - which sandwiches your lashes, to a magnetic eyeliner or adhesive or by way of anchor magnets (similar to the first one, but with more precision). 

Unlike traditional false lashes which are applied using a glue, magnetic eyelashes eliminate the hassle of applying glue to your eyelids - they're reusable and don't damage your natural lash line. 

So How Do They Connect To Your Face?

We examine three unique concepts for affixing these little miracle makers to your eyes, dazzling those around you...

1. Two Full Magnetic Lash Bands - Smoosh

"First up, traditional magnetic eyelashes. Now these fall in the difficulty level of somewhere between "trying to assemble IKEA furniture" and "performing open heart surgery on yourself".

First up, traditional magnetic eyelashes. Now these fall in the difficulty level of somewhere between "trying to assemble IKEA furniture" and "performing open heart surgery on yourself".

Invented in 2014, the traditional method of magnetic eyelashes attach by way of snapping together, sandwiching your own lashes. This method includes a total of four lash bands. Each eye gets two strips, which is comprised of magnetic layers that attach to each other when put in close proximity.

When placed above and below your natural lashes, the magnets snap into place, sandwiching your natural lashes in between.

While an amazing invention in theory, if you don't get them just right or don't prep your lashes with a swipe of mascara (not included on the instructions, mind you), you'll end up looking like you've got two caterpillars slowly racing to escape from your eyelids - if you're lucky, the race is tied. 

Then the next issue was that of natural lash damage. If not properly removed (i.e.. tugging them off without a care in the world) - you risk ending up with less hair on your eyes than on grandpa's shiny bald head. Not great.

2. Magnetic Eyeliner - The Clark Kent of Liquid Eyeliners

"In a nutshell, magnetic eyeliner is like your regular liquid eyeliner, but with superpowers. It's like the Clark Kent of eyeliners, unassuming at first glance but capable of attracting all kinds of metallic goodies."

Ok, so fast forward to 2018 and an innovative genius came up with the idea behind magnetic eyeliner. Frustrated by the length of time to took to apply false lashes with traditional glue as well as how hard it was to get magnetic bands to connect precisely, she played around with the idea of adding iron oxides to liquid eyeliner in such concentration as to make it magnetic.

Queue Industry Disruption.

In a nutshell, magnetic eyeliner is like your regular liquid eyeliner, but with superpowers. It's like the Clark Kent of eyeliners, unassuming at first glance but capable of attracting all kinds of metallic goodies.

Don't worry, it's magnetic - but not SO magnetic that you end up attracting cutlery and other metallic objects towards your face like a scene from a bad sci-fi movie.

Add magnetic lash band and you have what we now know as Magnetic Eyeliner & Eyelashes.

Now, something to note is that following the initial invention, there have been many revisions to the method. Since it was fantastic in theory and had something very powerful to build off of, the formulations needed work because it was often not magnetic enough, the eyeliner would crack or lift due to the high concentration of iron oxides, dry time was somewhat inconvenient, etc.

Unfortunately, any first movers to the market learned very quickly that in order to keep customers happy, some work needed to be done to eliminate annoyances like this and ensure it was easier, more dependable and quicker.

At the time of this article (May 2023), the formulas on the market have significantly improved over the past 5/6 years and if you tried magnetic eyeliner without success before - here me now, you will not be disappointed again (at least with ours, we really can't speak to all of the liners on the market, but there are some other great ones out there)...

More About Iron Oxides - The Secret Weapon Behind Magnetic Eyeliner

"For instance, oxides formed in a natural, uncontrolled setting are often contaminated with heavy metals. This demonstrates that just because an ingredient is all natural does not always mean it is safe."

It's time to unravel the mystery behind magnetic eyeliner - and no, it's not going to suck out your eyeballs with the power of iron.

Let's explore what makes these liners so attractive, besides your sultry gaze.

What makes the eyeliner magnetic is the concentration amount of a cosmetic pigment known as Iron Oxides, which have been used as a coloring agent for cosmetics since the early 1900's.

Iron oxides are made up of iron and oxygen and originate from naturally occurring mineral deposits; however the iron oxides used in cosmetics are made synthetically.

FUN FACT: Even products that are certified organic use synthetic iron oxides to color their cosmetics because they are highly stable and pose very little risk to consumers and in fact, there is a difference between the level of impurities between the natural and synthetic forms of iron oxides. Synthetic versions are actually considered safer than natural versions, which often contain impurities.

For instance, oxides formed in a natural, uncontrolled setting are often contaminated with heavy metals. This demonstrates that just because an ingredient is all natural does not always mean it is safe.

Synthetically prepared iron oxides are considered to be safe as used in cosmetics and personal care products because they are non-toxic and non-allergenic and even well tolerated by those with sensitive skin.

As a bit of background on QMBeautique (since you're here and all...), our very first magnetic eyeliner, FerroLiner - was developed by us, in Canada in 2019/2020 when we couldn't find anything on the market with that was Vegan, Toxin-Free, Cruelty-Free and non-irritating (aka packed with filler ingredients that often caused allergic reactions). Originally as a standalone magnetic eyeliner, it then evolved into a serum-inspired magnetic eyeliner. The amount of iron oxides used in magnetic eyeliner is what makes it ferrous. The name FerroLiner was a play on words in and of itself as it is a ferrous (magnetic) eyeliner - FerroLiner.

And voila! With a flick of the wrist and a dash of magic, your ordinary eyeliner transforms into the superhero of the makeup world - the magnetic lash adhesive which your magnetic lash band, affixed with tiny magnets, clicks right onto!

Since we like analogies - it's like the Transformer of the beauty world, shifting from a simple liner to a powerful magnet that holds your lashes in place.

And the best part? No more struggling with lash glue that seems to have a mind of its own. This truly was the beauty invention we didn't know we needed, and the closest thing we may ever get to having actual superpowers.

Check out this before and after to see the magic of magnetic eyeliner and lashes on her eyes, the lift is incredible and depth and dimension it brings to her eyes is nothing short of miraculous (and if you're wondering, she's wearing Uptown Curl).

3. Magnetic Lash Anchors - The Newest Invention (and a fun little story on personally testing with this method - it did fail one test)

"If you think your falsies can handle the force of a two-year old's direct slap into your eyeball, you're in for a rude awakening, as I was. My youngest daughter sent my lash flying into infinity and beyond..."

Finally, we'll talk about magnetic lash anchors - which are the latest in the magnetic eyelash revolution.

Remember when we talked about magnetic eyelashes in their traditional form? Two bands, sandwiching your own, catastrophic results...

What was hardest about those was the difficulty in precise application.

You might get one side close to your lid, while the other stuck out, or the whole thing slid down your lashes, creating an unholy gap between the falsies and your eyelid - which is an unsightly horror all on its own (trust me on this - I was a bridesmaid in my best friends wedding just after the birth of my second daughter and tried them out for the first and last time - there are photos of the magic slide for evidence of my horrifying lash mishap).

So while the concept was really great, execution wasn't optimal. 

But what if....

You took that bottom band and you snipped it? Would that be helpful?

Yes. Yes, it absolutely would be.

That's what we did and we tested it for a while to see if it would pass the tests - because we don't test on animals, cute as they might be with a set of lashes on.

We're the testers around here. Wind, kids, life, all the things.

And while they passed all of the tests, there is a caveat to be addressed:

If you think your falsies can handle the force of a two-year old's direct slap into your eyeball, you're in for a rude awakening, as I was. My youngest daughter sent my lash flying into infinity and beyond recently - well, actually just into my lap, but you get the point. They don't pass the toddler test in such circumstances. I'm not entirely certain any lash, no matter the application, would have been able to withstand the sheer force of the slap. But do know that it failed that test. So, you've been warned - don't recommend.

Now the next, very important thing to test here was the potential to damage natural lashes upon removal. Since I am a lash technician who cares deeply about the health of the natural lash line, this one was important for me.

I'm pleased to tell you that they do not. It's really quite incredible, how well and strong they hold onto your lashes (with mascara on - as a gentle reminder, since bare lashes can be a little slippery) but then come off with such ease!

Slide your lash anchor(s) out with your fingers and voila! You're free as a bird. Change up the lash look, take them off entirely. No glue, no eyeliner, no adhesive - just magnetic lash band, anchoring magnets and your natural lashes.

So how do the anchors work, exactly?

They can be used with or without eyeliner. 

If you use them with eyeliner, you do your magnetic eyeliner as usual, attach your lashes - then you apply some anchors under your lash line to marry it all together and secure them so tight you could stroll into a tornado and come out still looking like you just walked off the catwalk. Move over, Gisele. 

But maybe you're feeling sluggish or you are super sensitive to adhesives, glues or superhero eyeliners. 

No problem, just hold that lash band against your eyelid and on top of your natural lashes. Don't forget to add a splash of mascara for some grippy grippy action, let it dry. Then, whip out your lash tweezers (since anchors are on the smaller side, no fingers allowed - we need a clear picture of what's happening under that lash line and you need to see where you're pointing that thing), and SNAP in those lash anchors like a boss. Let go, grab another anchor, SNAP. You're basically playing a lash-themed game of Whac-A-Mole.

And just like that, you're done.

You'll be looking so fierce, you'll be ready to run the world. Beyoncé who? You're the new queen of the lash game!

These Three Methods of Magnetic Lash Application Sound Really Cool...How Does One Choose?? Here's The Recommendations...

Great question!

We've covered the three main methods of magnetic eyelash application and now you might be wondering, how do I know which one I should go with??

So let's go over the 3 methods and get some recommendations going...

Traditional Magnetic Eyelashes - 2 full bands, sandwiching your lashes.

You've probably guessed this already, but this isn't going to be our suggestion for anyone looking to get a lash application that looks natural and flush with your own lash line. Mostly because of the difficulty level. Even as a lash technician and makeup artist, I struggled big time with these.

There have been, in recent years, apparatuses created to be used for applying them to make it easier - it looks kind of like a George Foreman grill for your eyes.

What I don't love about these tools is that it doesn't take narrow, wide, protruding, deep set, hooded or round eyes into consideration. It's one shape, which may work for a very select few eye shapes - but not all, and like bodies, our eyes are 100% unique and require some customization to make them look their distinctive best. If you do want to give this one a go, just be sure to add mascara to your natural lashes before applying. Unfortunately QMBeautique does not offer these on our online store, but you will likely find them at any department or store that has a beauty department near you if you're up for the challenge.

Magnetic Eyeliner - Magical liquid eyeliner.

To take things one step further, we now have both a clear eyeliner adhesive and a black liquid magnetic eyeliner which can both be used with our magnetic lash line. While we haven't discussed the clear eyeliner in this blog, we'll talk briefly about it now, for the sake of recommendations.

1. If you're comfortable with liquid eyeliner, then QMBeautiMag is the method to go for. You can apply it either with your liquid eyeliner of choice underneath (if you like drawing a fierce cat eye and don't want to use up all of your magnetic eyeliner where you won't be applying your falsies), or you can apply it solo. Our new formula dries quickly, so you can swipe a layer (it doesn't need to be thick) along your lash line, let it dry to the touch and then smack that lash right on and be on your merry way.
2. If you like the idea of applying a minimal ingredient, non-irritating lash adhesive as a liquid eyeliner, but you're afraid of liquid eyeliner, you aren't great at getting a clean looking line or you don't like the darkness of a sharp black eyeliner - then QMBeautiBond is the way to go. You swipe on a line from inner to outer corner, let it dry slightly, attach your lash and away you go! It goes on and dries 100% clear so you get the most natural looking strip lash possible.

Magnetic Lash Anchors - The more precise spin off of traditional magnetic eyelashes.

Since these are new, we'll cover the details in a bit more depth...

They may not be right for everyone, so let's explore when you would want to use them vs you may not:

When might you want to consider using magnetic lash anchors:

• If you're stretched for time or patience and don't want to wait for your eyeliner(s) to dry
• If you have extreme sensitivities to glues, eyeliner or adhesives of any kind
• You want to be able to switch up your lashes throughout the day or night or remove them in seconds with minimal clean up
• You want extra security with your magnetic eyeliner and eyelashes to make sure they don't go anywhere in the event you're caught in a hurricane

When might you not want to use magnetic lash anchors:

• If you have extremely short natural eyelashes or a very sparse lash line - since these work by way of sandwiching your own lashes, if you don't have many or you have very short ones, these may not work best for you and in which case, the recommendation would be to use magnetic eyeliner or our clear eyeliner lash adhesive
• If you have a hard time seeing clearly up close (common with Presbyopia or Hypermetropia). Since you will be working with small anchor lashes, you do need to be able to see where you're attaching them under your lash line, so if you have difficulty seeing things clearly when they're close up, you may want to opt out of using anchors as a sole method of lash application. 

If you're feeling ready to go buy some lash anchors for existing magnetic eyelashes that you own and rule the kingdoms - before you do, read the following sciency stuff, because it matters:

Let's say you already own a pair of magnetic eyelashes (who doesn't??) and after reading the preceding information you're thinking - I'M IN! Where do I buy the anchors?

You can absolutely do that - but the magnetic poles must match up properly, otherwise you'll end up playing a game of tag with a lash that ends up being a far superior opponent than you.

So, if you don't want to embarrass yourself in-front of a piece of metal, make sure you check the polarity or purchase a mixed pole pack.

Since magnetic eyelashes and eyeliner involve a bit of science, if you'll be buying them for existing lashes you own, and want to know more (or you're just interested in stuff like magnetic polarity) make sure to check out the collapsible tabs at the end of this article to learn about magnetic poles and choose anchors that'll work for you!

Conclusion

In summary, false lashes have gained a ton of traction in the past decade, for simply enhancing your lash line, adding drama, volume, length or fullness, they just make your eyes pop and give you a healthy dose of self-confidence. 

Magnetic eyelashes are a true beauty innovation that eliminates to struggle and mess of applying false lashes. They're a game-changer in the world of false lashes, providing an easy-to-use and damage-free alternative to traditional lash glue as well as eyelash extensions.

Whether you prefer the original double-band lashes, the Clark Kent of liquid eyeliners, or the latest invention of magnetic lash anchors, with various methods of application, these lashes are perfect for anyone who wants to add some extra oomph to their look with simplicity and ease.

At QMBeautique, we're all about making beauty easy, sustainable, and conscious. That's why we're committed to bringing you innovative lash and beauty products that you can feel good about using. So join us in the magnetic lash revolution and let's make our eyes pop with confidence and ease!