Kiss Falscara and Lashify Reviews

Hoping for a cheap eyelash extensions alternative, I tested two popular products. Here are my honest Kiss Falscara and Lashify reviews.

Nothing tempts me like a hole-in-the-wall salon advertising lash extensions. Yet, I've resisted them for three reasons: they'll drain my bank account, appointments last hours, and I'm afraid I'll never be able to go back to wearing my lashes au naturel.

I love the concept of waking up with Disney princess eyelashes, though, so when DIY lash extensions called Lashify hit the scene in 2017, I was intrigued. But it wasn't until years later that a product launch from drugstore brand Kiss inspired me to finally try home lash extensions. The brand's Falscara looks extremely similar to Lashify but is significantly cheaper, so I knew I had to put them to the test.

Could this fraction-of-the-price Lashify dupe deliver the same results as the real thing? I gave both a test drive to find out how they compare — here are my honest Falscara and Lashify reviews, and the results I got from each product.

I started with Lashify so I could form my thoughts on the OG first. (It's only polite, right?)

Applying Lashify is a five-step process. You prep your natural lashes with Lashify's pre-cleanser, brush a bond (aka glue) onto your lashes like you would mascara, adhere the short lash strips piece by piece to the base of the underside of your lashes, clamp everything together using a tweezer-like tool, then brush on a "glass" liquid that seals everything and gets rid of any stickiness. If you want extra hold, you can apply a layer of the bond to the lash strips before setting them in place. (If you're already like "nope, too much work," then consider this mascara that Amazon reviewers are loving instead.)

Did you catch all that? I didn't get the hang of it until around my third time using them. With practice, though, I cut the whole process down to 10 minutes. Once I got the hang of applying the lashes riiiight up against — but not on — my top lid's waterline, it was a cinch.

Buy It: Lashify Control Kit, $145, lashify.com

Even though it took a second to fine-tune my technique, I preferred Lashify to regular strip lashes from the get-go. With strips, I've never been able to master getting them right up against my lashes. Since Lashify is applied to the underside of lashes, there's no noticeable black band (which I always feel the need to camouflage with copious amounts of eyeliner). The biggest difference, though, is how light they feel once they're on. I'd forget I was even wearing them — but I looked like I'd been blessed with the Disney princess lashes of my dreams.

As easy as they are to apply, I haven't had luck with getting the lashes to stay put overnight. Lashify is intended to last up to seven days, which was a huge draw in the first place. I've tried sleeping with them on (both with and without an eye mask), but I've always woken up the next morning with at least one piece looking wonky. I did manage to keep them on for a week, but each morning I needed to reapply any loose pieces rather than starting fresh.

That had me wondering whether sleeping in lash extensions might cause unnecessary tugging on my natural lashes, especially in light of the potential hazards associated with professional lash extensions. To find out whether Lashify or similar options applied to the underside of the lash can do damage, I called up Jennifer Tsai, O.D., a VSP network doctor.

While she didn't call for avoiding them altogether, professional and DIY eyelash extensions both have pros and cons, noted Tsai. With both, "it's possible to disrupt natural lash growth if not applied correctly with extreme caution and care," she says. Ideally, you'd cycle between periods of wearing them and giving your lashes a break, she adds.

And, for hygiene reasons, wearing DIY lashes overnight is not a practice recommended by Tsai. "When you're attaching it to the base of your lashes, as the day goes on (with pollution in the air and the environment) and your eye creates oil and protein buildup, it does catch underneath the base of your lashes. If you don't clean it thoroughly, you can end up with styes, blepharitis, and sometimes eye infections," she explains. Those are all ramifications I'd rather avoid, so I plan to wear Lashify on and off and always carefully remove them at the end of the day.

After my conversation with Dr. Tsai, I was ready to move on to Kiss Falscara, which isn't intended for overnight wear. Whereas Lashify lashes are single-use (but can be kept on for up to seven days), Falscara can be reused up to three times (but you take them off at the end of each day).

Buy It: Kiss Falscara Starter Kit, $20, cvs.com

The process was familiar — apply bond, place lashes, apply seal — and I applied them with the same ease as Lashify. The lashes themselves felt slightly flimsier and the glue less strong, but since I wasn't attempting to batten down the hatches for a week, it was no biggie.

I wore them for a day and the lashes didn't budge, even when I bumped them while putting on a VR device. (Don't ask.) I went with the "lengthening" style which is on the long and wispy side. Were they any longer, they'd look startling without eyeshadow on.

Falscara's one major shortcoming is its tweezer tool, which can't curve around your eye and secure everything in place the way Lashify's does. In the end, I got by with my fingers and the Falscara tweezers, but the process wasn't as seamless.

The glaring difference between the two products is the buy-in price. (Note: Both Lashify's $21 remover and Kiss' $7 remover are sold separately.)

Lashify's Control Kit is $145 and includes black and clear bond, glass, two sets of lashes, and the application tool. That's close to what you'd pay for a professional lash extension application, which most Lashify reviews are quick to point out. Lashify also offers flexible weekly, biweekly, monthly, and bimonthly memberships with discounts. A monthly supply of three sets of lashes, lash prep, bond, and seal would set you back just over $100.

Kiss' Falscara Starter Kit is $20 and includes tweezers, bond, seal, and one set of lashes. After the initial cost of the starter kit, though, the two products are a lot closer in price. A Falscara bond and seal costs $10 and replacement eyelashes are $7. If you were to buy a bond and seal and enough lashes for every day of the month, you'd spend about $80, which should be noted in all Falscara reviews.

All things considered, I fully intend to use Lashify and Kiss Falscara for special occasions. And, since I already shelled out the cash for both, I plan to use Lashify's superior tweezers. (I haven't found another pair of curved tweezers that's as rounded. If you do, holler.) When I need to replenish my lashes and adhesive, I'll save a few bucks by going with Falscara.

If you're unsatisfied with traditional falsies but don't want pro extensions, both products are worth trying — the one you pick will depend on how much you're willing to shell out. (Or maybe try a lash lift?)