Arriving at FalseEyelashes.co.uk HQ on a grey miserable day always brightens the mood. How can a girl not be happy surrounded by gorgeous false eyelashes? We especially love the pretty pink pastel packaging of Total Minks lashes. We've spent more time than we care to admit purring over the glamorous falsies we decided it was about time we had a girly chat with the lady behind the lashes; Lindsey Kane. After recently marrying TV funny man Russell Kane, Lindsey has been rather busy, so we were over the moon she had the time to sit down with us and have a gossip about life and lashes.
Talk us through your earliest memory of using false eyelashes?
“I have always experimented with everything beauty related from a young age. I used to dance when I was around 12/13 years old and my mum would allow me to wear a bit of mascara and lipstick when it was an awards night. I started to wear false eyelashes when I was about 18 and I started to go out clubbing. False eyelashes were not really available back then like they are now. If they were, they were so expensive. I loved how eyelashes could change a makeup look completely.”
False eyelashes are certainly more available and affordable now. What is your favourite lash style?
“My favourite styles of lashes are the Total Minks Lashes in Smouldering or Luscious Minks as they add volume and length, but they are not over the top dramatic and don’t look fake. I can wear them with a little eyeliner flick or full on smokey eye and they just seem to blend in with whatever occasion.”
How often do you wear false eyelashes?
“Depending on what I am doing and where I am going, on average I wear eyelashes 2 or 3 times a week.”
“What would be your ultimate tip for false lash wearers?”
“First of all, always apply mascara to your own natural lashes. I never apply lashes to my eyes without having mascara on my own lashes. By doing this, it helps the false lash blend in with your own. The problem I hear over and over again is that ‘I can’t do it’, or ‘They won’t stick’ or ‘They don’t fit my eyes’. My advice is to measure your lashes along your own lash line, see if you need to trim the edge off to fit your eyes, then apply some glue to the false lash band and leave the glue for 30 – 40 seconds, then apply the lash when the glue is tacky. Lashes will not stick if it hasn’t had time to dry. Also, don’t apply too much glue. A little goes a long way.
Do not ruin the false lash by putting mascara on them. It will damage the hairs and make the lash become tatty and unusable.”
We all have our makeup favourites. Which product in your makeup bag could you not live without?
“I can’t live without, or leave the house without mascara. Since I was 12 and I started wearing mascara, I have always used the waterproof mascara by Christian Dior ‘Show’. It is pricey, but lasts ages. To my horror, I recently forgot my mascara on a trip away, so went to my nearest Boots and decided to try No7 Extreme Length Waterproof mascara. It really gives the Dior Show a run for its money. I have never found a mascara that can compete…. until now.”
There is nothing worse than forgetting your staple beauty item when you go on a trip!! As a makeup artist, where has been the strangest place you have had to do someone’s makeup?
“Makeup artists have to adapt to whatever situation they are faced with. It’s not all glitz and glamour! I have done makeup on shoots and had to do a full on glam face on underground tubes, cars, pubs, in the middle of the street. Lots of weird and wonderful places!”
That sounds intense but we bet it is a lot of fun! Can you share with us any challenging celebrity makeup situations you have been in?
“I haven’t really had any challenging times with any celebrity. I think the only issue that occurs for any MUA is when they are working with someone regularly and continuity is key on the film set. You may shoot a scene one day and then have to redo the scene 2 weeks later. You have to make sure they look the same in each shot (if required). It becomes a problem if they have gone on holiday and sunbathed and then are 10 shades darker.”
OK random question time… Have you ever used lashes on any of your male clients?
“I have never used lashes on a male client as they don’t need it unless they were playing something or someone that required extra-long lashes. I always use dark brown mascara on them to make their eyes stand out. You can’t tell they are wearing mascara, but on photographs or on TV, it just helps their eyes pop.”
If you are running late for a celebrity event, are you most likely to be seen carrying out option A or B?
A) You spend the majority of your time making your hair look gorgeous and choose all your “go to” fail-safe makeup choices
B) You throw your hair up into an up do, choose all your “go to” fail-safe makeup choices and spend the majority of the time applying false eyelashes
“Definitely option B. I go to a lot of events with my husband and I always leave getting ready to the last minute, so I always find myself doing my makeup in the 30 min car journey into London. I have become a real pro at applying all my makeup in a moving, jerky car. It really is a skill! If I have 10 minutes to spare then I would put my hair in a top knot bun, apply some natural lashes, along with a bright lippy and throw some high heels on!”
It takes a real pro to be able to do your own makeup in a car and not look like an extra in the Rocky Horror Show!
A lot of girls wear makeup to the gym, have you ever gone wearing false eyelashes?
“I’ve never been one of those women that wear a full face of makeup to the gym. I don’t leave the house without mascara or my eyebrows filled in, but I wouldn’t wear a full face or eyelashes to the gym. Makeup would get into the pores of the skin whilst sweating and create spots.”
With the popularity of YouTube and Blogging on the increase, it seems a lot of girls are looking to become Makeup Artists. If you could give one tip to budding makeup artists, what would it be?
“Practise. Practise on friends, family or anyone that will allow you to use a brush on them. Experience is really important and confidence really only comes from the experience and dealing with different lightings, different skin tones, eye and face shapes. At 18, I studied art and textiles and then did an Events Management degree, but my passion was always makeup. Whilst studying Events at University, I would regularly do my family and friends makeup and started to build a client base. I then went to Aqua Rosa Makeup School at Media City in Manchester, where I qualified and then gained the confidence to call myself a ‘Makeup Artist’.”
That is great advice. You obviously love lashes, what made you want to create your own collection?
“I am OBSESSED with eyelashes. I would spend a fortune every week on lashes. My mum could never understand why I had so many different styles. I had so many different styles to go with my various makeup looks. I just loved experimenting. The only issue I found was that synthetic lashes always looked plastic and they could be difficult to apply because they wouldn’t bend. Also, you can only wear synthetic lashes 2 or 3 times before they look grubby.
I then researched into lashes a couple of years back and found cruelty-free mink fur lashes. I tried some samples, and couldn’t believe the quality, and how lightweight they were and that you could wear them up to 25 times (if you looked after them). I then looked into designing the styles of the lashes and creating a range that consisted of lashes for any occasion. I launched Total Minks Lashes, which includes 8 styles; 4 more natural styles and 4 that were fuller and longer and more glamorous. I wanted to bring salon luxury lashes to ladies who love lashes. My clients really love that the lashes are reusable up to 25 times. I have had many celeb makeup artists tell me that they love the styles of the lashes and that their celeb clients are obsessed too!”
Where did you get the inspiration for the names of your lashes?
“My husband, Russell used to be a copywriter so he helped me come up with all the names for the different styles of lashes.”
We love the colour pink, was pink an obvious choice for you when it came to choosing your packaging theme?
“I spent months conducting market research with different focus groups of all ages and really listened to what they wanted. They helped decide the final colours and designs. They also told me how the packaging was a really important factor, as a box would help keep the eyelashes safe and not gather bacteria sitting on the bedside table.”
You have a great collection of lashes already, can we expect to see any new additions in the future?
“I am currently looking at introducing different styles and really building the Total Minks Lashes brand. I have a few things up my sleeve and hope to announce news before Christmas.”
More about Total Minks
Lindsey Kane certainly has an air of excitement surrounding her at the moment. Her Total Minks brand is going from strength to strength and after this interview took place she introduced her own lash adhesive to be included in each box of Total Minks lashes. We are looking forward to the bright future ahead for this luxurious false lash brand. To discover all the latest up-to-date Total Minks information and celebrity looks, follow the brand on Twitter @TotalMinks, Facebook: Total Minks Lashes and on their new YouTube channel: Total Minks Lashes.
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