Manga Lashes: How to Get the Doll-Eye Look at Home

Manga lashes, sometimes called anime lashes or doll lashes, are the look that took over in the last couple of years: lashes gathered into distinct spikes with clean gaps between them, so the eye reads wide open and a little illustrated. The gaps are the point. A dense, even lash line does the opposite.

What makes a lash "manga"

• Spikes, not fluff. Fibers are grouped into points.
• Gaps between the spikes, so you can see skin and natural lashes between them.
• Length concentrated at the center of the eye, which opens it vertically instead of stretching it sideways.
• Often a matching set of spikes on the bottom lashes, drawn in with liner or mascara.

The strip lash way

Day Light is our manga style and one of our three best sellers. Soft spikes, delicate gaps, 7 to 12 mm, on a thin cotton band. Apply it like any strip (guide here), then do the two things that make the look land:

1. Leave the gaps alone. Do not add mascara to the falsies. Mascara fills the gaps and turns spikes into a fluffy band.
2. Draw the bottom spikes. With a fine liner or a clean spoolie of mascara, pull three or four tiny downward spikes under the outer half of the eye, lined up with the gaps above. This is what makes the eye read doll-like from a distance.

Want it as a set? The Day Light 3 pack is three pairs for $44.99.

The cluster way

If you want the look for a week rather than a night, use self-adhesive clusters and map them with gaps on purpose: a 14 or 16 mm cluster at the center, a 12 on either side, skip a space, then a 10 toward the corners. Leaving a natural-lash gap between each cluster is what gives the spiked, separated finish. Minx and Espresso are our spiked cluster styles, and Hush is the pre-mapped version if you want the spikes already placed.

Makeup that goes with it

Keep the lid soft and light: a wash of pink or beige, a little white or champagne shimmer at the inner corner, and a thin, slightly downturned liner flick. Skip the smoky eye. Manga lashes are about looking awake, not dramatic.

Shop Day Light, or see which shapes suit your eyes.