Curling, coating and keeping the curl in straight, downward lashes

Straight or downward-growing lashes need the curl set before mascara arrives: clamp the curler in two or three positions from root to mid-length, then lock the shape in with a light, fast-setting formula. Heavy volumising mascaras add weight that pulls the curl back down within hours, so on stubborn lashes the formula matters as much as the technique.

Curl first, in stages

Lashes that grow straight out or slightly downward will not hold a curl from a single clamp at the root — they bend into a right angle rather than a curve, which looks worse than no curl at all. Work in stages instead: clamp at the base for a couple of seconds, release, move a few millimetres up and clamp again, then once more toward the middle. The result is a gradual arc that photographs as an open eye. Warming the curler gently with a hairdryer helps it hold; test the temperature on your hand first and never bring a hot curler near the eye.

Formula does the holding

Curl retention is largely a weight problem. Fibre-heavy volumising formulas coat thickly, stay flexible and drag lashes down as they dry. Mascaras marketed for curl are typically lighter, set faster and leave a stiffer polymer film behind, which is exactly the trade you want on lashes that resist. Waterproof and film-type formulas hold curl noticeably better because they shrug off humidity and sebum, and they cost you a harder removal in exchange. A thin coat, thirty seconds to set, then a second coat beats one heavy pass every time.

Application on a monolid or hooded lid

The lid sits closer to the lashes, so a wet brush transfers onto the skin above and leaves a print with every blink. Hold the lid gently with a fingertip, wiggle the brush at the roots where the definition genuinely comes from, then pull through with a lighter hand toward the tips. Keeping the outer corner slightly longer extends the eye shape. Lower lashes take a fraction of a coat with the tip of the brush. A clean spoolie combed through straight afterwards separates everything before the film sets hard.

Perms, lifts and extensions

Heated curlers, lash lifts and extensions all solve the same problem more permanently, and each involves heat or chemistry very close to the eye. Lifts and extensions are salon procedures for good reason: they should be carried out by a trained technician on intact skin, and reputable studios patch-test adhesive first. Redness, swelling or itching that persists afterwards is not something to manage with eye cream — see a doctor. If you wear contact lenses, take them out before any of this, ordinary curling included.

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✍️ Written & reviewed by the KoreaPlus Editorial team — dermatologist-informed, cosmetic-science researched & source-cited. Last reviewed: 2026-08-23.

General educational information using cosmetic structure-function wording — not medical advice. Always patch-test new actives. © KoreaPlus.