Twiggy didn’t start the fashion for false eyelashes among women. But when the doe-eyed, innocent looking model with “the most famous face of 1966” came on the scene, long, lush, fake lashes became a needed accessory for the younger set. Yardley even came out with “Twiggy Makeup.” Girls everywhere wanted to look like the hottest, moddest model of the day, with her boyish haircut, pre-pubescent body shape, and of course, that naïve look, achieved with black eyeliner and huge false eyelashes. 

Laying on the lashes wasn’t a piece of cake, but girls didn’t mind the trouble, since it could make even small, unremarkable eyes appear large and sexy. You had to hold your hand very steady to line the strip with glue and then delicately position it exactly in place, just above your natural lashes. A tiny error, a smear of glue, and you might have to start from scratch.

If you couldn’t manage, all hope wasn’t lost; some of the effect could be faked by copying Twiggy’s technique of using mascara to paint on some extra lower lashes. But one way or another, the bold, mod styles and colors of the psychedelic 60’s required eye makeup that made a powerful statement to match, and the answer was right before your eyes: lots of mascara, black eyeliner, and big, stick-on eyelashes.