They epitomise glamour and now false eyelashes are enjoying their biggest resurgence since the 60s. Liz Lamb finds out more.

Freelance make-up artist Ana Cruzalegui, who works with the brand, says: “I work with false eyelashes all the time.

“I read an article recently that reported that false eyelash industry has doubled its sales.

“I think women are going back to a time of being glamorous. They want a different look for the evening.

“Illamasqua is all about discovering your alter-ego and false eyelashes can change your face and give you a different look.

“You get confidence, you have these big gorgeous eyes and it’s very feminine and classy.

“They sell very well at Illamasqua.”

It is not just stick-on eyelashes that you buy at a beauty counters that are increasing in popularity.

A beauty salon treatment called 3D lashes, which involves extensions applied to each hair individually, are also big business.

The lashes are fixed with a super lightweight adhesive and are based on the principle of hair extensions.

One of the reasons that they are proving popular is that they last up to two months and are weightless.

Tracey Bruce is a lecturer in beauty at Newcastle College and also works at beauty salon Perfect Ten in Soul Salon, Saville Row, Newcastle.

She says: “It has definitely become more popular.

“It’s not just young women who are having them. A lot of my clients are more middle-aged ladies who get a fantastic result with them.

“Years ago when my mum was young they all used to wear stick-on eyelashes but things have progressed since then.

“There are so many different varieties now and they are great quality.”

The 3D lashes take around two hours to apply and need to be topped up every two to three weeks, due to your natural eyelashes shedding every 90 days.

Tracey says: “The lashes are applied individually on to each one of your own lashes.

“You end up with a very natural look. They come in different widths and lengths so you can pick which ones are most suited to your own lashes.

“They are so natural that people will think you are just wearing a really good mascara.

“You can get other varieties. Really long ones, brightly coloured ones and even one with diamantes in them, if that’s what you want but most people like them to look natural.”

I went along to the Illamasqua beauty counter in Fenwick where Ana carefully applied false eyelashes.

The results were really effective, as you can see from the photos.

They felt strange at first but I soon forgot I was wearing them.

“If you look after them you should be able to wear them another five to six times,” says Anna.

“Don’t apply mascara and make sure you peel them off slowly when you are finished with them and store them away in the box that comes with them.

“If you are having a hard time removing them, put some eye make-up remover on a cotton bud and go along the lash line and it will soften the glue.

“Always pull off in the same direction you applied them and pull down.”