U.S. patent number 3,900,038 [Application Number 05/452,625] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-19 for method of preparing and placing artificial eyelashes.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Beauty Masters, Ltd.. Invention is credited to George Masters.
United States Patent |
3,900,038 |
Masters |
August 19, 1975 |
Method of preparing and placing artificial eyelashes
Abstract
Prefabricated artificial eyelash strips are prepared for use by
trimming the lash fibers with scissors oriented substantially
parallel to the lash fibers, and subsequently cutting the base into
a plurality of sections.
Inventors: |
Masters; George (Las Vegas,
NV) |
Assignee: |
Beauty Masters, Ltd. (Las
Vegas, NV)
|
Family
ID: |
23797235 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/452,625 |
Filed: |
March 19, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41G
5/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A41G
5/00 (20060101); A41G 5/02 (20060101); A41G
003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;132/5,53 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McNeill; G. E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Quirk; Edward J.
Claims
I claim:
1. A method of preparing prefabricated artificial eyelashes having
hairlike fibers extending outwardly from a flexible base member
which comprises cutting the base member into a plurality of
sections having section lengths of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the section lengths are from 5/16
inch and 7/16 inch.
3. A method of preparing prefabricated artificial eyelashes having
hairlike fibers extending outwardly from a flexible base member
which comprises shortening a plurality of the hairlike fibers with
cutting means oriented in a plane substantially perpendicular to
the base member, and subsequently dividing the base member into a
plurality of sections.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the base member is divided into a
plurality of sections having individual lengths of from about 1/4
inch to 1/2 inch.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the base member is divided into
from four to seven sections having individual lengths of from about
1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein the base member is divided into
from five to six sections having individual lengths of from about
1/4 inch to 1/2 inch.
7. A method of applying false eyelashes to an eye comprising
adhering a plurality of false eyelash sections having base member
lengths of from about 1/4 inch to about 1/2 inch to the eye
immediately above the natural eyelash line, and adhering at least
one outermost false eyelash section substantially above, and at an
outwardly opening angle to, the natural eyelash line.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the innermost false eyelash
section is placed such that the nearest edge of the base is not
less than 1/4 inch from the closest part of the tear duct of the
eye.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the number of sections used is
from four to seven.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of preparing artificial
eyelashes subsequent to fabrication but prior to placement on the
eye, and in a preferred embodiment, to a particular method of
positioning the lashes on the eye.
Artificial or false eyelashes have long been used as standard
makeup for stage and screen use, and in recent years have become a
commonly used beauty aid for most women for social purposes. The
most popular type of commercially available eyelashes consist of a
large number of hairs or hair-like fiber strands tied to a flexible
central base of silk, nylon, or other plastic material. The
flexible base is precut to a length approximating the length of the
upper eyelid, and the lash is then applied to the lid just above
the real eyelashes with a surgical glue or other adhesive
substance. After application of the false eyelash, the base is
usually covered with an eyeliner which may be a pigmented liquid
material, or a leather, plastic, or fabric material. An example of
a false eyelash made in combination with a solid eyeliner is found
in McCullough, U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,542, issued June 3, 1969.
I have found that the use by women of commercially available false
eyelashes in may cases substantially defeats their intended
purpose. While most women hope to achieve an effect with false
eyelashes that looks "natural," in fact the density and uniformity
of the lashes on the base, and the exaggerated length of the
fibers, create a very artificial appearance to the eyelashes. While
many women attempt to trim the length of the lash fibers, they
simply shorten all of the lashes uniformly, and the lashes retain
their thick, regular, synthetic appearance. A typical example of a
method of manufacturing false eyelashes and shortening the lashes
by trimming along the base with scissors is found in Meehan, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,032,042, issued May 1, 1962.
In addition, placement of the artificial eyelash on the eye is
quite difficult, since the base tends to be flexible and sticky
from the necessary adhesive. Most available eyelashes are furnished
with bases having a length of at least one inch, and typically
about 1 1/4 inch, and accurate placement of the whole length can be
quite clumsy; this problem is accentuated by the fact that the
flexible base is straight whereas the eyelid is a curved surface,
creating a tendency of the base to bunch along the eye. Recognizing
the difficulty of applying a sticky, limp thread-like base, some
manufacturers have built bases that have a slightly plastic,
resilient nature. Although perhaps easier to apply, these bases
suffer even more dramatically from the incongruity of the shapes of
the base and the eyelid, and tend to come loose or pop up at the
ends. The discovery of a loose or hanging eyelash at a social
function can of course have devastating effects on a woman's
self-confidence.
In an effort to obviate the problems of adequate adhesion and
unnatural appearance of strip-base false eyelashes, individual lash
fibers have been sold for attachment one-by-one to the eyelid.
While with suitable trimming these lashes could be made to achieve
a natural appearance, they are quite difficult and time-consuming
to apply, and would normally require the services of an experienced
operator for satisfactory application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have discovered that a more beautiful, natural-looking appearance
can be achieved with false eyelashes if, prior to application, the
eyelashes are trimmed by making a series of chopping-type cuts with
a scissors with the cutting plane of the scissor blade maintained
substantially perpendicular to the length of the eyelash base
member and, if the hairlike lash fibers extend in parallel fashion
from the base, substantially parallel to the lash fibers. After
trimming, the base is cut into a plurality of sections, and the
sections are then placed individually above the user's lashes along
the eyelid adjacent to each other. In a particularly preferred
embodiment of the invention, in applying the lash sections to the
eyelid, the last section toward the outside of the eye is placed on
the eyelid in a position having a lesser downward slope than the
natural eyelash line, thereby providing an "opening" and enlarging
effect to the eye.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an example of a commercially available artificial
eyelash prior to preparation according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows the eyelash positioned for trimming;
FIG. 3 shows the method of cutting the base into sections;
FIG. 4 shows the lash trimmed and cut and ready for placement;
and
FIG. 5 shows the proper placement of the lash sections on the
eyelid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a commercially available false eyelash 1 having fibers
2 tied to the base 3, which is a thin, slightly resilient band made
from synthetic fibers. The band is preferably as thin as possible,
while still maintaining sufficient strength to hold the lash fibers
and not deteriorate. The band is desirable dark or flesh colored,
but may be clear or white in which case eye liner must be used to
cover the base after application. The lash illustrated has the
individual fibers unevenly distributed along the base, and while I
prefer such clump-type distribution for ease of application, my
method of preparation works well on all artificial lashes
regardless of how the lashes are constructed or distributed.
The proper method of trimming and "feathering" (thinning) the
lashes is shown in FIG. 2. Although the commercial eyelash of FIG.
1 is advertised to be pretrimmed and prefeathered, I find that the
lash will look very unnatural and obtrusive unless prepared for use
according to my invention. Artificial eyelash 1 is placed
lengthwise along finger 4, with the lashes extending generally away
from the direction of the other fingers. If necessary, additional
adhesive can be used to retain the base on the finger, but usually
the lashes are sold with a pre-applied adhesive backing which will
be sufficient to stick the base to the finger. Small scissors 5 are
held in the opposite hand, shown with scissor blades 6 and 7
positioned above and below the lash fibers, respectively, in a
cutting plane substantially perpendicular to the eyelash band and
the direction of the extended finger. I then make a series of rapid
chopping-type cuts along the lash, moving the scissors along the
length of the base while keeping the cutting plane approximately
perpendicular to the base, until the length of the fibers is
substantially reduced, and a somewhat irregular appearance is
created in the fibers as shown in FIG. 4. Whereas the lash shown in
FIG. 1 has individual lash fibers up to 3/4 inch long, I prefer to
have a maximum fiber length in the finished product of about 3/8
inch. More important, however, is the random fiber length created
by chopping perpendicular to the base. The number of chops required
may vary widely with the density of fibers on the base and tendency
of the fibers to extend at an angle away from the cutting plane;
for example, the lash shown in FIG. 1 has a number of fibers which
extend from the base in a plane other than perpendicular, whereas
other false eyelashes have fibers which all extend in a uniform,
parallel fashion from the base. In many cases it may be necessary
to shorten most or all of the fibers of the eyelash; if the lash
fibers are short as manufactured, it may be sufficient to shorten
only a plurality, e.g., 25%, of the fibers. The slight natural
unsteadiness in the hand, thus causing variations in the cutting
plane away from the perpendicular, also serves to hasten the
thinning process. I prefer to keep the cutting plane always within
about 20.degree. from the perpendicular, and preferably within
about 10.degree. from the perpendicular. For the lash illustrated
as number 1 in the drawings, perhaps 75-100 chops would be
necessary to adequately thin and trim the lash.
After trimming, I cut the base of each false eyelash into a
plurality of sections as shown in FIG. 3. While my method of
cutting the base into sections is adequate, for convenience I leave
the lash extended on my finger after trimming and simply cut the
base 3 with the points 9 of scissor blades 10, forming sections 11
as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. I then remove the sections
individually as needed for application to the eyelid, or for
storage for future use. In general, I prefer to use from four to
seven, preferably five or six, sections for each base; three or
fewer sections usually does not provide sufficient flexibility of
placement of the eyelashes, and more than seven sections is
unnecessarily timeconsuming and difficult to handle. A typical
section measures about 3/8 inch along the base, but may be as much
as 1/8 inch longer or shorter if desired. Preferably the sections
are between about 5/16 inch and 7/16 inch. While the sections shown
in the drawings are approximately equal in length, it is possible
to make some sections longer or shorter than others if desired.
The lash sections are placed on the eyelid above the natural
eyelash line with conventional adhesive; the sections may be placed
using a pair of tweezers or like instrument, or by transferring
each section from the fingertip to the eyelid. Referring to FIG. 5,
the sections are applied beginning at the inside of the eye 12 and
working outward, preferably applying the first section 14 beginning
about 1/4 inch - 3/8 inch from the tear duct 13. In other words, no
false eyelash sections are applied on the innermost portion of lid
20, since extra lashes on this section of the eye do not enhance
its beauty and creates an appearance of narrower eyes; i.e.,
appears to bring the eyes closer together. Subsequent sections
15-17 are also placed in adjacent fashion along the lid. Placement
of the last section is important, however, since it preferably does
not follow the line of the eye. Section 18 is placed having a
substantially lesser downward slope than the natural eye line, and
may approach a horizontal placement. This angular displacement of
the lash from the eye line "opens" the eye, and gives it a larger,
more attractive appearance, particularly in women who have fleshier
eyelids. Depending on the fleshiness of the eyelid, and the degree
of illusion desired, immediately preceding sections to the
outermost section can also be placed angularly to the normal
eyelash line.
After application of the eyelashes, the base is covered with eye
liner by conventional means. I use a 000 artist's sable brush
dipped in the appropriate color of eyeliner liquid, dotting the
base until all light-colored spots are covered.
It will be understood that many variations in types of false
eyelashes, cutting mechanisms, and adhesives may be used and still
come within the scope and spirit of my invention. My preparation
method will be effective for substantially any type of false
eyelash, although it is most successful for those having a
relatively heavy fiber density for the lash members. The type of
construction of the base, and the materials used to make the lash
fibers and the base, are not critical to the invention. Similarly,
any type of nontoxic adhesive may be used to attach the lash
section to the eye. In addition, while I have described the use of
hand-operated scissors for feathering and trimming the lashes, any
cutting means capable of performing substantially the same function
as the scissors may be used, such as reciprocating razor edges or
knives.
* * * * *