Clip-On Magnetic Lashes vs Magnetic Eyeliner Lashes: Which Is Better?
There are two kinds of magnetic lashes, and they work in completely different ways. Clip-on magnetic lashes clamp two strips together around your natural lashes. Magnetic eyeliner lashes hold to a line of iron oxide liner on your lid. One hangs off your own lashes. The other sits on your skin. That one difference decides how they feel, how they look and what they do to your natural lashes over time.
- Clip-on magnetic lashes (also called sandwich or dual magnetic lashes) use two strips with magnets that snap together through your natural lashes. No liner needed.
- Magnetic eyeliner lashes use one strip with tiny magnets that hold to a magnetic liner drawn along your lash line.
- The liner version wins for most people. Nothing grips your natural lashes, the band sits flush on the lash line, it feels lighter, and it works even if your own lashes are short or sparse.
- Clip-ons need natural lashes to hold onto. Their weight hangs from them all day, which is the same pulling force behind traction lash loss.
- The one thing clip-ons skip is liner. But with liner lashes the liner is your eyeliner, so it is not an extra step, and our clear liner gives you a no-eyeliner look.
- Easiest way to start: the Magnetic Lashes & Liner Kit, one pair of 6-magnet lashes plus the liner, in a mirror compact.
What is the difference between clip-on and magnetic eyeliner lashes?
Both use magnets. What the magnet holds onto is the whole story.
Clip-on magnetic lashes come as two half strips per eye, one for above your natural lashes and one for below. Each has magnets along it. You line them up and let them snap shut, trapping your natural lashes in between. Nothing touches your skin. Everything rests on your own lashes.
Magnetic eyeliner lashes are a single band with small magnets along it. You draw on the magnetic liner, place the band, and it holds to the liner right where your lashes grow. Your natural lashes are not part of the attachment at all.
What makes the liner magnetic? It is basically a normal eyeliner with more of the black pigment in it. That pigment is iron oxide, the same colour pigment used in lipsticks and cosmetic tattoos. Regulators list iron oxides as safe for colouring cosmetics, including cosmetics used around the eyes.4
- ✕Two strips clamp around your natural lashes
- ✕Sits out from the lid, ends and corners lift
- ✕Needs long natural lashes to grip
- ✓One band holds to the liner, not your lashes
- ✓Flush on the lash line, corner to corner
- ✓Works on short, fine or sparse lashes
| Clip-on (sandwich) lashes | Magnetic eyeliner lashes | |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds onto | Your natural lashes, clamped between two strips | A magnetic liner on your lid |
| Where the weight sits | Hanging from your natural lashes | On the lid, spread along the liner |
| How it sits | Out on the lashes, with a gap to the lash line | Flush on the lash line |
| Needs natural lashes? | Yes, long and strong enough to grip | No. Works on short, fine or sparse lashes |
| Taking them off | Pulled apart around your lashes, which can catch them | Lift the band off the liner. Nothing to catch |
| Eyeliner | A separate step, if you want it | Built in: the liner is your eyeliner, or use clear liner for a no-liner look |
| Learning curve | Fiddly. Two halves have to meet exactly | Easy after a few goes. One band, and you can reposition it |
The cons of clip-on magnetic lashes
Clip-ons look clever in an ad. Wear them for a day and the problems show up, and every one of them comes back to the same thing: your natural lashes are doing all the work.
1. They feel heavy
Two strips, two rows of magnets, all hanging off your natural lashes. After a couple of hours your eyes feel like they have been doing a workout. Every blink lifts that weight, and you do that blink thousands of times a day. Because the strips squeeze your natural lashes together, it can feel like having your lashes glued together with lash glue: pinched and uncomfortable.
2. Constant weight on natural lashes can lead to lash loss
Traction alopecia is hair loss caused by a steady pulling force on the hair over time.1 Ophthalmologists describe the eyelash version as natural lashes lost through the traction of synthetic lashes, and it is a recognised complication of eyelash extensions.2 Clip-on lashes put the same kind of load on the same place. The heavier the pair and the more often you wear it, the bigger the risk.
It matters because natural lashes are slow to come back. A full eyelash cycle runs about 90 days, and the growing phase is only around five weeks of that.3 A lash pulled out early leaves a gap for weeks, sometimes months. In my experience, natural lashes damaged by clip-ons can take about three months to fully recover.
3. They do not sit flush against the lid
Because they clamp onto your natural lashes, clip-ons sit wherever your lashes put them. That is a little way out from the lash line, not on it. You get a gap between your lid and the band, which is exactly what makes false lashes look false, and the band can tilt as your lashes flex. The strips also do not curve to the shape of your eye, so the ends and inner corners tend to dangle.
4. You need natural lashes to wear them
No natural lashes, no grip. If your lashes are short, fine, sparse or still growing back, clip-ons have nothing to hold and simply slide off. That rules them out for many of the people who want false lashes most, including anyone with lash loss from alopecia or chemotherapy.
5. They can pull out natural lashes
Taking clip-ons off means prising two magnets apart with your natural lashes still between them. Lashes get trapped and pulled. Do that every day and it adds up.
6. They are hard to fit to smaller eyes
Trimming a false lash is how you tailor it to a smaller or rounder eye. With clip-ons there are not enough magnets to spare, so cutting the band shorter loses the hold.
7. Most styles look thick, plasticky and long
Clip-on fibres tend to be thicker, so they look plasticky and clump into spider legs. In our experience most clip-on styles are around 11mm long, and shorter, natural styles are hard to find.
Where clip-ons do win
To be fair, there is one thing clip-ons do better: there is no liner. If you never wear eyeliner, have long and strong natural lashes, and only wear lashes for a few hours at a time, they are an option. For everyone else, the trade is not worth it. And if it is the black line you want to avoid, pair our magnetic lashes with Crystal Clear Adhesive Eyeliner instead. It sticks the band on with a clear film, so you get the no-eyeliner look.
Why magnetic eyeliner lashes win
Your natural lashes are left alone. The band holds to the liner on your skin. Nothing clamps, grips or hangs from your own lashes, so there is nothing to pull when you take the false lashes off. Our guide to whether magnetic eyelashes are safe to wear every day goes deeper on this.
They sit flush on the lash line. The liner is your lash line, so the band lands exactly where your own lashes grow. No gap, no tilt, no tell.
They feel lighter. One band, tiny magnets, and the weight is spread along the lid instead of hanging off individual hairs. You feel the lash, not the weight.
They work on any natural lashes, or none. Short, fine, sparse, straight, or growing back. The liner gives the magnets something to hold whatever your own lashes are doing. That is why our magnetic lashes feature in our guides for alopecia and mature eyes.
The hold is stronger where it counts. Magnetic attraction drops off quickly with distance. With liner, the iron oxide sits directly under the band, so the magnets are as close as they can get. With clip-ons, the hold depends on how thick or thin your natural lashes are between the two strips.
The liner is a look in itself. It is a smudge-proof, waterproof eyeliner as well as the anchor. Wear it as a fine line or a wing.
The one thing you do differently: you draw the liner. But that is your eyeliner done too, so it is one step, not an extra one. This two-and-a-half minute guide shows the whole routine, plus the tips real customers found easiest.
What makes Youthphoria magnetic lashes different
Not all liner lashes are equal either. These are the details that matter, and why we built ours the way we did.
- 6 magnets, where other brands use 3 to 5. More, smaller magnets spread the hold along the whole band, so the inner and outer corners do not lift.
- Magnets 50% smaller and stronger. Discreet on the band, comfortable on the lid, and a secure hold from morning to night.
- They look, feel and move like real lashes. Luxe Faux Mink and Signature Faux Silk fibres are fine, soft and tapered, so you get a natural lash line instead of a glossy, plasticky strip or thick spikes that clump into spider legs.
- Vegan and cruelty-free fibres that hold their curl, wear after wear.
- Reusable for 30+ wears when you clean them and store them in their compact.
- A liner formulated with care and consideration. Hypoallergenic, AICIS compliant, and free of parabens, latex and formaldehyde. It comes in black or brown.
- Styles that suit most eye shapes, from barely-there accent lashes to full glam, so you can swap your look in the same day without redoing your makeup.
Youthphoria began in Melbourne in 2012 as a skincare brand, has made lashes since 2017, and more than 50,000 customers wear them. Every style was chosen by a pharmacist, cosmetic chemist and 5x certified lash technician who also applies lashes to clients in her Balwyn North studio, so the range is built around how real natural lashes and real eyelids behave.
Want proof they stay put? Four real customers put them through a blow dryer, a dance workout, Townsville humidity and a pair of glasses.
Our picks to start with
When a client comes to me from clip-ons, I put them in our Signature Faux Silk range first, so they can feel how featherlight and comfortable a false lash can be, and how much better it fits the eye. Pixie below is one of them.
Magnetic Lashes & Liner Kit
One pair of 6-magnet lashes in the style you choose, the Hybrid Magnetic Liquid Eyeliner in black or brown, and the mirror compact to store them. Everything you need for your first wear.
Shop the kit
Lucinda
5mm to 10mm round natural volume, glasses compatible, and made in brown as well as black. The easiest first switch from clip-ons: believable up close, and light on the lid.
Shop Lucinda
Elsa
8mm to 11mm wispy round. A touch more length than Lucinda without going dramatic, so it still shows if your lid hoods a little.
Shop Elsa
Pixie
5mm to 11mm soft cat-eye on a short 26mm band in 0.03mm Signature Faux Silk. Made for petite eyes, glasses wearers and anyone who wants the lightest feel.
Shop Pixie
Hybrid Magnetic Liquid Eyeliner
The tube with the fine brush. Richly pigmented, smudge-proof and waterproof, in black or brown. Two thin layers give the magnets everything they need.
Shop the liner
Hybrid Magnetic Eyeliner Pen
A different formula with a thinner consistency and a fine felt tip, so you build it in a few more coats. The advantage is control, for a crisp line or wing.
Shop the penPrefer a softer line? The Brown Magnetic Eyelash Kit pairs brown lashes with brown liner. Want to try a few styles? Build Your Own Kit and save as you add. Shaky hands? The Lash Applicator Tweezer places the band without fingers getting in the way.
Brown Magnetic Eyelash Kit
Lash Applicator Tweezer
Crystal Clear Adhesive Eyeliner
Micellar Foaming Cleanser
Eyelash Growth & Repair Serum
How to switch from clip-on to liner lashes
- 1Pick a style that fits your eye. If you are not sure, the lash finder matches you in about a minute.
- 2Draw the liner as close to your lash line as you can, a touch thicker at the inner and outer corners.
- 3Give it about a minute to set.
- 4Place the band middle first, then press the corners in. If it lands crooked, lift it and go again. Nothing sets.
- 5At night, lift the band off and remove the liner with a waterproof makeup remover or our Micellar Foaming Cleanser. Our liner removal guide and cleaning guide cover the rest.
If your natural lashes have been under clip-ons for a while, give them a rest from anything that grips them. Liner lashes let you keep wearing false lashes while your own are left alone.
Looking after strained lashes. Natural lashes can take about three months to fully recover. To care for them while they grow back, add our Eyelash Growth & Repair Serum to your night routine. It is made in Australia, with a strong, concentrated formula that is still natural.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between clip-on and magnetic eyeliner lashes?
Clip-on magnetic lashes use two strips with magnets that clamp together around your natural lashes, so they hold onto your own lashes. Magnetic eyeliner lashes use one band with tiny magnets that hold to a magnetic liner drawn along your lash line, so they hold onto the liner on your lid and leave your natural lashes alone.
Are clip-on magnetic lashes bad for your natural lashes?
They can be. All of their weight hangs from your natural lashes, and taking them off means prising two magnets apart with your lashes trapped between them. Constant pulling on the hair is what causes traction alopecia, which ophthalmologists recognise with heavy eyelash extensions. Magnetic eyeliner lashes hold to the liner on your lid, so nothing pulls on your natural lashes.
Can you wear magnetic lashes without eyeliner?
Yes. Clip-on magnetic lashes need no liner, but they clamp onto your natural lashes. The better option is to pair magnetic lashes with a clear adhesive liner, such as our Crystal Clear Adhesive Eyeliner, which sticks the band on with a clear film for a no-eyeliner look. Brown magnetic liner is the other softer option.
Do magnetic eyeliner lashes work if I have short or sparse lashes?
Yes. The band holds to the liner, not to your natural lashes, so it does not matter how long, fine or sparse your own lashes are. That is the main reason they work where clip-on lashes slide off.
Is magnetic eyeliner safe?
Magnetic eyeliner is basically a normal eyeliner with more of the black pigment, iron oxide, in it. Iron oxide is the same pigment used in lipsticks and cosmetic tattoos, and the US FDA lists iron oxides as safe for colouring cosmetics, including cosmetics used around the eyes. Our liners are also hypoallergenic, AICIS compliant, and free of parabens, latex and formaldehyde.
How long do natural lashes take to recover from clip-on lashes?
About three months. A full eyelash growth cycle runs around 90 days, so lashes pulled or strained by clip-ons need that long to be replaced. Switch to liner lashes, which do not grip your natural lashes, and add a lash serum to your night routine while they grow back.
Which magnetic lashes look more natural?
Magnetic eyeliner lashes, because the band sits flush on the lash line with the liner beneath it. Clip-ons sit out on your natural lashes, which leaves a small gap between the band and your lid. Choose fine, tapered fibres such as Luxe Faux Mink or Signature Faux Silk so the lashes look, feel and move like real lashes.
How long do Youthphoria magnetic lashes last?
Youthphoria magnetic lashes are reusable for 30+ wears when cleaned and stored in their compact after each use.
How do I remove magnetic eyeliner?
Lift the lash band off first, then remove the liner with a waterproof makeup remover or a micellar cleanser and water. Keep eye makeup remover away from the lash bands themselves.
Ready to make the switch?
Start with one pair and the liner. If the style is not right, the lash finder will point you to one that is.
Related reading
- Are magnetic eyelashes safe to wear every day?
- 7 magnetic lash myths, and what is actually true
- How to apply magnetic eyelashes, step by step
- The magnetic eyeliner pen: who it suits
- Do magnetic lashes look natural?
- Cheap magnetic lashes: how to spot a generic re-brand
- Aguado Lobo M, Jiménez-Reyes J. Traction alopecia. International Journal of Dermatology, 2018. PubMed 29265342. Review of hair loss caused by sustained pulling on the hair.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Eyelash Extensions. EyeWiki. Describes traction alopecia as natural lashes lost due to the traction of synthetic lashes.
- Thibaut S, et al. Human eyelash characterization. British Journal of Dermatology, 2010. PubMed 19804590. Measured a complete eyelash cycle of about 90 days, with a growing phase of about 34 days.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Iron oxides, 21 CFR 73.2250. eCFR. Lists iron oxides as safe for colouring cosmetics generally, including cosmetics applied to the area of the eye.
This article is general cosmetic guidance about false lash systems. It is not medical advice. If you notice sudden lash loss, pain, redness or irritation, speak to your optometrist or GP.
