What Were Fake Eyelashes Originally Called? The Bizarre Origin Of 'Cumbrellas' Explained

There are a lot of bold claims made online, but the rumor of where fake eyelashes came from, and what they were originally called is one of the strangest. It's gotten thousands on TikTok and other social media platforms believing they've discovered a piece of cursed history.

So what's the history of "cumbrellas," and is the rumor true? Here's everything you need to know about the bizarre fake eyelash rumor.

Where Did The Term 'Cumbrellas' Come From?

In early 2021, an iFunny user named King Alex posted a photo on the platform that claimed a prostitute named Gerda Puridle invented fake eyelashes back in 1882, intended to … help with the profession's difficult work.

Though this rumor spread like wildfire, it was confirmed to be false by fact-checkers. In fact, the woman in the photo is not Gerda Puridle or a prostitute, but rather a contemporary French film actress named Alice Regnault. Perhaps it makes the joke less funny, but the entertaining thing is how quickly everyone believed a woman from the 1880s came up with the term "cumbrellas."

What Were Fake Eyelashes Originally Called?

They were called false eyelashes. Don't fall for the hysteria, or you'll wind up looking rather foolish on social media.

A German inventor named Karl Nessler first patented fake eyelashes back in the late 1800s, with a Canadian woman named Anna Taylor later developing them into the strip lashes seen on the market today.

How Is The Term "Cumbrellas" Used Online?

A lot of people are still convinced by this hoax, and they love to share how hilarious they think the "umbrellas" myth is, particularly on TikTok. While these videos have earned hundreds of thousands of likes, it's clear that the creators behind them didn't do their fact checking, or think it's fun to be part of a harmless misinformation campaign. Some people are tricked into looking it up through a "don't Google" trend, thus spreading the misinformation further.

It's become a funny term to refer to false eyelashes, and has people looking at their eyelashes a little differently, due to the suggestion of the very different intended purpose.

Don't fall for the propaganda, though. While you can say "cumbrellas" all you want, it doesn't make the historical rumor true.

For the full history of cumbrellas, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.