I'm a HUGE makeup junkie and have been wearing it since I was nine (musical theater) and played around with both high end and drugstore mascaras. Definitely always use a lash curler lol its my must-have beauty tool.
My favorite drugstore ones are Maybelline The Falsies (original, not flared)
Covergirl lashblast (orange tube) and as for high end, I love Benefit They're Real mascara and Diorshow.
I've worn about a jillion sets of false lashes and I wouldn't recommend it for every day use, but they are great for special occasions! They can be pretty frustrating to apply for a newbie. If you do get then, invest in Duo lash adhesive, never use the little bottle it sometimes comes with.
Here's how I apply my fakes:
Peel off one strip of lashes and hold with tweezers. Trim to the length of your eye if needed.
Apply a thin strip of lash glue and give it a few seconds for the glue to get tacky.
Use the tweezers to apply as close to your upper lash line as possible.
Hold still!!!!
Apply mascara so the falsies blend in with your real lashes.