May I suggest three options?
1. Dye your eyelashes with Eyelure Dyelash colourant. It goes on with a mascara brush and lasts about ten days. No smudges and it doesn't get on your skin as it's just like applying mascara. Then curl your lashes with a heated curler. Eyelure do a good battery-operated one; like a wee biro pen with a hot end. It doesn't hurt and it works a treat. No scary metal gadgets or lost eyelashes;
2. Get your lashes professionally permed. They'll dye them first and the tint/perm lasts a month, easily. My local charges Ł30 and it's a very relaxing 45 mins;
3. (My new personal favourite) Use false lashes/extensions. Eyelure (again!) do great, natural individual lashes for about Ł4. I've been wearing these for over three weeks. I just use the short ones as the longer ones are just too Tammy-Faye for me. The great thing is that I save half an hour each morning as I don't use any mascara and, to be honest, much less make-up in general. Just be sure to use an oil-free eyemake up remover and they'll stay put. They also look great getting out of the pool/bed! Couldn't beat them with a big stick.