Curling Eyelashes

I know almost nothing about makeup. The only thing I would like to do is curl my eyelashes and wear mascara. But I've tried it and my eyelashes never stay curled. I have already tried to heat the curler and it does last the longest but only for like 3 hours. I have also tried vaseline and a variety of mascara brands (waterproof, volume, curl lasting) but not much difference. Any advice please. My eyelashes are already relatively long but point straight drown.

Also, when I curl my eyelashes sometimes, a few eyelashes fall off. Is that normal?