Eyelashes, though small, significantly enhance our facial features. Whether you want to elevate your beauty routine or understand more about the lashes you already possess, knowing the different types of eyelashes is crucial. This guide dives into the world of eyelash extensions, exploring various styles, materials, and selection tips to help you achieve the perfect lash look.
Before diving into extensions, it's essential to understand the basics of natural and false eyelashes.
Natural lashes are what you're born with, varying in length, volume, and curl. Some individuals naturally have short and sparse eyelashes, while others are blessed with long and full lashes. Curled eyelashes are a desirable trait for many.
False eyelashes are temporary enhancements applied to the eyelid or lash line using adhesive. There are several types of false lashes:
Professional eyelash extensions enhance and accentuate the natural beauty of the eyes, giving the wearer added confidence. During this process, eyelash extension fibers are added to the natural eyelashes, offering a fuller and/or longer look. There are many types of eyelash extensions, and they can be made from a variety of materials, including synthetic fibers, silk, and mink. There are even LED-cured lashes.
Read also: Comprehensive Lash Guide
Depending on what your client is looking for in terms of the finished look, there are a few main types of extensions to consider.
Classic lashes involve the application of one synthetic eyelash to every natural one. This option offers a more subtle result while still offering volume and length. This style is often called the mascara effect and is most suitable for people who would like to enhance their natural appearance without it being too obvious that they have extensions. Lash extension thickness 0.15 is the second most popular thickness for the classic extension. This lash extension thickness creates a natural mascara look. For healthy, strong, thick natural lashes 0.20 is used.
One of the most popular eyelash extension styles is volume lashes. These require applying multiple synthetic lashes to each natural one. You use what are called “fans” of lashes, which usually mean anywhere from two to six extensions per fan. Because you’ll be applying a few to each real lash, volume lashes tend to be thinner than other options. The results are fuller and more glamorous, making them perfect for special events. They can easily be customized to achieve the exact results desired. Russian style is a category of volume lashes. The technician will use very thin individual lashes, gluing as many 4-6 extensions per lash in a fanned-out shape.
Hybrid lashes involve the combination of classic and volume lashes. You can alternate between single synthetic lash application and fans, creating a strategically planned look that balances glamour with a more natural look. This combination offers a very textured style that has an almost wispy appearance.
Glam or glamour eyelash extensions are a category of classic extensions done with very thick 18 mm to 25 mm lashes.
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Aside from the type of extension, there are also styling options that you can recommend to clients depending on the look they want and their facial structure. When you're considering various eyelash extension types, style is just as important as volume and length.
As their name suggests, cat eye lash extensions can give clients a slightly “feline” look. They can do this by making the eye appear longer. To apply this extension style correctly, you must gradually increase how long the individual eyelashes are from the inner to the outer corner of each eye. These extensions not only elongate the eye but they provide a lifting look, too. They’re excellent options for close-set or almond-shaped eyes. A really good lash technician might use slightly shorter extensions right above the outer corner of the eye. If they’re too long right at the outer corner, you can end up with the opposite effect.
Doll eyelash extensions provide an innocent, wide-eyed look reminiscent of a doll. You create the look by applying longer lashes at the center of the lash line and allowing them to taper out toward the corners of the eye. The eyes look bigger and perfectly symmetrical, providing a youthful appearance. It’s a great option for those who have smaller or downturned eyes.
These lashes are meant to mimic a client’s natural eyelash look. The lash artist must apply them expertly to achieve the desired results, and this means being able to understand how to enhance what’s already there without changing it. It’s an option suitable for all eye shapes and sizes. The natural eyelash extension style is meant to mimic your lashes’ natural length pattern.
Wispy extensions are all about varying the length of each individual lash or fan. Thicknesses can vary and can be combined with longer lashes to create spikes that offer a dramatic look. Depending on how glamorous the client wants the results to be, you can use individual lashes or fans to achieve this look. The wispy look can be an excellent choice for hooded eyes. Wispy lash extensions are the staggered extensions’ demure cousins. There is still length variation, but there are fewer lashes of similar lengths clustered together.
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Creating the fox eye is similar to forming the cat eye, but it is more dramatic. You would place the longer lashes on the outer corner of the eye and diminish the size as you move toward the inner corner. The fox eye look features a higher lift on the outer corners than the cat eye look. Fox style lashes are all about achieving a captivating, foxy look. These extensions feature longer and thicker lashes towards the outer corners of the eyes, creating an illusion of an elongated and lifted appearance. With their unique placement, fox style lashes enhance the eyes, giving them a seductive and flirtatious charm.
The squirrel eye look uses lash extensions to create a wispy and flared appearance, bringing to mind a squirrel’s tail. The goal is wispiness and fluffiness, as well as a lifted outer corner of each eye. It can be a good choice for round, almond, or downturned eyes. Squirrel-style eyelash extensions are a unique variation on cat eye lash extension styles. They create the illusion of very upturned eyes. Then, the lashes gradually become shorter on each side, with the shortest lashes in the inner corner.
Open eye usually refers to an eyelash extension style where the lashes are the longest at the center of the lash line. The extensions are shortest at the inner and outer corners of the eye. Having those longer lashes at the center lifts the eye, for a more round and open look. If you’re in the mood for a more intense look, meet the Open Eye style. This one throws the longest lashes at the center, lifting your eyes for a rounded and open appearance - just a notch above the doll style for that extra oomph.
Reverse cat eye lash extensions are almost the opposite of a cat eye (although not quite so extreme). The lashes are still the shortest at the inner corner of the eye. It’s not a common style, but it can work with certain eye shapes. It’s important to go to a very talented lash stylist who knows how to blend and taper the extension lengths.
Staggered eyelash extensions are one of the coolest modern styles. It’s a spiky look that the stylist creates by alternating longer and shorter extensions. Feeling a bit spiky? Try the Staggered lash extension styles. It’s a modern, spiky look created by mixing longer and shorter extensions. Get creative and mix it up with other styles for your own personalized look.
Wavy lashes offer a delightful twist to the traditional lash extensions. With a gentle wave throughout, these extensions provide a soft and natural look that complements various eye shapes. The wavy style lends a touch of sophistication to your gaze, creating a subtle texture that's both elegant and stylish. These lashes are perfect for those seeking a more relaxed and beachy appearance without the intense drama of voluminous styles.
A rainbow lash extension style can be a lot of fun. If you're naturally fair, brown extensions can give you a very natural lash style. If you want something more exciting, ask your lash technician what other colors she carries. Suppliers produce lashes in all sorts of shades, including blue, purple, and pink. Fancy a pop of color? The Colored or Highlighted Extensions can be your fun ticket. Add various colors or highlights for a quirky, personalized effect.
Anime lashes, also known as Manga lashes or Webtoon lashes, are a distinctive style of lash extensions characterized by spikey, individual lash strands that stand out prominently. Unlike wispy lashes, anime lashes have obvious spikes that create a dramatic and exaggerated look, emphasizing both the upper and lower lash lines. This style aims to achieve the wide-eyed, doll-like appearance seen in female anime and manga characters, making the eyes pop with a captivating allure.
You can always ask your lash stylist to create a unique lash map that's just for you and your eye shape. Maybe you want that Kim K look, with staggered, hybrid lashes, but in a squirrel shape? And for those who want something totally unique, there’s the Custom lash extension styles. Your stylist crafts a lash map just for you. Pro tip: chat openly with your stylist to get the look that’s as unique as you.
Your eye shape can have a huge impact on which style will suit you best. Here’s a quick explanation of the main eye shape categories, and how to choose the right extension styles for each one.
Those with almond eyes can rock just about any eyelash extension style they like. Cat eye style lashes will enhance a natural almond shape. Almond eyes are highly versatile, however, so they can also look great with doll eye, wispy, and natural extensions. When considering eyelash extensions for different eye shapes, almond eyes can benefit most from cat and fox eye looks.
With wide-set eyes that have a lot of space between them, lashes can help create the illusion that your eyes are a little closer together. It’s important to focus on styles where there is some length or volume near the inner corners.
If you have close-set eyes it means that there's very little space between your eyes. Ask for a style that's long and dense near the outer corner of the eye while keeping things short and light in the inner corner. Cat eye extensions are one of the top choices because they elongate the eye, bringing a more balanced appearance. Fox eye lashes can bring further glamour to the look.
Downturned eyes usually look best with squirrel style eyelash extensions, or with cat eye extensions that are not overly long at the outer corners.
Small eyes do best with softer, wispy lash mapping styles that don't overwhelm the eyes. Stick to thinner classic or hybrid techniques, and avoid overly long or thick extensions. It's best to keep the inner corner lashes a little shorter, to open up your eye .
If you have a hooded eye shape, always stick to shorter, lighter lashes near the inner corner. You can rock all kinds of length distribution styles. If you want a more dramatic or voluminous look, opt for wispy or staggered application techniques. Hooded eyes can benefit from the doll eye style because it provides a wide-open look that increases the eye’s size. Cat eyes are a good option for this, as well. Squirrel or open eye styles work wonders for camouflaging the hooded crease, while wispy or staggered styles add some drama.
Those with a deep-set eye shape should focus on fluttery lash styles that won’t shadow the eyes. Staggered, wispy, and natural lashes often look best. You may also want to try L or D curl lashes.
With a protruding eye shape, the most important thing is to choose the right curl style. A lot of sources suggest straighter J or B curl lashes, but we disagree. Avoid thick classic lashes. If your eyes protrude a bit, think C, D, or L curls to pull upwards and flatter those eyes.
Upturned eyes are very trendy right now, so it’s very hard to go wrong with lash extensions. Cat eye and squirrel extensions will emphasize your eye shape, for an eye-catching fox eye look.
Round eyes are large and impressive. Eyelash extension styles like doll and open eye will emphasize your natural eye shape. A cat eye style will balance it out , for more of an almond shape. For round eyes, the doll eye look can make them stand out, while the cat or fox eye can elongate them. Wispy extensions can offer a more natural look while enhancing eye size.
Monolid eyes are those that don’t have a crease on the lid. This can make them appear smaller than they are. To widen them, doll and cat eye looks are great choices.
When it comes to eyelash length, extensions can go from 5 mm to 18 mm in length. In practice, most technicians don't go shorter than 8 mm or longer than 15 mm. A great set of lash extensions will include a lot of length variation. If you’re new to extensions, you have smaller eyes or minimal lid space, or your lashes are naturally very short, it’s better to start in the 8-12 mm range. If your eyes are large, your lashes are naturally long, or you have a lot of space between your brows and lash line, you may want to go longer right from the start. If you do go longer, it’s better not to overdo the volume on your lashes. BL lash extensions produce extension lashes with lengths from 5mm-20mm. Generally speaking, shorter extensions of 5-9mm are used for inner corners or under eyelash extensions, and 9-13mm extensions are used for the majority of the set. Naturally, many customers want the longest lashes, but it is essential to keep in mind that the individual client's lash condition should determine the length of the extension. Choose slightly longer lashes for clients with hooded eyelids or droopy eyelids. When using the curlier false lashes like D and U curls, remember when the curl is strong, the length of the extension will appear shorter.
Lash extension volume is just as important as length.
Have you ever wondered what eyelash extensions are actually made of? Once upon a time, mink eyelashes were made from real mink fur. They were very soft and lush, but they weren't great at holding a curl. Sometimes, the term mink is used to refer to “signature” or “classic” lash extensions (i.e. Nowadays, faux mink are more common. Faux mink lashes are usually very lush and dramatic, and they tend to hold a curl very effectively. Faux silk lashes are also vegan and cruelty-free. They tend to be softer and more natural-looking than faux mink extensions, which is why they're the material we chose for Lilac St. Terminology isn't always consistent, though.
The J curl (sometimes also called a B curl) is a little more straight. C and D curls are by far the most popular, and they tend to suit most people. Both have a nice, rounded curve that shows up nicely on most eye shapes, without seeming odd or extreme. D curls are slightly more dramatically curved than C curls, but it's a small difference. L lashes have more of a bend than a curve, so they stick straight upwards. They are nice for those who have very deep-set or hooded eyes, because they tend to sit more comfortably over an obscured lash line.
Lilac St. DIY extensions are a hybrid between falsies and professional extensions. They stay put for multiple days (5 or 10 depending on the adhesive). They come in clusters rather than as individual lashes, so it's easy to apply them at home by yourself. Lastly, if you want to be your own lash stylist, you can also try DIY eyelash extensions.
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