Everything you need to know about lash extensions!
When it comes to lash extensions the variety is almost endless! It can be tricky knowing the ins and outs. But here’s a breakdown of the major differences you’ll find when it comes to lash extensions.
Length
Just like our natural lashes, lash extensions come in all different lengths, ranging from as small as 6mm long all the way up to a whopping 20mm. I know what you’re thinking ‘err maahh gaawd where do I find 20mm lash extensions’. NO! This is waaay too long for anyone. The rule when lashing is actually to extend the lash no more than 1/3 of the natural lash. Whilst most lash artists will bend this rule a little, anything above 13mm is generally very unnatural.
Thickness
The thinnest lash extensions begin at 0.05mm tiny right! Especially considering human hair is roughly 0.06-0.08mm. These ultra thin lashes are made for the purpose of creating mega volume lashes ie. Multiple lash extensions per natural lash. Classic lash extensions can be made up to a very unnatural 0.25mm this is more than 4 times the thickness of a natural lash.
Style
As with most things, fashion comes and goes, just like lash styles. Here’s some of the most popular and an upcoming style to look out for!
Cat eye – starting with shorter lengths on the inner corners gradually building to the longest lengths on the outer corner
Doll/drama – Using the same, or mostly the same length for all the lashes
Squirrel – Using shorter lashes on the inner and out corners building to the longest length in the centre
Hollywood/flirty – Using a combination of short and long lashes throughout the eye to create a more 3D effect.
Curl
When Eyelash Extensions first arrived on the scene typically J & B curl were used most as they mimicked the natural lash curl. Now, we find most people wanting a more dramatic open eye look, so most favour C & D curl
Volume
- Classic – Classic lashes are when a lash technician applies one lash per every natural lash, we recommend no thicker than 0.15mm for this technique.
- 2D-7D volume – Volume lashes are probably the most popular choice when in comes to extensions, the number corresponds to how many lash extensions are applied to each natural lash. The more volume, the thinner the lashes should get. Eg. 2D you could use 2×1.0mm lashes, for 3-4D 0.07mm, 5-7D 0.05mm.
- Hybrid – Hybrid mixes both volume and classic lash extensions to give the illusion of thicker and darker lashes.
Material
- Polyester blend – By far the most natural feeling lashes, a polyester blend is soft and flexible
- Acrylic – Acrylic lashes are pretty easy to spot, they are very shiny and feel stiff and rigid, definitely not a natural look or feel
- Mink – As horrible as it is, you can get real mink lash extensions. This is something we are very much against and would advise people to avoid supporting this animal cruelty trade.
Colour/Special FX
Yes! A trend that hasn’t seemed to take off yet is coloured lashes. Often people will refer to them as ‘mermaid’ lashes. You can also get special FX lashes that include feathers, glitter and patterns.
Other fun facts:
- You can actually get straight brow extensions as well! Using a special clear glue the lashes are glued to the skin rather than the hair, these types of extensions typically only last a day or two.
Want to learn how to lash just like us? Visit our page and read all about our Eyelash Extension Training Course
Not too keen on learning but want you lashes done by the best? Book with us!