The Different Types of Eyelash Extensions and When to Use Them
Whether you’re a beginner Lash Tech or you’ve been in the industry since the dawn of eyelash extensions, it’s very normal to have questions about what all of these different types of eyelash extensions are - what they're even made from, and when is the right time to use each one?
What Are Eyelash Extensions Made From?
To put it very simply, all eyelash extensions in the London Lash store (and pretty much anywhere in the lash industry, at this point) are made from a synthetic fibre called PBT. It's a kind of plastic used mainly in wiring - it’s sturdy, keeps its shape, is vegan friendly, and it’s hypoallergenic. A big list of wins, basically!
In the very early days of eyelash extensions, it was possible to get lashes made from mink fur which, if you didn’t know, is a super cute little animal that looks a bit like a ferret, but with gorgeously soft fur.
The days of using mink lashes is, thankfully, long gone. Not only is it cruel to the animal, but it doesn’t keep its curl, you can’t get them wet, and their lengths vary from hair to hair. The same can be said of silk lashes and cashmere lashes. Now, the terms silk, mink and cashmere etc. are simply to highlight that there is a difference in their appearance.
What Are The Different Types Of Eyelash Extensions?
Now that we've covered what our eyelash extensions are made from, let's take a look at the different types of lash extensions available at London Lash and when it's the best time to use each one:
London Lash Mayfair Lashes
Our Mayfair Lashes have a deep, black-coloured fibre with a shiny finish and tapered end. These lash extensions are available in thicknesses ranging from 0.03 all the way up to 0.20, so you can get a thickness to suit any lash set, from Russian Volume lashes to a set of elegant Classic lashes. Because these are slightly shinier, they have a bit more of a darker and dramatic finish, so if you have a client who wants a BOLD lash look, these are your go-to lashes!
London Lash Chelsea Lashes
For our range of Chelsea Lashes, their black fibres have a bit more of a matt finish, and these lashes are also tapered at the ends for a softer, more natural appearance. Like our Mayfair Lashes, we have these lash extensions available in thicknesses ranging from 0.04 - 0.20 to suit all of your clients. With their more matt finish, Chelsea Lashes will be perfect for creating sets of Classic lashes for your clients who prefer the more subtle appearance of natural eyelash extensions.
London Lash Matt Flat Lashes
These eyelash extensions are a game-changer! Matt Flat Lashes are similar to regular Classic lashes that have been squashed - imagine taking 0.10 Classic lashes and flattening them - they'll now be twice the width, so they look like 0.20 lashes, but will be the same ‘weight’ as your 0.10 lashes for your clients.
This means that if a client with thin, weak, or damaged natural lashes comes to you and wants DRAMA - you can give it to them! Our 0.25 Matt Flat Lashes weigh about as much as 0.15 Classic lashes, so you can level up the drama on pretty much anyone!
They’re also have a slightly concave shape (they curve inwards), so they hug the natural lashes, which helps with improving the retention of these eyelash extensions. If those factors aren’t enough of a selling point for you, they’re also super soft due to their split tip! These lash extensions are available in thicknesses of 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25.
London Lash Easy Fanning Lashes
As the name would suggest, Easy Fanning Lashes spring open when you grip them with your eyelash tweezers, making them super easy to fan! Want to create a set of Russian Volume lashes in half the time? No problem! Gone are the days when you’d have to waste time struggling to create your own handmade lash fans - now you can simply grab and go!
How do they work? Our Easy Fanning Lashes have two layers of lash extensions on each strip, so when you grip them, they just pop open! You can give them a bit of a wiggle to make the lash fans wider if you’d like, but otherwise you’re good to go.
Something else that makes these lashes a special is that they have a range of lengths on each strip, so that when you’ve completed your lash set, you’ll have a lovely wispy effect. Hello, effortless Kim K lashes!
How do you lash map with Easy Fanning Lashes? You can see 3 numbers on each lash strip, for example - 10, 11, 12. It means that this strip of lashes contains eyelash extensions of all three of these lengths: 10mm, 11mm, and 12mm. You'd use the middle number (in our example 11mm) for your lash mapping, since this is the AVERAGE length of the lash extensions on the strip.
London Lash Premade Volume Fans
Back in the day, ‘Premade Lash Fans’ were heavy and thick, had glue on the bases, and were far too wide which caused damaging stickies everywhere! Thankfully, times have changed, and we've put in a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure that the our Premade Volume Fans are the best they can be, and more importantly, that they're lightweight and safer for the natural eyelashes.
These lash extensions are bonded with the tiniest amount of glue just so that they don't fall apart, without adding any extra weight to the lashes, so they'll still give you amazing retention. This means that when you pick them up and dip them in your eyelash glue, there's no excess of any product, and they're still able to wrap around the natural lashes like you made the fan yourself. Easy Fanning Lashes are also fantastic for helping you to speed up your treatment times MASSIVELY, meaning you can see more clients in the same amount of time or less!
We know that the world of eyelash extensions can sometimes feel like a constant bombardment of new information and terminology. So we hope that this has helped you to understand a bit better about the different types of eyelash extensions available out there, and has also maybe made you want to branch out a little bit and try something new!
