Your Lash Design Cheat Sheet

In the universe of lash design there are infinite possibilities when it comes to styling.

From curls, diameters, finishes, and lengths lash extensions have the power to create incredible illusions. Every single client you work with has a completely different and unique set of features! And every client has their own vision of what makes them feel beautiful. As a lash artist it’s up to us to interpret that vision and design a lash look they love.  This can feel overwhelming, especially when working with a client for the first time.  We want to share our fave styling tips + tricks using some faces you’ll be sure to recognize!

But before we dive deep, we created this nerdy glossary to help you understand some of the lashy lingo...

Curls:  This term refers to the curvature of the lash extension.  They range from a very soft natural curve all to alternative shapes like L+ or M.  Curls also impact the illusion of length and shape of the lash design.  You can even blend curls to create fun textures! Remember that curl often varies between brands so sticking to one brand helps keep a cohesive look. 

Diameter:  This refers to the thickness of the lash extension.  Thickness for classic ranges from .12-.15 (above .15 is considered quite thick) Whereas volume diameters range from .03-.10.  You can create natural looks to ultra full looks by utilizing different diameters.  Blending diameters can create unique textures too!

Finish:  This term refers to the texture of the lash extensions.  Satin finish is a natural finish that mimics the reflective qualities of natural hair.  Matte finish has little to no reflective texture and creates a dark, intense lash look. And glossy finish is a shiny, highly reflective finish.  Glossy finish isn’t often preferred as it can look very artificial. 

Length:  This one’s straight forward referring to how long (in millimeters) the lash extension is. For inner corners lengths like 6-9mm are common whereas and lengths 10-14mm are most common.  Extreme lengths like 16-25mm exist but can be damaging to the natural lashes. 

Now let’s get into some eye shapes! You’ll be sure to recognize these beauties…

Katy Perry has a classic upturned, almond eye. This means the end of her eye peeks up just a little higher than her inner corner. Because of her bright, open eye shape she can wear a versatile amount of lash looks from cat eye (to the left) to even an a round design which would give her more of a doll look (to the right).  

Pro Tip:  You can use curls like CC on the ends of the eye to give a perky lift and softer curls like C in the inner corners to emphasis the outer corners. 

Jessica Alba is rocking some texture with this look.  Her eye shape is almond with a slight half hood towards the end of her eye.  A look that would balance her eye could be more of a kitten shape using CC or even L+ towards her outer corner.  Because she doesn’t have a lot of space between her lashline and brow the longest lengths would probably be kept to about 12mm.

Pro Tip: You can blend L+ curls with C to create soft, natural transitions from shorter lengths to longer.  

Lucy Liu has a very dramatic hooded, upturned eye shape.  Because of the dramatic upturn you would want to avoid adding very curls like D or CC towards the end, it gives the illusion of even more of an upturn.  To balance the shape you could add longer lengths in a softer curl like C or CC towards the front and middle and keep the end lashes shorter. Remember that hooded eye shapes benefit from lift in the design, not necessarily a heavy curl.  

Pro Tip: Experiment with less common styles like reverse kitten/cat eye (longer lengths in the front) to balance hooded eye shapes. 

Lizzo has a very versatile almond eye.  With ample space between her lashline and brow she could wear a wide variety of shapes + curls! From a liner look using L+ or M to tons of texture with CC + D curl. The options are endless with her eye shape. Even longer lengths like 14mm+ would look almost natural because of her lid space.  The sky’s the limit with Lizzo!

Pro Tip: Lashline to brow space is a huge indicator of how much length you can use! Longer lengths will automatically look shorter with ample lid space. Always take this into account when choosing lengths + curls. 

Taraji Henson has a very round eye shape with a slight downturn towards the end of the eye.  This is a common shape that challenges lash artists! You can see when more length is added on the end of the eye it can give the illusion that the eye is pulling downwards. In Taraji’s case it’s recommended to go with a shorter length but tighter curl on the end to add a little perk.  But ideally you would want to use a softer curl throughout the rest of the eye because the shape is quite round to begin with.  

Pro Tip: Avoid using tight curls like CC + D on very round eyes throughout.  It can often give your client a startled look! 

Designing customized lash looks only gets easier through experience! The more clients you work with the more confident you’ll get at creating beautiful, balanced looks. Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to try new things. And remember that listening to what makes your client feel beautiful is the core to successful styling.  

Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and try some new curls or maybe even a new diameter? Check out our wide selection of classic and volume lashes! Come see why lash nerds worldwide LOVE UA! 🤗 I mean, just LOOK at their gorgeous lash sets...

We’ll see you in our next blog… ✌🏻Until then make sure you're following us on: