The Importance of Styling
Last week, we hosted 5 of our expert LashPRO Educators to film our new LashSTYLE Online Course. And it got us thinking — what IS the importance of styling for lash artists, and for the industry as a whole?
According to Vancouver’s LashPRO Educator, Sady Welder, lash artists should learn styling as soon as possible. “There’s nothing worse than working on a client and thinking you’ve got it right, then they open up their eyes and your set is a big mess.” That’s why she recommends learning styling early on. “When you learn to assess your client’s face and eye shapes, you’ll create unique sets that are catered to their lifestyle and actually aesthetically-pleasing for them. You can avoid a lot of the “mess” by picking up great habits when it comes to customizing your sets to the client.”
San Francisco’s Yuel Loo agrees that building good habits requires an early start. “The moment you know how to grab tweezers, you should be learning styling,” she says, adding that creating a lash look that takes in your client’s facial features actually enhances their natural beauty.
In fact, both Educators agreed that styling makes or breaks many lash artists, and makes a huge impact on your business. Styling, according to Yuel, is what separates you from everyone else, noting that it’s the lash artists who don’t bother creating unique sets that often see their business suffer. “We actually see it all the time,” says Yuel, “Some lash artists create the same cat eye style for every client. But that might not look good on every client. Everyone is unique, everyone has different lifestyles, everyone has different careers — why should they all have the same lashes?”
And when lash artists don’t know how to create those individual sets, they may actually turn clients against lashes altogether, according to Yuel. “The point of lashes, like any other aspect of beauty or fashion, is to build your client’s confidence. If you give your client super-long mega volume lashes on an accountant, rather than boosting her confidence, you may end up making her feel more self-conscious and cautious. She might go, ‘Oh my god, I look crazy!’ and not want to get lashes done again.So you need to know how to create sets for these individuals, from everyday office women to flashier clients in the entertainment industry.”
These days, the lash industry is buzzing about custom sets, realizing that lashes have the power to accentuate features and make them pop, while also being able to take attention away from features they don’t want. But Sady tells us that it wasn’t always this way. “When I took my first lash course, there wasn’t much in the industry in the way of styling,” she laughs, adding, “It was 12 mm lashes all the way across! There wasn’t much in the way of assessing the client’s face the way there was in makeup.” But all that has changed. “Now there are lots of styling basics, like creating an open-eyed look, a natural sweep, or a cat eye. But we’re still learning that not every eye shape is great for a cat eye. And we’re finding lots of little things that can make or break a set, like ascending or descending eyes, wide- or narrow-set eyes, and the list goes on.”
Plus, clients are more knowledgeable now than ever before, with the advent of thousands of lash and makeup videos on YouTube and Instagram. Says Sady, “Clients are starting to ask questions about specific lash looks. Now we’re seeing sets created to mimic different celebrities, like Kim Kardashian. Styling has EVOLVED, and it’s a whole new ball game these days.” But she does feel that it’s up to the professionals to commandeer clients’ questions and expectations, adding, “Every lash artist should be doing an in-depth consultation to figure out what’s right for the client, and whether the looks the client is asking for can realistically be achieved.”
And before the clients start rolling in, lash artists should be fully educated on all aspects of styling. “Styling sets you apart, whether it’s clothing, makeup, or lashes” says Yuel. “Everyone can do a basic set or create a fan. But it takes advanced skills and knowledge to create the unique sets that you see on celebrities and Instagram influencers that truly bring out their features.” And according to Sady, the place to start is finding the right class. “There are so many lash technicians that have proficient skills, but just need that extra push and tweaking to set them on the right path to great lash ARTISTRY. And that’s what LashSTYLE is all about.”
If you’re looking to make your lash artistry — and business — stand out, what are you waiting for? Register in the LashSTYLE Online Course to take your skills from average to outstanding.
