Premade Lash Fans: Your Guide to Selection, Styling, and Care

Remember that moment when your client sits up from the lash bed, looks in the mirror, and their face lights up with joy? That's what we live for as lash artists. But let's be honest – creating perfect volume fans by hand for every client can be exhausting, especially when you're booked back-to-back.

Premade lash fans are making lash artists' work much easier these days by saving you time and energy while still giving your clients the results they want. More and more salons are choosing premade fans because they really help with daily work.

To help you get the most out of them, we'll cover everything you need to know - how to choose them, how to use them, and how to make them last. These are real tips you can use in your salon right away.

Premade Eyelash Fans: Essential Knowledge for Lash Technicians

As lash professionals, premade lash fans offer a straightforward alternative to handmade extensions. These are pre-assembled groups of synthetic lashes that arrive at your salon ready for application.

The manufacturing process starts with placing thin artificial fibers in a line on a tray. They're bonded together at the base using either a small amount of adhesive or by application of heat. Once bonded, they are then shaped into a curl and treated with heat once more to ensure the curl is set firmly.

In the production facility, workers carefully arrange these fibers to create the fan shape, ensuring each premade fan has the right spread and angle. The complete fans are then attached to an adhesive strip, organized on trays, and shipped to your workspace.

Upon arrival, these fans are ready to be used. You'll just pick the needed size, dip it in glue, and apply it to the client's individual lashes. This allows you to enhance lashes quickly while maintaining quality.

How to Pick the Perfect Premade Eyelash Fans

Selecting the right premade lash fan is essential to match your client’s desired look. It boils down to two main choices: the type of curl that fits the look they’re going for and the bonding method that will hold the lashes in place effectively.

Premade fans come in a range from 3D, which is more natural, all the way up to 40D for those who want high drama. The 'D' stands for 'dimension', indicating the number of individual lashes in each fan. This variety ensures you have options to fulfill any request, whether your client is looking for a hint of fullness or a full-on glamorous effect.

1. Natural Volume with 3D or 4D Fans

When your clients are aiming for a boost that still looks effortless, like they're not wearing any makeup, recommend trying 3D or 4D fans. These fans have shorter stems and fewer lashes, which means they blend seamlessly with natural lashes while adding a subtle volume. Ensure you choose fans with a softer curl, like a B-curl or C-curl, to maintain that natural, ‘barely-there’ appearance.

2. Eyeliner Effect with 5D to 8D Fans

For clients after a little more definition, mimicking the look of eyeliner, suggest long stem 5D to 8D fans. These give a fuller look along the lash line, creating depth and drama. Be mindful of the lash length and curl type here — typically, a C-curl or D-curl works well to achieve this striking yet balanced style.

3. Ultra-Glamorous Look with 10D to 40D Fans

Clients craving show-stopping lashes? Point them towards 10D to 40D lash fans. With these, it's important to consider both the weight of the lashes and the strength of your client's natural lashes. Always opt for lighter materials, like fine mink or faux-mink, so you can build volume without strain. For this level of drama, a D-curl or even an L+ curl can create that captivating, fluttery look your clients love.

How to Choose the Right Color for Premade Eyelash Fans

In your lash studio, guiding clients through the color selection process for premade eyelash fans is as essential as choosing the right length and volume to complement their features. Take into account their everyday style, the specific occasion, and how they present themselves.

Black Premade Fans

Black premade fans are a staple selection for any lash studio due to their classic and sophisticated appeal. These fans are great for lash extension beginners, offering an enhanced yet natural look that works well for both everyday and professional occasions. They also pair effortlessly with any makeup style, making them a go-to option for many clients.

Colored Lashes

For clients desiring to make their eyes stand out, colored premade fans can be a compelling choice. Light browns are perfect for clients with blonde or light brown hair, giving a soft, natural lift to the lashes.

For more personalized options, add shades like rich burgundy to bring warmth to the eyes, subtle navy to give a hint of definition, or earthy moss green to complement hazel eyes. These nuanced colors provide a unique twist to the lashes without being as bold as brighter colors.

Ombre Effects

Ombre premade fans are ideal for clients interested in color but who prefer a more subdued approach. These fans feature a darker root fading into lighter tips, achieving a stylish and contemporary two-tone effect.

Popular variations include black fading to gray for added dimension, or deeper shades easing into gentle pastels like pink or lavender for a hint of whimsy. The subtle gradation of ombre fans creates an eye-catching detail that delicately frames the eyes.

Premade Eyelash Fan Styling: Techniques for Lash Artists

For professionals in the lash industry, mastering the use of premade eyelash fans is not just about application—it's an art form. Creative styling techniques with these fans allow you to tailor each set of lashes to an individual's natural beauty, enhancing their overall look with precision and flair.

1. Adding Volume with Layered Lashes

When you want to give your clients lashes that are full but still look real, take a close look at their natural lash line before starting.

If a client has a mix of short and medium lashes that are sparser toward the inner corner, you'll know to start with ultra-fine and shorter extensions in that area to avoid a heavy look.

If the natural lashes become fuller as they extend outward, you can progressively move to longer, more voluminous extensions to create a seamlessly full appearance.

• Put the shortest lash fans, maybe 7mm long ones, at the inner corners of the eyes. This is where everyone’s lashes are usually the shortest and it helps everything blend in nicely.
• As you move towards the outer corner of the eye, stick on longer lashes, ending with the longest ones, like 13mm at the very end. This creates a nice, natural swoop that makes the eyes look great.
• In the middle part of the lash line, make things look fuller by putting a slightly shorter lash, like an 8mm one, on top of a longer one, like a 10mm one. It’ll give the lashes a layered look without making them too thick or fake-looking.

2. Blending Lengths for a Natural Look

Start by closely looking at how the client’s own lashes grow. Some might be short, some long. This step helps you choose the right sizes of lash extensions.

• Use a variety of lash extension lengths that match the natural ups and downs of the lash line – like shorter 8mm or 9mm lashes near the inner eye, and longer 10mm to 12mm towards the outer edge.
• Throw in a few unexpected lengths here and there – a 9mm between longer lashes, or an 11mm among shorter ones. This randomness keeps things looking real, just like natural lashes that aren't all the same length.
• If your client has lots of thick lashes naturally, you can use thicker fans in the mix for a full yet believable look.

3. Choosing the Right Lashes for Different Eye Shapes

Take a good look at the client's eye shape before you start. Does she have hooded eyes? Are her eyes wide apart? Each shape needs a different lash style.

• For clients with hooded eyes, opt for shorter, more curled lashes. Instead of using standard lengths which might not show up, you could trim down fans from a 10mm D-curl to an 8mm C-curl. This creates a visible lift that enhances the natural shape of the eye.
• For wide-set eyes, the goal is to create the illusion of eyes being closer together. You can achieve this by applying denser and longer lashes, like moving from an 11mm to a 13mm fan, at the inner corners of the eyes.

How to Keep Those Lash Fans Looking Great for Your Clients

When your clients walk out with a fresh set of lash extensions, you want them to enjoy that flawless look for as long as possible. Here's how you can help them keep those lash fans in top condition:

Teach Your Clients How to Clean Their Lashes Daily

First things first, tell your clients about the importance of cleaning their lashes every day. Here's how they should do it:

1. Use a special lash cleanser – one that's safe for lash extensions.

2. Explain that daily cleansing prevents buildup on the lashes which could weaken the glue.

3. Show them to gently dab the lashes with a clean, lint-free cloth – no rubbing or pulling!

4. Teach them to carefully brush through the lashes with a dedicated lash wand to keep them neat.

5. Stress that oil-based products and waterproof makeup are big no-nos near lash extensions.

Remind Clients to Store Their Lashes in a Cool, Dry Place

Next up is making sure clients know how to store their lashes correctly. Keeping them looking great is also about avoiding certain environments:

1. Keep all lash-related items out of humid areas like bathrooms, where steam can mess with the glue.

2. Store beauty tools like curlers and blow dryers away from lash extensions – heat can be harmful.

3. Consider getting a lash sealant for extra protection – it acts like an invisible coat of armor for the lashes.

4. If living in a hot and humid place or if they're gym buffs, a sealant will be a lifesaver post-sauna sessions.

Take Your Lash Skills to the Next Level

Being great with premade fans comes down to two things: knowing your products and understanding what works for each client. The more you work with different fans and try out various styles, the better you'll get at matching the right lashes to the right person. Try these techniques in your next sessions, and you'll see your confidence grow with each set.