There is a lot more to being a lash technician than mastering the skill of how to successfully apply extensions to natural lashes. Equally important is the art of how to create a perfect set of lashes for each individual client. For this, you will need to master eyelash mapping.
Lash mapping is a technique for planning length, curl and thickness that you will use to create a gorgeous set of eyelash extensions with the style and level of drama your client desires, but which also suits their eye shape and natural lashes.
We’ll teach you exactly how to do lash mapping, as well as some popular lash maps.
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Popular lash mappings
Natural
Natural eye mapping will follow the natural growth of the client’s eyelashes. This is a gradual change in shape without dramatic jumps in length.
- Effect: Looks the most natural
- Recommended on: Almond eyes, round eyes, inverted eyes, any face shape
- Avoid: Hooded eyes, monochrome, turned eyes
Doll eye / open eye
The largest parts of this map are above the iris (using straight lines) and then fall off dramatically in the inner and outer corners.
- Effect: Makes the eyes look bigger, corrects downward-facing eyes
- Recommended for: Almond eyes, monochrome, inverted eyes, hooded eyes, wide eyes
- Avoid: Round eyes, upturned eyes, narrow face shape, closed eyes
Cat’s eye
Stay shorter in length until you reach the pupil, then drastically jump in length from the center of the eye to the outer corner.
- Result: Makes eyes appear wider, corrects near-sightedness
- Recommended for: Almond eyes, round eyes, upside down eyes, upside down, monochrome eyes, hooded eyes, closed eyes
- Avoid in: Dilated eyes, wide eyes
Read more: Extreme cat eye eye extension – inspirations & eyelash mapping
CHECKLIST: BEFORE STARTING EYE MAPPING
No doubt your client will have asked you for something specific. However, you must first assess a number of different aspects of your client’s face and eyes to determine if what they asked for will suit them, and if not… find out what will suit them!
Ask your client to sit still and look straight at you for a minute while you look closely to assess various elements of the eyes. If you attempt to do this with your client lying down, you will not get an accurate impression of your client’s facial features.
eye shape
The main eye shapes are almond, round, hooded and solid.
Almond shaped eyes
Almond eyes are a very common eye shape. You have this eye shape if the top and bottom of your iris are slightly covered by the upper and lower eyelid. If you can see your entire iris, then you likely have round eyes.
- Recommended: Customers with almond eyes can wear almost any styling they want. Choosing a map comes down to the result your client hopes to achieve (larger eyes vs. an elongated shape).
- Pay special attention to the angle of the eyes (top/bottom), the shape of the face and the direction of the eyelashes
Round eyes
You have round eyes if you can see your entire iris and your eyelids do not cover the top or bottom of it. Usually, this eye shape looks light and bright.
- Recommended: Choose one physical or cat-eye map. Having the length concentrated towards the outer corners will help to elongate the eyes, creating the illusion of a more almond-shaped eye shape. Choose something more casual, like a B curl or C curlas these will complement the shape of the eyes.
- Avoid: With the wrong lash map, your client can end up looking like they’re in a permanent state of shock. Avoid mapping with dolls and eyes open. Avoid the strongest curls.
Hooded eyes
Hood eyes have a heavy brow bone with deep creases. Depending on the size of the hood, the lash line can disappear under the lid, causing the lashes to go under and the bases almost hidden.
- Recommended: Choose a curl that extends past the hood of the lid before curling. This will ensure that the effect is noticeable. A specialized curl for that is L, L+ curls.
- Avoid: Avoid bold curls like CC and D curls as these will curl so much that the edges almost blend into the lid, resulting in an unnatural look and possibly even discomfort for your client.
Monolith eyes
Often in Asian women, monochrome eyes have a less prominent crease.
- Recommended: Doll-eye and cat’s eye but use longer extensions in the inner corner.
- Avoid: Physical mapping does not favor unilateral customers.
Eye angle
Their eyes may be straight, slightly turned up, or slightly turned down.
Inverted
Inverted eyes have outer corners that turn upwards and are higher than the inner corner. Also known as “cat eyes”, upturned eyes tilt upwards, giving the eye an exotic look.
- Recommended: Emphasize the shape of the eyes using cat’s eye mapping or create a more balanced look using physical mapping.
- Avoid: Doll/open eye mapping. Be careful if you use strong curls like D as it could make their eyes look scared.
Overwhelmed
The outer corners of the turned eyes are lower than the inner corner.
- Recommended: Choose one doll eye or map with open eyes. Length gathered towards the center of the eye will help lift it. Lift the outer corner with a strong curl.
- Avoid: Avoid the cat eye Styling as the length gathers towards the outer corners can really accentuate the recession. As a result, your client may appear sad or sleepy.
Eye dimension
Evenly spaced eyes have an eye width between each eye. Close/narrow-width eyes are closer together than one eye-width, while wide-width eyes are more than an eye-width apart.
When you blink with close eyes, the width between the eyes is smaller than usual. So you’ll want to stretch the lash line and elongate the eyes to make them look longer.
For close-set eyes, we’d recommend using longer lengths towards the outer corners to visually open up the gap. A doll effect should be avoided with this eye shape as it will only emphasize the closeness of the eyes.
eyes closed
The eyes are closer together than an eye’s width apart.
- Recommended: Longer lengths towards the outer corners to visually open the gap.
- Avoid: Doll or open eye mapping. Prominent internal corner.
Wide eyes
They are more than a mesh width apart.
- Recommended: Doll or open eye mapping.
- Avoid: Longitudinal cat eye mapping
Facial shape
Wide faces can bring more dramatic looks overall, while a very narrow face can look overwhelmed by very long lashes or a wide cat eye.
Wide face
- Recommended: Cat eye, natural
- Avoid: Doll eye, open eye
Narrow face
- Recommended: Doll eye, open eye, natural
Natural Lash’s Direction & Curl
The direction of growth of natural eyelashes varies between people. Some people have naturally curly lashes that point down, while others have fairly straight or down lashes.
Knowing the direction of natural lash growth is very important as it helps you determine which curl best suits your client.
Guys |
Proper curl |
Improper curl |
Natural eyelash that grows upwards |
J, B, C |
D, U, M, L, L+ |
Straight natural eyelash |
All curls |
|
Natural eyelash that grows downwards |
C, D, U, M |
J, B, L, L+ |
Natural lash that grows downward, but monolithic |
L, L+ |
Natural Eyelash Power
It is important to know the strength of the natural eyelash so that you can determine the length or thickness of the eyelash extensions. Your client may desire very long or very full lashes, but depending on the strength/health of their natural lashes they may not be able to support them. Fine, thin lashes will not be able to support the weight of 12mm or 13mm extensions.
You need help? We have detailed instructions for How to calculate the size and weight of eyelashes.
You can add an extension that is shorter than the natural lash or up to 3mm longer. You should never go more than 50% longer. If you’re not sure how to tell, have your client lie down and hold the lash extension against her natural lash to determine the length of her natural lashes, this will help when mapping out the lashes as you can plan what lengths you want to use.
Summary
Before beginning any eyelash mapping procedure, be sure to consult with your client. See what they want, but be prepared to advise them otherwise if necessary. Longer isn’t always better and the style they want may not look best on them.
After assessing your client, discuss with them the look you are going to create for them. Explain any adjustments you need to make to what they asked for and why.
Read more about eyelash extensions here:
Lower Lash Extensions – How To Tutorial
Eyelash extension for Asian monochrome eyes
Are mink eyelashes vegan?
Brown eyelash extension – new trend is coming
How to choose premade eyelash fans