BY MARINA LITVINOVA @LOVE_LASHES_LIMERICK

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

This is something we hear often by the great lash masters. However, we all know that with busy schedules, day-to-day work on our lash clients, and looking after our house and children, it isn’t quite possible to fit “lash practice” into our weekly routine. 

And then the lockdown happened.

So what can lash artists do now?

First thing, take some time for yourself and relax from those busy, non-stop days you’ve had. Let yourself simply recharge and take it easy.

But let’s not forget that any time we take a week off, it’s hard to get back into lashing. Tweezers feel weird in our hands, lash extensions seem like thin dust, and everything just feels off for the first few days.

You can use this time to perfect the lash techniques you’ve always wanted to work on, or you can use it to help maintain your quality of work. Whichever bracket you fall into, it is important for a lash master to continue to practice.

HERE ARE 3 WAYS YOU CAN PRACTICE LASHING DURING THE LOCKDOWN.

• 1. STRIP LASH SETS

Helps with lash fans, glue amount pick up, attachments, base wrap, distance, direction, length transition, styling.

What you need: mannequin head (optional), training lashes, a fast glue (see below for recommendations), lashes (Divine Silk are my favourite), Superdry, tweezers (Eclipse are my favourite).

• Applying a set of lashes on to a strip lash will help you remember all techniques, from creating fans to attachment and much more. It’s the same as working on clients. I strongly recommend doing at least 1 or 2 strip lash sets per week. It will keep you from getting “lazy" or forgetting how to hold your tweezers.




Another piece of advice, most important of them all, is to follow all application rules to your strip lashes as if you are lashing real clients. Watch your fans, attachment, distance, direction, stickies. Maintaining all those basic rules will help you come back to work as if you never left.

Note:  Applying lashes to the strip is a little harder, but it’s not impossible. Bonding will be much slower, so make sure you have a speed-up solution (Superdry), and work with the fastest glue (Fierce Black). I’ve also used clear glue (Encore Clear and Fierce Clear) which I highly recommend. Due to the thick, sticky consistency of clear glue, it will help keep fans in shape and attachment will be quick. It will make the bonding and attachment so much easier for you.




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• 2. FAN PRACTICE ON A SPONGE

Helps with fan uniformity, fan consistency, fan geometry & fanning technique.

What you need: sponges, tweezers, lashes.

Sponges are another great tool for practicing. Have you ever wanted to learn a new technique? Or try new tweezers? Or learn how to get 100% perfect fans and work on your speed? Then put those sponges into your shopping cart. This will be the best way for you to polish up your fans.

Remember, practicing new techniques as little as 1 hour per day for 1-2 weeks, can make you a pro! It has been proven by many great lash masters. When will we ever get so much free time again? Throw excuses away, get practicing and come back to work more advanced than you’ve been before.

 



• 3. FAN ON A LOG (MAVEN TECHNIQUE)

Helps with fan uniformity, consistency, geometry, glue pick up, attachment, base wrap.

What you need: lashes, a strand of hair, tape, a cup, tweezers and glue.

All you need is a cup or something hollow, tape and a single strand of your own hair. Attach the hair with tape to the cup, and attach your fans to the hair in a vertical row which will display fans on a log.

Attachment to a hair is the most realistic alternative to natural eye lash attachment. Since all our hairs have the same structure, they have moisture and cuticles, the adhesive bond will be quick and feel the same as when we attach fans to natural eye lashes (unlike strip lashes which take much longer to bond). Also our hair is a similar thickness to natural lashes unlike strip lashes which are thicker. Fans on a log help us maintain our attention and focus on attachment and base wrap.

Practice makes perfect. Lashing for us is therapeutic and practice will help you to improve while you switch off from the outside world.