Lash Trends for 2021

At Brisbane Lashes, my staff and I are so lucky to work with a range of clients from a variety of backgrounds, age groups and varying professions.  Having such a varied clientele not only keeps our days in salon interesting, it also allows us to have a pretty good insight into what’s trending in the world of lashes.

As a Master Lash Stylist and Educator, it’s a big part of my job to be across the latest trends and techniques in lash artistry.  I spend a lot of time scrolling through images, watching Reels and of course, talking to stylists and clients alike to find out what the industry trends are.  This is what I’ve noticed lash clients are wanting in 2021!

Flat Lashes

We launched our new Ultra Soft Flat Lashes at LashJoy last year, and I’m so excited to say that they have been a huge hit!  Stylists all over Australia are loving how much lighter and softer they are, while still delivering maximum impact.  Our clients at Brisbane Lashes have been loving them, too!

Flat lashes are perfect for those clients who always push you for longer lashes, as they are half of the weight of a standard classic extension in the same diameter.  This allows you to extend your clients’ lashes that bit further, without sacrificing fullness or risking damage to the natural lashes.

They are also faster to apply, allowing stylists to put approximately 20% more extensions on in the appointment time due to less adhesive being required.  What’s not to love?

Lash Lifts

We are noticing a huge rise in the popularity of lash lifts.

The biggest benefit of a lash lift for our clients is the low-maintenance factor.  Clients love that they can continue with their normal skincare routine, or keep using their favourite gel eyeliner.  They don’t have to attend appointments as frequently as if they were getting extensions, which is great for those who are time-poor and struggle to schedule us in as they can safely have their lashes lifted every 5 - 10 weeks depending on the lash lift lotions used.

Lash lifts are also a great alternative for clients that are allergic to the adhesive used to apply eyelash extensions, allowing them to still have beautiful lashes without the risk of an adhesive reaction.  Or, perhaps they are pickers, and can’t have extensions due to the damage they cause to their natural lashes by picking the extensions off.

If they have a lash lift, it’s not really an issue – a lash lift can last anywhere from 5-10 weeks!

Enhanced Natural Lash Effect

I’ve noticed lots of our clients lately are looking for a really natural look with their extensions, favouring classic lashes or even 1D & 2D over the dense volume look.

These clients don’t want their extensions to look too long or too thick, and I’m really enjoying creating textured, lightweight and shorter sets!  I like to mix a variety of diameters when I’m creating these lashes; I’ll use a mixture of 0.085s, 0.10, 0.12 and 0.15mm extensions for a really beautiful, natural look.  For these sets, I love to mix curls, too!

I’ve also been experimenting with using dark brown lashes instead of or alongside black.  Dark brown looks really beautiful on blue or green eyes, and works for those clients who are quite fair or are very particular about not looking too “done”.

Volume (& Mega Volume)

In the extreme opposite, volume lashes are also hugely popular right now. These clients want their lashes to be as thick and dark (and long) as possible.

I’ve found that there’s no in-between: clients either want their lashes to look ultra-natural (lash lifts or classics), or super luxe and full (think mega or textured volume).

More and more clients in their late teens or early twenties are moving away from classic or hybrid extensions in favour of lashes that get them noticed.  Forget about 3D and 4D, though: these clients want their lashes to be SEEN.  I’m talking a minimum of 5D, and as dense & long as possible. 

If you’re trained only in Classics, now is definitely the time to look at upskilling and learning to create your own hand-made volume fans.  Using pre-made or pro-made fans is totally fine, but wouldn’t you like to be able to fully customise your volume lash sets?  The ability to create fans that look perfect, last a long time and don’t damage the natural lashes is a skill that all lash stylists can master with the right training.

Younger Clientele Spending Up

Whether it’s because of a shift in priorities, or access to more disposable income now that international travel is (temporarily) off the cards, I’m noticing more and more younger clients coming into my salon who are happy to pay premium prices for their lashes.  They attend their refills on time, and will pay more for increased volume or more time having lashes applied.

It’s the Beyoncé effect – our clients want to wake up looking flawless, hence the surge in their spending on lash extensions, eyebrow henna or microblading, anti-wrinkle and fillers, and all those amazing skin treatments to boost luminosity and even skin tone.  These treatments virtually eliminate the need for makeup, allowing clients to look perfect at any given moment, particularly on Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms.

For more information on the LashJoy Ultra Soft Flat Lashes, or to learn more about our Lash & Brow Mastery courses at LashJoy Academy, visit www.lashjoy.com or follow @lashjoy_ and @joylashstylist on Instagram.

Read the original article written and published in Beauty Biz Magazine Australia.