If you’re the type of person that likes to always feel busy and productive, the current Australia lockdowns might have you feeling a little flat. Even if you’re somewhere else in the world, we can all relate to the feeling of suddenly having a lot of time on our hands, with no idea what to do with it. We’d encourage you to turn off that Netflix box set (okay, maybe just one more episode) and take this opportunity to practice eyelash extensions at home.
Whether you’re at home and unable to get to your salon, or you’ve simply got to a time of the year when client demand has dwindled, use this time to practice at home lash extensions. Here’s how you can do just that.
Master your skills with these practice sheets!
Eyelash extension practice sheets are a great way to master your skills or provide them as homework for your students. Suitable for Classic or Russian volume training!
Use the hair on your head
This is not as crazy as it sounds! After all, natural eyelashes are hairs, just like the hair on your head. You’ll find this method especially useful if you’re a volume lash artist as it involves lash wrapping. You’ll need a cup for this one, hear us out…
- Take a strand of your hair and either pull it out or cut it out.
- Using a cup that is a solid colour (light if you have dark hair and dark if you have light hair), tape your strand of hair across the opening of the cup, fixing it to both sides of the rim.
- Get to work and start fanning, attaching the fans to the hair.
The beauty of this method is that it helps you get used to how adhesive works. Through practice, you’ll understand how long you need to hold onto the lash extensions before letting go.
Apply eyelash extensions at home to a sponge
We recommend this method for anyone who struggles to keep their eyelashes extensions neat. To mimic the curvature of the eye, it’s best to use a sponge with a rounded edge.
- Firstly, apply a set of 0.10mm lash extensions to the edge of the sponge. These will be your ‘natural lashes’ to work with!
- Treating this base you’ve created like a client’s real lash line, start applying extensions to the lashes, using different lengths.
Take this opportunity to work slowly, taking time to focus on each movement you make – something that you usually wouldn’t get the chance to do when working on a real client.
Use a mannequin to practice applying eyelash extensions at home
The next best thing to practising on a sponge is practising on a mannequin, if you have one, of course. If you don’t have access to a mannequin at home and you think it might be beneficial, perhaps you could order one to see you through the lockdown. You could treat them like a real client, by talking to them how you would with a paying customer, or you could just concentrate on practising your technique like so:
- Take your undereye pads and apply them beneath the mannequin’s eyes.
- Create a realistic lash line on the mannequin, by applying ‘practice lashes’ you can work with.
- Map out the desired look, using the under-eye pads, as you would on a real-life client.
- Apply the eyelash extensions to the false lashes, as professionally as you would do in the salon.
Whilst practising on a mannequin will provide you with a close-to real-life experience, it is also a brilliant way to practice your posture if it’s something that you struggle with. Whilst we’re working on our real-life clients, we often act on autopilot and aren’t thinking about how we’re standing or leaning. This, eventually, can have a negative impact on our back, shoulders and overall alignment.Here’s what to focus on when you’re working on your mannequin. Make it a habit now and it’ll stay with you in the salon.
- How are your shoulders? Roll them back and downwards.
- Make sure your back is kept straight as much as possible.
- Use your lash pillow! Resting your arms on edge will create a comfortable surface for you to lean.
- Rest your legs under the bed.
- When working, tuck your head below your chest.
Practice eyelash extensions on a loved one
When you know how to apply eyelash extensions professionally, it can often feel like a step backwards, working with mannequins and returning to methods you might have used when training. If you live with someone else, perhaps you could ask them to be a willing model.
This is such a great opportunity to gain valuable, honest feedback from someone who will most likely feel more comfortable criticizing you than your average client!
Take them through the full service and don’t cut corners, just because you know them – pretend they’re a real client. This includes lash prepping, lash application, and full removal if they don’t want to wear lash extensions at home.
You can absolutely practise applying lash extensions at home, even if you don’t currently have any clients to work with. Remember, all businesses experience quiet times, but this just offers the perfect opportunity to work on your skills, ready to impress your clients once again!
