THE BLOG
How to Select the Perfect Silicone for a Lash Lift
One of the most frequent questions that we receive about lash lifting is: How to select a silicone pad for my client?
Getting the perfect results for the lash lift depends on multiple factors such as:
✅ Selecting an appropriate lash lift silicone pad
✅ Properly applying the lash lift silicone pad
✅ Proper lash isolation/wrapping
✅ Appropriate placement of lash lifting product
So much more!
In this blog, we will be discussing how to choose a lash lift silicone that will work for your client and give her the results she’ll be obsessed with!
What Are Lash Lift Silicones?
Lash lift silicones, or commonly known as lash lift shields, are silicones with a unique shape/curvature. They are used like a mold - the client’s natural lashes wrap around this mold and are processed with lash lift product so that the eyelashes take the distinct curvature of the mold (lash lift silicone). They are made of very soft and flexible silicone. There are many different shapes and sizes of these lash lift silicones.
Lash lift Shields Vs. Rods
At The Lash Shop, we offer both lash lift shields and lash lift rods. Now you might be asking - which one is better than the other? Well, they’re really all just lash lift silicones with a different type or shape of curl. Generally speaking, our lash lift rods offer more of a “curl” and the shields offer more of a “lift”. We advise you to be familiar with the shape of each lash lift silicone so that you can determine which is the best lash lift silicone for your client.
How Do I Assess Lash Lift Silicones?
As we have mentioned earlier, lash lift silicones come in many different shapes and sizes. It is difficult to assess the unique curl of the silicone simply by looking at it as a whole. Instead, we recommend cutting each silicone in half like the image below. This will give you the cross section of the silicone. The cross section of the lash lift silicone clearly displays the unique shape of the silicone.
Factors to assess when differentiating silicones:
SHAPE
APEX
LEG
The Shape of the silicone is kind of like the curl for lash extensions. With eyelash extensions, there’s C curl, CC curl, D curl, L curl, M curl, etc. Some shapes are more “curved”, giving a curl similar to C or CC curl. Some shapes offer more of a “lift”, which are similar to an M curl or L curl (if we convert it to lash extensions language).
The Apex is the highest point on the silicone (if we flip the silicone with the base laying flat). Imagine it as the peak of the silicone curve.
The Leg is the distance from the base of the silicone, to the Apex. The longer the “leg”, the thicker the silicone.
How Do I Choose The Best Lash Lift Silicone For My Client?
Now that you understand the basics of assessing and inspecting lash lift silicones, let’s talk about how to choose them for your clients.
A general rule of thumb: The longer the eyelashes, the larger the size of silicone (meaning longer “leg”) you should select. The shorter the lashes, the smaller the size. Small size is therefore usually suitable for those with short eyelashes. Large lash lift shields or lash lift rods are for clients with very long eyelashes.
Small lash lift silicones have a shorter “leg”. Large lash lift silicones have a longer “leg”. What does this mean?
It means that the lashes start lifting or curling closer to the base when you choose a smaller lash lift silicone. This will give a more dramatic lift, and the eyelashes will appear longer. Using a larger lash lift silicone starts lifting or curling the eyelashes farther out, creating a more natural lift. As a result, many lash lifters opt for small size silicones for the majority of their clients in hope that it gives them the most dramatic results. However, small sizes aren't suitable for everyone.
When you choose a silicone that is TOO small, you may run into a few issues:
❌ Lashes kinked at the tips
This is when the lashes are too long and pass over the top of the silicone. If lift product is accidentally applied there, the lashes will get a kink.
❌ Wonky grow out
The lashes will start to twist and turn when lifted too dramatically.
❌ Overly lifted lashes that touch the client’s eyelid
The eyelashes will look unappealing as they will bend when they hit the eyelid.
❌ Lashes end up looking straight.
This is when the silicone is too small and flat for the length or thickness of the client’s natural lashes. A lash lift is when the eyelashes are restructured chemically. When the lashes appear flat on the silicone, the lashes are not reshaped to get a lift or curl. Instead, they will be straight.
We highly advise selecting a lash lift silicone for your client after considering the below listed factors:
1) Lash Length (ex. Short, Medium, Long)
2) Eye Shape (ex. Hooded or Deep-set)
3) Client Preference (Do they like it natural or more lifted? Do they prefer a curl?)
4) Lash Layers (Do they have lots of lash layers?)
5) Angle of Lash Growth (Do their lashes naturally grow downward, straight, or are they gently lifted?)
Use the information you’ve gathered during the consultation to select a silicone with a shape and size that works best for your client.
Here’s some tips to make things easier:
✅ The lashes must pass the Apex of the silicone
✅ The lashes should ideally reach two-thirds up the silicone
✅ For clients looking for more of a dramatic lift, our silicone shields provide more lift
✅ For those looking for more of a curl, our silicone rods would be perfect for them
✅ Avoid choosing too small of a silicone for those with hooded or deep-set eyes (the lashes will hit their eyelid)
Test It Out!
We always place the lash lift silicone on the client’s eyelid (without any glue yet!) and pull the eyelashes up and onto the silicone. This is like lash wrapping or isolation without lash lift adhesive. Take a look at the lashes from the side angle. What you’re trying to do is observe the shape of the eyelash when it wraps around the lash lift silicone. Assess whether or not the shape and size is what you were expecting. If the lashes are too long or too short for the selected silicone, switch it to something else.
Let's Take a Look at Some Lifts!
On the left, we have a lash lift done using our Instant Lash Lift system and our M1 Shield. To the right, we also used our lash lift system and the silicone used was the Medium Rod. We hope that you learned a lot in this blog and now have a better insight when it comes to choosing the perfect lash lift silicone for your lash lift appointments!
As we’ve discussed before, getting the perfect lash lift results isn’t simply choosing the right silicone. To learn EVEN more details about how to select a silicone, and everything else you need to know to create the ultimate lash lift, take our online lash lift course here. A HUGE upgrade to the course is coming soon. It’ll be JAM-packed with insane detail and tricks to help you LEVEL UP your lash lifting skills!