Wet Look Lashes 101: Everything You Need To Know About This Hot Lash Trend!
Wet look lashes burst onto our social feeds back in late 2019 and was a certified must-know lash mapping style for Lash Technicians all over the world by mid-2020. They came at a time where the most adventurous lash map to many of us (particularly in Europe) was still a Kim K last look, which followed the super even lash line that was key for Russian Volume lash sets, but had spikes added into the mix at very even intervals.
Wet Look Lashes came and tore up the rule book, and in doing so paved the way for the wispy lash extensions obsession we’re all living and lashing in to this day. Conversely, in the US and Canada it was more common to apply volume lashes without any real regard for how even the lash line ended up being – these were dubbed Hollywood Lashes at the time – but even then, wet look lashes seemed like a kind of rebellion against what we’d been taught. So what are wet look lashes, and how can you apply them? Well…
What Are Wet Look Lashes?
Wet look lashes are a kind of volume lash extensions set unlike almost any other. Just in case you don’t know exactly what volume lashes are, they’re a type of eyelash extension treatment which uses fans of multiple very fine eyelash extensions.
Wet look lashes use volume extensions, however instead of fanning them out you just apply them as you take them off the strip in spikes. By doing this, the end result is a highly textured set of lashes that are actually pretty low maintenance, as your client doesn’t really need to keep them fluffy with lots of brushing (though they should definitely still clean them thoroughly with a good Foam Lash Shampoo every day)
Are Wet Look Lashes Safe?
It’s pretty common to be asked if Wet Look lashes are safe. By keeping the fans closed you’re applying a safe weight’s worth of lashes, but you’re keeping all of the weight in one area, rather than spreading the weight out like you do when you can the lashes out.
That being said, when volume is calculated it’s not really taking into account the width of the fan, but the volumetric weight of volume lashes compared to a classic lash that would be safe for the vast majority of clients’ natural lashes. If that all sounds like complete jargon, don't worry – all you really need to know is that volume fans are deemed to be safe whether the fan is wide or closed.
All of that is to say that if a classic lash would be safe, a closed fan would be safe so long as you’re not making them with more lashes than you’d put in a fan.
For extra peace of mind though, opt for finer lash extensions – they’ll still have the impact you want because they’re spikes, so won’t look too light but they’ll definitely be safe to use for the vast majority of clients.
Wet Look Lash Mapping Style
Start by drawing out any of the 4 standard lash mapping styles depending on what’s best suited to your client. If you’re just going for closed fans you can go right ahead and start applying lashes according to your map, but if you’re adding any narrow fans to cover gaps in the client’s lash line or just to add a little extra fluff, mark on the map where you’ll be putting those so that you don’t accidentally miss them out in some sections and end up with an irregular look.
If you want to add a few spikes made from colored lashes too we would never deter you, but mark those on your map too, unless you’re going for a more modern art vibe.
TOP TIP! Before you start lashing, add a drop of Lash Primer to a microfiber brush and dab off the excess to prevent drenching the lashes. Run the brush along the tips of the lashes to help the tips stay together – this will help you pick your spikes off of the strip! When applying the Primer, be sure to only moisten the tips so that you avoid shock polymerisation and you don’t have an impact on your glue’s drying time. Lastly, when you’re done and you want to turn your volume lashes back into lashes that you can fan easily, just give them a quick brush through, and it’ll be like there was never any Lash Primer on them.
STYLING TIP! For the ultimate wet look, opt for Mayfair Lashes which have the shiniest finish of any of our eyelash extension collections!
And that’s a wrap! Wet Look Lashes stole our hearts pretty quickly, and the love for them doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere any time soon!
