The Main Lash Extension Effects

There are two core techniques: classic (bonding one extension to one natural lash) and volume (bonding a whole fan of fine extensions to one natural lash). Both are used to build the signature effects that can genuinely transform how a client’s eyes read.

The main effects at a glance

Cat eye · Squirrel · Natural · Rounding (open eye) · Doll

The cat eye effect

The cat eye is one of the most requested looks. It visually stretches the eye, mimics a soft eyeliner flick, and gives the gaze a lifted, almond-shaped, slightly mysterious feel.

To build it, the shortest lengths go in the inner corner and the longest possible lengths land at the outer corner. The cat eye especially suits round or close-set eyes, since it elongates and draws them apart. (A quick note on names: in the US this map is the “cat eye.” The trending “fox eye” is a related but separate style with a sharper outer lift.)

Cat eye map

The squirrel effect

Fluffy lengths, like the tufts on a squirrel’s ears, lift the outer corners, sharpen the gaze, and make the eyes look bigger.

Unlike the cat eye, the peak length in a squirrel map sits between the center and the outer corner, at roughly 3/4 of the way out. Lengths climb from the shortest in the inner corner up to the peak, then step back down to shorter lashes at the outer corner. Because that peak sits above the crease, the squirrel is a strong pick for hooded eyes and monolids, where it opens the eye up.

The natural effect

This look plays up the natural beauty of the eyes without changing their shape, so it reads as an everyday, barely-there look that stands in for daily makeup. It flatters just about any eye type.

One thing to keep straight: don’t confuse the classic technique (which can be used with any map) with the natural effect, which is really a way of shaping the gaze rather than a technique.

The rounding effect

The rounding effect visually “opens” the gaze and makes the eyes look wider and more awake.

Here the peak length lands squarely in the middle of the eye, using the center of the pupil as your reference point, with lengths tapering evenly to both sides. It’s a great fit for small or deep-set eyes.

The doll effect

The doll effect uses generous, fairly even lengths across the whole lash line to make the eyes look big, round, and wide-open, like a doll’s. It’s bold and eye-catching, best on larger eyes that can carry the extra length.