As the lash industry continues to grow bigger and bigger, so do the lash trends. L curl is your soon to be new favourite lash curl! When used on the right candidates, the final result is show stopping and a curl your clients will request again and again. In this blog we dive into everything you could ever want to know about L curl lashes - from what makes it unique, who to use it on and how to map your L curl set.
What is unique about L curl?
There are many special aspects about L curl that sets it apart from your everyday lash curls. It is flat at the base but quickly transitions into a C curl lift from the middle of the extension, all the way to the tips, much like a soft L shape. This curl can be used for all lash styles, from classic to mega volume, and can be as natural or dramatic as you like.
How do I know when to use it?
L curl is most suitable for clients who have straight or downturned natural lashes. When doing an assessment on your client, have them look straight ahead. Take a glance from the side to see how lifted the natural lashes are. If the lashes appear to grow straight or point downwards, then your client is likely a perfect candidate for L curl lashes. The goal is to make as many points of contact between the base of the natural lash and the extensions as possible. If the extension is super curly but the natural lash is straight, it will be more difficult to attach the bases together, potentially causing poor retention. On the flip side, if we use a straight based extension (such as L curl), there are many points of contact between the two. Making additional points of contact between the extension and the natural lash will promote better retention.
Why use L curl? How can I get creative with it?
There are many different ways to bring this curl to life and how to use it to your advantage. As described above, you can use L curl for the entire set to lift downturned natural lashes. When it comes to mapping, any shaping with this curl will look lovely. You may also take your creativity even further by blending L curl with any other curls you see fit.
For example, if you're doing a cat eye style on your client, you can use less curly lashes on the inner- middle part of the eye to keep those areas subtle. To bring emphasis towards the outer part of the eye, you may use L curl just on the outer corner to lift and extend that area- creating a true Cat Eye finish. To take your set even further, you could direct the lashes on an angle pointing outward on the end corners as well- this gives a sharper, more elongated look.
You can get as creative as you like by mixing L curl with any other curls you choose.The trick is to ensure you blend the curls together well. This transition looks a little something like this; For sake of ease, let's say you’re blending B and L curl together. B curl will be used from the inner to middle of the eye and L curl will be used on the outer corners of the eye. Once it has been decided where B will end and L will begin, use it as a half way mark between the two curls. Use a small section on either side of the mark as your “blend” area. The side that has predominantly B curl, mix 20-50% L curl lashes with the B curl - The side that is predominantly L curl, blend 20-50% B curl. The mix of both will help ease the transition between the curls. Your mapping will look a little bit like this - B/B/B/B/L/B/L/B/L/L/L/L.
Click here for a video tutorial on a blended L Curl set.
Common L curl Questions
Is there an eye shape that works best with L curl?
Totally, Hooded eyes, monolid clients and those who have some eyelid folds that may not compliment their eye shape well (aka. Needs to be hidden underneath the extensions) are great candidates for L curl lashes. Particularly Hooded eyes, L curl is perfect as the straight base shoots out, far enough away from the lash line that the curl won’t hit their brow bone, the way perhaps a D curl would.
Can I use it on someone who has naturally lifted lashes?
Absolutely, it’s such a great tool for any natural lash curl as the styles to create are endless, however, there will be less contact at the point of adhesion if using on an extremely curly natural lash, so close attention to application is a must.
Click here for a video tutorial on an L Curl set.
Sometimes using new curls can be a little intimidating but once you get the hang of it, there is simply no turning back. Both you and your clients will absolutely love this curl, I know mine do!
