Cat eye lash map - what is it supposed to look like?

I decided to take a look at one of the most requested eyelash styles ever - cat eye styling! I'll tell you what lengths to choose as well as where to place them so that your client leaves with the seductive look of a wild cat. And is this style suitable for all eye types? Find out in the article!

What are lash maps, what are they used for and how are they roughly created? - that's is a complex topic, which is why I have already devoted a whole article to it. Now we will follow it up with a styling that is increasingly desired by clients in salons. If you know the basics and the theory, designing the perfect cat eye (sometimes referred to as fox styling) will be no problem for you. Just follow my instructions!

1. Start by marking (just by hinting) the 3 basic axes from which the entire lash map is based.
2. The first is always a line that imaginatively passes through the center of the eye (doll) when the client is looking straight ahead. This line ensures that the styling on both eyes will be symmetrical.
3. The second line goes to the outer edge of the eye.
4. The third line settles between (in the middle of) the previous two.
5. Now create a "compartment" with the longest length of eyelashes (in this case 12 mm). Imagine that the space between the second and third lines is divided in half. The half closer to the center of the eye will belong to the longest length (marked in color in the picture).
6. The remaining half (near the outer corner of the stitch) will be filled in with three equal sized "chalks". Each will map the decreasing lengths of the eyelashes (i.e. 11, 10 and 9 mm). In practice, you'll only ever settle a few pieces here when applying the lashes, but that's exactly what you want. If you left the longest length in the corner, it would pull your eye down and visually close it.
7. Divide the rest of the space towards the inner corner of your eye into 6 equally sized compartments. This is where the 11, 10, 9, 8, 7 lengths and the 6mm long lashes will gradually settle in the corner of the eye. Nothing difficult, right?

For every eye shape there is a styling that will flatter it as much as possible. You can explain to your client that a different style of lashes would be better for her, but if she's determined not to leave your couch without cat eyes, create a squirell styling instead of a cat eye - which suits women with high outer corners. 🤭 A properly executed "squirrel" resembles a "cat" but also suits those who don't have the ideal eye shape for a luscious cat. This is because it uses shorter lengths and the longest ones are applied closer to the center of the eye, so the styling doesn't tend to optically close and constrict the eye.

In this sample comparison you can see the extreme cat eye and standard squirel lash map. It's nice to see here why the squirrel won't have a tendency to pull the outer corner down to the ground, while still looking seductive like the cat eye styling.

In the last few years, the eyelash extension trend called eyeliner effect has been hitting the world. It's close to the cat eye in style, but it's even more mesmerizing because it uses an L (sometimes M) curve that really gives the eye the impression that the wearer has drawn a bold line when applying makeup. And I confess that I myself am fascinated by the resulting look. Especially when done well. :)

You might also be interested in:

• 6 principles for the proper care of eyelash extensions
• 3 eyelash extension kits - what do you need to get started and how to choose the right one?
• Lash trends at the turn of the millennium
• 14 tips for perfect photos of your work
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Drop me a line on Instagram, I'm very interested to know if (and how often) you encounter the cat eye or even eyeliner effect at work.