A client before and after eyelash extension application. This client had a successful consultation that concluded she would be a great candidate for lash extensions. (photo credit: Lindsey Rae Joslyn-Rohner)
A client before and after eyelash extension application. This client had a successful consultation that concluded she would be a great candidate for lash extensions. (photo credit: Lindsey Rae Joslyn-Rohner)

As with any consultation—cut, color, makeup, nails—figuring out how your client is trying to communicate his or her desires to you is the cornerstone of a successful experience. NovaLash-certified lash artists weigh in on how to run a foolproof consultation before your client even walks into your studio. 

Stefanie Thurman of The Lash & Brow Studio in Royal Oak, Michigan, suggests beginning your consultation before your client arrives for the appointment.

“Give them a pre-consultation on the phone to make sure they are a candidate for lash extensions,” Thurman says.

It is important to listen to what a client wants out of her lash extensions. Lauren Wade of The Lash Studio in Westminster, Maryland, says to design a personalized look for your client based on her answers to these questions:

  • How glamorous do you want to look on a scale of 1 to 10?
  • Do you usually wear mascara? If so, how many coats do you use?
  • Are you looking for volume, length or both in addition to freedom from mascara?

“A good lash-extension client might be a low-maintenance person who doesn’t mind a high-maintenance service,” says Andrea Dopico of The Lash & Brow Academy in Woodland Hills, California. “Clients of all ages can wear lash extensions as long as they have healthy hairs to attach. They are a great client if they take proper care of their extensions, have no eye concerns, come in for maintenance and refer others to your work.”

Someone with extreme allergies or skin sensitivities probably isn’t a good candidate. Also, anyone who rubs their eyes, picks at their lashes or sleeps on their face will need to reconsider these habits in order to have healthy lash-extension results.

Fotini Filini of Lashes by Fotini in Deerfield, Illinois, makes sure to ask these questions during every lash consultation:

  1. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ADHESIVES? ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO MEDICAL TAPE? LATEX?  NovaLash adhesive, which Filini uses, does not contain latex, but if the client is allergic to cyanoacrylate-based adhesives, they are probably not a good candidate for eyelash extensions.
  2. ARE YOUR EYES UNUSUALLY SENSITIVE? NovaLash makes a Sensitive Eyes adhesive, which is fume-free and ideal for this case.
  3. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS OR EYEGLASSES? Wearing eyeglasses can limit the lash artist as to the length used.
  4. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS? Don’t make promises you cannot deliver. Clients with thin, short, sparse lashes will not be able to achieve a glamourous look because their lashes simply cannot hold heavier, longer lashes.
  5. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE. An athletic or outdoorsy client might be looking for something more natural. The goal is for the lashes to look glamorous but natural.

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