Classic Hybrid or Volume Lashes – What does this mean?

June 19, 2020

Classic Hybrid or Volume Lashes

Since Joy first started Brisbane Lashes 12 years ago, a lot has changed in the world of Eyelash Extensions. Gone are the days of jars and jars of loose eyelash fibres, adhesives with 20-second drying times, and heavy 0.20mm extensions that caused damage to clients’ natural lashes.

Now, we are so spoilt for choice, with so many options when we are creating your customised set of eyelash extensions. Classic, volume, hybrid or even mega volume, with different curls, diameters and lengths available to work with. We can create natural-looking sets that look like a better version of your own lashes, or totally extra lashes with more drama than MAFS.

So now, choosing from our extensive service menu can feel a bit like you’re reading another language. How do you know what the difference is between classic, hybrid, or volume? 2D, 4D or 6D?

Let me help you out.

Classic Lashes

Classic lashes are so named because they are what the industry started with, the OG lash. We apply one single extension to one individual natural lash. Classic eyelash extensions can be as lightweight as 0.07mm for a super natural look, or as thick as 0.18mm for a fuller look.

These lashes will always look more ‘natural’ as they mimic the way your natural lashes look – the fullness we can achieve depends a lot on how many natural lashes you have. If you don’t have lots of natural lashes, even 100% coverage – so an extension on every natural lash – may not look as full as it would on somebody else.

Think of classic lashes as an enhancement of your natural lashes: like you’re wearing a very good mascara that doesn’t smudge, smear or come off when you wash your face.

Hybrid Lashes

The next level is a set of hybrid eyelash extensions. This is where we create a set using a mix of classic and volume lashes (more on them soon). Hybrid sets can be any ratio your stylist chooses, however most will begin with 50% classic, 50% volume.

Hybrid sets can still look very natural, depending on the ratio of classic to volume your stylist chooses, and the size of the volume fan used. These sets are usually a more textured look, so if you like your lashes to look neat and perfectly even, probably not your vibe.

However, hybrid lashes are a great starting point for those classic lash wearers wanting a bit more fullness, or for clients who don’t have a lot of natural lashes and find classic lashes look too natural or even gappy.

Many stylists love hybrid sets because of the flexibility that allows them to be as creative as they like. Outside the guidelines of safe application, there are really no rules to the styling of a hybrid set!

Volume Lashes

Volume lashes refer to super lightweight lashes (starting from 0.03mm) that are crafted into a fan before being applied to individual natural lashes. This technique increases your lash count by as much as 700+ extensions per eye, giving you a dramatic look with unrivalled fullness.

There are a few different types of Volume lashes currently available to clients.

Pre-made Volume

These Volume fans are purchased by a stylist already made, who then applies these in a similar fashion to classic lashes. Many classic eyelash extension specialists will keep some pre-made fans in their salon as they do not require any additional upskilling to offer these to their clients. A full look can still be achieved with pre-made fans, but the set is not 100% customisable as the stylist is limited to the fan sizes they have in stock at the time. Pre-made fans cannot be altered before application, and good quality fans can be hard for stylists to purchase at times.

Russian Volume

Russian Volume lashes are named after the Russian Master Lash Stylist who invented the technique, Olga Dubronravova.

Russian Volume fans are hand-crafted by your lash stylist before being immediately applied to your natural lashes. Your stylist can create fans in a variety of lengths and curls, from 2D up to 6D, typically. The number here refers to the amount of extensions in a fan, for example a 4D fan will have 4 extensions. The more extensions in a fan, the lighter the extension should be, so that no damage is caused to your natural lashes. A 0.07mm 5D Russian Volume fan weighs the same as a 0.18mm Classic lash!

Creating Russian Volume sets requires a lot of skill from your lash stylist, who needs to have upskilled with additional training from a Russian Volume Lash Master, such as Joy. Due to the skill and extra finesse required for these sets, you can expect to lay there for up to 3 hours while a lash stylist performs their artistry on you. You will also find a big price difference between Pre-made Volume and Russian Volume lashes.

A set of Russian Volume lashes is customised to each individual, which makes them a truly bespoke lash look! Russian Volume sets look beautifully full, with an even coverage. They can look thick and dense, or soft and fluffy – it’s totally up to you and your stylist!

Typically speaking, for a fuller lash look, you want to choose a volume set with a high amount of extensions in the fan. The fullest set we currently offer in salon is our 6D Volume Set, which will give you thick, black, lush lashes perfect for fluttering at any special event.

Mega Volume

Relatively new to the eyelash extension scene, Mega Volume lashes are fans of very, very fine extensions in anything from 8-14D! Typically, the extension diameter we use for Mega Volume is as tiny as 0.03mm, which means that a stylist who can create beautiful Mega Volume fans is very skilled!

These lashes look incredibly dense and dramatic, and are perfect for those true lash addicts who just want more, more, more!

What next?

So, now you know what we’re talking about with all of our fancy lash lingo, it’s time to make an appointment! Our Service Menu is mapped out into these categories to make it easy for you to find the set you are looking for.

When you arrive at your appointment, your stylist will sit down with you and discuss all of the other styling options you have, so it’s good to be prepared with some idea of how you would like your eyelashes to look. Your stylist will make some recommendations, and may change your booking if the set you’ve chosen is not quite right for you. Keep in mind, if you’re not 100% happy with the way your set looks, we can easily make adjustments at your first refill appointment!

What are you waiting for? Here’s our Service Menu. We look forward to seeing you in salon soon!

Classic Hybrid or Volume Lashes – What does this mean?