Classic vs volume lashes: how to choose without getting it wrong

Classic lashes. Russian volume. Brazilian volume. 2D, 3D, hybrid sets.

You only wanted beautiful lashes, and here you are facing a dictionary.

Do not worry: classic vs volume lashes is much simpler than it looks. All these words describe a different way of fixing extensions to your natural lashes. And so a different result in the mirror.

In this guide, you will see the principle of each technique, the look it gives, the upkeep it needs, and who it is made for. We end with a clear recommendation, according to the look you are after.

One detail that will make your life easier: at SIMEHA Institut, we apply all three techniques at the same price. Your choice therefore depends on one thing only, the look you want.

What is the difference between classic lashes and Russian volume?

With classic lashes, a single extension is applied to each natural lash; with Russian volume, a fan of several very fine extensions is applied to each lash. Classic lashes give a natural look, Russian volume a dense look.

Here are the three sets, side by side.

The three techniques, their duration, their price and the rhythm of the infill come from our price list. The descriptions are the usual definitions in the trade.

Now, let us go into detail.

Classic lashes: for those who want a natural look

Classic lashes mean gluing one extension to each natural lash, one by one. It is the original technique, and the most discreet: it lengthens and thickens your lashes without changing their number.

That last point is essential. The result depends on your own lashes.

Do you have a lot of them? Classic lashes already give well-defined eyes.

Do you have few? They lengthen them, but they do not fill the gaps: the lash line stays sparse.

Classic lashes are made for you if you want:

• a "mascara" look with no make-up;
• a result that nobody notices as a lash set;
• to try extensions before moving towards more volume.

Russian volume: for eyes that get noticed

Russian volume means applying to each natural lash a fan of several very fine extensions, opened out. It multiplies the number of visible lashes and gives a full lash line.

How can a single lash carry several extensions?

Because they are finer than those used for classic lashes. That is what makes it possible to apply several to the same lash without weighing it down.

The number of extensions per fan is written 2D, 3D, 4D and so on. The higher the figure, the denser the result.

Russian volume is made for you if you want:

• very defined eyes, even with no make-up;
• to fill a naturally sparse lash line;
• a look that shows in photos or at an event.

It takes a precise hand: each fan must suit the strength of the lash that carries it.

Brazilian volume: the happy medium

Brazilian volume uses Y-shaped extensions: each extension splits into two tips. Applied to a natural lash, it gives the effect of two lashes instead of one.

The result sits between classic lashes and Russian volume: fuller than the first, lighter than the second.

Do you find classic lashes too discreet and Russian volume too heavy? It exists precisely for you.

And the hybrid set that everyone talks about?

A hybrid set mixes, on the same lash line, extensions applied one by one and fans. It gives an uneven, natural-looking volume, between classic lashes and Russian volume.

The SIMEHA Institut price list offers three sets: classic lashes, Brazilian volume and Russian volume. If you want a look in between, Brazilian volume answers that.

Our advice: do not get lost in the names. Describe to the beautician the result you expect. She is the one who chooses the technique that leads to it.

Time and upkeep: is one set more demanding?

At the salon, all three sets take 2 h 30 min and need the same upkeep: an infill every 2 to 4 weeks. The technique changes neither the length of the appointment nor its rhythm.

Why an infill?

Because your natural lashes fall out and grow back all the time. Each lash that falls takes its extension, or its fan, with it.

One nuance to know: on a Russian volume set, losing a fan shows a little more than losing a single extension. Do not let the deadline slip too far.

Day to day, the habits are the same for all three sets: no water or steam for the first few hours, no oil-based make-up remover, no rubbing, gentle brushing.

Which set is the gentlest on your natural lashes?

None of the three sets generally damages a healthy lash, on two conditions: that the weight applied suits the lash, and that the extensions are removed at a salon. The risk does not come from the technique, but from overloading and pulling.

Here is what that means for you.

A fine lash cannot carry a thick extension or a large fan. It is the beautician's role to adapt the set to your lashes, even if that means offering you less volume than you asked for.

Accept that advice. It protects your lashes.

On your side, two rules: never pull on an extension that is coming loose, and do not remove your extensions yourself. Removal at the salon costs CHF 20.

We explain what to do next in the guide lashes after extension removal.

Classic or Russian volume: our recommendation

Choose classic lashes for a discreet result, Russian volume for very full lashes, and Brazilian volume if you are torn between the two. As all three sets are the same price at the salon, only the look counts.

Find your line in this table:

Still unsure? Start with the most discreet.

It is always possible to move towards more volume at the next set. The other way round is less pleasant.

Where can you have your eyelash extensions applied?

SIMEHA Institut applies eyelash extensions at Rue Caroline 41, 1227 Genève, Suisse, in the Acacias district. The three techniques, the infill and the removal are presented on the eyelash extensions page.

You book online, with no account: the technique, the time, then your first name, phone number and email. You pay at the salon.