Lash CreateLash mapping styles, and who each one suits.
Every named lash look, from cat eye to doll eye, is really one thing: a pattern of where the length sits. Once you can read that pattern, choosing a style stops being guesswork. Here are the eight maps worth knowing, each with a simple diagram.
People talk about lash styles as if they were different products, but a cat eye and a doll eye use the same lashes. What changes is placement. Move the longest length to the outer corner and you have a cat eye. Move it to the centre and you have a doll eye. That is the whole secret of mapping, and it is why one good map matters more than any single lash you own.
Below, each style has a small diagram. Read it left to right, from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner. The taller the lashes in the diagram, the longer the extensions sit in that part of the eye. Find the shape you want, then see which eye it tends to flatter.
How to read the diagrams
The flat line is the lash line. The strokes above it are the extensions, drawn shorter or taller to show the length in that zone. The far left is the inner corner by the nose, the far right is the outer corner by the temple. Where the strokes reach their tallest is where the eye is drawn longest, and that peak is what gives each style its name.
The eight lash mapping styles
Natural
A soft, even map with a gentle peak through the middle and short lengths at both corners. It follows the lashes you already have, so the set looks like a fuller version of you rather than a statement.
Best for: first time clients, almond eyes, an everyday look.
Doll eye, or open eye
The longest length lands right in the centre of the eye, which opens it up and makes it look rounder and more awake. It is the go to map when a client wants bright, wide eyes.
Best for: almond and close set eyes, a wide awake look.
Cat eye
Short at the inner corner and building to its longest at the outer corner, the cat eye pulls the eye out sideways and lifts it. It is sultry and elongating, and one of the most requested maps there is.
Best for: round eyes, wide set eyes, a lifted and sultry look.
Fox eye
A close cousin of the cat eye with a straighter, more even climb from inner to outer and a touch more length kept inside. It reads as a sleek, slightly almond, lifted shape, the snatched look people ask for by name.
Best for: round and downturned eyes, a snatched, elongated lift.
Squirrel
Length climbs to a peak just past the centre, around the outer third, then drops a little toward the very outer corner. That small kick gives a textured, lifted look that sits neatly between a doll eye and a cat eye.
Best for: downturned eyes, anyone wanting lift without a hard cat shape.
Wispy
Rather than one smooth peak, the wispy map alternates shorter and longer spikes along the whole eye for a soft, feathery, lived in texture. It is the fluffy strip lash look, built into a set.
Best for: any eye shape, a soft and fluttery, less uniform finish.
Kim K
A fuller base with taller spikes set at intervals, leaning toward the outer eye, for that glamorous spiked finish. It is bold and high impact while keeping a defined, sectioned look rather than a solid wall.
Best for: clients who want drama and definition, a glam spiked set.
Manga, or anime
Tall, defined spikes gathered through the centre of the eye for a wide, doll like, almost cartoon effect. It pushes the open eye idea further, giving big, bright, statement eyes with plenty of separation.
Best for: a playful, oversized doll eye, clients who love a bold centre.
Choosing a style by eye shape
A map only flatters when it works with the eye in front of you. The quick version: round eyes love a cat or fox map that lengthens them, downturned eyes are lifted by a squirrel or cat map, close set eyes open up with a doll map that keeps the inner corners light, and hooded eyes want height through the centre with a stronger curl so the length clears the lid. For the full breakdown, read our guide to the best lash style for your eye shape.
It also helps to know your length and curl options before you commit to a shape, since the same map reads very differently in a soft B curl versus a dramatic L. Our guide to lash curl types walks through each one, and the step by step lash mapping guide shows how to plan a full set from scratch.
The fastest way to compare styles
Reading diagrams is one thing, seeing a style on your own eyes is another. Lash Create lets you drop any of these maps onto a photo of the real eyes and switch between them in seconds, with 8 styles, 6 curls and full colour built in. A cat eye, a doll eye and a squirrel, side by side on the same face, tells you more than any chart can, and the client can see it too before they ever book.
Pick the map by what it does, not by its name. Once you can see where the length peaks, every trendy style turns out to be a small change to the same idea.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main lash mapping styles?
The most used styles are natural, doll or open eye, cat eye, fox eye, squirrel, wispy, Kim K and manga. Each one is a length pattern, decided by where you place the longest lashes from the inner corner out to the outer corner.
What is the difference between cat eye and doll eye mapping?
A cat eye keeps the inner corner short and builds the longest length at the outer corner, pulling the eye out and lifting it. A doll or open eye peaks the longest length in the centre, making the eye look rounder and more awake.
Which lash mapping style is most natural?
The natural map is the softest. It follows the lashes you already have, with a gentle rise toward the middle and short lengths at both corners, so the set looks like fuller versions of your own lashes.
What is a squirrel lash map?
A squirrel map builds length to a peak just past the centre, around the outer third, then drops slightly toward the very outer corner. That kick gives a textured, lifted look between a doll eye and a cat eye.
How do I pick the right style for a client?
Start with the eye shape and the effect the client wants. Round eyes suit a cat or fox map, downturned eyes are lifted by a squirrel or cat map, and hooded eyes want height through the centre. Previewing a few maps on a photo of the real eyes is the fastest way to decide.
Can I try lash mapping styles before booking?
Yes. In Lash Create you can drop different maps onto a photo of your own eyes and switch between styles, curls and colour in seconds, so you see how a cat eye or doll eye actually looks on you before you book.
See every style on your own eyes.
Download Lash Create and start mapping your styles now.