Eyes That Tell a Story: The Allure of Anime Lash Extensions

Anime and Manga lashes have captured the attention of style icons across TikTok and Instagram. It’s no wonder since anime is increasing in popularity across the Western hemisphere. Anime and manga characters are known for their exaggerated features, especially their large eyes.

You’ve probably seen anime lashes online: over-the-top, dramatic eye looks that can incorporate different kinds of unique touches. After all, not every anime character is the wide-eyed ingenue, and different eye looks will always flatter different eye shapes. You can mimic the appearance of any anime or manga character with the right lash look.

The Appeal of Anime Lashes

It’s pretty easy to see the appeal of anime-inspired lashes with just one look at any popular anime series. The characters have an intentionally flawless appearance.

A bad hair day or a single pimple is an enormous obstacle that could provide enough conflict to power an entire episode. Anime eyes are no exception to this rule of perfection: large, wide, glimmering, shimmering, bright, and perfectly framed.

This trend began on TikTok, where cosplayers and anime fans utilized basic drugstore lashes to get the effect. Soon, though, it caught the attention of makeup pros and the permanent makeup industry and evolved from a costuming tool to a fashionable trend.

The hashtag #mangalashes currently has over 248 million video views, and the search rate is continuing to climb. Over the past few years, anime lashes have become a style of their own, and this dramatic and highly customizable style has become popular online and off.

Anime lashes are inherently dramatic, even if they seem normal within the anime world. They’re extra long and fluttery. They’re dense and dark. They’re spidery and eye-opening to the max.

They can even be full of vibrant colors. And luckily, for every anime lash look you covet, Lashify has the Gossamer lash extensions to make it happen.

The Basics of Anime Lashes

In the broadest definition, anime-style lash extensions are any extensions styled to imitate the exaggerated, intense style of eyelashes seen in anime TV and movies. This style of extensions typically includes longer, fuller, and more dramatic lashes than traditional, classic lash extension styles.

One of the most common anime lash looks is a wide-eyed, doe-like appearance characteristic of a Doll-Eye Lash Map, but more extreme. Another example of a popular anime lash style is a Spider Lash or a Webtoon Lash. Who’d have guessed spiders would be our fashion inspo beyond Halloween?

And Webtoon Lashes, of course, refers to the online webcomic publishing platform Webtoon, where plenty of manga can be found. A Spide/Webtoon Lash entails spikey, individual lash strands that are dramatically longer than the base layer of lashes.

The base layer may be short and feathery to create volume, and the second layer would offer extreme but sporadic length across the lash line. Webtoon Lashes also emphasize the lower lash line, which very few lash styles do.

Even at a low intensity, this creates a very exaggerated doll eye appearance, like the heroines of many manga comics. Still, this lash style can create a Doll Eye that can elevate your daily makeup so much that you can kiss your curler and mascara goodbye!

Beyond Cosplay

Cosplayers are no strangers to lash enhancements. Across TV, film, and video games, there are hundreds of thousands of characters whose looks could be presented most accurately with dramatic or otherworldly lashes.

Many cosplayers spend countless hours (and dollars) designing and constructing fabulous, elaborate costumes, and at-home eyelash extensions are only the tip of the makeup bag iceberg. Anime-style lashes are perfect for cosplaying anime characters at cons or just for fun, but you can use these styles in your regular wardrobe as well.

The beauty of at-home DIY lash extensions is that you can customize your look to an insane degree. You can take an anime look and dial the intensity as high or low as you’d like — whatever suits your style!

To the uninitiated viewer (someone unaware of the trend), anime lashes will simply appear as a bold, intense volume lash style. Even without the context of their anime inspiration, anime-style lashes give the air of being fashion-forward in your everyday wardrobe.

Bold Anime Lash Extension Styles with Gossamers

Whatever story you want to tell with your lashes, Lashify has the Gossamers to help you tell it.

Here are a few styles to spark your inspiration:

Lash Map Examples

All anime lash looks will have the same basic map structure: a base layer and a stacker layer. While you could try to do these lashes in a single layer, the added drama is part of the appeal. In case you’re not yet familiar with our lash stacking methods, we’ll detail our brick stacking method below, but you could also use the basic volume stacking method.

The base layer is very simple. Start with a medium to short lash similar to the length of your natural lashes. Choose a style that adds volume to taste.

If you want a little volume, utilize a classic Curl Gossamer. Curls make a great base for almost any look. Bold Gossamers will also make a great base for this style if you want a little more volume with thicker fibers.

The stacked layer is where you start to spin your own style. No matter which lash style you choose, go no shorter than 12mm. You are free to — no, encouraged to — go as long as you want for this style. Different lash maps will call for different specific lashes, but as a rule, you want a curl that is neither too loose nor too tight.

The optional step across all of these maps is to apply extensions to your lower lashes as well. This layer should mimic the base layer of your top lashes, going slightly shorter if necessary for your eye shape. Since most lash looks ignore the bottom lashes, any extensions here will look bold and dramatic, no matter how short.

Webtoon Lashes With Extreme Ice

Extreme Ice is a great style because of its spikiness and its ability to scale beautifully to the longest of lengths. Extreme Ice is perfect for getting the exaggerated, spidery lash look.

Lay this lash map with a brick stack, and ensure the base Gossamers are the inner and outer corners.

Base: B10, B10, B10, B10

Stacked: EI16, EI18, EI16

Anime Girl Lashes With Silver Prismatics

While this is true of all the Prismatic Gossamers in anime styles, Silver Gossamers are especially perfect because they add color and shimmer. You can use any other color for the non-silver C curls in this map, including natural hues from the Intimates Collection.

We all know the classic anime girl eye shimmer and fluttery silver streaks. Your lashes do a remarkable job of replicating those glimmering doe eyes.

Base: C10, SilverC12, C12, SilverC10

Stacked: C12, C12, C12

Pro tip: For this look, pair it with a thin line of shimmery eyeliner. Cool-toned eyeshadows, like blue or mauve, can provide an iconic look. If you’re into it, you can do a second thin line of shimmery eyeliner from the bottom lid in addition to the top.

Anime Doll Eye With Starbursts

Starburst Gossamers have the spikey flutter of anime lashes literally built in. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have the time or skill level to stack, mixing extra-long Starburst Gossamers into a single-layered lash map is a great trick to get anime-styled doll eyes fast.

Just ensure that the longest lash fibers are centered over the center of the eye.

Base: C10, SB18, C10, SB18, C C10

Brick Stacking Made Easy

After you’ve mastered the basic Gossamer application with the Lashify application system, you’re ready to try brick stacking. Brick stacking can be used to create tons of looks, anime-style lashes are just one of them.

Here’s the quick and dirty breakdown:

Lay out your lash map on your Lash Pad.
Apply your first layer of Gossamer almost like normal. The only difference is you need to leave little gaps, just a few millimeters wide, between each Gossamer spine. Start at each corner and work your way to the center.
After those have been fused, apply some Whisper Light Bond to the gaps and wait 30-60 seconds for it to get tacky.
Apply the second layer of Gossamers such that the Gossamer spines bridge the gaps in the base layer.
Once all stacked Gossamers are in place, fuse them!

That’s all! If that was too quick, or you’re a Lashify beginner, we have tons of guides to help you learn at your pace. We’re here to help!

Anime Allure All Day Long

Whether you’re a fan of anime and manga or not, the hot new trend of anime lashes is worthy of experiment for any lash lover. It’s a fun and bold style perfect for big events and everyday wear. This lash style pairs best with a full beat; it's not the best choice for a natural lash look or a natural face look. This is a look that demands a little glam.

When you want to try a new lash look, peruse the Volume Collection to find unique and specially designed lash extensions. All Lashify Gossamers are original designs from our in-house lash experts. Embrace your inner artist and create some original lash looks worthy of a magical anime girl’s sparkle transformation sequence!

Sources:

Anime Style Lash Extensions | Lashe Style on LinkedIn

What Are Anime Lash Extensions? More About the Trend | PMU HUB

With over 200 million views, 'Manga Lashes' are the next big beauty trend | Cosmopolitan

The lowdown on manga lashes and how to achieve the look | Vogue Singapore

How to Brick Stack | YouTube