Why it’s worth taking part in lash competitions?

Do you also want to be an award-winning Lash Artist? The thought of Lash Championship evokes strong emotions in many lash stylists which may be out of fear or excitement. Despite the challenges, the satisfaction of winning is worth it.

“As a lash academy instructor at United Lash Army in the UK for nearly 5 years, I have participated in many competitions to challenge myself and have received feedback from more experienced lash judges. I believed that I would have an opportunity to feel what it is like to win a trophy and so far I have won 37 trophies by participating in such competitions. Now I want to share the same experience with other lash artists” ~Justyna Zoledziejewska 

justyna.lasheducator

Types of Eyelash Extension Competitions

Entering your first lash competition can be daunting especially if you have never participated in one before. I want to encourage the readers to enter as many competitions as they can. There are different categories of such competitions for all levels of experience.

There are two types of lash championships: online and live. Both are valuable, but before you participate, you should make sure there are industry-recognized judges whose work you admire.

Online Lash competitions:

Online competitions are those where you are not limited by the lash extension application time when you are submitting an application. However, you have to submit photos before the deadline and follow all rules indicated by the organizer, such as distance from the eyelid, symmetry of the tuft, internal and external corners, etc. The judges examine these photos very carefully using the zoom tool to be able to judge the applications with microscopic accuracy.

It is strictly forbidden to use any applications that allow you to edit photos submitted for the contest. Doing so carries a high risk of disqualification, which would be displayed publicly. So it is recommended to submit your original work without any edits. After all, nobody wants to feel proud of herself for winning a trophy for a photo-shopped work, right?

Live Lash competitions:

Live or offline lash competitions, on the other hand, are those where you have to go to a designated place and perform the eyelash extension application on the spot within the allotted time. Time constraints, a new place with temperature and humidity challenges, and the judge's eyes on you from time to time - definitely expose the participant to a lot of stress.

However, you have the opportunity to get to know your lash styling idols - who are usually judges - and other colleagues in the industry, and maybe even become friends for life, who knows?

Reasons to enter the Eyelash Competitions

Both types of competitions have their pros and cons, however, let's take a look at the benefits and opportunities for lash stylists to take part in such events.

Invaluable Feedback:

You can receive invaluable feedback from people who are more experienced in the lash industry. If you follow all the advice and work on your mistakes, your work will improve significantly.

Boost your Confidence:

It's an amazing feeling to win an award and have your work recognized by industry experts. It's something that's definitely worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime. Winning a trophy can boost your confidence and give you a better sense of your skills in the industry. Knowing where you stand with your skills in the industry can open up new opportunities for you. But beware, once you experience it, you may get addicted to it!

Personal Growth:

You have a chance to test yourself and learn to work under stress. Although you do not have any on-spot time limitations when participating in online competitions, the mere awareness that you are entering a competition is in itself a stressful factor. This gives you an opportunity to venture outside of your comfort zone and experience personal growth.

Networking: 

You gain recognition among people from the industry and even friendships for life. I am personally still in touch with other participants of the championships in which I took part before and we support each other on social media.

Top International Eyelash Extension Competitions 

With so many benefits, there is no reason not to participate in such competitions.

Here are a few of the top international Eyelash Extension Competitions:

• Artistic Fur Award: also known as Artistic Lash League, is one of the most popular international eyelash extension competitions. This competition was first organized in 2018 in Glasgow. Every year, they invite over 300 participants from all over the world.
• Kingdom Beauty Crown: This championship is open to all beauty professionals licensed or qualified to perform. It is generally a 3-day event that brings together a global audience with speakers and leading grandmasters from across the beauty industry.
• Lash Championship Netherlands: This championship invites all the lash and brow artists from all around the world. It is open to all levels of artists.
• Lash Battle: Lash Battle is considered the biggest eyelash extensions competition in Glasgow, Scotland every year – with more judges and extra nominations.
• The Lash Games: The Lash Gamesorganizing team combines over 30 years’ of specialist lash and industry knowledge and experience, to create an unmissable event for lash artists from across the globe. 

I highly recommend checking out the Artistic Lash League. It's a well-organized online championship that I had the pleasure of participating in and taking a place on the podium.

Tips and Tricks on how to win a Lash Competition

With more and more lash techs in the market, many can't help but wonder "How do I win the Lash Competition?" So let us find out what tricks you can keep in your mind while participating in such competitions.

• Read all the terms and conditions carefully: Read and reread all the competition's criteria carefully and make a checklist to make sure you don't miss anything.
• Choose your model wisely:  When choosing a model, look at the number of eyelashes, the symmetry of her face and eyes, and whether her eyes are almond-shaped. Choose a model who matches the category you are entering. If you want a dramatic style, don't choose a model with tiny, delicate lashes.
• Make yourself comfortable: It can be intimidating initially to perform in a crowded place, but the key to success is to adapt well to the new place and make yourself comfortable during your work and also when it comes to clothes.
• Only High-Quality photos:  If participating in an online competition, it is important to click high definition pictures for the judges to have a look at the detailed work. It is recommended to pay attention to the lighting in such situations. Even if you shoot with the same camera, the image quality is poor when you shoot in a dark place and poor photography could let you down. 
• Upload your submission early: Do not wait until the last date to submit your application, as you may encounter technical difficulties at the last moment.

The Future of Lash Competitions

The eyelash extension market is expected to grow at a fast rate in the coming decade as consumers are more willing to spend on eyelash extension services in comparison to the past. So participating in such lash competitions will always be beneficial for you as a lash tech.

It is an amazing opportunity to become a famous and recognized lash artist and it gives you the chance to charge higher prices to clients. It would be one of the greatest challenges of your eyelash extension career and a great chance to achieve all your dreams as a lash artist.

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