Everything You Need to Know about Premade Volume Fans

My quest for high-quality premade volume fans drove me to start Lash Reality – so naturally, they hold a special place in my heart.

At the time, I was growing frustrated with how tedious it was to create handmade fans, only for them to not look as good as everyone else's. There weren’t many options for premade fans on the market, and they also carried a bad reputation for being poorly made. One night, I thought to myself, “What if premades could look and work just as well as handmade fans, but without all the time and effort required?” 

Thus, Lash Reality was born!

Premade fans are a busy lash artist’s best friend. Today, they come in tons of options giving artists’ the flexibility to create the volume sets of their dreams! If you’re new to the world of premades, let us introduce you to the benefits of using them, the different types, and answer all the most commonly asked questions. 

Why use premade fans? 

Lashing is a time-sensitive skill. If you’re booking clients back-to-back, it’s crucial not to go over your allotted time, which can be especially difficult for those mega-volume clients. Hand-making fans during your set take a huge chunk of the appointment, and even doing them beforehand costs you valuable time out of your day. That’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with premades! 

Not only does it save you time and effort, but it also gives you guaranteed symmetry between each fan. At the end of the day, your clients care mostly about the end results. So if that can be achieved while saving you the extra effort, why not choose the easier route?

There are many benefits to using premade volume fans, including: 

✓ Finish sets in less time

✓ Saved time allows for more bookings = more revenue

✓ Achieves the same results as handmade fans

✓ Symmetrical fans every time

The Types of Premades

Sharp stems

Sharp stems are the most snatched of the bunch. These are comparable to the perfect handmade fan, minus the time and effort! These are our most popular fans by far and come with 400+ fans per tray. They are heat-bonded, ultra-black, and we have no doubt that they are the best quality on the market! We offer them in 4D, 5D, 8D, 10D, and 12D.

Mid stems

Mid stems, also known as medium stems, are the balance between sharp and short stems. They have a tight base, but not as snatched as the sharp stems. Our mid stems are lightweight and come with 320 fans per tray. 

Short stems

Short stems are amazing at giving that fluffy look. Because of how they fan, they are perfect for filling in gaps and creating a full lash line. 

Long stems

Long stems are perfect for beginners. They are similar to using a classic lash and super easy to control because of their wider base. This style of premade is great for darkening the lash line up  and creating a dense look. Our long stems are heat bonded, matte black, and come 320 fans to a tray!

Loose fans

We originally got these fans during the pandemic when our other styles were not available. After launching them, they quickly became a customer favorite because of their affordable price point and incredible quality! Our loose fans are all handmade, fluffy, and bonded with minimal adhesive. We recommended using a silicon pad for convenient separation. (P.S. We also have these stunning colored loose fans in orange and blue!) 

How to pick up premade fans

If you’ve worked with handmade fans, you know they can be delicate! The same applies to premade fans, which is why it’s important to know the correct way to pick them up so you do not damage the lashes. 

Removing them from the strip will vary depending on how they are stuck. If they are attached by the base, such as our short stems, gently pull each fan off the strip by sliding your tweezers underneath the base and pulling up towards the top of the tray. Do not pull towards you or vertically because that might bend or damage the lashes. If you pull towards the top of the tray, they should pop off super easily! For mid stems, which are attached at the middle, simply grab the base with your favorite pair of tweezers and gently lift up.

Tips for using premade fans

Before using premade fans for the first time, it’s important to know that everything has a learning curve. They might take a second to get a hang of, but once you do, you’ll realize how incredibly easy they are to use and add to your sets. 

If you’re just getting started, here are our tips for using premade volume fans:  

• Start with a short-stem or long-stem: These two styles are the easiest to learn with because the long-stems are similar to a classic lash in that they have a long base that gives room to attach it to the natural lash. Short-stems are also beginner-friendly because of their wide base which makes them easy to stick on.
• Use a bit more adhesive: Compared to a classic lash, a premade fan will need a bit more adhesive. When choosing a glue, try to find one that gives enough time to maneuver it and won’t dry too quickly.
• Never apply premades next to each other one after another: When using premades, alternate between eyes or different sides of the same eye. Applying one after the other next to each other runs the risk of marrying the lashes together, which can damage the fans when trying to get them unstuck.
• Don’t be afraid to mix: All premades are mixable – so get creative with your sets and don’t be afraid to try different lash combinations of sizes and lengths. 

FAQ

What is the difference between heat-bonded and glue-bonded? 

There are two methods for creating premade fans; they are either bonded with glue or heat –hence the names. Typically, the negative stigma towards premade fans comes from artists’ experience with poor-quality glue-bonded fans. These fans are made by dipping them into adhesive and setting them to dry. When it’s time to apply to the client’s lashes, the fans must be dipped into adhesive a second time. Because of this, there is a higher chance that the glue-bonded premade fans may be too heavy for your client’s lashes. 

This is one of the reasons why Lash Reality uses heat-bonded fans. Instead of using adhesive, the base is sealed with heat, meaning they’re lighter and easier to maneuver than glue-bonded premades. With heat-bonded fans, you don’t need to worry about adding extra weight to your client’s natural lashes or dealing with adhesive clumps that make attachment harder! 

What glue should I use for premade fans? 

You’ll want to use a thin viscosity adhesive for premade fans so it won’t add unnecessary bulk! Another trick is to use a glue that doesn’t dry too quickly for your lashing speed. Our best-selling BlackJack Adhesive is beloved by lash artists across the country and has the perfect viscosity and dry time for volume fans. Read why artists love it here!

What tweezers should I use for premade fans?

While there isn’t one single tweezer that is best for premades, you’ll want something with an excellent grip! Boot tweezers or those with a curve/angle are great for pinching and lifting premades off the strip.