This is one of those questions we’ve been asked many times over the years – and the honest answer is that it’s evolved with the industry. As of 2025, our answer is… sometimes.
When we first started 15 years ago, the lash industry – in Perth especially – was still in its infancy. Volume was just being introduced and it wasn’t unusual for someone to come in with actual clusters (those things that are joined at the base by a visible bulb and meant to be worn overnight) superglued in – a safety concern more than anything. Back then, removals could take the entire appointment but were necessary because even attempting to fill that in was nothing but liability.
Preferring not to refill other lash work isn’t necessarily about thinking that your work is unparalleled – it’s mainly about the unknown variables that exist when literally inserting your own product in between someone else’s. It means you’re not only guaranteeing your own work but inheriting the risk for the entire set from that point forward.
Fast forward a few years and the industry really found its feet. In the years leading into COVID, not only lash services, but the lash supply side of the industry – training, and product supply – all hit a peak.
Dedicated artists were building full books, and standards were high because the demand was strong. Over this period we’ve had five or six of our OG team members go on to open their own salons – something we’re genuinely proud of and happy for them over! It definitely felt like the entire industry was lifting at once.
More recently, things have started to settle. Lashing has become a stable, recognised service — like hair or nails. But with that maturity, there’s also been a shift. There’s been a bit of a realisation that not every home operator will be able to stay in the game full time and while we are seeing some quiet exits, the overall quality of work has remained fairly high in our opinion.
We think this is partly because good-quality products are now more available and affordable than ever, and as information sharing continues to grow exponentially, we’re much more knowledgeable than we’ve ever been before.
So where does that leave us now with refilling lashes applied elsewhere?
As of 2025, our current position is that we will refill Classic and Hybrid sets done elsewhere. This is because Classic sets consist of all one lash type and are usually consistent across the board (and between Lash Artists), and the nature of the blend of styles inherent in Hybrid allows us some flexibility to incorporate a different style in both technique and product if necessary and adjust as needed.
We’ve chosen not to refill sets made with pre-mades – no shade – but it’s a completely different technique, and the visual difference is often too obvious when mixed with handmade. And when it comes to some of the more bespoke sets like Wispy, or even the different variations of Volume 4-6-8D, we don’t think we can guarantee a uniform result – so we’ve decided to stick to these parameters only.
Rather than charge an extra fee for taking over someone else’s work as we had in the past – we now simply guide clients to book a 3-week refill instead of a shorter 2-week appointment, regardless of when they last had them filled elsewhere. That gives us enough time to clean up and make adjustments, without adding much cost and covers us with a bit more room to breathe.
Of course, if we see that the existing set is causing damage – lashes stuck together, unsafe placement – we’ll always be upfront. In those cases, we may recommend removal or respectfully decline the refill. The same applies if the “refill” turns out to be just 2 or 3 lash extensions hanging on for dear life.
Ultimately, if we can maintain your lashes, save you time and money, and produce results we can stand behind – everybody wins.
If this is a service you need, just select one of the refill types I’ve mentioned and make a “foreign fill” note in the booking comments.
See you soon!
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