Step-by-Step Working Protocol for the InLei® Italian Style Korean Lash lamination Treatment
Korean Lash Lift Meets Italian Precision
In the beauty industry, the most interesting innovations do not always come from inventing something entirely new. Sometimes, they take shape when an established technique is explored from a different perspective, studied in detail and rethought to achieve even more precise results.
This is exactly what happened with the Korean Lash Lift. A new interpretation of lash lifting, where chemistry prepares the lashes, technique shapes the curl, and every step is guided by a fresh vision of the final result.
This technique has attracted the attention of lash professionals around the world thanks to its distinctive approach: instead of starting the treatment by immediately attaching the lashes to a silicone shield, the natural lash structure is treated first, making the lashes temporarily more flexible and easier to shape. A seemingly simple change, yet one that can completely transform the entire treatment sequence.
This is where InLei®'s research journey began. Over the years, we studied different lash types, cosmetic formulations, application techniques and the way natural lashes respond to the treatment.
The result is InLei® Italian Style, a professional system inspired by Korean Lash Lift techniques and reinterpreted through cosmetic research, the precision and technical expertise of InLei® Masters worldwide, and Italian know-how.
Not simply a cysteamine-based first lotion, but a complete treatment protocol in which products, tools and professional techniques work together in synergy, as has always been part of our company's philosophy and standards.
What Makes It Different from a Traditional Lash lamination?
To understand Italian Style, it may help to think about the work of a tailor.
Imagine having to create a suit using a particularly stiff fabric. You could try to force it immediately into the desired shape, securing it and keeping it under tension throughout the entire process. Depending on the final result you want to achieve, this may sometimes be the best approach. Alternatively, you could first make the fabric more pliable, for example by wetting it or using steam or an iron. This would make it easier to work with and allow you to guide it into the folds and lines required by your design.
In both cases, the goal is to create the desired shape using the same material. What changes is the way the material is prepared and worked, according to the result you want to achieve.
With the traditional InLei® Lash Filler 25.9 treatment, the lashes are first positioned and aligned on the silicone shield. Only at this point do we apply the first lotion, which acts on the lash structure to prepare it for reshaping.
With Italian Style, however, the sequence is different.
The lashes are first treated with a cysteamine-based reducing lotion, which temporarily makes them more flexible. Only after this step are they shaped onto the silicone shield, while the second lotion stabilises their new curl. This difference opens up new possibilities, particularly when working with stiff, naturally curly, unruly or difficult-to-align lashes.
The Korean technique has also introduced a different way of using products and tools: Gelling powder, which changes the consistency of the lotions, making them more adhesive and easier to work with; Flat shields, onto which the lashes can be laid out during the first stage of the treatment; Application closer to the lash roots; Above all, the possibility of working along the entire length of the lashes, right down to the tips, which are generally excluded from the action of the first lotion in traditional techniques.
These changes considerably expand the possibilities for lash reshaping, but they also require greater attention to lash structure, application distances and processing times.
There is another aspect worth clarifying. Korean Lash Lift is often associated exclusively with the use of cysteamine, a reducing active ingredient different from ammonium thioglycolate, traditionally used in lash perming treatments.
Actually, what distinguishes this technique is not necessarily the active ingredient itself, but rather its working philosophy. The tests carried out throughout our research journey have confirmed that ammonium thioglycolate, the active ingredient we have been using for years in our Lash Filler 25.9 line, can also be used within the technical approach of Korean Lash Lift. Discover more about this topic in the dedicated article.
Cysteamine, therefore, is not what automatically makes a Lash Lamination “Korean”. For the development of InLei® Italian Style, we deliberately chose to use cysteamine, building a complete system of products, tools and application techniques around its specific properties. A carefully considered formulation choice, rather than simply following a passing trend.
One important point: Italian Style was not created to replace Lash Filler 25.9. The two techniques are complementary, and the choice should always depend on the characteristics of the natural lashes and the desired aesthetic result.
The InLei® Italian Style working Protocol: Step by Step
1. Preparation and Cleansing: Precision Starts with a Clean Surface
Before starting the treatment, it is essential to collect the relevant information about the client, assess any sensitivities or contraindications, and make sure the eye area is suitable for the procedure. One of the most important aspects at this stage is choosing the right silicone shield. For the Korean Lash Lift technique, we prefer shields without a pronounced bump, as we also work on the lash tips and want to avoid creating excessive curvature or an overly curled effect.
Cleansing is the first practical step. Even lashes that appear clean may still retain sebum, skincare residue, mascara, serums and other cosmetic products.
The lashes and periocular area are therefore cleansed using InLei® Oil Free Mousse, together with a soft-bristled brush such as InLei® Fernando. After thoroughly rinsing the area, the lower lashes are isolated using silicone eye-patches. These pads are particularly important in this technique because the upper lashes are placed directly onto them during the application of the first lotion. To complete the cleansing process, we use InLei® Saline Pre-Treatment, which helps remove any remaining residue and prepares the lashes for the application of the first lotion.
2. Protecting the Lash Tips with InLei® Tip Top
In Korean Lash lamination, the first lotion is applied along the entire length of the lashes, including the tips, which are naturally thinner and more delicate than the rest of the lash. To address this specific need, InLei® developed Tip Top, a dedicated product designed to regulate and slow down the action of the perming lotion on the lash tips, helping to preserve their integrity.
InLei® Tip Top is applied before the first lotion and reapplied during the treatment, after removing the reducing lotion from the lash tips during the first few minutes of processing.This is an essential step to reduce the risk of excessively curled, deformed or stressed lash tips, helping achieve an even, elegant and harmonious curl from root to tip.
3. Applying InLei® InForm 1: The Reduction Stage
InLei® InForm 1 is the first lotion in the Italian Style system, formulated with cysteamine.
To understand how it works, it is useful to know a little more about lash structure. Within the cortex, the keratin chains that make up each lash are held together partly by chemical bonds known as disulfide bonds. These bonds contribute to the strength and stability of the lash's natural shape. During the reduction stage, InForm 1 acts on some of these bonds, making the lashes temporarily more flexible.
We then coat the lashes with the first lotion, distributing it evenly along the entire length while maintaining a distance of approximately 1 mm from the lash line. As part of the InLei® Italian Style protocol, we have developed two different application methods for the first lotion:
- Reverse Method: The lashes are laid backwards onto the dedicated InLei® Reverse flat shield and treated with the lotion while held in this backward position.
- Relax Method: The lashes are treated in their natural position with the client's eyes closed, resting on the eye patch, preferably the silicone ones, to protect the delicate under-eye skin from direct contact with the lotion.
To make application easier, InLei® InForm 1 can be mixed with InLei® S-Powder, adjusting the amount of powder according to the desired consistency and following the proportions specified in the protocol. The powder makes the lotion thicker, more adhesive and easier to shape, allowing greater control over the lashes throughout the treatment.
There is no need to use plastic film: the Italian Style system has been developed to work without this occlusive element, while maintaining stability and performance!
Processing Times and Lash Check
With Italian Style, processing time depends on the characteristics of the natural lashes. Thickness, porosity and elasticity all influence how quickly the first lotion works.
The timer remains essential, but it does not decide when the processing time should end. The time indicated in the chart tells you when to perform the Lash Check, a test used to assess how flexible the lashes have become. Using InLei® Fillering, gently lift one lash and observe how it responds to bending: if the lash offers resistance and springs back to its original position, it is not ready yet. If it forms a soft angle without returning to its original position, it is time to remove the lotion.
The timer tells you when to check. The lash tells you when to stop.
Removing the First Lotion: A Step That Should Never Be Underestimated
Once the Lash Check confirms that the lashes are ready, carefully remove InLei® InForm 1, making sure that all product residue is eliminated, especially if it has been mixed with S-Powder. Remove the lotion using gentle movements towards the lash tips, avoiding dragging the product back towards the roots.
4. Applying InLei® InStyle 2: Setting the New Curl
After thoroughly removing the first lotion, the lashes are positioned onto the previously selected silicone shield, carefully aligning them without applying excessive tension. At this stage, the lashes are particularly delicate because they have already undergone the action of the reducing lotion and must therefore be handled with care.
- Reverse Method: The InLei® Reverse flat shield is replaced with the selected silicone shield, maintaining a distance of approximately 1 mm from the lash line.
- Relax Method: The selected silicone shield is positioned directly on the eyelid, again maintaining a distance of approximately 1 mm from the lash line.
We then proceed with InLei® InStyle 2, the second lotion in the Italian Style system. Its purpose is to stabilise the new lash shape through the oxidation process. InStyle 2 is mixed with InLei® S-Powder in the following proportions: 70–80% InStyle 2 and 20–30% S-Powder, mixing until a smooth, creamy and easy-to-work-with consistency is achieved.
The slight adhesiveness of the mixture allows it to be used directly to guide and align the lashes on the silicone shield, keeping them in the desired position without applying excessive tension. If necessary, InLei® Lash Stopper can be used to secure the lashes and maintain their alignment.
The mixture is then distributed evenly over the lashes, respecting the safety distance from the lash line (1 mm). Processing time: 8 minutes. At the end of the processing time, carefully remove the lotion using a dry brush, without disturbing the alignment achieved.
5. Lash Tinting: Enhancing and Defining the Final Result
Once the setting stage is complete, you can proceed with lash tinting. Tinting helps intensify the natural lash colour, enhance lighter tips and give the final Lash Lift result greater definition.
For this step, we use InLei® lash tint, preparing the mixture in a 1:1 ratio with InLei® Developer Cream 1,5%.
Using a small brush, such as InLei® Renoir or InLei® Leonardo, both particularly convenient for this procedure, gently apply the tint to the lashes. Carefully dab the product from root to tip to achieve an even, uniform colour. Processing time ranges from 6 to 12 minutes, depending on the characteristics of the natural lashes.
At the end of the processing time, carefully remove the tint, making sure no residue remains on the lashes or the periocular area. With the Italian Style Korean Lash Lift, two different cleansing methods can be used.
6. Final Cleansing: Removing Residue Without Compromising the Result
Once tinting is complete, or immediately after the second lotion if no tinting is performed, we move on to the final cleansing stage using InLei® Mousse Magica, the professional lash shampoo.
Using a damp brush, such as InLei® Fernando, gently distribute the mousse over the lashes, removing all product residue. We then remove the silicone shields, thoroughly cleanse the periocular area and rinse with lukewarm water.
- Alternative cleansing method with InLei® InFuse 3: Instead of cleansing with Mousse Magica, it is possible to perform the final cleansing directly with InLei® InFuse 3. Its formula has been developed to provide a gentle cleansing action, helping dissolve any remaining cosmetic residue while the serum performs its final treatment function. This method is suitable when the application has been carried out cleanly and only small traces of previously used products and lotions remain on the lashes, without the need for a complete wash with mousse.
7. Applying InLei® InFuse 3: The Final Leave-On Treatment
The final step of the Italian Style protocol is dedicated to InLei® InFuse 3, a leave-on finishing serum designed to complete the treatment and care for the lashes after the chemical processing stages.
InFuse 3 is distributed evenly along the entire length of the lashes using a suitable lash comb, such as InLei® F-Brush, gently guiding the lashes in the desired direction. Alternatively, if the lashes are still positioned on the silicone shield, you can use the InLei® Picasso brush, which helps distribute the serum evenly and gently remove any remaining residue around the lash roots.
InFuse 3 must not be rinsed off: it remains on the lashes as the final product of the treatment.
At this point, we can admire the final result of the Italian Style Lash Lift: beautifully aligned lashes with a harmonious curl, achieved through a precise sequence of products and professional techniques. The result does not depend solely on the choice of the first lotion or its processing time, but on the correct execution of every single stage, from the initial preparation to the final application.
💡 To explore each stage of the treatment in greater detail, including the techniques and the reasoning behind every step, discover our InLei® Italian Style online course, where the entire process is explained in depth. To complement the online theoretical training, an in-person practical session is also available, giving you the opportunity to refine your technique, put your newly acquired skills into practice and perfect every step under the guidance of our trainers.
Why Choose InLei® Italian Style for Korean Lash Lift?
InLei® Italian Style is the result of more than two years of research and hundreds of tests carried out on different lash types. It is a professional Korean Lash lamination system with an added advantage: Made in Italy and developed to ensure control, safety and consistent, repeatable results.
What Are the Advantages of InLei® Italian Style?
- Not just a product, but a complete system. Each formula has a specific function and works in synergy with the others, from the first cysteamine-based lotion to the final treatment.
- Two techniques, endless possibilities. The Relax and Reverse methods allow you to adapt the treatment to straight, stiff, unruly or particularly curly lashes, choosing the most suitable approach for each eye.
- Customised curls from root to tip. Being able to work along the entire length of the lashes offers greater freedom to shape the curl, correct lash direction and create a harmonious overall look.
- Protected lash tips without compromising the curl. Thanks to InLei® Tip Top, the action of the first lotion is regulated on the most delicate ends, helping reduce the risk of excessively curled or stressed lashes.
- Let the lashes tell you when they are ready. With the Lash Check method, processing times are not determined by the timer alone. The lash response is assessed to identify the correct moment to stop the treatment.
- No plastic film, greater control. The protocol has been developed to work without occlusion, making the chemical reaction easier to control.
- Vegan and ophthalmologically tested formulas. Special attention is given to the safety and tolerability of the products used around the delicate eye area.
- Stability and repeatable results. One of the most important strengths of Italian Style: a method designed to ensure predictable product performance and consistent results, without unwanted surprises.
True professional quality means knowing how to recreate an equally beautiful result time after time, with precision and confidence. This is the philosophy behind InLei® Italian Style: combining the innovation of Korean Lash Lift techniques with the reliability of Italian cosmetic research.