Team Promade or Team Premade? Grab your tweezers - we're settling this once and for all.
Every lash group chat has one topic that just won't die: promade vs premade fans. Ask ten lash artists which one they swear by, and you'll get eleven answers - and at least one very passionate DM about why you're "doing it wrong."
Here's the truth: there's no wrong side. There's just your side, depending on your speed, your client list, and how your hands like to work. Let's break down both so you can pick your team with confidence (or realise, like most pros, that you're secretly playing for both).
Team Premade: Built for Speed
Premade fans arrive pre-fanned and ready to place - no fanning required, straight from tray to lash. If your calendar looks like a game of Tetris and every minute counts, this is your corner.
Why lash artists love them:
- Consistency, every single time. Every fan is uniform, so your sets look clean and even without you having to manually fan each one.
- Speed. Less prep time per lash = more clients per day, or more breathing room in every appointment.
- Beginner-friendly. New to volume sets? Premade fans let you nail placement and mapping without also mastering hand-fanning at the same time.
The trade-off: less flexibility to customise fan shape on the fly, and depending on the brand, base width can vary — which is exactly why base quality matters so much (more on that below).
Lash V's Short Stem Pro – Ultra Dark Premade Fans and Long Stem Pro Premade Fans are built with sharp, tight bases specifically so you don't lose retention just because you're going for speed.
Team Promade: Built for Control
Promade (also called "handmade" fans by purists) are pre-made too, technically — but they're built loose, giving you more room to adjust and customise the fan shape and spread as you place them.
Why lash artists love them:
- Natural movement. Slightly looser construction means fans move and settle more like hand-fanned lashes.
- Customisable fullness. You get a bit more control over how open or tight each fan sits.
- Great for artists who came from hand-fanning and want that same feel, minus the fanning time.
The trade-off: slightly more of a learning curve on placement compared to premade, and consistency comes down to your technique rather than the tray doing the work for you.
Lash V's Promade Loose – 1000 Fans (3D–14D) and the Promade Ultra-Speed range cover everything from subtle natural sets to full glam, so you're never stuck without the density you need.
So… Who Actually Wins?
Nobody. (Sorry to the group chat.) The real answer is: it depends on the set, the client, and the artist.
- Fully booked and need speed without sacrificing quality? Premade.
- Client wants something a little more bespoke and you've got time in the appointment? Promade.
- Doing a mega volume set with a tight timeline? Most pros will actually mix both — premade for base structure, promade to fill and customise.
The techs who get the best results aren't the ones defending a side online — they're the ones who know both trays well enough to reach for whichever one the set actually calls for.
The One Thing That Actually Matters More Than "Promade vs Premade"
Base quality. Full stop. A sloppy base — too thick, uneven, poorly glued — will tank your retention whether it came from a promade tray or a premade one. That's the whole reason Lash V builds every fan (loose or short stem) with a sharp, consistent base: so the debate stays about your preference, not about which one is going to fall out in four days.
Ready to pick your side (or refuse to)?
👉 Shop Premade Fans
