I'm BACK!
Dusting off the blog to help revive my passion, give some education, share information and maybe learn a few new things along the way too. For reals this time. (I pinky promise.)
I've been busy with life. Mainly, I fell off the face of the earth due to opening up my own lash shop back in 2016 with a partner. We moved into a sola salon studio and it's been amazing.
(Left photo is us moved out of our old studio 😔 -
Next is a sneak peak of my new studio 😍. I'm not all set up at the moment, but slowly but surely.)
It's been a crazy 4 1/2 years. With the pandemic giving me some free time, and my partner recently moved out because she's moving out of state 😔. I moved into a smaller room by myself at the same location (still inside a sola because it's still amazing.) I guess you could say I'm going through a re-fresh phase of my career or revisiting & revising.
I recently joined a few more lash groups through social media to see what is new to the lash industry and to my surprise, not a whole lot. A few new gadgets, lighting, somethings are a little more refined and mastered. But for the most part, lash + extensions + adhesive + technique, and boom! You have lashes.
The industry is definitely more refined and more advanced than it was 10 years ago when I started. However, most of the "supply companies" that make up the industry aren't creating a relationship with lash technicians and stylists similar to hairstylists and wholesale companies like salon centric (formerly "Maleys"), cosmoprof, Swies, etc.
Open forum: lash tray retail vs. wholesale price points.
My biggest pet peeve and struggle with the lash industry is that there is no such thing as "wholesale." I find that some companies offer discounts to techs who are either certified by them, licensed, or it's your normal promotional code that techs receive in an email. Don't get discounts confused. It's a discount off retail not wholesale. I imagine as a business decision it is more lucrative to move in the capital retail direction and away from wholesale. However, the markups have only begun to get MUCH worse. I see cheaper lash trays of similar quality cheaper on amazon than I do on sites like borboleta, Bella Lash, etc.
Example, one tray of Classic .15 C curl (mixed tray)
Amazon - Quewel - $7.39
Bella Lash - $14.00 - $17.00
Borboletta - $21.00 (one size)
Sugar Lash - $29.00-34.00 (one size)
Nova Lash - $66.00 (one size)
There is plenty of competition, but why the massive price gaps? Now, I'm a huge believe in "you get what you pay for" & "cheap things are great/ great things aren't cheap".) Example:
Nova Lash.
NovaLash is by far one of the most impressive and one of the very first (if not the very first) lash companies that created the industry of what it is today. They are also one of the most (if not the most) expensive lash companies on the market. The CEO, Sophy Merszei was really a true pioneer in the industry. When creating NovaLash, she teamed up with physicians and scientists at the University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine to give both tech and clients one of the best and safest lash product lines on the market. She is also one of the first authors of the very first eyelash extension text book, not to mention she also created a "eyelash extension technician" license in the state of Texas thanks for her bill - Texas TDLR for HB 2727. Impressive? Yes. Her product line matches. The price points on the line? Your wallet may catch on fire.
I'm not saying Novalash products aren't worth it. They are.
But $66.00 for a round disk of loose lashes (not even a tray) is.....painful. No wholesale, no discounts.
For an industry that's similar to hairstylists of estheticians, it feels as though lash techs are getting a bit more "ripped off."
When I first started my own shop, one company I do use, did offer me a wholesale account (with minimums of course.) Yet, I learned from a lash tech friend that they no longer offer wholesale accounts. And for those of us who did have accounts have been honored/ grandfathered in. At one point I went into Sweis (a local cosmetology wholesale company) one day and saw that they carried a few JB lash trays. I was so excited to think that lashes had started moving in a wholesale direction, FINALLY! Low on one tray I knew I needed, I thought I'd give it a try. BUT then I found out they wanted $35 for the tray. At that time, the same tray online was $8. Convenience? Yes. Realistic? Hard pass.
I realize writing this blog may be slightly controversial. If a product line works for you (regardless of price point) great! I'm not trying to through shade. Just trying to bring to light the expansive separation of price points for similar products (when it comes to lash trays.) At the end of the day, everyone has to use what they feel is best and what they are comfortable with (expensive or cheap.) But maybe one day some of these companies will offer a better relationship between their technicians and their product lines.
My personal opinion?
Until companies come around around about price points and wholesale....
Use a line that makes you comfortable.
And, research your product lines.
Where are they made? manufactured? are they animal testing/animal cruelty free? testimonials? reviews (unbiased on lash forums), do they offer ingredient listings on products, etc.
Use a product line that can verify it's own reputation and integrity. If you can't question a company's line, run away.
Good luck, 🍀
Holly xoxo
tags: #eyelashextensions, #lashextensions, #lashes, #eyelashes, #eyelashextensionssupplies, #lashextensionsupplies, #eyes, #wholesale, #lashbrand, #eyelashextensionbrand, #lashextensionbrand, #eyelashextensiontechnician, #lashextensiontechnician, #lashproducts, #retail
