Barneys exclusive Australian interview with Lash & Brow Entrepreneur

Today, the lash and brow industry are thriving like never before. Amidst the hype, the passion and the trends, a new leader in lash and brow products enters the Australian market.

Direct from Europe comes Lash Extend. Lash eXtend is the No 1 brand in Europe for eyelash extensions. Since 2010, Lash eXtend has been developing eyelash extensions and supplies to create the perfect look for every woman, from natural to glamorous. And the entrepreneur behind this amazing range, is Yvonne van Wieren.

Since her childhood Yvonne has taken an interest in make-up and beauty. Back in 2010 she experienced first-hand how it felt to get a new set of eyelash extensions. She instantly knew she wanted to offer this feeling to many more women and the idea of starting a company to sell and distribute quality eyelash products was born. After a year of meticulous planning, getting trained by some big names in the industry, finding the best suppliers, creating a product line and a well thought out brand image, the webshop was made and Lash eXtend was officially founded.

Over the years, the subject surrounding eyebrows has become much more widely available due to the high demand hereafter. Many of our client’s range between certified and professional eyelash stylists and were eager to expand their skillset with something different. As a professional company that co-heads this industry, we saw an opportunity and had to do something about it. Our passion for the beauty profession and all things to enhance the eyes, naturally went hand-in-hand with all thing’s brows!

With Lash eXtend we have always strived to be at the top of the market. This has been achieved by continuous product development, expansion of the product line and rigorous quality control. We are different in the way we formulate our products, source our ingredients and deliver our training.

Our trainers are very experienced and award-winning lash and brow stylists. Our training courses are well thought out and of high quality. Our approach to lash and brow training has allowed the Lash eXtend training certificate to earn its value over time. Our lash and brow students can confidently hold our certificate showing they really have mastered the skills as a lash and/or brow stylist.

In the meantime, we have educated thousands of lash and brow professionals the past years, always doing our absolute best to walk the extra mile for each trainee. This way we have managed to create a large and very loyal customer base, using top quality products. Uniting lash and brow professionals to truly master our products and deliver meticulous results with a truly professional range, is among what makes us different from any other brand.

Favorite brow trend: Brow Lamination; the reason is because it is a very natural and youthful looking brow treatment. It makes the natural eyebrows appear thicker and fuller and I love that look! Plus, it is also suitable for every client, whatever the face shape, whatever their beauty regime, and at any age. A look that complements every individual style!

Before I started my own company, I was a high-level-management secretary at a large insurance company. One of my jobs there was to organize large international congresses and events. I always liked to do that, and I would always take care of the smallest details. Once I had my own company for a few years I did not have to think long to decide it was time to organize something big for Lash eXtend and put the company on the map for the rest of the world. It was fun to do, beneficial for the brand and nobody had done it before. We started with a European battle, but after 2 editions we invited lash stylists from all over the globe. We were so proud when we were looking at stylists from all continents, taking on each other in Amsterdam this year!  www.lashworldcup.com

The ease of brow maintenance at home! The biggest misconception is how easy brow shaping is at home. When the client trims her own eyebrows at home, this often creates gaps in the eyebrow that the stylist cannot fix upon the next visit. It takes time for the eyebrow hair to grow at the same level again. Be sure to tell your client not to trim their own brows at home!

Anastasia Soare, founder of the famous brand Anastasia Beverly Hills. In the 90’s she was one of the first to develop eyebrow make-up and she invented the Golden Ratio Technique, which we still use today as the solid foundation of our brow mapping technique. For almost three decades her brand is still the leader in brow make-up today and I find that very impressive and inspiring.

I prefer to use our colours on their own. We have a very wide range of colours to match preferences and hair types, so mixing up the colours is unnessecary. Using a single colour also ensures a better result, as many beauty therapists are often confused about mixing colours. Another way we are different to other brands, as our single colour formulation make it easier for the brow therapist to achieve the desired result.

Make sure that you always apply just enough pressure to lift the lashes onto the pad. It is very important that the upper waterline is always visible after lifting the lashes on the silicone pad.

The formulation is of the brow lamination adhesive is less strong than the traditional lash lifting adhesive. We formulated an adhesive specific for the eyebrow hair to allow more flexibility with results by being able to work directly on the skin. Whereas with lash lifting adhesive we need to work on a silicone pad. By working directly on the skin, the formulation had to become milder, so that removing the product from the skin became easier.

I cannot give a concrete answer to that question. It all depends on your client’s features. For some clients, a very full thick natural brow looks better than a very defined and sculpted brow and vice versa. As a good brow stylist, your aim is to enhance your client’s features, so that is why it’s very important to assess and work with a look that suits your client the best. For example: When I have a very young client in my salon with very thick and full natural brows; I am not going to create a very defined and sculpted henna brow. It will be too bold and too bulky for her face. That is why I would like to enhance her natural, full brows by applying brow lamination, only pluck some brow hairs that are ‘lost’ and completely out of shape and then I don’t tint them. Work with what you have.

Brow hairs have a very different structure then lash hairs. Eyebrow hairs are more fragile. So, when applying lash lifting products on the eyebrows, it can be too strong, and it can chemically burn the eyebrow hairs easily. That is why we needed to invent a product that had a milder formula.

I love to ride on one of my horses. This way I can fully reset my mind and be ready for the upcoming week.

We have both at home and love them with all my heart, but my preference is a dog.

The first destination that I am going to is Spain. Enjoying the beach, sun, and my family. I am really looking forward to this!