Lash-Ed Magazine Issue 2 June 2018

www.lash-ed.com

ISSUE 2 | JUNE 2018

Expert advice . . .

Doug Schoon answers your questions on adhesive and much more!

Lash Extensions | Business | Well-being | Safety Magazine for lash stylists, trainers, suppliers, experts and enthusiasts!

Deep black Clearly labelled Easy peel strips Strips protect curl Easy fanning Mixed lengths

Introductory trial offer 33% off Quote LASHED33 Offer ends 30/09/2018

www.eliteeyelashextensions.co.uk

Front and inside cover credits Steam Punk masterpiece by award winning Lash Stylist Cindy Nicholls Lashes, costume and make up by Cindy Nicholls Photography courtesy of Paul Harris

Inside Lashes 8 A week in the life of entrepreneur Hanna Putjato 10 What is correct Russian Volume by Frankie Widdows 14 Julija Baltulionienė's amazing lash career

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17 Jess Martin talks about 1 or 2 day training courses 18 Working eye to eye or just one at a time?

20 Managing hay fever? Karen Baguley has some tips 22 Bryony Archer's inspirational lash journey 24 Calculating volume and what it means!

26 Creating a fuller lash line by Deena Cloutier 26 Marta Wiatr invites you to the Oscars!

28 Marie-line Brusa-Pasqué's Mexican skull creation

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30 How Evelyn Fritsch created her stunning peacock 32 How Cindy Nicholls created her Steam punk winner 34 Lash lovers gallery 38 Editor recommends . . .

Business

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40 Cindy Nicholls' on winning her Award 41 Zoe Mizon on dealing with client rejection 42 Amy Dommett tells her lash story 43 Britta Kruger shares her amazing journey 44 Hair & Beauty against Domestic Abuse campaign 45 Katie Godfrey's insight on achieving success 46 Get social with expert advice

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Business 47 Merlin Callaghan helps you to conquer your fear!

48 Get more clients via Instagram. Jamie Butler explains 50 Making business simple. Julia Mann's top 3 tips!

51 Photo opportunities with Clare Creed 53 Will you'll take the bait if someone's phishing?

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54 Essential policies - Jamie Butler explains what & how 56 Jessika Aude Gautier on competitions 57 Help with your GDPR requirements 58 Making Tax Digital government initiative - it's coming!

Wellbeing 64

61 Healthy eating for busy people 62 Do you radiate or drain?

Safety 64 Doug Schoon answers your questions about adhesive 67 Beauty couch - is it safety before comfort?

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68 Protecting your salon If you have longed to be featured as a writer or contributor to a magazine, now's your chance. It's free to be featured (other than direct advertising) and you'll be accredited for your work. You'll receive your 'As featured in Lash~Ed' digital badge to acknowledge your contribution that you can display with pride on your website, social media and marketing materials.

See our website for more details on getting featured. www.lash-ed.com

Disclaimer notice: Lash~Ed magazine takes reasonable and proportionate measures to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes. Lash~Ed are not responsible for any errors or omissions or for any matters arising as a consequence. The material is provided for information and should not be solely relied upon or used as the main basis for making decisions. Any reliance on this material is entirely at your own risk

Welcome

from the Lash~Ed team!

Hello and welcome to your 2nd edition of Lash~Ed - the magazine for lash stylists, trainers, suppliers and enthusiasts! You'll see that we have continued to pack your magazine with articles and features that we hope you'll love! Given my background, I am passionate about the evidence behind any advice or 'guidance' in the industry, especially in a fast developing (and changing) one like ours. This is why we have approached subject matter experts so you get awesome advice from those who know their 'stuff'.

I was so delighted to interview Doug Schoon who kindly answered your questions about adhesives. He's an internationally recognised scientist with over 30 years’ experience in the cosmetic and beauty industry, so who better?!

Antony Knight Lash~Ed Technical

Shan-Bethan Lash~Ed Artistic and Creative Director

This is another reason why I love our wonderful virtual team of regular feature writers who are experts in their fields.

Since our first edition, I'm delighted to welcome even more talent that is Katie Godfrey, Zoe Mizon, Jamie Butler, Deena Cloutier and Karen Baguley who are introduced below. I hope you love their amazing insights too!

I’ve got a busy but exciting couple of months ahead as I’ve been waiting for 3 lash idols to visit the UK with their courses and it’s all come at once! I’ll also be reporting from behind the scenes at Glasgow Lash Battle that’s brought to you from London Lash Pro by Ksenia Karnejenko and Elmars Tiltins. Of course, we’ll be preparing the next edition of Lash~Ed! If you have something to share that can help others, you’re very welcome to get involved! Mail us at julie@lash-ed.com Best wishes, Julie Knight – Editor

Clare Creed Professional Photographer and Trainer

Zoe Thompson Lifestyle and Wellbeing Coach

Merlin Callaghan Lash artist, Trainer, Judge, founder of MLAB, UK

Big welcome to . . .

Katie Godfrey Founder of KG Salon / KG Professional Award Winning Lash Sylist & Trainer 6 | Welcome

Zoe Mizon Founder & CEO High Lash Couture Award Winning Lash Stylist & Trainer

Jamie Butler Chief Marketing Officer LASHBASE

Karen Baguley Founder of Arch Angels Beauty

Read all about them at www.lash-ed.com

Deena Cloutier Founder of Queen of Lashes and creator of ‘the Pro Collection’ & ‘Velour Lash Couture’.

Lashes

Hanna Putjato A Week in the Life of a Beauty Entrepreneur Day 1 Monday mornings are always super busy and would normally begin with prioritising and answering my emails, but today I have an early train to London so I’m frantically throwing some things in a suitcase which I should have packed last night!

When I arrive in London, I quickly dash to the office to drop off my bags before running to the local Tescos to grab some lunch to have on the way to meet with our designer and builders to go over the 3D drawings for the salon refurbishment.

Next is a video conference call with our trainer in Scotland, Ksenia Karnejenko and her boyfriend Elmar who are organising this year’s Lash Battle competition. Hosting any kind of event is hard work and is something which is very much a team effort. This is the first time Lash Battle has been hosted by someone other than my team and I so it’s a little bit scary!

Day 2 Before I head to the office today, I’m having a video meeting with a product developer who we are working alongside after meeting them in Bergamo last month. New products are always very exciting for us as we are very involved in their development from start to finish – what will make them easier to use? What will make them feel more luxurious for our customers and clients? We love testing new products, but what we really love most of all is finding that one product that makes us think ‘YES! This is the next addition to the LLP range!’ I decide to walk to the office today - my apartment is only around a twenty minute walk away - so spend the time catching up with a few friends on WhatsApp. Of course I’m not looking where I’m going so step out into the road without checking for oncoming cars: cue a very angry taxi driver screaming through his open window at me - oops!

I’ve got a late lunch meeting with my marketing team to discuss the future of the brand on social media – these days your social media profile is one of the first places you will attract customers and it’s something which we really focus on at London Lash. Posting high quality photos and interesting content is the tip of the iceberg! With a whole new collection coming soon as well as some extra courses, it is time to seriously think about the overall look of our Instagram posts, how and when we post on various platforms, and new ways to engage with our followers – social media is something we’re super passionate about so these meetings tend to extend way past lunch!

Day 3 I’m back in the office today with the marketing and training team discussing the new courses we’re offering soon. Writing and editing a new manual for any course is challenging but writing and editing three at once is something else! Luckily our team is a very determined and passionate one. We already have the outline of the course content, but today is about one of the most important things when it comes to any course or product – the name! The way a name sounds can have such a big impact on the way people engage with

it – does it sound interesting enough to open the link and read more about it? Having such a creative team is a huge help, and in almost no time at all we have names, course content, and we can start putting together all the information we need for accreditation!

Because our salon is being refurbished, our salon girls are working very close to our office girls - it’s been a long time since we were all able to meet together and have a few drinks, so instead of heading to some loud and expensive bar we simply head up to our main office and share a few glasses of Prosecco and a couple of slices of pizza.

Day 4 Back to Manchester today where the LLP warehouse is based, and where I would usually work from. After having a meeting with warehouse manager and logistics team, I settle down with our award winning lash technician Axinia to hand test a new order of our Volume Tweezers – this is done every single time we receive a new batch of volume tweezers, and is done to ensure absolute quality for every single pair – any that don’t pass our strict quality control are sent back to the manufacture to be either fixed or recycled.

Because I was away for a few days, my boyfriend has booked us a table at our favourite restaurant with some of our friends. As busy as my work life gets sometimes I always try to finish by 6pm so that I can spend evenings doing more ‘normal’ things such as socialising or going to the gym. Or in today’s case, sharing a bottle of wine with my boyfriend in front of the TV.

Day 5 Today is one of the busiest days of the month so far. First thing I have a video conference with all of our trainers – finding a time for this is a challenge as we have trainers in various time zones, so 7am UK time is the best for all of us! This month we’re discussing the use of social media in gaining students, and targets for the next three months. It’s great to see all of our trainers together without having to travel further than the living room!

Next on the agenda is a short phone call with LLP’s marketing manager to discuss a couple of articles which will be published in a few different international lash magazines – something very exciting for all of us! Drafting and editing articles and blog posts together ensures we cover every aspect of the given topic whilst keeping it interesting and easy to read.

Being the end of the month, today is the day when I meet with the company accountant and go over the month’s expenses. This isn’t the least pleasant task, but it is time consuming and we often end up staying way past office hours!

Day 7 Finally Sunday! It is important to take some time to relax after a busy week and mentally prepare for the next busy week!

Whether that is going out for brunch, going to the gym and running off any stress, or going on a small shopping trip!

The evening reverts slightly back to work mode as I pack a bag ready to travel again the following day to an international lash conference where I will be talking about one of my favourite topics – social media!

By Hanna Pujato https://www.londonlashpro.com

Day 6 It might be Saturday but that doesn’t mean the work is all over! I spend the early part of the morning answering a few emails so that I won’t have as many to catch up with on Monday (wishful thinking!) and having a quick read through some upcoming blog posts and making some small changes before we schedule them for posting in the next month.

This afternoon we drive to the local woods with a picnic to walk and enjoy the fresh air while the weather is beautiful.

14th - 16th August 2018

Lashes | 9

Frankie Widdows

So what is correct Russian Volume?

Do you really know?

The reason I ask is it seems that many techs still don't know what "correct" Russian volume is - and the images here demonstrate this perfectly.

So many of us are still seeing clients come to us asking for infills and presenting us with this type of shocking work!

The purpose of this article is purely to educate - please use this information to help others to realise their mistakes which many do not know and never shame them.

When I first started out, my work was terrible and I caused damage to many clients because I did not know what I was doing was wrong - I just went with what I was taught on my very poor training! I don't for a second think that a lash tech would deliberately apply such a poor and unsafe set to a client - and then charge top dollar for it.

So what is wrong with the work in the images above?

1. Thick, ugly, chunky bases (T bars) Volume bases should be seamless and "pointy" to achieve a better bond and wrap onto the natural lash.

2. Unsymmetrical fans - anyone can carelessly and quickly create an uneven fan, unlike the top pic where time is taken to create that perfect evenly spaced fan.

3. Distance from the lash line - not only looks like these lashes have been on for a few weeks but it will cause trauma and damage to the skin and natural lashes.

4. Excessive use of adhesive - highly unsafe and unsightly.

This will cause the lashes to weaken and snap - our adhesives are so good nowadays we only need a tiny

amount.

5. This leads me on to stickies (lashes stuck together).

Stickies will inhibit the growth cycle of each individual natural lash. We must ALWAYS isolate every single natural lash perfectly in order to ensure absolute safety and to allow natural exfoliation.

6. Ugly - we are conditioned to love the soft fluffy volume look - so these chunky monkeys aren’t aesthetically unpleasing.

7. Too heavy - the tech who produced this set has not carried out the volumetric calculations to determine what these natural lashes can safely support in what thickness and fan dimension.

8. Applied in 1 hour or less.

Sadly it is usually through either poor training, unfortunately there are a lot of trainers out there who do this for profit rather than passion, some may not even know their skills and knowledge are outdated as they haven’t retrained themselves to keep up with the ever evolving industry, it could be that techs have taught themselves and have no real concept of the health and safety aspects of lashing.

Also for "some" techs this is just about making money (of course we all have to earn) but sadly lashes are rushed

so that tech can get as many clients in and earn as much as possible.

Quality volume takes time, a good, safe full set of volume will take approximately 2-3 hours, you CANNOT bosh good volume work out in 1 hour to 1.5 hours. If techs are doing this then they are cutting corners and compromising on quality and safety. I am always very suspicious of techs completing full volume sets in 1.5 hours (on clients with lots of natural lashes). I'm quick but I can't do it in that time. I can complete a classic set in 1-1.5 hours and that's without creating a fan and wrapping onto the natural lash.

Ok, maybe an experienced tech can, apply a full set in an hour on a client with very few natural lashes. I have some older ladies who I can full set in an hour because they do not have many natural lashes to extend to begin with.

At the lash competitions techs are given 3 hours and those competing are some of the best techs in the world and it takes them the full 3 hours to complete their sets.

Below you’ll find examples of correct Russian volume work.

But it's not fair Frankie, it's easy for you!” I hear you say. . .

means, if it was then everyone would be doing it.

Hell no, it's not easy at all, it has taken me hours and hours of practice every day to perfect this. 9 volume courses in 3 years. Reinvestment of my hard earned cash into my own continued education. Not having that holiday, those shoes, that hand bag, that meal out.

Prolonged wear of a bad set will eventually cause irreversible damage to natural lashes and they will stop growing back, so you may think that's it's not an issue now but once those lashes are gone that is it for life so beware and make sure your skills and knowledge are always up to date, protect yourself, your business and your clients.

Ultimately it is whether you want to be the best or just have this as a hobby - for me this is my life; these are my clients and they deserve the best from me. They present me with their eyes, one of the most delicate parts of their body which cannot be replaced, they put their trust in me and I owe it to them to give them only the best, which is why I'm so passionate about this subject.

It is also important to educate your clients and potential clients on this subject so they are aware if what they should be getting when they ask for volume. Use your social media platforms to educate them. They will appreciate it and it will set you apart from your local competition.

This treatment takes time, if we could lash quicker I would be teaching it - trust me. Sitting hunched over straining my eyes for 2-3 hours is anything but fun but we persevere to do a good job for our clients. We should also be proud of the work we have produced, what we do is not easy by any

Invest in courses, 1 per year is a good place to start. At Eyelash Excellence we have in person courses and workshops as well as 1-2-1 VIP training days. We have also developed many of our courses into online versions so that anyone can access the training. All online courses have exactly the same content as our in person training and all Eyelash Excellence students have the best support throughout their training and unlimited aftercare once they have been awarded their certification. Students also receive other benefits such as a lifetime discount to use in our online store where we have sourced and rigorously tested every product to ensure the very best quality for techs and clients.

Visit us at www.eyelashexcellence.com

By Frankie Widdows Lashes | 11

Julija Baltulioniene Lash~Ed Editor Julie Knight asks multi-award winning Lash Stylist and Trainer Julija Baltulionienė about her amazing lash career.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born in Russia and my childhood was spent in the woods of the wonderful Taiga. My family moved to Lithuania when I was 12 and I had to learn Lithuanian, a new language. This is my family’s language now.

I moved to the UK when I was 24 and I didn’t speak any English then.

I am a scientist having graduated in Molecular Biology at Vilnius University. My biggest ambition in life was to study Biomedical Research at one of the best universities in the World, Imperial College London.

After being accepted, my ambition changed and my big dream was to have my own lash business.

During 2015-2016, I set myself a goal to take part in 5 international Lash Championships, so 8 nominations. I achieved this goal and brought 8 trophies home. My lash hobby went far beyond being a hobby and it’s the most wonderful and passionate thing I do - that’s my life project and my lash studio was born in July 2016.

I take different training every year, not necessarily lash related. I could be self-esteem or something what feeds the inner me.

Tell us a bit about your lash career My affair with lashes happened at the same time my child was born in 2011. When he was 3 months old, we traveled back home to visit family. I decided to figure out how eyelash extensions are done as I was curious as I’d had them done twice during my pregnancy and I was really interested in the process. I wasn’t sure that it would be something I would be interested in the future but I found a master who did a private course for me. My baby was little and I didn’t have much time to work. When he was nearly two, my clientele has increased and my income became more stable. My husband was about to start his PhD so we moved from London to Reading. It was 2013 and I had to start again from scratch.

Just before moving to Reading, I found out about Russian Volume technique. Loreta Jasilionyte was one of the first trainers starting to teach it in UK. I wanted to attend her training but I didn’t have the right certification. I went back to Lithuania and trained in Classic Application at Baltic Beauty School and then came back and did my dream training with Loreta.

It was hard. The tweezers weren’t as good as they are now and the lashes were horrible too. But slowly I moved from the point of death and started to grow my services and client base at new place.

A few months after moving, I opened my first home conservatory based studio. It was really lovely and some clients still remember it. It didn’t last long as we had to move house. At the new house, I set up a room to work from. Besides all this things (as lashes at that point was only my hobby), I was always studying English - at College, Private Schools and actually was preparing for the IELTS exam, which I needed for studying. I had a strong desire to gain my Master degree in Biomedical Research study at Imperial College

London. I was so ambitious about it since my child was born and was seeking it through the all ways. In February 2015, I entered the program and my studies were supposed to begin in October. I was planning to study and do lashes in my free time. Some of my friends and relatives said that it was a crazy idea – with my husband being PhD student, my 4 year-old son starting reception at school and traveling back and forth to London each day … But I was so determined. I could even quit my business to satisfy my ambition.

At that time, I was lucky to meet Olga. I offered her to join me and take care of my clients while I was studying. I retrained Olga and was working on implementing her into my business and preparing my clients for it. At the same time, I heard about the first competition, “Lash Battle” that was happening in London. For first time and I thought why don’t I enter it and with this experience finish my lash career? I was so surprised to be awarded 2nd place in Dramatic Volume in the Master Category. It really sowed the doubts about studying further but I was so ambitious about it, I couldn’t refuse this idea still…

So I started my studies that October. It was hard - traveling every day to London, paying a lot, returning back late in the evening, managing a 4 year old child who’d just started the reception class and needed support and all this beside my husband PhD studies; beside managing and working with my clients; beside being a mother and wife… It was unbearable. I was ending up with a migraine each night. My phone was always ringing whilst at Uni and I couldn’t stop my customers from doing that. One day, my phone was ringing whilst speaking with my supervisor about the project. I thought that I really missed working with customers and I felt a pain in my heart.

That evening, I decided that it was going to be the last day and I’ll be back to my business.

So my decision to abandon the studies came from my heart and between the emotion/ intuition and ambition, I managed to make a final decision and it was mine. Before, I spent the whole summer discussing this with my close friends, my husband, family and no one was brave enough to advise me. Since that time, some people still ask if I regret my decision. Of course not! I do what I enjoy and love every day. I am my own boss, going my own way, creating and learning every day. From that time, since the minute I stopped my studies, I decided to put all the efforts, all my love and passion into my lash career and build my dream business.

After my final decision regarding study, I started to take action immediately. I planned many things in the end of 2015. I straight away attended the Lash Summit that year and mega volume training with Polina Glebanova too. I planned to take part in 4 more competitions in 2016 and signed up for Level 3 Award in Teaching and Training and started to generate ideas on how to open my own studio. All of this stuff was so exciting and very promising at the same time.

New Year 2016 seem to be super busy. And it really was… I was so devastated by the end of it… But the good part was, that I have achieved my goals.

You have won a few competitions Julija, tell us about them I was award 1st place in Dramatic Volume (Expert category) and 3rd place in Classic Look (Master category) nominations at the Lash Games in London, 2016.

I was awarded 1st place in 3-4D Russian Volume Look (Expert category) nomination at London’s Lash Battle - the biggest eyelash extensions championship in the UK in 2016.

I was awarded 1st place in Dramatic Volume (Expert category) at London’s Lash Battle in 2016.

I was a finalist and the Winner of ‘Les Victoires du Regard’ in Paris, 2016 in the Lash Expert category and nominated as the World Lash Expert 2016.

I was awarded two 3rd places in 2-3D and 5-6D Russian Volume Look (Professionals Category) at Europe Lash in Krakow in 2016.

I was awarded 2nd place in Dramatic Volume (Master category) nomination at London’s Lash Battle in 2015.

Why did you enter all these competitions?

I entered the first competition to nicely finish my lash-career.

However, when I made an important decision in my life, the other competitions were purposeful/goal orientated and well planned in advance.

How has it made a difference to your business?

I think it definitely helped to grow my confidence in lashing and grow my business as well. However, I was so determined in my targets so I didn’t have time to celebrate my achievements. I just went aside and didn’t stop to look at them and be proud of myself, which is a

shame. It would be great to stop and look back one day and be proud. At the moment, however, I am only able to look forward.

In 2017, I was judging in Norway and Russia. This year, I decided to put more attention into my studio development and I try to travel less. Unfortunately, I have had to refuse some invitations.

work. That’s how you know whether what you do is right or wrong, where to improve and where to put your attention. That’s the real opportunity for you to grow. And it will certainly change your life, even if you don’t win. You’ll see the way to improve and your work will become better. So, don’t be scared!

Of all your amazing achievement so far, what are you most proud of?

What would be your top 5 tips that could help someone to better prepare for a competition this year?

I am not the kind of person who can be really proud about herself.

However, I am so in love with my studio. Each day I love it more and more. It’s something solid in my life that I can be proud about.

• Get ready. Plan everything in advance and create your own strategy for it.

• Make sure you have all the materials.

• Be 100% sure of the Rules and Regulations.

• Find a perfect model.

• Know how you behave in stressful situations and learn how to deal with it.

What would advise someone who is thinking about entering a competition but they are really nervous about it or fear failure?

The purpose of the competition isn’t to win, it’s to take part in it.

We shouldn’t be scared of that. You should be proud about yourself if you take part in a championship you are not be awarded. It’s already a huge achievement and your customers will definitely notice it. The benefit of it is getting constructive feedback on your

Lash~Ed editor said Having heard so much about Julija and her amazing success in numerous competitions, I wanted to meet a lash idol! Knowing that I'd probably struggle to participate in a competition any time soon - given time constraints (and fear!), I signed up for her pre-competition course. I aim to do a few courses and conferences each year and I have to say that I absolutely loved this one! Her studio is stunning and her insight, experience and techniques will undoubtedly help those who are serious about doing well. These talented ladies here are proof of that! - Julie Knight

Agata Vinckevic said I met Julija 2 years ago at the Lash Battle competition so then she won some prizes so I started checking her Instagram and Facebook. Later on she became a trainer and I found out that she’s doing pre-competition workshops. I found and went to her training and it was really nice and she gave some really good information which I think everyone supposed to take a pre-competition workshop before going to the competition so you will know way more than you’re supposed to know about the rules, how to choose a good model and how it’s important and the other stuff.

Lucie Veselá said Julija’s competition workshop actually kickstarted my pro lash career before that I thought lashing is just job, after her workshop I completely changed my mind, the workshop was really professional and she gave me huge motivation to grow my business and become lash trainer myself.

She is one of those who helped me to win at Lash pro Contest and Lash Agora. On the top she is the sweetest person in business I know.

16 | Lashes

Julija Baltulionienė Lashes By Juli www.lashesbyjuli.co.uk

Shareen Nesbeth said You know when you have celebrity crushes or idols, well Juli was one of them! I admired her work and the collections of trophies she had won through many Lash competitions. I wanted to know all the tips and tricks in the book and how those hands of hers worked. So I booked onto the precompetition workshop and had a break down guide from A-Z of what to expect and what was to be expected at all these difference competitions. Juli is such an inspiration in the Lash industry and since then, I’ve placed in a couple of competitions.

Marina Litvinova said Completing multiple courses, I have to say Julija’s pre competition course is one I remember to this day. She is an incredibly talented lash artist, very helpful and honest trainer. The tips and tricks I have learned from her has helped me on day to day work, I was amazed how little adjustments to techniques can change your work. My clients were coming back with at least 30% more lashes than they were before I met Julia. But most importantly her course have helped me to learn all about competitions, which as you know, are nerve wrecking to even think about is it not? Without knowing the secrets she has shared with us on the day, I don't think I could of won my first competition. Her course is definitely not the one to miss!!

If you ever want to get a taste of competition, test your skills before you enter live competitions, look no further!

Sada Cole said I visited Juli on her pre competition workshop course and it definitely helped me tremendously with tips and tricks that got me ahead. Since her course, I have gone on to win multiple awards from international lash competitions.

1 or 2 day training?

- by Jess Martin Training is a very important in our ever growing industry.

Over the last few years we have seen the Lash industry develop hugely in regards to Safe practices, keeping the clients natural lash healthy and the standard of overall lash sets we create.

As a current working lash technician, I have had not so great training from half day courses and lack of knowledge, but I have had great training by some amazing trainers as well that has helped me so much in my lash career.

I have been a Lash Trainer for the brand Ultimate for the last 2.5 years now. We have taught our courses in just one day, trying to fit all my knowledge into just 8 hours which includes the practical.

It’s hard to make sure all the relevant information is given in that time and although we offer full aftercare with our students which is key. It’s still sometimes a rush especially if we have a student who just needs a little more time taking the information in.

So from April this year, Ultimate decided to change our courses to a total of 2 days for beginners learning classic 1:1 application and for beginners Volume.

After the course the student has some homework to complete such as case studies and they’re given Styling aids to do which Leanne Harber designed and mentioned at Jill HeijligersPeloquin conference this year when talking about lash and So I have just taught my first 2 day Lash course which was training hacks. a volume course to one of my previous classic students and what a great learning day for the first day. The day flowed When they feel more confident within 4 months, they return without feeling rushed or clock watching, worrying whether to do the 2nd half day as a live assessment on a model. So I can cover all the information and pass my knowledge on as a trainer, I can see that I am completely happy with their in the time frame before the live model turns up. Instead, I technique before passing them as a qualified lash technician. could cover more in-depth training on styling, mapping and practical covering volume fanning techniques. I teach more From a trainer’s perspective, I have taught both 1 day and 2 than one technique as what works for me may not work for day courses and in my opinion, I found the two day course another technician. much easier not just for me but also for the student. They have more time to take in so much knowledge so we can help Day 2 is a half day live practical so after a refreshing sleep, sculpt our students into amazing future lash artists. the student has a clear head and has had time to process Is it time our industry steps up a gear in training again? the information from the previous day.

Jess Martin Flutterbye Lashes Ultimate trainer for Norfolk & Suffolk Facebook: www.facebook.com/FlutterbyeLashes. lowestoft Instagram: www.instagram.com/flutterbyelashes On Friday 6th April, Jess was announced as winner of the LashBase Training Academy of the Year Winner.

This is an award to recognise trainers who are improving our industry following a nomination and voting process. Congratulations to Jess on her amazing success.

– Julie Knight, Editor Lashes | 17

Eye to eye or one at a time?

By Julie Knight - Editor Do you work on both eyes as you go or one eye at a time?

A question I often see or hear is ‘should I lash one eye at a time or work on both at the same time?’ I say that it’s really up to you!

There’s no rights or wrongs, there’s only what works for you.

Having said that, there’s advantages and disadvantages when lashing one eye at a time or working on both at the same time regardless of whether it’s a fresh new set or infills. Here’s some thoughts...

Advantages of lashing one eye at a time ~ Lots of lash techs find that they can work quicker if they concentrate on one eye at a time. Their hands move less as they are not constantly moving between both eyes. ~ It’s thought that the eye being treated is exposed to the vapours from the adhesive for a shorter period of time – although overall, by the same amount. ~ It can be easier to maintain a particular technique you’re doing rather than having to concentrate even harder. Two examples would be where ~ You may need to pick up a little more adhesive on your extension or fan base to be able to place it on the lashes of the eye that’s furthest away from your glue – especially if it’s more warm and humid than usual. Your hand has further to travel to reach its target before it cures. ~ You may find that you lash the eye closest to your placement tweezers really well and you get the angle of your sweep absolutely perfect. If you’re right handed, then their right eye. You may find that as you reach over to the furthest eye, your angles may not be quite so perfect. You may find that your extensions point straight up to the ceiling rather than sweeping at 90 degrees from the lash line. Once the first 10 or so are on and facing where they need to be, it’s easier to condition yourself to follow suit.

Disadvantages of lashing both at the same time ~ If you treat every natural lash or all the adult ones on the first eye, you may find that there’s fewer natural lashes or treatable adult ones on the other eye.

We don’t have the same number of natural lashes on each eyelid. Each vary in length and thickness according to their growth phase at the time as they all grow independently of each other. From one week to the next, the number in each phase varies. The difference in available or treatable lashes could be

quite noticeable! You can counter this by adding extra lashes in your fans if you’re doing a Volume set or Stack with finer ones if you’re doing a Classic set. If you’re worried about the weight and overloading, reduce the thickness to increase the number of lashes you can use. You wouldn’t need to do this for the full set, just to counter the difference that may only be around 10% of the full set or so. ~ Once one eye is done and looking lovely, you may put yourself under pressure to finish off the second eye in time. Pressure does odd things to people. Some of us do our best work under pressure whilst others go to pieces. If you try to pick up pace, that often leads to poorer work, more mistakes and ultimately more time being wasted to correct them. ~ Unless you’re using a fast curing adhesive for your environment and you are particularly skilled in the ‘lash thy neighbour’ technique, there’s a chance of getting more stickies if you randomly place them along the lash line rather than working to a system. I’ll come on to this in a moment. ~ If you or your client becomes unwell during the treatment, you’re in trouble - especially if you’re doing a rather noticeable set. It really does happen and I’ve had one too many experiences. Thankfully, they were at a time when I favoured working on both eyes at the same time! ~ I recall feeling great until suddenly, I wasn’t! That was about 20 minutes into an infill. I suddenly became very light headed and felt feint. I excused myself and I only just made it to the bathroom in time to be rather violently sick. My client was so understanding though sadly another wasn’t! Thankfully, I was working in my home treatment room otherwise I would have struggled to get home. ~I have also had 2 clients fall ill during an infill so I had to stop half way through. One was overcome with nausea and announced that it was morning sickness (congratulations!) despite advising that her circumstances hadn’t changed. The other had an upset stomach that she tried to hide as she desperately wanted her lashes done (‘thanks for that!’). She couldn’t get off my couch quick enough and I couldn’t get out of her house quick enough either. Thankfully, I was offering a mobile service at the time! ~ I had another who was feeling under the weather but insisted that she was okay. As she got up after being treated in my home treatment room she was overcome with nausea.

She ran to my bathroom but it was in use so she had to run downstairs. She didn’t quite make it to that one (sadly). The whole house could hear her plight and that’s really something as it’s a 3 story town house! I’ll never forget my husband’s reaction. He normally lazes / relaxes in front of the television in the lounge every chance he gets. He flew upstairs claiming he had to get away from the carnage. It usually takes a rocket to move him! Anyway, I digress….

Advantages of working on both eyes at the same time

2 - working ‘5 here and 5 there’ and repeat . . .

~ If you’re new or inexperienced, there’s no need to count the extensions laid to ensure that you get a similar number on each eye for new sets. We develop an eye for evenness that comes with experience without the need to count up!

~ apply the 1st extension to a lash in zone 1 on the first eye

~ If you use a zoning technique where you place and space them out along the lash line as you work, you’ll have several advantages:

~ then apply the 2nd in zone 2 and so on until you have 5 or 10 (or more) evenly laid ~ mirror by applying them in similar positions on the other eye and then back to the other again

~ they’ll look more balanced as you can mirror the position of each extension on each eye ~ they’ll look more even should you need to stop earlier than planned ~ if you’re a little inexperienced and you’re lashing some challenging lashes that’s taking longer than usual and you run out of time, you’ll still have evenness ~ ensures that you place your extensions away from recently placed ones so there’s less chance of pushing anything towards any tacky adhesive and getting stickies

Disadvantages of working eye to eye Zoning to place with space for evenness is really simple. This could be placing one lash on each eye at a time or in a sequence of 5 or 10 per eye and then mirroring on the other. Instead of counting, you could time it so 5 minutes on one eye and then 5 minutes the other maybe.

Think of the lash line as 5 imaginary zones. It can help to offer a systematic way of working as you build structure. It’s the opposite to the lash to lash technique of doing one, then its neighbour, then its neighbour and so on.

~ Lots of lash techs find that it can take longer as they are moving more between the eyes in order to treat. ~ The other disadvantages are what makes lashing one eye at a time an advantage!

I started out by working on both eyes at the same time though I wasn’t taught that way. Sadly, I wasn’t taught very much on my early courses so it’s a similar story to others.

On starting out, I thought that I was the slowest lasher in the world.

I’d need to get some on each eye so I could down tools should my patient model became impatient. I was then thankful for the equal - albeit sparse - number of lashes on each eye that were evenly spaced out! I encourage new lash students to work on both eyes at the same time unless they take to it like a duck to water! I advise of the pros and cons of both techniques, then as they build their skills and confidence and see their treatment times reduce, they can decide what works best for them.

I now lash one eye at a time though I sometimes work eye to eye if I feel like a change! Whilst lashing isn’t a race to the finish line, there’s a welfare consideration for both you and your client and a business need to be timely.

1 - working from one eye to the other . . .

~ Right eye: apply the 3rd extension in zone 2

I’m a little quicker when I work on one eye at a time but I tend to do it as it helps to ensure that I use the intended lashes on that particular eye! I sometimes use different curls for each eye to meet their styling needs.

~ Left eye: mirror with the 4th and so on until there’s 5 evenly spaced on both eyes

Going back to the original question, ‘should I lash one eye at a time or work on both at the same time?’ I still say that it’s really up to you!

~ Then apply between the ones you’ve just laid so the 11th one goes between the 1st and 3rd lashes that you've laid

Happy lashing, whichever technique your prefer!

~ Right eye: apply the 1st extension to a lash in zone 1 ~ Left eye: mirror with the 2nd extension in its zone 1

Julie Knight x Lash Stylist and Trainer Elite Eyelash Extensions www.eliteeyelashextensions.co.uk

Lashes | 19

'Tis the season . . .

By Karen Baguley

If you’re like me, you're one of the 10 million hay fever sufferers in the UK who reach for the antihistamines and stock up on nasal sprays and eye drops when spring is upon us!

So what is hay fever?

It’s caused by a weakened immune system. Our bodies naturally release histamine to counteract foreign bodies and this includes dust and pollen. This reaction commonly causes inflammation as a defence mechanism. Blood vessels expand and capillaries leak, thus causing the surround-ing skin to swell and also become red and itchy. One of the most noticeable symptoms of hay fever is the itchy, puffy eyes.

These symptoms often develop quickly and become difficult to ignore so early treatment is essential!

Things that works for me ~ changing pillow cases and bedding frequently ~ not drying clothes or bedding outside ~ wearing sunglasses whilst outside ~ washing my hair more often ~ brushing pets outside ~ not rubbing the lashes ~ taking care when using eye drops ~ swapping lager for gin (yes, really)

What do I do about it?

I make sure that I look after my lashes and my clients look after theirs by ensuring that the pollutants are removed on a daily basis.

Pollen attaches itself to our lashes causing the eyes to water so washing our eyes every night ensures that we don’t go to bed with it on them.

Sometimes, a cold compress applied to the eye area regularly helps to rid the area of irritable allergens present on the skin or lashes that build up during the day. The cool cloth can help to reduce the swelling. Rinsing the eyes with a cold saline solution can provide relief whilst eradicating bacteria too.

It’s wise to schedule more frequent infills during the season. Many medicated eye drops can be oily and eye rubbing causes trauma to the lashes for sure. It’s a small price to pay for fabulous looking lashes.

What about medication?

If cleaning the lashes doesn’t work and symptoms like as a runny / blocked nose and headaches persist, then many think about taking antihistamines or using eye drops.

Antihistamines often prove effective at relieving hay fever symptoms. They block the effects of histamine on your cells so preventing an allergic reaction from initially taking place. Be sure to lift the eye open from the lid to dispense the eye drops and not pull up on the lashes!

Remember, unless we are medically trained, we can’t offer medical advice so it’s always advisable to tell clients to speak to their Doctor or Pharmacist.

20 | Lashes

75% of hay fever suffers claim that alcohol can make their symptoms worse. Alcoholic drinks contain histamine and sulphites (additives) and, worryingly for fans of a pint, these are typically found in darker, fermented drinks like red wine and beer. Drinking clear sprits such as gin or vodka can reduce the symptoms. Clear spirits have a low histamine content and if that’s not an excuse to reach for the pink gin, I don't know what is!

Lots of lashes

Karen Baguley Arch Angels Beauty www.archangelsbeauty.co.uk

www.thelashpack.co.uk

Advertise here For details visit www.lash-ed.com or contact the Editor at Julie@lash-ed.com

Bryony Archer

My lash journey Let’s go back to September 2014. I was an unemployed 23 year old mother of 2.

My son had just started nursery at school and I was desperate to earn some money, so when someone mentioned lash extensions to me I was like yes I can do that!! She also said it was quick and easy, though I soon found out that wasn’t fully true ha ha...

I did a cheap course near me. 2 days after training I was taking paying clients! I wasn’t a particularly social or confident person, deep down I was depressed with severe anxiety I just hadn’t figured that out yet. I threw myself into it working when I could with my little mollie as an assistant. My husband said to me, “Your alright at this ain’t ya?’ Me, “Yeh but it’s just for now to earn some money”. I wasn’t fussed about a career in it to be honest!

I soon found the social side of the lash world, the Facebook groups became my LIFE. I researched everything I possibly could. I posted a million times a day. I hounded everyone! I was given the nickname spongy for these reasons lol! I soaked up every single piece of knowledge I could and put my all in lashing. About 4 months in I entered a competition in one of the groups it was a classic set, and I only bloody won it didn’t I?! Holy s**t, I couldn’t believe it. The comments & support from so many was crazy and I think that was the moment I thought, ok I actually might be a bit good at this? That filled me with so much confidence & I continued to work my a**e off and fell into a deep obsession! I loved every single minute of lashing and it was my whole world. Even more inspiration came when I had my own lashes done by Sylvia Liu. Oh wow, was I really hooked then! Sylvia also became a very dear friend of mine. Her advice & support was invaluable. She was always there to tame my big head and will always be an inspiration to me.

But I had a goal...

Volume lashes, ahh I had been admiring these wonderful lashes & just dreaming of training! 8 months in I did, but it wasn’t the right time for me, I struggled so badly and ended up just using stacking methods for a little while whilst desperately trying to use the wiggle technique I had discovered (it worked occasionally lol!). I finally plucked up then courage to train again 4 months later in Sept 2015 with Hanna Putjato at London Lash. I had the best day ever! It was by far the most in depth training I had had so far, though that’s not to say I didn’t struggle on the practical. Not going to lie, I cried & poor Hanna didn’t know what to do with me haha!! I managed to get my best set on, with my wonderful model Marie, love ya lash sista! I then cried all the way home but I was determined to get it and I was not going to give up!!

In November 2015, I was the first student to complete Rachel Bridges Advanced online course of Master Lash Artist! Another true Lash Artist to inspire me along my journey.

At the end of 2015, I entered Lash Inc Lash Artist of the Year with another classic set & I was a finalist! Another really proud moment for me! As always I was admiring other lash techs work and so came

my next training in May 2016, Vicky Rugg. I was hoping to get myself out of the wiggle technique at this point, and although Vick didn’t manage to convince me (she may still say convincing me to anything takes a while haha) she gave me so much hope & drive to really push myself and try new things! From this a whole lot of progress came & a wonderful friendship.

July 2016 I took the plunge to compete in Lash Battle! At this stage, I had begun mentoring other Lash Artists that came to me for help & advice and I was really beginning to thrive within the industry. I entered Classic & 3-4D, I genuinely believed I would win Classic. I’m not going to lie, and I failed that miserably! This gave me little hope for Volume, but somehow I managed to win 2nd Place!!! Though being under the limit for time lashing, my training meant I must compete in Expert Category to make it fair for all, so you can imagine what that meant to me as the competition was so fierce!! I was so proud!

My client base was thriving now, every client stuck with me most still now! The demand for training was growing too, and I just knew I wanted to teach properly and had begun writing my courses & completing my teaching qualification. By November 2016, I had both my Classic & Volume Beginner courses accredited, oh my god I was so excited!! I had developed so much passion for the industry, so much so it often got me in trouble haha... (and still does lol!) I knew I could do this even with just 2 years’ experience under my belt.

So in January 2017 came my new venture, teaching people to lash.

Ahh I loved every second, my results from mentoring had been amazing but I was excited to see what my beginners could achieve with the right training, guidance & support. And they didn’t disappoint!! That buzz & that feeling of achievement for both myself & my students was an incredible feeling, and still is.

Teaching taught ME so much let alone my students! I travelled to Rotherham & Devon with group workshops, & teamed up with my idol/best friend Vicky in Essex.

August 2017, Lash Battle. I wanted that 1st Place so badly, I put my whole heart, soul & sanity into that competition. But it backfired, I over thought it I

Our future is looking very bright & we will continue to do our best to support the industry and keep raising those standards.

In April we opened LAE Shop, just a selection of our favourite products which we aim to always keep cost effective!

panicked and I messed them up. I cried my heart out all the way home, I had put so much pressure on myself and it definitely knocked my confidence. I’m still glad I competed both times, I learnt a lot through judges’ comments/ feedback with my scores. In December 2017 I judged the Classic Category of Lash Festival with Eyelash Emporium and I felt so honoured I’ve always wanted to judge!

At this time I had started to plan expanding my training, over the years I had met so many that struggled after poor & incompetent education and I knew I couldn’t train them all! Within a 2 week period 3 of my students (who I developed great friendships with) & one of my dearest lash sista’s approached me for the opportunity to train under me. It was fate! And I knew we had to go for it! After months of hard graft LAE (Lash Artistry & Education) Training was born in February 2018.

Our slogan, Lash, Achieve, Empower signalled our goals. My aim was to create a team of Educators that were of course not just unbelievably talented but knowledgeable, kind, supportive & honest. These 4 women as well as our Admin (Another wonderfully talented student & LAE’s everything) have certainly lived up to my expectations! The results show in their students, their work & our website & booking system haha...

So here we are, my journey from start to finish! Lashing has given me a better life for my family, it’s also given me release for my mental health. It’s given me a future and most importantly, it’s given me friendship which i will forever be grateful for.

So what’s next? In July I’ll be a student again to the amazing Maven!

In August 2018 I will be a floor judge for Lash Battle Glasgow, WOW what an honour!!!! And in September I will be hosting workshops & speaking at The Lash Social UK Conference eeeek!!

My advice to other lash techs is to never stop dreaming, if you work hard enough they will come true! No one is ever too good for further education, not just in person but online! Research, research, research! Don’t be lazy & expect people to bring it to you or to tell you, find out yourself! You will have bad days, you will have disappointment, but you have to carry on!!

Find the true Lash Artist in you!

by

Bryony Archer

www.lashartistryeducation.co.uk

Lashes | 23

Calculating volume

and what it means!

By Julie Knight - Editor

I’ve seen a few queries about how many lashes can be used to make a Volume fan. There are plenty of infographics out there that offer some answers but do you know how those answers came about?

Would you know if they were right?

There is a common misunderstanding around lash extension weights or volume. Calculations are represented as the volume rather than the weight as we would need a rather special set of scales to weigh something so delicate!

This is why we consider the volume or the space that the extension occupies. This does come with a health warning. You know that there’s a difference between PBT mink and silk lashes with some appearing thicker to a point much closer to the tip so there will be a slight margin for error but it won’t be drastic.

They also vary brand to brand too so any guide is just that, a guide.

so you can have confidence that you will not overload any lash lines.

Our extensions closely resemble the shape of a cone even though our extensions are curlier!

This is the formula for working out the volume (V) of a cone.

Many of us may have thought that two 0.10mm thick extensions are equal in volume to a single 0.20mm thick extension. They think this because they add up the numbers. When it comes to understanding Volume, it's far from being the right formula.

As the extensions used for Volume lashing are cone shaped, we need a particular equation to work out the volume of space that they occupy. Using the equation, we know that four 0.10mm extensions are exactly the same volume as one 0.20mm extension, so not 2 as originally thought!

This is how we know: 1 x 0.20mm extension has a volume of 0.12566 1 x 0.10mm extension has a volume of 0.031416 4 x 0.10mm extensions have a volume of 0.12566 4 x 0.0314160 = 0.12566)

This shows the diameter of the base or thickest part of a 0.20mm extension. Next to it, is the same extension with two 0.10mm thick extensions fitting comfortably inside it. You can see that there is empty space around them shown in grey. This shows that they are not of equal volume as two 0.10mm thick extensions do not occupy the same space as a single 0.20mm extension.

Here’s how to work it out for yourself

This is the symbol for Pi, represented by this Greek letter. It’s the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter that’s commonly rounded to 3.14. It’s an infinitely recurring number so it goes on and on after the .14…..

This is the symbol for Radius and Squared. The diameter is the widest point through the centre of a circle and the radius is half of that. So take the thickness of our extensions and divide by 2.

Squaring is the number multiplied by itself. So the radius would be multiplied by itself.

This part of the equation means that once their height is multiplied into the equation, it is all divided by 3 to give you the Volume. The height would be the length of the extension.

Let’s work through an example. . . .

Example: Take the extensions length as the height (h) Let’s say that it's 12mm long Take the extensions thickness as the diameter Let’s say that it's 0.20mm thick Divide the diameter by 2 to get the radius (r) Half of 0.20mm is 0.10mm The formula looks like this:

Use a calculator and enter:

add to the volume so it’s irrelevant.

If all this makes your head explode then you can cheat! Simply search online for ‘volume of a cone’ and you’ll soon find a calculator.

Enter the height and radius and it works it out for you!

I used the same example in this calculator and you can see that at the top, it rounded the volume up to 0.13 rather than 0.12566 and it does this for simplicity.

Now for the ‘so what?’ question!

3.14 then the times key (x) then 0.10 then the times key (x) then 0.10 then the times key (x) then 12 then the divide key (÷) then 3 and press the equals key (=)

What does calculating the volume of a 0.20mm thick extension have to do with the number of lashes in a volume fan? The answer is simple. If you know that your client can safely wear a 0.10, 0.12, 0.15 or rather bravely, a 0.20mm thick lash extension, then you can work out how many of the finer lashes are equal to or just less than that one thicker one.

Volume = 0.1256

Here's how. . . .

You’ll notice that we haven’t considered the curl as it doesn’t

In the chart, you can see that if your client can safely wear a 0.20mm thick extension as they have unbelievably thick and healthy naturals, then they can safely wear up to 16 finer lashes that are 0.05mm thick as it's volume is the same or just less. Now, that seems like a lot but here’s how I worked it out.

The radius of 0.05 is 0.025 for the purposes of the equation.

We are still using the same length as a comparison, so 12mm.

The equation looks like this: 3.14 x 0.025 x 0.025 x 12 ÷ 3 = Volume of 0.00785 You know that the volume of a 0.20mm extension that is 12mm long is 0.1256. So your next step is to divide this by the smaller number so it looks like this: 0.1256 ÷ 0.00785 = 16 (exactly) Like many other trainers, I’ve worked out the maths for you.

So if your client can safely wear up to a 0.12mm extension, then they can wear up to a 2D fan in 0.07, a 4D fan in 0.06 and a 6D fan in 0.05mm but no more than these numbers.

Remember, this is just a guide. There are slight variances between lash extensions from different suppliers and manufacturers but in the absence of anything else, it’s our best guide at the moment.

Happy fanning!

By

Julie Knight

Lash Stylist and Trainer Listed as an Expert Lasher www.eliteeyelashextensions.co.uk Online readers: Click on Understanding Volume Calculating Volume for a video tutorial.

Paper copy readers: Contact Julie at julie@lash-ed.com with your Amazon purchase receipt to receive your special link to the tutorial

Understanding volume is extensively covered in my volume training courses where I also demonstrate 16 fan making techniques and advanced styling considerations and styles.

Lashes | 25

Creating a fuller

lash line

By Deena Cloutier

Let’s talk about mapping and adding shorter lashes throughout your sets to create a darker lash line.

Not only are shorter lengths a healthier choice for your clients natural lashes, it also gives the set dimension making your set appear fuller and darker.

Your client's healthy natural lashes have around 3 lash rows. If you can visualize a simple doll eye map, using 0.07 and map out , 9, 10, 11, 10, 9, 8mm lengths. I recommend lashing your top two rows as per your map with your perfectly symmetrically made 3-5D fans that are no longer than 2mm past the natural lash length. If you client's natural lashes are sparse, create wider fans for full coverage on those top two layers. Wider fans cover more surface area.

layer fans narrow will darken the lash line thus creating the blackout effect at the base of your set. Give it try.

There is no wrong way to map. Mastery comes from getting creative with curls, diameters, and layers.

Each set is a work of art, be inspired by your own evolution.

By Deena Cloutier Master Lash Educator, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada Founder of Queen of Lashes Creator of ‘the Pro Collection’ & ‘Velour Lash Couture’.

When lashing the bottom layer, you can drop the lengths down by 2mm that maps out as 6, 7, 8, 9, 8, 7, 6mm. Making these 3-5D bottom

The Oscars

By Marta Wiatr I’m CEO and Director of Glam & Glow Beauty Lounge and Tanning and Founder of Glam Lashes Royal Lashes. I would like to tell you about our Oscars Online Lash Competition. It’s our 2nd year and we've been named 'the biggest worldwide online lash competition'.

If you have thought about entering a competition but were scared to go to a live one and travel, then Online is best for you to start out and show your skills. Here’s some steps to follow for a chance to win ... *Always read the rules. Each competition's different so read or contact the organiser to double check the rules. *As this is an Online Competition, it’s not as easy for judges to see the lashes close and check them so make sure that your pictures are clear.

Focus on the lashes only. Have very good lighting with no shade on them. Have the correct angle and no makeup. *Only high quality pictures are accepted. Retouched eyelashes and watermark will not be accepted. Make sure your background is clear so no banner or paper roll with a company’s name. *Take the time to plan your work. In the Lash Art category, decorate the top and bottom lashes to score the best points. Be creative with your makeup, body painting, making a costume and head piece or hair. *I know you can’t decide which picture is the best as you love them all but pick but the amount that is required in the competition. *Taking part in one category sometimes it might not help you to win if there’s loads of participants who are taking part in all Nomination *You can take part in a Pre-Competition workshop to prepare yourself for winning.

If you unsure about anything, check out last year’s winners to see their work and the angles of the pictures.

The deadline for our Oscars online lash competition is 2nd August so be quick and register your entries now on our website. www.glam-lashesuk.com

Wishing you all good luck!

Marta Wiatr www.glam-lashesuk.com Listed on Expert Lashers

Meet the masters of the masterpieces

Escape into a fantasy world

Meet Marie-line Brusa-Pasqué

The winning entry in May's LashMaster Legends Online Fantasy Competition is very striking!

I was staring in awe at a vibrantly painted skull with its rainbow of lashes and I just had to ask her about her winning masterpiece.

Marie-line is the CEO of esprit de corps, at Mantes la Jolie in France. She told Lash-Ed magazine editor Julie Knight that she has been an eyelash technician since 2010 and a trainer since 2014. She is the coeditor of Cilmag magazine and photos of her work have been published regularly in the magazines like Lash Inc., Lash Me, Lashstylist and Cilmag. She is a highly successful eyelash technician in France having won a dozen international trophies. Here’s her story about her work.

I like to participate in online contests for the pleasure of taking pictures. The pleasure is even greater when I make lash art because of colours, decorations, costumes and the atmosphere is fun. In most lash art competitions, a team is allowed, so a bodypainter, hairdresser, makeup artist, photographer I won the 1st prize of the Lash Master Legend Contest in Italy and the theme was Mexican skull combined with Swarovski crystals. Skulls have been in fashion for 2 or 3 years and the difficulty was finding an original way to treat this theme. I searched for a skull drawing that has not been seen on the internet. I browsed Pinterest to see what had already been done and I read and bought books on calaveras. I found my happiness in a coloring book "Calaveras" from Marabout.

I wanted something very colorful and cheerful. I drew my calaveras using Photoshop to inspire my makeup artist. I wanted my extensions to follow the same gradient (rainbow) so I used 8 different colours. I say that as you don’t necessarily see it. There’s a dark colour above and a lighter colour below.

I used red / pink, orange / yellow, dark green / light green, dark blue / light blue, dark purple / light purple. I spent more than 6 hours doing it, 4 hours on Friday afternoon and 2 hours on Saturday morning. The makeup artist Camille then did the makeup and that took more than 4 hours. Between the installation of the last eyelashes and the photos being taken, our model Hélène unfortunately lost some. Our Technical Advisor Christelle came a few days before to do the decor and the decorations like the pearls, feathers, stickers were glued onto the skull. Once this was all done, it was time for Philippe to take the pictures.

Model: Hélène Choblet Makeup: Camille Farre Technical Advisor: Christelle Denise Chartrain Photographer: Philippe Hatsadourian

Eyelashes, concept and infography: Marie-line Brusa-Pasqué Lashes | 29

Introducing....

Evelyn Fritsch and her stunning lash and artistry Hello, my name is Evelyn Fritsch. I'm 33 years old and I'm from Germany. I'm married and mother of 2 children. In 2005, I completed my training as a state-approved beautician in Darmstadt where I worked for a few years as a beautician. In 2012, I opened my own studio called "face two face" and continued to educate myself as eyelash stylist with the 1:1 technique followed in 2015, with volume training . In October 2015 at a trade fair in Berlin, I came in contact with the Lash Art for the first time and it cast a spell on me. I was in love with this perfection when everything is attuned to each other.

In November 2015, I took part in my first championship in Kalkar in the Lash Art category and won second place with my "Autumn lady". In a championship in Berlin in November 2016, I took second place with my "snake woman". I participated in a championship in Kalkar and won with my "Casino Lady".

In 2017, I became a trainer at Miss Lashes. I teach 1:1 technique, Volume I knew it would be enough to reach the first 5 finals at the award 2-6D, Mega volume from 7D, Lash lifting and Lash Art. I love being ceremony. I drove home exhausted but happy. The complete creation able to pass on my knowledge to my students and give them a good of my peacock with the great pictures was done in 8 hours. start in the eyelash industry.

Now it was time to wait. I wanted it so much that I dreamed I could In 2017, I took part in the "Lashdrive" championship in Hanover and reach the final. That's why I had some sleepless nights. The won the first place with my Phoenix. That's when I knew I was ready announcement of the placings came in March and I was able to call for the World Cup in Paris. When the call for tenders with the theme myself one of the five finalists. I was so proud of myself and my work.

"Feather Inspiration" was announced, it was clear that I wanted to Now it was time for me to revise my costume and my concept once be involved. I've always wanted to design a peacock in the Lash Art again and to look for little things that could be improved. category. I ordered a corsage with a skirt and long tulle on the internet and I went to work. My visions deepened more and more I On the 6th April 2018, the journey to Paris finally started. The dealt with the peacock topic. I finished the corset first, then I designed organizers "Les Victoires du Regard" booked the outbound flight and the skirt. I wanted to work with many feathers and so my skirt became I arrived beaming at the hotel where I was very friendly received. a feather skirt. It was a lot of work because every single feather With three packed bags filled with gifts from sponsors, I was surprised was glued to the skirt until I liked the look of it. This was followed by and overwhelmed. On Saturday the 7th April, all the finalists had to the headpiece. It was very big and heavy but I stabilized it with some repeat their work once again but live. Although everything was very tricks. I knew that if I wanted to become one of the five finalists in exciting, everything went according to plan. The time was tight and Paris, I had to plan everything down to the smallest detail. So I decided everything had to be well organized. Finally, a tone sounded and the to buy high heels and decorate them. For the wrists, I made bracelets competition was over. I was very relieved to have completed my work. and thus my peacock became more and more complete.

At the award ceremony, only the first place was announced.

On the day of the shoot on the 3rd January 2018, I packed my suitcase, Approximately two weeks after the competition, the other makeup products and accessories into my car and drove to Horb nominations followed and I was overwhelmed that I finished third in am Neckar that was 200km away our main Miss Lashes headquarters. the World Championship. It has been a great experience in my life I met my my model who I did not know. She suited my peacock perfectly. and I would recommend anyone to participate in championships. I She had a great skin and eye color and deep black hair. Just perfect love the Lash Art, it is always a new challenge and a wonderful feeling for my costume and my upcoming peacock. when new works of art arise.

I applied turquoise eyelashes in a 0.07 D curl, then the make up and Lash Art. I started and did not have a concrete plan for the decoration on her face. It is always with me that my plan is created during the project. I was very proud of this work and when the photographer Markus Schänzle started to shoot the first pictures and I saw them,

Model: Nikita Photographer: Markus Schänzle Lash stylist, Hair, Make-up and Costume by Evelyn Fritsch

You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram Greetings from Evelyn Fritsch, Lash Stylist from Germany!

Photographs courtesy of Paul Harris

Steam Punk by Cindy Nicholls

This stunning masterpiece rightly earned Cindy Nicholls her 1st place in the online Lash Global Championship Montreal 2018 organised by Hanna Babanakava from Angel Wings.

Lash~Ed magazine’s Editor Julie Knight asked her how she created something so intricate and so stunning. She was only too happy to ‘show and tell!’

How did you come up with your creative idea?

‘I went on Pinterest for ideas as it’s everyone’s best friend! I saw cogs and wheels but couldn’t really find anything I really liked. My favourite colour is purple so that was my colour theme as I thought I’d love it more. The era lends itself to a Victoriana costume so I built on that concept.’

How long did it all take to create?

How did you create your masterpiece?

‘I bought a Basque, skirt and hat and customised them so they now look ‘I started work on the costume about 4 months before the nothing like they did. I have a mannequin dummy to hand so I dressed competition. I was doing bits here and there when I had a spare her up and worked on it in any spare time I had, be it a few minutes few minutes so it’s hard to say how long it all took to create. between clients or in the time where one didn’t show up. I have a glue I did the lashes, makeup, photography together with the clean-up and removal all on the same day. It was exhausting! The lashes gun and got to work and I just added to it as I worked.

I’m not a great makeup artist! I made a mess of it and I was wiping it off took 3 hours to apply, the makeup was an hour and a half and the and doing it again! I did a metallic theme so I painted the extensions in photography was an afternoon in the woods. Once that was done, silver and gold metallic power that I made into a paste that would wash I had to clean up my model and take the lashes off. That bit was off if they were left on! Didn’t like silver and gold colours on the lips so heart-breaking!’ purple with glitter brought it to life.

I did Mega Volume and used the mirror fan technique so placing the fans How did it feel to win? each side of the lash. I used a C curl in 9-13mm lengths in 0.07mm thickness. ‘I had a private message on the Friday morning to say ‘huge I did her in the dolly style though I did give her slightly longer ones towards congratulations’ from someone who had already congratulated the outer corners. I spent a long time doing the right eye. I did half of it me on my Hair and Beauty Award win the Sunday before. I wondered with silver lashes from the outer corner to the middle and the other half why they were congratulating me again?! I logged into Facebook with gold. To save a little time, I mixed the colours on the left eye! I made to find that I had been tagged into a message saying that I had the glitter lashes using two x 0.07mm lashes. I dipped them in adhesive won 1st place in the Lash Global Championship! It was surreal. It and then into the glitter and placed them on a sticky dot to dry until they had been a whirlwind week for me already. The Sunday before, were needed. I coloured all the lashes gold and silver myself. I mixed I won the English Hair and Beauty 2018 Award for Lash Extensions make-up into a paste and coated the lashes on the lash strip and let Specialist of the year. Then on Monday, I found out that one of them to dry. The colour would wash off with water so it’s not good for my lash art pictures was to be Lash Inc magazines front cover everyday lashes. The bottom lashes were 0.07mm ones again and I didn’t and then this 1st place win!’ fan these. I left them as lash chunks - as I call them.

The cogs were attached to the lashes with adhesive that’s safe to use I’m really looking forward to meeting you at the UK Lash Social in on skin. It’s the same sort of stuff used to attach beards or moustaches September as you’re running a workshop aren’t you? and it’s either removable with water or needs a special remover, so be ‘That’s right, I have certificates for all those attending too. I’m also a guest judge and I have a special prize for my favourite. sure of what you’re using.

I looked around for a professional photographer who could take clear There’s seminars, workshops, networking and demonstrations. shots of the lashes and work with me to create the type of look I wanted. Visit www.beautybygenevieve.co.uk/the-lash-social-uk-2018/ ' I looked at their work and I found someone whose work was just what I was looking for. He was really nervous about it! We did the photoshoot Cindy Nicholls outside and it happened to be a sunny afternoon. We went into the woods Master Lash and Brow Stylist, iLashtique. and got some very odd looks from people but we got some great shots. www.ilashtique.com Instagram.com/cindynicholls_ilashtique Facebook.com/iLashtique Lash-Ed asked competition organiser Hanna Babanakava (pictured) what she thought of Cindy’s winning entry. Hanna said, 'I'm so glad that all the event went nice and smooth and all the fantasy works I've seen were very creative. Of course I want to say congratulations to Cindy (you already got a few from me and now you're waiting for our presents) and to all the other prizewinners as well. Lash art is not for everyone and if you're taking part in it - it makes you and your work special! We're already preparing our next event 18-20 of May 2019! We will have some awesome surprises for you!'

Lashes | 33

Lash gallery Mari, owner of Foxy Lashes by Mari, Norway I used c-curl, 8-12mm, 0.05mm in 3-5D. Lashes were extremely blonde so it was a challenge to work with and I didn't want to tint before lashing. Needed extremely good lighting (I use LED lamp) and I used magnifying glasses to see well. It would have been easier with coloured pads, but I didn't have any that day ;) After that I tested and found that grey colour pads gives a great contrast helping to work with blonde lashes.

Darlene Joanne HD Lash in Downtown Dan Diego I used 0.05 5Dmm in a D curl, lengths 10-13mm

Melita Ljubičić Master Lash Artist / Educator Mermaid - I used C curl in 0.07mm and lengths of 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 11, 10, 9mm in 4D layering. I put different sizes of extensions in all rows of the natural lashes with 100% coverage

Share your masterpieces and tell others how you created it. We would love to see them in the next edition! Join our Facebook group to see when we're talent scouting!

Jessika Aude Gautier Star Lashes Volume lashes using Star Lashes Mink. 8 to 16 mm. 0,05 C Curl mainly and 0.07 C Curl for the longest narrow fans ( 12-12-14-14-16-16-14-14). In order to create that spiky look, make sure that you alternate your lengths with big differences.

This style was always a winner, even when I was doing Classic ages ago. I strongly recommend creating a personalized Lash Map for each client, as we are all unique

Katrina King Volume using B curls, 3-4D mixed with my favourite lashes ME&LASH Brand in 0.03/0.05/0.07mm.

Melita Ljubičić Master Lash Artist / Educator I used C curl in 0.07mm 3D layering in 8, 9, 10, 11, 10 , 9 lengths

Ivory Grey I was trying out Dollce Doll pre-made fans for the first time in 0.07mm C-Curl and a mix of 3D, 4D, and 5D in lengths 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 12 with some 0.15mm mixed in too.

Melita Ljubičić I used a C curl in 0.06mm 3-5D in 7-10mm lengths

Nicola Redman I used MLab CC curl in 0.10 thickness, 2D fans and a mix of 8 - 12mm lengths following her natural lash line.

Instagram @nicolaredman.makeup

Karen Baguley Arch Angels Beauty I used 0.07mm to make 4D fans. The lengths and curls were mapped as C10 C11 - C12 - CC13 - C12 - C11

Diana Maćków

Dimitra Gkouzou I used 0.06mm in 4-5D volume lashes in C-curl to create a dramatic cat-eye effect. I applied 8-9mm from inner corners to the center of the lash-line and continued with the longer lashes 10-11-12-13-12mm and finished with 11-10mm in the outer corners. Patience Is Key To Success.

I used 7-11mm lengths with purple and blue 0.07mm C curls from Eyelash Excellence and black 0.07mm C & D curl lashes from Inspire lashes. I applied 2/3rds black lashes, then purple and blue at the inner corner. I applied purple on the lower lash layer and blue on the upper layer. I did about 2 rows and then started applying only blue with some black lashes to strengthen the colour and then blue on the lower layer and purple on upper one and then alternated.

Julie Knight I used dark brown lashes on this beautiful red head in 0.07mm, C curls in 1 to 4D. I trimmed a 7mm to make some 5 & 6mm for the 1D - 2D at the inner corners. 7mm in 2D then 3-4D mix for the 8 - 9- 10 -11 - 10 - 9 lengths. Last 8mm were 2D. I blended 10 green 3D fans in C curls in 0.07 on the lower lash layer above the pupil and towards the outer corner to enhance her eye colour with light volume due to narrow eyes.

Malgorzata Wegrzyn

For this one, I used 0,07mm, 3-5D in C+ curl in 8-11-9mm lengths

I used 0,07mm, 4D in C+ curl in 8-12-10mm lengths

Milla Lazdovska London Lash Manchester

Marina Litvinova 4D in 0.07mm in C and CC curls in lengths from 7-12-8mm using Lash Heaven Devine silk lashes

I've used 0.07mm 4-5D, black brown lashes from London Lash. 8-12mm lengths in C curl.

4-5D in 0.06mm lengths of 7-12-9mm All Lash Heaven Devine silk lashes

Editor recommends . . .

A couple of feature writers talk about the importance of self improvement through reading. I'm an avid reader and have many self improvement or inspirational books with great passages highlighted or tabbed!

Here's 3 that I highly commend - for many reasons that I've shared! They're available from Amazon or through my website at www.lash-ed.com/buy now

Paul McGee is a motivational speaker who I saw in action 10 years ago in a packed arena. I remember his every word and he rightly earned a standing ovation that lasted several minutes!!

He created S.U.M.O Shut Up and Move On! A very straight talking, easy read that will get you thinking about things differently and a little more positively! I dashed out and bought the 1st edition at the time and my daughter claimed it as her own when she was 12! She's an avid reader too and I saw her on in the garden with it a couple of weeks ago! We often use some of his 6 S.U.M.O principles with each other - so if she notices that I'm having a bit too much 'Hippo time' where I'm wallowing in self pity, she'll remind me to change out of my 'Victim T-Shirt!''. It makes us laugh as the book has funny parts! I can't rate it any more highly!

I love a good read, especially on well earned holidays so I downloaded 'Extraordinary Women' for my recent trip to Rome. I looked forward to reading about the journeys of successful women and how they overcame their challenges. It didn't disappoint! I confess that I did jump straight to one story first. It was about Katie Godfrey's journey to where she is today - the Director and Founder of KG Salon and KG Professional (and a regular Lash~Ed feature writer!). If you're looking for an inspirational read that's beautiful written, I commend this book and Katie's story in particular.

38 | Lashes

I started reading this book on holiday with friends in 2013. I laughed out loud at one part as I was seeing everything I was reading in one of my best friends! We not only laugh when things are funny, but also when they are true! I duly shared! She immediately read the book cover to cover and now when she has an emotional moment, she recognises that her Chimp is 'having a rant' so she's better able to manage it!

Written by a Professor, he explains in simple terms about how our minds work. The emotional side of our brains are (sadly) more powerful than our logical side so we often react emotionally first! Accept that your chimp is stronger than you and you'll understand how to manage it far better and for all the right reasons!!

Business

Cindy Nicholls Winner of the Hair and Beauty Award for The Lash Specialist of the Year 2018 talks to Lash~Ed magazine about her success.

Hi, I’m Cindy Nicholls, owner of iLashtique in Redruth, Cornwall and I’m a multi-award winning Master Lash and Brow Artist and Trainer for Ultimate.

I decided to enter the 2018 English Hair and Beauty Awards (Chapter 1) and posted on my Facebook page saying that I’d love to win, and would people like to nominate me? I was so delighted to find out that I was 1 of 10 finalists and it was my clients that got me there!

category, volume lashes always score better than classics.

I went on to do my Volume training with the amazing Frankie Widdows in late 2015. I was then made redundant in 2016 so I went to the awards ceremony with my mum, I bought her with a little bit of money behind me, I had the opportunity to a sparkly dress. I met many other very talented lash sisters train with some other lash masters like Vicky Rugg and Leanne and it was such a great evening. When it came to announcing Harber at Hello Ultimate in Kent. the Lash Extensions Specialist of the year I filmed it thinking I gave it my all in the 2016 Lash Battle and won 3rd place! That that I’d give the video to the winner and how lovely that was it, I was hooked on Lash art. As I’m rather ‘crafty’ and would be for them. When they announced iLashtqiue as the creative, the opportunity to combine lashes and creativity winner, I just couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that it was is just bliss! me, ‘No! Really?!’ I was gobsmacked. I dropped my phone as it was still recording so you’ll see what I mean about my I joined Leanne Harber’s Ultimate HQ team of trainers in the mums sparkly dress if you saw it!

U.K. in 2016 this is where I flourished. This team of lash sisters inspired me and kept me going. I don’t honestly think I would I hadn’t even thought about an acceptance speech as I really be here with this award if not for them. didn’t expect to win so I was really unprepared! If I had prepared a speech I would have said something like: My no.1 In August I am judging the fantasy lash art at the Nordic Lash fan is my partner Barry, he has supported me on all levels, Conference in Estonia. every step of the way, he has picked me up when I wanted And to quit, given me a space to set up my lash table in the early In September I am speaking about fantasy lash art, judging days and he worked till the early hours after a full days work and holding lash art workshops at The Lash Social U.K. painting my studio to enable me move to a better work space. Please Come and say hi.

I owe him a debt of gratitude. Congratulations to all the finalists, they are all winners!

Cindy Nicholls Master Lash and Brow Stylist I really still can’t believe that little me, just doing my thing iLashtique in my little Cornish studio, would ever in my wildest dreams www.ilashtique.com come to this point, and be at this level, in such a short time, I am really blessed!

A message from Leanne Harber at Ultimate My lash journey started when I went on a Classic lash Cindy Nicholl’s is a very talented lash extension course Nov 2014. At the time, I was working full technician. Not only is she amazing at time with teenagers in a care home. I did a few clients on lashes but she’s an amazing, creative my days off and I decided to enter the Fantasy Lash Art and lovely person and I am so proud category in the 2015 London Lash Battle. I thought that I might to have her as part of my Ultimate team. do alright but I didn’t place so I knew I had work to do! If I Her work just gets better and better every time she creates something. was to compete against the wealth of talented arts in the - Leanne Harber lash art

Dealing with client rejection

By Zoe Mizon

So you have invested all your time effort and money into being the best lash artist you can be. You are proud of your work which you post on social media daily and want to share with the world. You know so many people, you have all your old school friends, past clients, family members as friends on Facebook, Instagram etc. The whole world knows you’re a lash artist and a good one at that, But... they go to another lash artist, a salon down the road, maybe a new lash tech that’s offering terrible work for £10.

Or one off my personal favourites is that “friend” that posts “Can anyone recommend someone who does lashes?” Knowing full well you do!

You want to scream at your phone, maybe text them a big long rant, how dare they! Then you question yourself as a person, did I upset them? Playing over the last time you saw them in your head, looking at old pictures of your work on them if it was a lash client, wondering if they didn’t like them and didn’t tell you, basically driving yourself insane.

Please let me tell you, you are not insane and you have every right to be upset. We have all been there. What I want to share with you is how you deal with these situations outlines you as a person, professional and business owner.

they are all looking for different things in their chosen Salon/Artist.

You need to decide who you want to attract into your business and then make sure that everything you post on social media would appeal to that person. Your price tag reflects that person’s affordability. For example, students will want cheaper lashes. High end/ celebrity clientele want expensive lashes. Obviously you need to research your area and not be ridiculously under or overpriced but if you are wanting the higher end clientele then you need to price accordingly.

If you focus on your own business then it will flourish. You cannot spend time getting too upset about factors that are The first step is dealing with the rejection. Of course it will hurt out of your control. You will genuinely go crazy if you look into especially if the person that you feel has betrayed you or was one local salons where past clients are going. a loyal client. What you have to understand is there may be a It’s very unhealthy and whilst you are doing this, you are thousand factors why this person has gone elsewhere on this distracted from your own business that could have benefited occasion. You need to learn how to deal with this correctly. from that time.

So firstly, if you are busy the client may not have been able to get in, something may have just happened, for example a friend may have bought them a voucher or they may just be helping a friend out by visiting there new salon or maybe allowing them to practice on them as a model. Think about when you go food shopping. Do you always visit the same grocery store or do you sometimes have to call somewhere quickly for bread and milk? It’s the same principle. The client may not be aware that they have hurt your feelings and may well think you wouldn’t notice their absence.

You may have taken your business on a different route that is no longer a good fit for them. What you have to understand is that there is enough business for everyone. You just have to find your niche and sector and then drive everything aimed at that person.

What do I mean by that you may ask? For example, could you imagine the Kardashians, Mary Berry, Sally - a Mum from the school run and Kelly - our friend’s 20 year old daughter who is a college student with £20 to last her the month all sat in the waiting room together to get lashes at the same salon? Not really, that’s because

There is a perfect saying I once heard and I have lived by it ever since. It says, ‘if a horse jockey takes his eye of the path and looks behind at the other horses, his horse will trip, fail and the horses that were behind will win. Focus on your own path and never ever look behind. That is how you win!”

There are more than enough clients to go around, believe me.

Worrying is such a waste of time as worrying will not change anything. For every client you lose, a new one is going to walk through your door.

Zoe Mizon Founder and CEO of High Lash Couture Award Winning Lash Trainer/Master www.zoemizonlashacademy.co.uk

Business| 41

Amy Dommett Amy tells Lash~Ed her lash story . . . .

I started my career in the lash world in 2013. I did a one day course and probably applied about 5 lashes. I went home and said to my husband, 'I am never ever doing lashes!' He is one of the tightest people I know so he was having none of it because it had cost money, so off I went on my journey to be a mobile lash tech.

I worked my backside off! Sometimes being out till 11pm and working Sundays. Pretty sure I wasn’t actually making any money with what I was charging and how long they took me, ha! ha!

After 2 years, I had built up a regular client base and was really struggling with being mobile so I started working out of my kitchen usually with my kids running round. You know what, my clients did NOT care! As long as they got nice lashes I think I could have lashed them anywhere.

I decided to employ rather than rent a chair as I wanted the control of knowing what products they were using and to make sure everything was done the same by us both. I took on the amazing Laura who had no beauty experience. I trained her up from scratch and she is a huge asset to the business.

Fast forward a year, we moved and I worked out of our spare room. I then outgrew that within about 6 months when I started teaching lashes. I got my salon December 2016 and employed my first member of staff in June 2017.

I then took on the wonderful Jenna is a fully qualified level 3 beauty therapist. So we went from the lash and brow studio to also having a Beauty Clinic in the salon. I literally could not wish for a better team! I’m so grateful for them both. I teach every week and also have a full client base.

My aim for the next few years will be to teach and manage the salon more and just do a few clients.

My words of advice to anyone new in the industry is keep going, learn as much as you can and never stop learning! I still like to do new lash courses every year, there is always something new to learn in this industry.

By Amy Dommett wwwlashandbrowdevon.co.uk

Britta Krueger Tell's Lash~Ed her story

If I think back how is started my journey, I consider myself lucky to have gained some of my experience outside of the beauty industry. This has given me a wider understanding of product development, placement, marketing, Im- and Export and financial reporting and in hindsight, all this has given me the perfect tools to do what I do now.

Working in different environments and being on both sides of the fence (being a client, a therapist, owner and then a supplier and training provider) has kept me open to new ideas and at the same time willing to look at things critical to change or amend things to improve the product as well as application as opposed to someone who has been a therapist all her life and might be a bit "set in the ways" which is only too easy if you have always done it a certain way and find it easy to continue on that path.

I am lucky enough to have a fantastic team of educators and supporters who all have a similar view but with different strengths, so that we can all complement each other and look at things from different angles. There is so many ideas and opinions and we all have different experiences so it is important to brainstorm for new products or treatments to try and help therapists and those who want to start their journey into beauty. We take onboard things we hear,see and experience with students and customers on a daily basis and can then stay close to what is required to make it work better.

Being able to chat, discuss and brainstorm with the team is invaluable for all of us and the excellent feedback we get from students for our training and the reviews we receive from customers for our products speak for itself and show that we are doing the right thing.

The beauty industry offers endless opportunities and I believe it to be one of the best to work in whether you are wanting to offer treatments alongside your full time position, work around family or other commitments, want to spend more time with the kids or go full steam ahead and set up your business full time (from home, mobile or a salon) or even if you want to get into teaching others! The list of options is endless and there is a niche for everyone.

We get often asked how you can get into teaching and there will never be a right or wrong answer and every company or educator will have their own recipe for success. For us at flirties it is important that we all teach the same way. Our educators go through an extensive program when they first join us which involves training in the actual treatments the "flirties" way, then being assessed to teach for each course and going through regular ongoing training modules and assessments on a regular basis as it is only too easy to slip and none of us want to lack the high quality and thorough

training we offer.

As a team we work very closely and support each other with help and advice on ideas, tricky situations or even helping each other out in busy times. We feed off each other and whilst we all work singularly we all enjoy the team work and getting together regularly.

Whilst it is possible to set up on your own as a trainer (and many do) I do believe they miss out on the ongoing support and education as there is no one to bounce ideas with, no one to talk to after a long day and no one telling you about new things or whether or not something is good or bad.

The other thing to consider (and many might not want to hear this) is the protection and support of a brand. Doing your own thing is fine but you can only reach so far. Being with a brand or a team means that you can reach further, you got marketing support, someone looking out for you and a team to do the background work for you so that you can focus on what you love doing - Teaching!

Going with a brand means you don’t have to worry about products, regulations, accreditation, market changes or new products or courses. I am not saying you get it presented on a silver plate but likewise you don’t have to panic about it, the pressure isn’t on you and there is always someone to help.

Students love the support from their trainer but no one knows everything and it is great to have the support of the team so that students can rely on this extra level of backup and the added expertise and experience they get from the whole team rather than just one single trainer.

This is not to say that this is the only way but for us it has proven to be the best way and it allows us to offer the multitude of courses and training options throughout the UK and Ireland efficiently.

Wikipedia hits the nail on the head A team is a group of individuals working together to achieve a goal.

A group does not necessarily constitute a team. Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows each member to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

Team - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team Your flirties team Tel. 0845 022 2233 www.flirties.co.uk

Editors note: Congratulations to Britta who was awarded Beauty Products CEO of the Year 2018 - United Kingdom at the Influential Businesswoman awards.

So richly deserved!

- Julie Knight

Domestic abuse campaign update

By Julie Knight - Editor and campaign lead In April’s edition of Lash~Ed, we asked – could we be trained to recognise the signs that clients or colleagues are experiencing domestic abuse and offer confidential signposting to support that could save lives?

Most women see a hairdresser and many use the services of a beautician. We are renowned for being skilled listeners so it’s no surprise that many feel comfortable talking and even confiding in us about things that they would never tell anyone else. Many go back to the same professional because of their great service and treatments and this puts us in a unique position to be able to spot the signs of abuse and offer help. It may be the only opportunity they have to be on their own in our safe space where they can reach out for help or be open to it. We are really well positioned to sensitively and safely refer clients or colleagues - even family or friends - to resources that are best placed to help them like Women’s Aid. It’s as simple as that and it could save someone’s life.

It’s known that 1 in 3 women in the UK will suffer some form of domestic abuse in their lifetime and with that number, it’s feasible that they could be our clients, colleagues, relatives or friends …..

It’s not about us intervening or interfering, but having the tools to signpost to those who are specially trained to help that’s informed, well-intentioned and meaningful.

We ran a survey to ask Hair and Beauty professionals for their views on how we could make a programme really easy for them to set up and run. It has to be as running a business or few is already very time consuming. We have had an amazing number of responses – thank you so much!

So far, everyone has said that they would like their business to be part of the campaign. This is fantastic! We have had loads of suggestions for a campaign name and there’s a few that I’m really excited about!

So far, 97% of those responding said that they would prefer a short online training programme with downloadable materials that they can use. This could include their certificate of participation in the scheme and a poster should they choose to use them to show that they support the scheme. This is together with a range of covert materials that discreetly offer signposting to resources that are out there and can offer vital help when they are ready to access it. Others have asked for face to face training and have said that they would be willing to fund it if needs be.

I am now meeting with various bodies to help build the campaign now that we have some great insights from the survey. In August’s edition, I’ll be announcing the launch date!

If you would like to register your interest in becoming a local champion who is happy to approach colleagues locally or even speak out local part of this simple UK wide programme that has the chance to save lives, contact Julie Knight at www.lash-ed.com

You can be a part of this simple UK wide programme that has the chance to save lives, by: ~ becoming a local champion or learn more about it, and / or ~ registering your interest in readiness for its launch Please contact Julie Knight at julie@lash-ed.com

Local champions You too can become a local champion like Ria-Jaine Lincoln (picture courtesy of SJLEO). She has being actively raising awareness of the campaign in her area and she’s really a ‘super-champion’ in my eyes!

You could get involved as much or a little as you want. You have the freedom to use any opportunity you have to raise awareness about it and encourage other Hair and Beauty professionals to get involved. You could do this by contacting colleagues in your area or through any existing network channels. You can even approach your local media and start the conversation!

Julie can supply all the relevant media and conversation pieces to support you.

Story behind the concept and making a campaign image . . .

The front cover of April's Lash~Ed featured our beautiful model Holly. In return for a free set of volume lashes, she posed as our cover girl. She applied her own make up and we transformed my lounge into a photo studio. Professional photographer Clare Creed, a regular feature writer for Lash~Ed, took loads of photos for both the light and dark images that were to be spliced together. She used some creative techniques to get the lighting and filters 'just right' using something that looked like a Quality Street sweet wrapper! The concept was simple. We see a side to Holly that she shows the world and she appears happy on the outside. Then there's the side that she hides and it's known only to her and her abuser hence the hand in the background pulling on her hair and her apparent distress.

Holly had to stand in the same position for a couple of hours. It would have only taken half an hour but our hand model was nearly sacked as he couldn't bring himself to grab Holly's hair in the way we needed. This was my husband Antony! I nearly went outside to grab the next guy to walk by...

What is success?

By Katie Godfrey

I am forever being asked how did you do it?

You are so lucky, can you help me get to where you are?

So I felt the best way around this was to note all of the points I have personally gone through as a salon franchise owner and eyelash supplier. Detailing all of the factors required to get onto the path of success. It’s by far not an easy ride and stressful in so many aspects. But is it worth it? Of course!

Persistence No matter what you have to do always keep knocking on doors and fighting in spite of how difficult it can be. You have to keep going and not give up on the first, second or even tenth hurdle.

Late nights If you’re an entrepreneur you will most probably find you hit the pillow and your mind will be buzzing and you will find yourself working throughout the night. I find that’s when I work to the best of my ability. Always go to bed with a note pad and pen as your best ideas will come to you at night, you can then act on them the following day!

so called friends that are just not a positive influence in your life.

It is imperative to always surround yourself with likeminded, positive people at all times.

Criticism You will always get people showing you their disapproval on your goals, judging your business and what they would do differently.

But constructive criticism is always a good thing. Choose what you want to take from other people’s criticism and just disregard the negative. It’s your business and no one else’s.

Failure Even the most successful entrepreneurs have failed at something during their journey. 8 out of 10 businesses fail within the first 18 months. Don’t be afraid of failure, it happens to everyone at some point. And actually it’s never really failure, it’s just a stepping stone to something bigger and better.

Dedication Being fully committed to your business or goal. Don’t let your mind run off course and always keep focused on that end result. You have to love and be passionate in what you do. You have to love lashing and love treating your clients. You have to love growing your business as if the love isn’t there the dedication will soon faze out.

Doubts Whether to start a business, expand or bring something new in.

You will always have doubts. Try and figure out what doubts you should put out of your head and which doubts you should take action with.

Hard Work It’s not easy, and if it was everyone would be doing it. Your social life will take a back seat for a while whilst you build your business.

You will work long hours and generally feel like you are unable to switch off. But it’s all part of the buzz. Work hard, play later.

Risks There will always be risks, business is a risk. You could possibly go bankrupt and lose everything. You might have to chuck the towel in and get a 'real' job.

Rejections No matter what business you are in, you will always come across rejection. Whether that’s a client going elsewhere, a buyer not interested in a product or not being able to sign that deal you were so close to. Or even trying to secure financial help to start your business. Just keep going and never let rejection knock you down as you will experience tough times like this throughout your career.

You will learn how to deal with rejection and become even stronger rather than taking it personal. I always say nothing is worth it without a fight and those knock downs will build you and your business stronger than ever before and you will learn from them.

Sacrifices Whilst you are building your business you will need to sacrifice anything that could be a distraction to you. That party that could cause you a hangover for the next two days. Or maybe a holiday that could pull you out of the loop for a week. Maybe a group of

Word of advice though, if you are not a risk taker, don’t even attempt to start a business!

I hope these pointers help you and get you thinking, for any business support, please get in touch with us.

Katie Godfrey KG Salon / KG Professional Insta/FB: Kgsalon / Kgprofessional www.kgprofessional.com

Business | 45

Social media Socialising with it

By Charlotte Lowe Get back to basics When building your Facebook page, think about the essential information customers will be looking for. They should be able to find all the information they could possibly need, including a description of your business, contact details, reviews, photos, your salon location and the services you offer (potentially with a full price list too).

Remember that people trust reviews Potential customers do a lot of research online before choosing where to get their hair done, who to buy a sofa from, or where to get brunch. Your salon is no exception. Glowing reviews can convince a potential customer that they will have a great experience with you, but even one bad review can cast doubt into their minds. Encourage the loyal customers who know you best to leave a review on your Facebook page. If you do get a bad review, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, use it as a chance to demonstrate your customer service skills. Reply showing that you value feedback and will take it on-board.

Keep your social media pages updated regularly You definitely don’t want to overload your followers with content and risk them un-following you. But on the other hand, if you don’t post often enough you risk followers losing interest or remembering you. You’re aiming for a steady stream of content – roughly one post a day if possible.

Provide fans with exclusive deals Reward people for following your page by offering Facebook fans with a special offer. For example, you could offer followers 10% off during their next visit if they share your page. This way, you attract potential new business and your loyal customers get something in return. Win-win.

Size doesn’t matter

Stay on-trend on Instagram

Many people think ‘getting likes’ on social media is some kind of indication of success. But quality is much more important than quantity when it comes to your followers. Think about who your customer base actually is and what you want from them. If you’re a local business, there is very little point targeting adverts at a UK audience, or posting in groups based in other countries asking for likes. Having ten engaged followers who live locally is infinitely better than having 100 followers who would have to catch a plane to visit you . . .

Instagram is often seen as the platform of choice for younger audiences.

Use the photo-blogging app to highlight your skills with ‘before and after’ photos, and use hashtags to your advantage. For example, you can use these to highlight your location by using the hashtag of your city, and show you’re up-to-date by following trending hashtags and using them in your posts.

You can attract the right demographic with some carefully thoughtout Facebook adverts, targeting people in your local area who are interested in beauty.

Use social media to showcase the work you’re most proud of Post pictures, videos and lots of them. See social media as a limitless shop window. This works both ways though – if you have a bad day, remember that no content is better than bad content, or than a photo that doesn’t show your best work. When taking a photo, always think about the lighting and remember that plain backgrounds work best.

What do your customers talk about or ask you in the salon This is free market research. It shows you what your customers are interested in learning from you. Use this as a way to guide what you post on social media. If people are always asking you how to maintain their lashes to keep them lasting for longer, be proactive and post some tips. It keeps your customers engaging with you long after they leave your salon.

46 | Business

Put your personality into it We’re guessing your lash expertise isn’t the only reason your customers keep coming back – your personality is a big selling point for your business. Build this into your brand and use your social media pages as an extension to communicate this.

Be quirky, be yourself, and have fun with it.

Charlotte Lowe Social Media Advisor

The fear

By Merlin Callaghan

Do you remember that very first day you decided to do the lash course?

You were full of excitement and enthusiasm. You would be creating those awesome lashes for all your friends, have amazing girlie nights in and the big bonus - earn some extra cash! This was it, a fantastic opportunity to change your life, be your own boss, a new career and have an awesome holiday.

I have been there like so many other Lash Wizards across the globe. (*no actual true stats can be found unfortunately, but considering the popularity and the growth of the industry, larger lash groups having 30k+ members, it is safe to say there is a lot of us).

So, decision made, you research all the courses available on the internet, sign up and arrive on the day to learn as much as you can in all of 8 hours. . . . You believe you nailed this! . . . . But what really happened was that you suddenly realise how much more there is to being a Lash Wizard.

You get home and the panic kicks in, your mind goes blank, desperate to remember, no longer sure what or how to do, how to tape down the lower lashes? Which tweezers to isolate? Which ones for placement? And so on and so on......

I am hoping my practical advice will help you to overcome the nerves and give you the best chance to keep calm, learn, progress your journey to create beautiful lash magic and build your confidence.

I was so worried, no one would want to lie down for 5 hours? What if I poked someone’s eyes by accident or got glue all over their lashes and stuck their eyes together? What if they didn't like what I had created? I actually cried with worry and this meant it took me nearly two months to get started and trust me that is not like me at all.

Why did I feel like this? I focused so much on all of the actions and all the things that could happen or go wrong rather than focusing on one step at a time, to develop my skill set and overcome these fears.

Take Action Your first meeting with a client is paramount. Use this interaction to educate them about the treatment, what’s involved, how long it will take as well as discussing styling whilst managing their expectations with regards to what their own lashes can support. If new to lashes, say the time will progressively improve and extra time allows you to produce high quality work while charging a little less in return for their time while you gain further experience. By taking action and control, you’ve managed their expectations on treatment time and potential future price growth. They’ll respect your honesty and book in as they know you will do good work and they’ll feel in safe hands and it will not be a surprise as you raise prices in the future. You've now managed the first steps of overcoming your fear and built a foundation to remove possible future stressful situations.

Prepare No matter if it is your 1st or 100th client, always review your work area and client notes. Tools set out and at easy to reach, client forms, pillows, blankets, lighting are all ready, well in advance. This will also

keep you calm for their arrival and speed up the appointment. Whilst clients fill out the form, use this opportunity to ask lots of questions, this helps to remove any anxiety and prepares both parties for a successful treatment ahead. The client is relaxed and reassured they are in capable hands. All nice and quiet, listening to chill-out music, the Lash Wizard prepares to do their magic (with a lot less risk of poking their eyes or gluing them together!) It will look and feel professional and somehow your nerves have been conquered which helps happily focus on the task in hand.

As the lash journey continues there are number of other worries that arise. We start to compare our work to others with regards to speed, execution, even the amount of social media 'Likes'. We worry over our progress, whether it be developing a skill set or building business etc.

Face the Fear Focus should always be on positive. Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever your fear, if you face it, it should start to fade.

Make a list and always ask for help, there are numerous social media groups you can join all with the same likeminded people with the same fears and issues. Eventually you will smile knowing you are not alone and you will be surprised how willing and keen people are to help, drawing on boundless experience.

Doing lashes is stressful especially the fans... yet many of us feel that everything has to be perfect all the time... well bad days and setbacks will happen, and it's important to remember that it happens to all of us. Reviewing your progress from the beginning will encourage you to see how you are growing into a fabulous Wizard. Remember that going back to basics helps to overcome stress and move forward, and that applies to us all at times, learn and appreciate today.

Above All Reward yourself for all your hard work and start again tomorrow!

Lash wizards are a friendly bunch and after all, our main aim is to support each other and improve collectively to be able to grow this industry. We all want to give every single client that magical confidence that lashes bring, you as the creator behind the confidence, remember...every dream starts with a lash.

As always thank you to Lash~Ed Team and especially Julie for opportunity to share this with you.

Merlin x Facebook: merlinlashandbeauty Instagram: merlinlashandbeauty www.merlinlashandbeauty.com

Business| 47

How to get more clients via Instagram

ByJamie Butler

Hi guys! My names Jamie and I run all things marketing for one of the UK's largest lash brands, LashBase. I want to give you some tips and tricks on how to gain more clients by using Instagram and I'd like to dive straight in...

Firstly, you are going to have to change your view on how you think Instagram works for business. This is because a large percentage of lash artists use Instagram for business in the same way that they use Instagram for personal, which is a big mistake if you're hoping to gain new clients from your social media efforts.

When you use Instagram for personal use, you will post a picture

of your latest holiday, use a funny hashtag and then wait for your friends and family to comment on how amazing the trip looked. And that's exactly what happens. So you'd be right to think that to gain clients, you need to post a picture of your work, use a clever hashtag and then wait for clients to find you and book in, but unfortunately, that just isn't how you have to do it. Luckily, I can give you the advice and easy answers so that you can make a change in how you use your Instagram business page and start getting more clients straight away.

To help make it easier to digest, I have broken down my advice into 5 different sections. Now, let's get started.

1. Geo Tagging This is a simple one. If you haven't heard of it, basically it's just tagging your location in your posts.

As a business, you should do this with every post you do. It helps you appear in local searches and literally puts you on the map.

If your business location doesn't exist on Instagram, you can create it over on Instagram's sister platform, Facebook.

2. Local Hashtags and Tags Another straightforward change to make is to think “local” with everything you do.

In addition to using standard lash related hashtags like #Lashes, try using local hashtags like #lashesYOURLOCATION. Another great way to be found locally is to tag local businesses in your posts too. This is a clever way to put you in their “tagged photos” on their Instagram page, this means anyone looking at their page will see you and your work.

3. Collab Collaboration over competition. DM all of the local businesses around you and offer them something in return for a shout out.

You may have to offer something that is weighted in their favour for them to take notice though. But if you get 3 new clients then it's all worth it!

You need to make sure that your location is in your bio. You need to state clearly what you do and how to get in touch. You also need to add in your website or online booking link.

I've seen so many lash artist accounts that don't have the basic contact info in their bio which is crazy! In today's fast world, clients want zero friction in their day to day activities, so if it takes longer than once click to get in touch, they just won't bother.

4. Go to them This tip is the most important and valuable piece of advice I can give. If you take anything away from this article, let it be this point...

To get clients through Instagram, to raise awareness for your business and to get more people to your page, you have to do ONE thing...

Go to them!

You need to search local hasthags and local places.

You can even jump from your friends page, to her friends page, to her friends page! Once you have done that, you need to like and comment on as many peoples pictures as possible. This will then put your name all over Instagram for people to see AND it will get people coming to your page to see who you are and why you are commenting on their post. The best part is, the post doesn't even need to be lash related. It's actually better if it's just a picture of a random person on a night out. Comment with “I love your shoes” and then just watch that person click on to your page to see who you are. It may feel awkward, it may feel cringe, but I promise you it works better than anything else!

A bonus tip is to regularly comment and like your followers posts.

What you will notice is this will once again put your name all over that persons page for others to see AND it will make them feel more obliged to comment on your future posts which will then gain your post more awareness. Double win!

So, there you have it! How to get more clients by using Instagram, for free. I would like to state for the record that although you may see a change almost instantly, this is a long term game. You will need to be consistent, patient and trust the process.

If you'd like to learn more about improving your lash business, come and find my on Instagram (@lashbase_jamie).

Thanks for reading!

Jamie Butler LASHBASE Chief Marketing Officer www.lashbase.co.uk Tel: 02392 251425

5. Sort your bio

Business | 49

Julia Mann

Business is simple.

Most just over complicate it.

I wanna tell you about the 3 main reasons why most businesses fail, especially when it comes to social media marketing.

1.Overwhelm and procrastination ..No wonder in today’s Social Media world. It seem like such a complicated and big task. And guess what? This is why most people don’t even get started. They get overwhelm and then don’t do it.

If you are not on social media today and post multiple times per day, you are leaving $$$ on the table.

This is a simple fact. The numbers don’t lie.

This is something I tell my business students almost everyday. You gotta get your social sorted or you will NOT grow today's businesses, into tomorrow’s businesses. And this is exactly what happened to me when I first started. It all felt like a big wall and I had to slowly start to climb it.

Social Media marketing can be a little bit daunting at first.

Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat.. the sea of outlets is endless. So how on earth should we know where we to start? Simple again: Start with one and maybe add a second channel if you are a fast learner.

In the Beauty world, I would recommend you start with Facebook and Instagram. Facebook owns Instagram and Instagram is an excellent outlet to showcase your work online and reach those who are looking for a Lash artist in their area.

With Facebook, you can advertise and reach even more people that are your ideal customer. Once you master the art of Instagram and Facebook, move onto Pinterest and YouTube. Live Videos are super cheap at the moment and get a cracker organic reach online. Google owns YouTube, so having a few “ how to...” Videos on YouTube will really up your SEO (Search engine optimisation).

So I have now told you where to start and where to move to. In a nutshell, this is exactly what I did 2.5 years back then, Lash Tribe, my company, was merely an idea, an outlet for lash artists all over the world. Fast forward to today and I have created a multiple six figure brand, won academy of the year 2018 and travel all over the world to judge, speak in front of thousands and coach others to grow their businesses and become better lash artists. All with the help of social media marketing, following a few simple ground rules and of course working hard.

One thing that really helped me along the way was to be continuously coached. I never tried to do everything on my own.

I followed in those peoples footsteps that had done what I wanted to do. I looked at the strategies they followed and most importantly, I learned from their mistakes, so I had to make less. This brings me to no 2 of why most businesses fail in their first 3 years.

2. They try and do it on their own.

Don’t be a hero. Get coached in whatever you want to succeed.

Even big names like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had coaches all along their career. You don’t wanna know the amount of $$ I have spent on coaching in the last 3 years. No, really...you don’t wanna know!

Haha!

As I am writing this I have 2 coaches. People who have done and are where I wanna be. They are people I look up to. People I trust to tell me if I do wrong or right. They have done what I want to do.

Both of them multi millionaires.

I always smile when my students tell me how their family and friends give them business advice. I ask: “ Oh, so do they make more $$ than you? Do they have experience in this field?’ If no, why would you even bother listening to them? They won’t make you a successful business owner.

So please take this to heart: Always differentiate about OPINIONS vs. FACTS and Experience. Which now brings me to no 3 why most businesses fail:

3. They spend time on reactive tasks.

How much money do you think you can make with cleaning your own house? Or maybe going back and forth via messenger with a client trying to find a suitable time. Is “ answering emails all day” the highest and best use of your time?

If you have answered No, no, no. congratulations.

You essentially know that you should be outsourcing all of these “no-money” makers, the question is, are you? If not, please do yourself a favour and get a Virtual Assistant or a PA quick smart.

They will take over those reactive and money and time-wasting tasks from you, so YOU can concentrate on the stuff that you are actually good at.

Sure, it’s hard to give up control sometimes, but I can promise you one thing: If you don’t delegate trivial tasks to someone else you are stuck and your business will NOT grow.

I hope these 3 tips have helped you somewhat to reevaluate your business situation and where you could improve. Of course there are so many more steps to running a successful business. If you’d like some info on my business courses, please visit www. lashtribe.com.au The great thing is that these business systems and strategies work for anyone, in any niche. So once you know your stuff you can apply this to any business under the sun.

Exciting times !

Julia

Photography Perfectly positioned

By Clare Creed In my previous article I spoke about the importance of lighting, above all else this is what will set your work apart from others who are not so diligent. Great lighting will produce sharp, dramatic images to really sell your Framing and Cropping Too much white space, or areas with nothing of interest, will produce product and draw your customers in.

Once you have understood the principles of a good lighting setup, the next thing to consider is composition. Think about how you can manipulate your shot in order to highlight your main selling point and produce an interesting and memorable image.

Natural Eye Our eyes are naturally drawn from left to right. Studies have shown that when viewing images, people’s eyes do not usually go to the center of the photograph. Therefore, the composition of your images also needs to consider this, with our main point of focus being the last thing the eye settles on. If you have too much blank space, or your image is unbalanced, then this will feel awkward and jarring to anyone looking at it.

Rule of Thirds The rule of thirds is a concept in photography that is very helpful in creating a well-balanced and interesting shot. Imagine when you look through the lens, you see a grid of three sections running vertically and horizontally (so that you have 9 parts). It may be easier to divide your image using 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines that then create these 9 parts. Some cameras will actually give you the option to see such a grid through your viewfinder.

The four most important areas of your image will be where these lines intersect each other as highlighted by the stars in this illustration.

a very flat image. Consider how you frame and crop your image in order to focus the eye on your most important element.

Sometimes, cropping in really close can provide drama and will declutter your image, however sometimes adding an object in the foreground can help to frame the shot and make it more interesting.

For example, placing your subject behind flowers or tree branches can make for an interestingly framed picture, but always make sure that it is your main subject that remains in focus.

Position and Perspective Where you position yourself to your subject can dramatically alter your image. Generally, the most flattering angle is to position yourself above your subject, this creates the illusion that they are smaller. Therefore, shooting from below will make the subject appear larger. When focusing on lashes, think about what you are trying to convey in your picture? Volume and length may be better demonstrated by positioning yourself below the subject in order to highlight this.

Positioning and perspective will lead us nicely to my next article, which will cover the subject of depth of field.

For now, practice using the rule of thirds grid in order to create drama and interest, and consider where your main point of focus is. ~ Where is the eye being drawn to? ~ Think about what is in the foreground and background - does it help draw the eye in to the most important point, or is it distracting and un-balanced?

Always strive for that balance of drama and creativity in a way that is easy and natural on the eye.

Until next time,

Clare Creed So, when you are framing your subject consider placing the element you want to highlight here.

You can also use these imaginary lines to position your subject along, i.e. if your subject is lying down, position her features along the bottom horizontal line. Use these lines to draw the viewer in, and create flow within your image.

Courtesy of Clare Creed Photography www.clarecreedphotography.com Editors note Clare is working with Lash-Ed to offer informative and affordable online courses that will help you take better images of your work.

Details will appear soon on our website www.lash-ed.com

Business | 51

Someone’s Phishing . . .

Will you take the bait?

Anyone with a phone that can receive texts or an email account has probably received a Phishing text or email.

It’s called phishing (pronounced fishing) to see if you take the bait.

These may sound familiar…

Congratulations, you have won a prize. Click here to claim!

(But I didn’t enter one?!)

It’s the HMRC, we owe you money! Click here to start your refund (Yeah, right! They don't give money back, often!)

So what’s Phishing?

I covered this a little in an article in April’s edition but given how common and sophisticated the attackers are becoming, I thought I’d dive a little deeper in with this one. Sorry about the fishing jokes!

Phishing is where someone - an attacker - is trying to steal information from you having gained your trust or worried you.

By Antony Knight placed and some offer a tracking service for your delivery. If you get a tracking link that you weren’t expecting, it’s best to delete those!

If you get an unexpected email claiming to be from your bank, don’t click the link they offer as there’s no guarantee that it’s legitimate.

Similarly, you may see a link that’s seemingly sent by a friend who doesn’t know that their account has been hacked. We’ve seen this a few times with Facebook Messenger recently.

Then most of us have seen those ‘you’ve won’ and ‘you’re entitled to a refund’ messages that are so obviously not right and have probably been sent to loads of people. Loads of people are more aware of it now so the attacker’s tactics needed to change.

According to the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), the attacker is actually targeting you directly and they are being very clever about it. They’ve probably researched you online to find out more about you. Consequently, they know the types of email you’re expecting so they can tailor theirs and they know when you’re likely to expect it, e.g. end of the month invoices.

Urgency

How do they do it?

Phishers may try do this by sending texts or emails claiming to be from reputable companies and many look like they are too. They may try to encourage you to reveal personal information like passwords and financial details like pin and credit card numbers.

Phishing has no boundaries, it’s global issue and language isn’t a barrier – though some attempts with poorly written or translated content is a give-away!

Others may have links that look credible and send you to a credible looking website that distribute malware. If you look closely, you’ll see that its URL is (Uniform Resource Locator or address) is not the same as the genuine website. Others may enclose a malicious attachment that infects your system when you open it.

Others may have links that look credible but it’s a front and it may be coded (HTML) in the background to take you somewhere altogether different. This goes for pictures or buttons too. Think of the ‘PayPal pay now’ button. Its image can be downloaded and coded to take you anywhere but PayPal! I don’t want to put you off clicking on links as that’s not realistic.

It’s only wise to click on links if you’re expecting to receive them.

So you may have done a ‘Password reset’ to access a membership area of a website and you receive an email immediately giving you instructions on resetting it with a link - so you were expecting it.

Similarly, you can expect an e-receipt from an order you’ve just

Attackers demand that you take action quickly otherwise there will be consequences such as ‘you’ll lose everything unless you act now!

You’re distracted by the urgency of the demand of action so you can often be scared into making swift decisions.

Authority You may feel pressured as the email appears to be from a trusted source who you may expect to receive a message from. They can exploit your habits by sending emails that you may expect at a particular time like financial queries at the end of the month.

Curiosity At one time, cute cats were the most watched YouTube videos and many of us go weak for cuteness! Remember what curiosity did to the cat?!

How can it affect you?

Once the attacker has more details about you, they can cause harm in many ways. You can lose money if your bank details or credit cards have been compromised, you can lose data that may be confidential and it can infect your system.

I read a story about an organisation who tested its infrastructure.

They sent their own employees and email claiming to be from eBay or Apple that was made to look genuine. Over 5% of staff either

clicked on the links within the email or replied to it. Had it been a Phishing email, it could have released Malware onto the network.

Malware is software or web content that is designed to cause harm.

There have been attacks that have made systems unusable unless ransom demands are met. Viruses are the most well-known form of malware. They can infect software, make copies of themselves and send these duplicates to any computers that connect to their victim. Malware can easily find its way onto your computer such as opening an infected email.

How can I protect myself?

The steps are simple and best applied at home as well as work. Foe many lash stylists, they’re practically one in the same where you use the family laptop or computer for work as well as leisure. ~ Always use antivirus software ~ Only download phone or tablet Apps from approved stores as they are checked to provide a level of protection (e.g. Google Play or Apple App Store). ~ Never assume an email, text or call is authentic, even if they know some details about you. ~ When transacting online, ensure that the site is secure. Check for a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or the URL starts with a ‘https’ as the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’.

When we’re busy, we often click without thinking, so ~ Think before you act Don’t rush to click links from emails, popups or texts. Take a moment to consider if they are genuine. ~ Check it out Try and find out if it’s genuine. Make enquiries that does not involve replying to that particular email. Can you call the company and ask? Do not copy web addresses into your browser.

use one of storage methods. They are far cheaper than ever and are capable of storing large amount of data. Don’t forget to encrypt them – think of GDPR. Julie’s written a couple of articles on this already and I highly commend them.

Scan for Malware If you don’t know what you’re doing, it may be wise to take your device to a professional to check it for malware and a professional isn’t just someone who fixes computers – do your homework!

Otherwise, run a complete scan with your anti-virus program after you have disconnected your computer from the Internet. You can still run the scan without an Internet connection. If it prompts you to connect, don’t as this would allow any malware to continue running its course.

These scans can take some time to run so let it run and don’t do anything else on your device in the meantime. It tells you when the scan is complete and to remove any suspicious files found.

Be careful as some malware may be disguised as legitimate operating files, making it difficult for anti-virus programs to detect.

If you are still having issues with your device or want to be certain that your system is clean, it’s best to see a professional.

Change Your Credentials Malware can be used to harvest sensitive information. This can include online usernames and passwords, credit cards numbers, bank details and any other identifying information. If you think you’ve been compromised, change your online credentials immediately be it online accounts, email, online banking, social media – all of it!

Remember my advice from April’s edition, use different usernames and passwords for all of your online accounts to make it harder for criminals to steal your identity and your hard earned money.

Continue with Caution Your best protection is to be cautious and delete any emails or texts emails that you’re not happy with. A legitimate organisation or business will never ask you to share sensitive, personal information though insecure channels like email, text or pop-up messages.

What do it I do if I’ve taken the bait and think I’ve been bitten?

Monitor your bank account If your fingers have worked quicker than your brain and you’ve clicked, don’t panic. Follow these simple steps.

Disconnect Immediately disconnect your device from the Internet. Unplug the Ethernet/Internet cable if you are using a wired connection otherwise go into your Wi-Fi settings on that device and disconnect it from the current network. If you can’t find your Wi-Fi settings, go to your router and switch it off.

This can do several things. It can reduce the risk of malware spreading to other devices on your network. It can prevent the malware from sending sensitive information from your device and this can keep someone from remotely accessing it.

Backup your files If you have been following my recommendations from April’s LashEd article, you will be regularly backing up your data and hopefully at the end of the day!

Once your Internet is disconnected from the device, backup your files or they could be lost from the attack. If you regularly backup your files using methods like an external hard drive, USB thumb drive or cloud storage, then you may only need to backup files that have been updated or created since the last backup. Focus on protecting particularly sensitive documents and information as well as irreplaceable files like family photos and videos.

If you have never copied your files to a backup device or program,

Regularly check your bank accounts to ensure that there’s no unauthorised transactions. You could contact one of the major credit bureaus like Experian or Equifax and ask for a free 90-day fraud alert to be placed on your credit report. This will make it more difficult for attackers to open accounts in your name.

You should always be careful about giving out any personal or personal business information in any way. Keep an eye out for those on a ‘phishing’ trip at your expense and never feel pressured into giving any out any information, no matter how urgent it seems!

Don’t take their bait. Keep your business safe!

Thanks for readying!

Antony Knight CEO of Ant and Tech Editors Note With nearly 30 years in the IT industry, Antony knows his business and he's happy to write articles about the things that matter to you to help yours. Just let us know what you would like covered at julie@lash-ed.com - Julie Knight

Business |53

6 Policies that you need to implement now

By Jamie Butler

Implementing new policies can be tricky.

Lots of lash technicians put this off through fear of it having a negative effect on their business. They believe that doing so could result in losing clients, earning less money and causing them more stress than it’s worth, but that’s where they are wrong.

If you can action each of these 6 things, not only will you make more money, you will improve your reputation and you will be less stressed as a result. So please read and then action the following 6 points.

Trust us, you won’t regret it.

The Non-Refundable Booking Fee Policy We bet about 95% of lash technicians have had at least 1 no-show within the last 6 months right? You sit around, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for a client that is never going to turn up. This means that you end up losing out on valuable time and money. Not to mention the stress it causes. Clients never think about that fact that you are running a business and that you need money to live and why should they?

This is why a non-refundable booking fee is great. If you take a small amount of money from the client when they book in, we guarantee your no-show rate will drop massively. It also means that if you ever do get a no show, you will still have made a little bit of money to compensate you for your wasted time.

You may think that asking for some money up front will scare clients off, but think of it this way… If a client is 100% going to get their lashes done with you, what’s the difference in paying it now or after? The clients that refuse to pay are the ones that are most likely to be a no-show anyway. So it’s a win-win. If you don’t know what to write or say, here’s an example you can use for your policy: To secure an appointment, I require a non-refundable booking fee.

This fee will be discounted off the cost of your treatment. Payment is made when you initially book, either by PayPal or bank transfer (if over the phone/online) or also in cash in person if you prefer.

The 24/48 Hour (or more) Cancellation Notice Policy Moving on from no-shows to the equally as frustrating clients that cancel just hours before an appointment. In your clients head, there is nothing more they could have done. They have called/messaged and let you know the moment they knew themselves that they couldn’t make it. But that doesn’t help the fact that you are now stuck with an empty slot and no time to fill it.

This is where having a 24/48 hour cancellation policy comes in. If you don’t know what a 24/48 hour cancellation policy is then, in short, if a client cancels their appointment with you under 24 or 48 hours (you pick the timing) before the actual appointment, you still get a percentage (if not all) of the booking fee. If you make your client aware of your policy when they book, you will notice that clients will start to give you more notice when they cancel or if they can’t, they will have no choice but to accept. No one likes paying for nothing so we are not saying that it is fun and easy taking money from a client for nothing. But what it definitely will do is ensure clients give you as much notice as possible through fear of having to pay.

One thing we have found that doesn’t work is having a cancellation policy where you ask for 50% or even 100% of the treatment cost. If

the client doesn’t care enough to give you the correct amount of notice, they certainly aren’t going to give you any more money for it.

This is why taking the booking fee is perfect. It then becomes your leverage for cancellations as you already have the money from them instead of asking for it even though they aren’t coming.

Again, here is a ‘free to use’ example of a 24/48 hour cancellation policy wording, which you can add to the booking fee policy text: I require at least 24/48 hours notice for any clients that need to cancel.

If you cannot provide this notice it will result in the loss of your booking fee. This policy is set as I would not be able to refill the cancelled slot in under 24/48 hours.

The Client Lash Hygiene Policy Hands up who hates it when a client turns up with an entire factories worth of MAC on their face? Unfortunately, it’s not your clients fault if you haven’t made them aware that wearing make up is a no-no and that it only wastes time. So make sure you have a very clear no eye makeup policy in place. This will ensure that your client will turn up with fresh, clean lashes and lids, ready for being lashed. It also works the other way, if they turn up with a face full of makeup, they will already be aware they are wasting their own time as you will need to spend part of their allocated slot to lash prep and cleansing.

This one isn’t really that awkward to implement, so mentioning it during the consultation is fine. However, to cover your own back, here’s an example that you can use on your website or policy documents: I’d like to give every available minute possible to applying your lashes.

So please arrive at your appointment, whether it is for an infill or full set, with NO eye makeup on. Eye makeup can affect lash extensions and removing it takes up time and eats into the slot you have paid for.

The Early/Late Policy Whether a client is early or late, it can negatively affect your day.

Clients may think they are doing you a favour by turning up early, completely unaware that those 10 minutes are sacred and that they are stopping from drinking that cuppa you’ve been dying for since this morning. Clients will also turn up late, thinking that being 15 minutes late won’t affect anything. What they don’t know is itt means less time for lashing, it means you’ll be more rushed, resulting in poorer work and neither of you wants that. So a simple Early/Late Policy solves both issues. Here’s an example:

Please arrive at your appointment on time. If you arrive early, please wait until your allocated slot as I may be with another client, preparing for your appointment or even tending to personal matters. If you are late, please note that the time will come out of your allocation which may result in less lash coverage.

The No Audience Policy Most lash rooms can fit 2 maybe 3 people in. So when a client turns up with their Friend, Mum, Child, Dog, Sister, Auntie and 3rd cousin twice removed, it can cause unneeded distractions. You don’t want to spend your time entertaining an audience whilst attempting to master something as precise as a set of lashes, so make sure your clients are aware that additional guests are not permitted, unless prearranged, of course.

Need help with the wording? Here’s an example: Due to my insurance, children and/or pets are not allowed. Also, because of the size of my lash room, unless prearranged, friends and family members are not permitted during your appointment.

The Infilling Other Technicians Work Policy This one is up to you but we think you should seriously consider taking this policy on board. The reason for this is because other technicians use different products and may not have the same quality and care for their work. If you start mixing products and clearing up the other technicians’ mess, you’ll only waste time and the outcome won’t be ideal. This may then result in clients being unsatisfied with you, not their previous technician. So use this wording and offer a removal and full set instead:

Get featured in Lash~Ed! Here's some ways that you can get involved and help others: ~ Share lash knowledge, tips or a great story ~ Show and tell others about your stunning lash work ~ Share business or marketing skills, tools or tips

Earn your Lash~ Ed badge!

Due to the high quality of products I use, I will not infill another technicians work. A removal and full set would be required in this instance.

If you can implement all of these policies, we promise you will see a positive change in the attitude of your clients and also your reputation.

You may lose a few clients to start with, but they really aren’t the clients you want to build your business on.

Good luck out there and let us know if you have any other policies in place that help keep your business running smoothly.

Jamie Butler Chief Marketing Officer, LASHBASE www.lashbase.co.uk Tel: 02392 251425

Introducing . . .

Jessika Aude Gautier Jessika Aude Gautier is a busy lady! She is the founder and owner of Star Lashes with studios in Montreal, Hollywood FL and West Palm Beach FL. Also, Distributions Star Lashes that ships Lash and Brow products worldwide as well as running World Beauty University and offering Volume training World Wide.

Jessika recently ran a championship and Lash-Ed asked her about it.

'Having been in the beauty business for quite a while, I realize that a little heathy competition is always good. I was looking to offer my students and all lash and brow artists from all over the world a little challenge and the opportunity to surpass themselves and proudly show their work to the world. As I always think bigger than life so I wanted to organize a huge competition with beautiful trophies!!! I was traveling so much, and my assistant helping me with the project at the time had health issues, so I had to start with online competition but we still had beautiful trophies!

It has been a great learning experience - setting up a Facebook page, setting up a google form, answering tones of emails, following up on registrations, going through photos. I am much better at lashing then with computers! I absolutely loved every minute of it but, never got to meet the participants in person and that was my big disappointment, not to be able to congratulate them in person, take pictures together, exchange about our common passion over dinner and drinks, and so on...'

Why should anyone participate in a championship?

Participating in a championship will give great exposure to your business, whether you work alone or operate a big Studio. Tell your clients that you are participating. Talk about your participation in social media and share posts of the championship as this alone will bring you more clients. As for the winners, this will bring you recognition and increase your earnings through the roof. We had an amazing response for our first edition with lash and brow artists from all over the world entering our Championship.

What’s next?

We are happy to announce that the World Beauty University Lash & Brow Online Championship 2019 is on! We offer outstanding prizes, certificates of participation and winners will be published on our Facebook page.

You must register before 14th February 2019 and to enter, go to our Facebook page: World Beauty University- LASH and Brow Championship where you will find the rules and criteria. There’s 3D-6D Volume, Mega Volume and we have added a new category due to popular demand – ‘Kim Kardashian style’. Our fantasy theme is ‘Diamonds’. There’s 3 entry levels being beginner, pro and expert.

Good luck to all participants!!!

56 | Business

Lash-Ed is the first to know that we will have brand new live competition in Florida in a beautiful venue i the fall.

Show us your expertise, your beautiful work, your artistry, your masterpieces!!!

Jessika Aude Gautier www.distributionsstarlashes.com www.worldbeautyuniversity.com

Are you on top of your GDPR requirements or has it on top of you?

We’re probably a bit tired of hearing about the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR! It’s that regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the EU. Like me, you’ve probably been swamped with emails in the run up to Friday 25th May from businesses or organisations that you have never heard of, let alone remember signing up for their newsletters!

Now the big day has come and gone, it’s no surprise that the world is still turning!

GDPRs main aim is to give control back to individuals over their personal data and to establish a single set of rules across Europe. If you listen to the Information Commissioner, it’s not about making your life harder, though you may have other views!

In April’s edition, we summarised the 12 steps recommended by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) to prepare for the changes. If you haven’t considered these steps and taken any action, then you need to as you are collecting personal and even sensitive data from your clients and they have certain rights (and rightly so!).

Data audit Hopefully by now, you have undertaken an audit of what personal data you hold, where it’s from and who you share it with. This was the 2nd step. If you service clients, then it’s really simple. You probably receive information face to face during your consultations so it’s directly from the person themselves and you will have no reason to share it with anyone other than your insurer should the need ever arise.

Privacy information You may have communicated your new Privacy information (just think about all those emails in the run up to the 25th May from organisations telling you about theirs!).

They were fulfilling this 3rd step. So when you collect personal data, you have to give people information about your identity and how you will use their information and this is usually done through a privacy policy or notice and these are usually published on your Website so they’re accessible. It should be clear and easy to understand giving your lawful basis for processing the data, your data retention periods and they have a right to complain to the ICO if they think there is a problem with the way you are handling their data.

Some of you may have adjusted your consultation forms or bought new ones or added another sheet to existing ones which is what I’ve done.

If you are still struggling with your privacy information, you are welcome to use mine and craft it to suit your needs.

I've covered: ~ Why I need their personal data. ~ Acknowledged that some may be sensitive as it relates to their health and therefore requires greater protection. ~ Where I record their data and what they are for. ~That I will not pass your information to anyone or use it for advertising purposes. ~ How long I’m required to keep these records for. ~ That they have the right to request ‘to be forgotten’ and what that means and despite that right, I’m required to keep relevant information for a period of time. ~ They have the right to request access the personal data that’s held and how to do this and what happens next inaccuracies in my records, you have the right to request that they are corrected. ~ How I store their data. ~ What I will do in the unlikely event of a breach. ~ They have a right to complain to the ICO though I would be grateful for the opportunity to address their queries and allay your concerns first.

I have then added a suite of opt in or out boxes that requires positive action, such as: ~ Acknowledging that they have read and understood the information. ~ A simple yes or no response to whether I can process their personal data and why. ~ A simple yes or no response about whether I can take and use pictures of their lashes for marketing purposes (remember, if someone could potentially be identified from a picture, it’s personal data and subject to these rules). ~ What is their preferred method of contact and I’ve offered options and asked them to confirm the telephone number or email address etc. ~That all important signature, printed name and date.

I’ve placed this example in the Lash-Ed Magazine Group on Facebook . You are welcome to use or adapt it for your own personal use.

If you are feeling daunted by GDRP, There’s help out there. Try the Information Commissioners website at www.ico.org.uk or there’s lawyers offering their services like Suzanne Dibble (LLB).

You can join her Facebook group called GDRP for online entrepreneurs for free and work through her tips and videos.

Best wishes, Julie

Knight - Editor Business | 57

Making Tax Digital “I have written the first draft of this article using pen and paper as technology has failed me today and I am unable to get on to my laptop, luckily I can type this up on my phone and submit in time for the deadline. That leads me on to the topic of this article quite nicely!”

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is an initiative implemented by the government for businesses to organise and submit information direct to HMRC using software which will streamline the process of submitting tax information.

Potential Benefits of MTD Some of the benefits noted on the gov.uk website are as follows. ~ Less paperwork. ~ Accessible cloud accounting software. ~ Ease of access to accounting records (ensuring you are in a safe environment to access data). ~ Ability to keep track of tax information and upcoming tax payments. ~ An alternate method to view your business aiding budgeting and financial analysis. ~ Collaboration with team members or your accountant/agent. ~ Ability to contact HMRC via web chat and online sources. ~ Direct feed of bank accounts to software allowing you to record and categories transactions with ease.

I am looking forward to MTD as this will make collaboration easier with clients and streamline the whole process and experience in dealing with business accounts. By digitising records and working in this way I hope it will allow more time to interpret data and analyse the business to assist in setting and reviewing strategy and business goals.

By Ria-Jaine Lincoln

the regular updates will impact your day to day schedule.

Some things to think about are easily implemented such as having a quiet place to sit and review/submit your accounts, a conversation with your accountant to determine the level of collaboration you would like and if any training of the software needs to be arranged.

It is also worth deciding if you will be submitting the information yourself or handing over to an agent to take care of submission each quarter as this may require updating any current engagement letter that is in place.

Most importantly and a question that is often overlooked by assumptions is also ensuring that you have access to the technology and devices to allow you to use MTD software!

Key Deadlines April 2019 - All VAT registered businesses (including self-employed individuals) with a turnover exceeding the VAT threshold (£85,000 for 2018/19) are required to keep digital records FOR VAT PURPOSES. This will enable them to submit their VAT return information to HMRC via MTD software.

Please also note that businesses below the threshold can choose to opt in to take advantage of the digitised method of record keeping. (www.gov.uk)

With anything new, no doubt there will be teething problems along the way but your accountant can help with the adjustment. Adapting to MTD may not come naturally for all but it really is better to embrace the change rather than spend any time worrying about it. I love a spreadsheet but I can’t help but be excited for what the future holds with the ease of real time collaboration in the cloud.

Income Tax MTD Pilot

Software

For more information on any of the above please do get in touch.

It would be great to hear from you to understand your views or experience with making the switch to MTD so far, if at all.

There are lots of free software available via the www.gov.uk website or your accountant can assist you in choosing the best software for your business should you wish.

Some of the most popular softwares amongst the beauty industry are Wave, Quickbooks and Xero. It is important to research and trial software to determine which one is best for you and your business. There are lots of great user friendly software available for desktop, mobile device(apps) that will allow you to submit real time information to HMRC. A poll I released within an online community found that the majority of businesses have not yet made the switch to MTD software and currently use excel or paper based system. Now is a great time to start thinking about what software you are going to use and how

HMRC have opened a pilot scheme for income tax which includes self employed businesses and landlords. If you would like to become a part of this pilot and start to use software to regularly submit updates to HMRC please do check out the information on gov.uk or speak to your accountant today.

You can also find me on the Olympia Beauty stage 1st October 2018.

See Olymoia's website for details at www.olympiabeauty.co.uk/business-accounts-and-beauty/

Ria-Jaine|MAAT|Licensed Accountant www.riajaineaccounts.co.uk Email: info@riajaineaccounts.co.uk www.facebook.com/riajaineaccounts/ https://instagram.com/p/Bj4-rtpFbOL/

Wellbeing

Healthy eating for busy people Why being busy is not a valid reason to neglect your health!

What if I told you there are some really easy ways to change up the way you eat to make your life healthier physically and mentally without having to increase your shopping bill or spend all weekend in the kitchen cooking?

What if I had an answer for every reason you gave me as to why you can’t eat more healthily?

What if eating in a healthier way was actually enjoyable, gave you days back lost to sickness, gave you more energy?

It is possible . . . promise!

A couple of months ago I was asked to write an article for a magazine called "Ask An Expert: Is there a healthy way to diet?". I give out advice all the time, so I approached my nutrition group and asked them what advice had I given that had resonated the most with them and helped them change their approach to ‘dieting’. Not surprisingly, they all had a different answer, proving that one approach does not fit all! Here’s what resonated the most.

There is a healthy way to diet, and not just a way to lose or maintain weight but ways to improve your relationship with food. Can you imagine living like this in a years’ time? If the answer is yes, then your lifestyle balance is right.

If the thought fills you with dread then it is time to make some changes.

In order to lose excess weight/fat we need to eat in a calorie deficit. This can be done by reducing food intake and/or increasing activity levels.

Ideally a combination of both is best, as it helps us improve both our physical and mental wellbeing. By doing this in a healthy way we can continue the same lifestyle once the ideal weight is reached and reduce the rebound cycle or yo-yo dieting that has held many people mentally hostage for as long as they can remember. Changing your lifestyle is about creating healthy new habits and behaviours and creating your new ‘normal’. This shouldn’t be something you dread but something that you see and feel the benefits of.

Drink more water This won’t be news to you but most people still aren’t drinking enough water.

Carry a bottle everywhere. Put it on your desk with the lid off. Aim to drink at least 500mls by 10am, 2pm, 6pm and 10pm. Drink more if you are exercising.

Water has huge benefits in increasing focus and concentration as well as reducing appetite so make sure that bottle goes with you everywhere!

Make informed choices Research what you read and what people tell you. Challenge diets that have a special name or an end date, especially any that promise certain results in a very short period of time. Does it sound healthy to you? Will the results impact you physically or mentally in a positive or negative way? When choosing foods ask yourself if your choices are taking you closer to your goal?

Be consistent – Plan, Prepare, Persevere If you want to change your lifestyle you have to be consistent, not one week on two weeks off or a last 6-week panic before your holiday! Be consistent, take action every day that will take you a little step closer to your goal. Plan ahead. What will you have time to prepare, cook and eat? Prepare in advance and then persevere with sticking to your plan. The more you plan and prepare the less opportunity you have for excuses to go off plan!

1% Don’t try and make huge changes, for many people this is a short cut to failure. The 1% was a successful strategy used by the British Sky Cycling team and is transferable to all areas of life. Make small 1% changes that will take you closer to your goal and then focus on being consistent. 1% daily is more likely to achieve success than 1 week of 100% before falling off the wagon. It is also a key driver of success in changing habits and behaviours.

Don’t hit the pause button

Here are my top tips to do this in a healthy, sustainable way.

More good food, not less food Being in a calorie deficit should not mean eat less. Eat more good food.

Think volume of low calorie food rather than a reduced amount of high calorie food. Focus on 80/20. 80% of what your body needs, macronutrients, vitamins, minerals etc and 20% of what it wants - the treats that help keep the balance and sustainability. If your body was a vehicle and food is fuel how much fuel do you need for the day (high or low) and what fuel will your body run most efficiently on.

Be conscious of how your body reacts to certain foods and find the optimum fuel for you.

Life is never going to be easy, or calm or predictable so if you are waiting for an ideal time to start making changes then you will always have a reason to not start at all. If you are using a tough week, or a holiday as a reason to pause, then you are reducing the chance of reaching your goals. It may also be a sign that what you are doing is not sustainable.

Whether life is good or life is a challenge we still have to eat. Learn the skills and behaviours that will help you manage in these situations, especially considering this is quite possibly when you need your physical and mental health looking after the most!

Zoe Thompson Phoenix Life and Wellbeing Coach www.phoenixlifecoach.co.uk Editors Note Zoe is a lifestyle and wellbeing coach. She's the voice in your ear that tells you that you can working with clients both online and face to face to help them reach their full capability. She's a Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner with over 10 years of coaching and mentoring experience. She offers online webinar training, group workshops, online community groups and Individual coaching plans. My daughter has just done 2 of her Webinars and she's doing things that surprise me - and her! I highly commend Zoe. - Julie Knight

Wellbeing | 61

Do you radiate or drain?

It is not uncommon for us to see the quotes about ‘Drains and Radiators’, reminding us to choose who we surround ourselves with.

How often do you stop and reflect which one you are when you see the quote?

How often do you stop and ask yourself whether you drain or radiate those around you?

Self-reflection, is hard. It can be incredibly difficult to accept that we aren’t always what or who we would like to be. However selfreflection is key to being the best that you can possibly be. Yes, it is important to check who you surround yourself with, but it is also important to check how people around you are feeling in your company.

Are you radiating warmth and energy to those around you?

Are you sharing in their excitement of their achievements?

Are you providing them with that reassurance and support that helps them fulfil their dreams?

Are you the person that people come to when they have good news to share?

I don’t believe that anyone sets out to be a drain. I don’t believe that people wake up in the morning determined to drain the positive energy from people. So how does this happen?

If we are honest with ourselves, we can probably all admit that at some point we have been the drain. Our conversations and language negative, the glass half empty, the huffing and puffing and sighing as we moan about how badly life is treating us.

I talk about the change curve by Elizabeth Kubler Ross and how it is important to not get stuck in the curve - in particular, the left side of it or in the dip in the middle. Whilst this was initially created to explain how people deal with bereavement, it has since been used and applied to most circumstances of change. Knowing you need to make a change is one thing, being ready to make the change is another.

With the change curve, you need to identify where you are. Think about the situation you are in. Take a moment, look at the curve diagram and identify what your present state is. We don’t all move

through the curve at the same pace or the same order and often people will ‘ping pong’ back and forth as they try and work out new approaches.

Once you have identified where you are, you can start to think about what you need to do to get to the ‘Acceptance’ and ‘Moving on’ stages until the new way is embedded and has become the norm.

Let’s take nutrition as an example. Denial can play a big part in refusing to accept that there is a problem. Fear of change or anger that the situation has become ‘this bad’ are often feelings and emotions that people need to work through.

For some, the feeling of depression can often feel like they have ‘hit rock bottom’. Now, whilst this is a negative, this is often the driver for the change that is needed to motivate them to move forwards.

Once you understand what needs to change and accept how you can start to implement changes, then you are already starting to move forward to where you want to be and achieve the goal you want to achieve.

So if you already know what you want to change, and you know what you need to do to make that change but are struggling to identify why you can’t take that first step, or why you keep going back, this may have helped to explain it.

Back to becoming a drain….

So becoming a drain is what happens when we get stuck. We get angry, frustrated, we may get feelings of stress or depression and whilst it affects us, it also effects those around us. This is why it is important not to get stuck in the curve. This is why it is important to check where you are in the curve and check if your behaviour is draining others.

When people start to display drain like behaviour this may be a sign that they are stuck in the change curve. It is part of the relationship for us to help them recognise their behaviour and support them to move on. Whilst it is down to the individual to want to change, this does require self-reflection, which can often be difficult if we are in a negative mind-set. That’s where friends and family can support us in seeing this. Yes we should surround ourselves with radiators, but we should also be radiators to the drains.

You don’t have to struggle through it alone. Coaching support can help you with this, as can a support network. Team Phoenix provides both. If you want to find out more get in touch.

Zoe Thompson Phoenix Life and Wellbeing Coach www.

62 | Wellbeing

phoenixlifecoach.co.uk

Safety

Safety

Adhesive matters Part 1 In May, Lash~Ed asked its readers, 'if you could ask an expert a question about your adhesive, what would it be?'.

With Doug Schoon they want to blame the product and their clients. They ought to stop and look at their techniques first. They may decide that this does not create any problems as it’s only one or two clients rather than all of them so it might be the product - but they should look at themselves first.

You had a lot of great questions and our Editor, Julie Knight had a fantastic opportunity to put them Does using primer on lashes before treating actually make a difference or is cleansing alone enough? to a renowned expert, Doug Schoon.

Doug is an internationally-recognized scientist, author and educator with over 30 years’ experience in the cosmetic, beauty and personal care industry. He is a leading industry authority, known for his technical and regulatory work that has helped shape the beauty industry.

Here's what he said.....

There’s been advice about the need to wash the lashes after treating. This challenges the ‘keep them dry for 24-hour rule.’ There’s a lot of confusion and some people need convincing about it.

My first question is, ‘where if that old advice come from and why do people believe it?’ It’s something that someone made up and starting teaching. If you think about it, it makes no sense because they use nanomisters so they get the lashes wet anyway. I don't understand the difference. In my opinion, this has caused the industry more problems than any other myth I have ever seen because you're leaving things on the skin that can cause allergic reactions over time that should be washed off. You are also leaving pathogens and bacteria on the skin that can cause infections. It’s just not sanitary.

I don’t understand why people would follow obviously unsanitary advice without any information or evidence. An educator at some point must have decided that this was a fact and starting teaching it as such.

Where lashes aren’t adhering or if something goes wrong, lashers tend to blame the product or the client rather than think that it is something that they have done. They see lifting and ask what the client’s done as it must be that. The first thing they ought to think is, ‘is it something I'm doing?’ Unfortunately, it often becomes the last thing they look at. They're creating their own problems because

People don’t understand what a primer is. Primer is something that works when nothing else does. It’s not just something you automatically use unless the manufacturer tells you to use it every time. Generally, people just slop it on. They don’t understand that using too much can actually block adhesion so it’s about using the primer properly.

The first thing to do is to check that products are used in accordance with manufacturer's directions. If they’re making up their own procedure then maybe that's the problem. If people don't understand how primers work then they are bound to use them incorrectly.

Primers help virgin lashes. Damaged lashes usually don't need much help with adhesion as there’s a lot of surface damage on it from the last time so it’s easy to adhere to. Oily virgin lashes or people who play with their lashes a lot are the ones with adhesion challenges.

If anyone has an adhesion challenge then a thin layer of primer is all you need. Less is more when it comes to primer. So just enough to barely wet the surface. Anything more will actually start to weaken the bond.

I know a couple of people have had the Primer enter their eye and it really does hurt.

Well people think more is better. That's the other myth that needs to be busted. Many times, less is best. We don't like people who overact or over eat but we should stop and realize that there are other things that can be overdone as well. Using too much primer is one of them. Same with the glue. People can use too much glue.

More is not better.

Some lash techs cleanse the lashes with saline or hot water. Some think that it makes the hair thirsty or opens up the cuticle. What are your thoughts?

The hair never gets thirsty. That’s the first thing to understand.

The second thing to understand is there is almost no difference between saline and water. Saline is 99.1% water and 0.9% sodium chloride. To think that there's something magical about that 0.09% added to the water is pure marketing. People can't sell water but they can sell saline. There's virtually no difference to the lashes. The eyeball will be less irritated with saline. That tiny amount of salt can make a difference to a living cell but not to cyanoacrylates or your lashes as they don't care!

‘Speed up’ solutions claim to speed up the adhesives cure time. It’s applied to the bases of the extensions just before they’re used. What’s your thoughts?

People think faster is better. Why is faster better? If I paint your house in half a day do you think I’m going to do a good job?

Probably not. It's not about speed. If your adhesive is setting too slowly then it could be the humidity or temperature in your salon.

You should address these. You may be using a slow setting adhesive so buy a faster setting one.

Trying to speed it up with a ‘speed up’ solution is forcing the glue to cure faster than it’s supposed to. You can shock cure the glue. If you cure the glue too quickly, you can get little tiny microscopic cracks all throughout the adhesive and that causes it to weaken. This happens with the nanomister. They are okay to use after the adhesive is already set but if you use it to speed cure your adhesive then you are going to crack the product and your adhesion is not going to be as good.

Using the speed up solutions or nanomister to make the product set is a bad idea. It is better to fix the problem, so your salons temperature and humidity or get a faster setting adhesive. They make faster curing adhesive now so you don’t have to bother with ‘speed up’ solutions. If you need to use one then that tells me one of these three things is wrong.

Once someone is treated, how long to they need to wait before washing the lashes and the eye area?

The cyanoacrylate will set and harden almost instantly.

Hardening is only 50% cure. So, just because it's hard doesn't mean that it is fully cured. The rest of that cure happens in the next 5 or 10 minutes at the most. So if you want to nanomist after that then it’s okay. If you're using the nanomister sooner to make that adhesive set then you’ll weaken the adhesives bond.

So nanomisting is fine after the fact, just like washing. After the last lash is on and you spend 4-5 minutes tidying up, then it will be okay to wash the lashes. If you don’t believe me, try it on one eye!

The cyanoacrylate will set and harden almost instantly. Hardening is only 50% cure. The rest of that cure happens in the next 5 or 10 minutes at the most. So if you want to nanomist after that then it’s okay. If you're using the nanomister sooner to make that adhesive set then you’ll weaken the adhesives bond.

It’s amazing how strong that ‘keep dry’ myth is!

Myths survive because they sound good.

People don't want to really research things so they don’t really have a really deep understanding of what they're doing. They

have a superficial understanding. When someone tells them something that sounds good then how will they know that it’s not right? This is why you have got to have a deeper understanding.

There are many things that sound good that are not right.

What’s your views on the relevance of air blowers?

Having air blown across the lashes is not going to speed up the cure. If anything, you will blow away the vapors from your clients breathing zone and yours so you're not overexposed to the vapors.

There are better solutions than just blowing them around the salon. There's something called a source capture system that actually captures the vapors and puts them through a charcoal filter and let's cleaner air back out. These are much better than just blowing a fan. The fans are not going the speed up the cure, it just might reduce sensory irritation. This is something that irritates your eyes, nose or throat. These are simple irritations.

Blowing the vapors away can reduce the irritation but you’re just blowing them round the salon. If there’s just one person working then it’s probably not a big deal but if there’s 4 or 5 people working then you are just blow your vapors around the room for everyone to breathe in!

It's probably better to use a source capture system and a company that makes one that I really like is aerovex.com. They make one especially for lashers and I think it’s especially good.

As more irritation and eye allergies happen, the demand for them will go up.

Are you aware of anyone experiencing serious health concerns due to inhalation of the vapours?

Well, I doubt that's going to happen. People working in factories where they make cyanoacrylate don’t have those problems.

What they end up with is temporary irritations that’s reversible when you control the problem. If I work in a dusty environment then I’m going to cough all the time because of the dust. The dust isn’t killing me. It's telling me that I am exposing myself to too much of it. It's the same thing with cyanoacrylates. They are irritants. They can cause the eyes nose and throat to become irritated where concentrations are exceeded. The worst case scenario is that they could become allergic to their products.

What’s most likely to be happening is that people already have existing asthma or allergies when they are complaining about lung problems. Exposure to the irritating vapors from cyanoacrylate makes it worse and kicks off the existing allergy.

It’s not likely to cause asthma but if you have asthma, it can trigger an asthmatic event. So, people see these things happen and they want to blame the product right away rather than realizing that they have underlying health issues.

If you are working with proper ventilation, no one even needs to suffer eye irritation. So, anybody suffering are not using their products properly. Generally, people are hunched over their client’s faces and right over their eyes being nose to nose!

Where you have your face right over your cyanoacrylate that’s probably sitting on your client's forehead on a little dish, then what do you expect is going to happen? If I held a cigar under my nose and I start coughing, what do I expect? It’s the cigar!

Lash-Ed would like to extend it's sincere thanks to Doug Schoon for both his precious time and his expert advice for our readers.

Catch up with part 2 of Julie's interview with this renowed scientist in the next edition and learn more myth busting, expert advice from an expert.

Safety | 65

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Safety or Comfort?

Adapting massage couches for comfort?

By Julie Knight - Editor

But what about safety?

Many of us start off with a portable beauty or massage couch as they are relatively cheap to buy when compared to some of the stunning beds available on the market.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a growing trend in therapists complaining about the design of many of the wooden framed ones. They often have a wooden board called a stability panel fixed between the legs at each end of the table. Given how close we need to be to the end of the bed to work effectively, this panel makes it difficult for us to get our legs underneath the couch. I have spent many years in a rather unladylike position with my legs astride and I’m lucky that I don’t suffer any discomfort because of it (for now!) as ergonomically, it's not considered!

Some therapists have taken to removing the panel or adapting the bed by adding something else in its place.

I’ve not done this as I worried about its effect on the structure and the integrity of the bed and what my insurers would say if something went wrong. I know that 2 of my students had to replace their couches immediately after being heavily laden as they did not cope with the task at hand. Alarmingly, these were reasonably new (different brands) and looked after so they were in their original state.

I approached 8 portable beauty/massage couch suppliers and asked if it was okay to remove the panel, or move it further down or strengthen it some other way.

Here’s what some had to say:

the bottom of the couch but, over time, serious manufacturers have been working closely with therapists to add ergonomic design features that allow the therapist much better, injury free access whilst carrying out treatments whether it be standing or seated.

Natural Living: ‘This is not recommended as it will severely affect the structural integrity of the massage table’.

Affinity end panels will allow a seated therapist to comfortably sit with legs under the table or a standing therapist to manoeuvre without bumping legs on the frame’.

Aosom UK: ‘We would not advise to alter this item as is could affect the correct performance of this item. We can only advise that this item should be used as intended with all parts included’.

Body Massage Shop: ‘We wouldn’t recommend it and it might invalidate the warranty’.

Sport and Leisure UK: ‘You need the board on to make the table more sturdy and keep the table together’.

Beauty 4 Less: ‘We wouldn't recommend removing these bits of wood as it may interfere with the stability of the bed’.

Massage Warehouse: ‘It is a bad idea, as the tables are not designed for modification. It would also nullify your table’s warranty’.

Ellison’s: ‘It is not safe to take them off in case there’s a problem the couch’.

Affinity massage couch manufacturers: ‘The end panel is an important part of the couch structure as it adds strength and stability to the frame. Historically the end panel was a bar along

So, some companies are aware of the problem and have adapted theirs so you don't put yourself and your clients at risk. Having said that, the one's that I have seen could work well if you're seated low down. Many of us need to be a bit higher up to be able to see and reach our clients, especially if lash pillows are used!

In all, 8 companies are saying - Do not alter your couches.

Buy one that meets your needs rather than adapt it.

I asked Insurance providers for their views.

The Guild of Beauty Therapists said, ‘You can't remove panels from a couch. This would invalidate your insurance’.

Salon Gold said, ‘In the event of a claim the insurers would assess the circumstances of the incident occurring. Removing the stabilisers may make the couch unsafe for the client to use, and can potentially go against the individual in a claim’.

Safety | 67

Protecting your salon

By Julie Knight - Editor

I’ve heard that several hair and beauty salons around the UK have been burgled recently. This can be a deeply upsetting experience with a significant disruptive impact on your business.

In April’s Lash-Ed, we introduced you to Clare, a Crime Think like a burglar!

Prevention expert who offered advice about staying There's 4 typical types of burglaries nowadays and these may sound safe as a lone worker. It seems timely to offer some familiar from experience, the News or TV shows. advice about keeping your salon safe.

You may wonder what qualifies me, a lash stylist, trainer and lash magazine editor to offer advice about crime prevention. After all, what would I know about preventing crime and how criminals operate?! In truth, I know quite a lot given my 28 years as a police officer who’s caught many burglars, some in the act. I’ve interviewed many criminals about what they did and why they did it. I’ve investigated, empathised and advised thousands of victims of crime. I’ve worked with academics and criminologists to understand criminal behaviour to inform prevention initiatives.

I’ve been highly trained in crime prevention by the professional policing body. I’ve served as my Constabulary’s lead officer for it and written most of their crime prevention literature for victims.

I hope that what I’ve learned over the years helps you to protect your business and its interests.

As I’m not standing beside you in your salon surveying your pride and joy (your salon), I have to keep my advice generalised - but there’s enough to go on!

I’m encouraging you to review your own security arrangements and enhance what you have. It could be the difference between ‘business as usual’ or a day or few lost as you reschedule clients, repair the damage, replace your stock and calculate your losses.

Sadly, there is a wealth of evidence that proves that once you have been burgled, the risk of it happening again is much higher. So after the unfortunate event, don’t be tempted to put things back to the ‘way they were’. There are many things that you can do to prevent a burglary and it actually helps to think like a burglar! If it looks relatively easy to break in to your salon and there’s potentially something worth taking, then you’re at risk.

If you’re thinking about installing or upgrading your physical security, there are many different products available. I highly recommend using companies whose products have ‘Secured by Design’ status. Doors, windows, shutters and grilles with this status mean that they have been tested and meet high security standards.

The research has been done for you by professionals that are trusted by the police service. This is relevant to the UK and it may be wise to check to see if there is a similar accrediting body in your country.

68 | Safety

Smash and Grab. This is a quick way in and causes a lot noise and damage. Burglars may use stones to smash windows and grab goods from the window display or the high value stock close by.

Ram raids. Like a smash and grab but with a mightier implement to get in and away again. This is a planned operation where cars or vans (usually stolen ones) are driven and rammed into shop fronts or at the back if vehicle access is good and security is weak there.

Goods in easy reach are grabbed and they’re usually gone in the vehicle in under 60 seconds.

Opportunistic. This lacks obvious planning. Burglars exploit vulnerabilities like a weak door that looks easy to force open or a window that will smash easily. They usually steal what they can carry so they don’t tend to take much. You could be considered a ‘soft’ target to one of these if you don’t do much to protect your salon and what’s in it.

Sophisticated. This is seriously planned. Burglars may overcome alarm systems by disabling them or repeatedly setting them off as a ploy for the police and key holders to stop responding to them.

They usually want high value stock or the safe.

What you need to think about The level of investment in your physical security should depend on the level of risk to your business. This includes: Where it is. Are you on a busy High Street with lots of passers-by at all hours who act as ‘natural surveillance’ or are you somewhere a bit out of the way and secluded where a burglar is less likely to be noticed?

How old and maintained your building is. Police Crime Prevention Design experts like Clare are consulted by developers or builders about new builds and the likelihood of it being a magnet for crime due to design. They should include crime prevention measures like the doors and windows with ‘Secured by Design’ status. If you’re refurbishing, that’s a chance to build in these preventive measures.

The extent of your business. It may be thought that you keep cash on site overnight or stock that’s in demand by thieves as well as customers. GHD hair straighteners have been highly sought after by thieves as they’re expensive and there’s a profit to be made.

Review your security Welcome to the Onion peeling principal. If you saw the 1st Shrek film, you’ll remember Shrek telling Donkey that Ogres are like onions as they both have layers! Think of your premises from the inside out or the outside in – so think in layers. We’ll start with the external boundary of your premises that is within your control as you are responsible for it. Then work inwards and think about the building and its contents.

Boundary ~ Have high defences like fences at the back and sides of the property ~ Use adequate external lighting ~ Install and use an intruder alarm

Building ~ Fit or upgrade to ‘Secured by Design’ doors and windows and use suitable locks ~ Install toughened glass or grilles ~ stall and use good quality CCTV

Contents ~ Arrange displays so anyone can see into the salon clearly ~ Install and use a safe ~ Remove high value goods from window displays and leave the till drawer empty and open Then, there’s your staff! But let’s go through these in a bit more detail.

Boundary High defences like fences Good quality fencing that is at least 1.8 metres high prevents easy access. If you have a low wall, increase its height with fencing that’s flush to the outer section so there’s no lip that could enable someone to get a footing to climb over. You can make it more difficult to climb by planting thorny shrubs against it or adding trellis or anti-climb plastic spikes on top of it. Don’t use broken glass as this is illegal in the UK and can harm wildlife and pets!

Ensure that any gates are kept locked too but do think about how you and are staff can escape quickly and easily in the event of an emergency.

Fixing bollards or large concrete planters into the ground around your premises can protect it from ram raiders but you will need planning permission and approval from your landlord.

Lighting Automatic or passive infrared lights that activate when they detect movement can deter intruders. It’s wise to have good lighting outside shop fronts that are generally overlooked by passers-by whereas increased lighting may make it easier for burglars to work in remote or quieter areas.

Alarms Alarms are a good deterrent. Two alarm boxes mounted at the front and back of the property is wise. They should be placed out of reach to avoid tampering and where they can be easily seen.

There’s 3 types that vary in cost and capability.

1. Auto Dialler alarms alert key holders to an alarm activation by a text or phone call.

2. Monitored alarms are overseen by companies who contact key holders on activation and usually call the police too.

3. Unmonitored audible alarms sound on activation but they rely on neighbours or people passing by to call the police. They’re intended to scare intruders away and alert others but be mindful that people often ignore them these days.

Building Fit ‘Secured by Design’ doors and window and use suitable locks Good quality locks and hinges for external doors make for the most cost effective security measure. They should be at least up to the quality of a five lever mortice lock. Ground floor windows and accessible ones on other floors should be fitted with good quality window locks. It’s wise to fit alarm sensors to external doors and windows at the very least.

Install toughened glass or grilles Laminated glass is very difficult to break as it has a layer of toughened plastic that’s bonded between its glass sheets to hold it together. To be effective, its frame and fixings need to be strong too. A cheap way of improving the windows strength is to applying a plastic film on the inside that’s available in various grades.

Grilles and Shutters can deter burglars but externally fitted ones need planning permission. There’s often resistance from Planners as they can make the environment appear hostile and not aesthetically pleasing, especially as they often attract graffiti (or street artistry if you prefer that term). Secured by Design also discourages their use in favour of internal shutters or grilles that do not obscure the view from outside in as this helps with ‘natural surveillance’.

Install and use good quality CCTV CCTV can be an effective tool that may deter some burglars and can help with the investigation of crime. However, it doesn’t replace the need for good quality physical security so it does have limitations.

You need to carefully consider where the cameras are placed and how the system is managed. Position cameras where they are best able to obtain good quality facial images so someone could be recognised. If it doesn’t, it will not be of any evidential value. Ensure that the date and time are shown on the recording. They should be out of easy reach to prevent tampering with enough light in the vicinity for it to work well.

Given how intrusive CCTV is, there’s codes of practice set out by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) that is the supervising authority for the UK. It’s about justifying your actions and it can be found here https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1542/cctv-codeof-practice.pdf You also need to be registered with the ICO if you are UK based as images of people are protected by the Data Protection Act. This is

regardless of how many or few cameras you have and how good or bad they are! There is a small annual charge for this.

Visit their website for more details at https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-dataprotection-regulation-gdpr/accountability-and-governance/ guide-to-the-data-protection-fee/ You will need to place prominent warning signs around your building and in reception area that CCTV is in use.

Of note, there’s 2 bodies who accredit Alarm and CCTV companies. There’s the National Security Inspectorate and the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board. It’s wise to choose an accredited company and get at least 3 quotes.

Contents Arrange displays so that anyone can see right into the salon Remember, burglars don’t want to be seen as they work. If passers-by can see into your salon clearly, chances are that they’ll see something and report it. I’ve caught burglars this way!

Fit and use a safe A good quality safe will help to protect cash and valuable items.

It should be fixed into the ground and positioned discreetly. If you have a burglar alarm, you can include sensors inside the safe too. Your insurers may offer guidance on specifications for safes and insurable value of their contents that you shouldn’t exceed.

Remove high value goods from window displays and leave the till drawer open and empty You now know how some burglars like the opportunist ones work. If you remove the opportunity then your level of risk decreases. It’s wise to remove or keep high value goods away from window displays. You could use dummy goods or empty boxes for display purposes and make it clear that they are.

Leaving the till visible, open and clearly empty makes it obvious to would-be burglars who are likely to lose interest.

Your Staff You can invest in physical security like good doors, windows and CCTV systems but they’re only effective if you and your staff are! ~Train your staff on how to prevent crime. Make sure that they know what their responsibilities are for locking doors and windows and securing cash and valuable items. ~ Ensure that they know how to use equipment like CCTV properly. ~ Restrict access to any keys, alarm codes or combination locks.

Useful references (UK only) Secured by Design Police approved tactics / products aimed at ‘designing out crime’. www.securedbydesign.com/crime-prevention-advice/ Sold Secure For Sold Secure approved security products. www.soldsecure.com/ British Security Industry Association The trade association for the UK’s professional security industry. The site includes BSIA approved suppliers of CCTV systems. www.bsia.co.uk/ Security Systems and Alarm Inspection Board For SSAIB accredited alarms for your business. www.ssaib.org/ Master Locksmiths Association 70 | Safety

~ Report anything suspicious, such as someone paying attention to your salon.

To wrap up Reducing the likelihood of being burgled is 3D (and I don’t mean volume!)

Deter – do things to make it harder for a criminal to think that you’re an easy target. Think about your physical security and your cash and stock.

Delay – by making it more difficult them with good quality physical security. Time is critical. They don’t want to be caught and the longer it takes, there’s more chance of them being seen or heard and deterred, or caught.

Detect – should someone not be deterred or delayed (and defeated), detecting trouble early through an alarm system will increase the chances of capture or encourage them to spend less time on the premises so they can do less harm.

This information may seem alarming but is intended to alert and guide. If you want bespoke advice that’s tailored to your needs, there are professionals out there who can help you. Contact your local Constabulary as many offer a crime prevention site visit by a trained officer who can offer specific advice about things that you could do to protect your business.

If you want to know more about Secured by Design and approved products, there’s a wealth of information on their website. Visit http://www.securedbydesign.com/crimeprevention-advice/secure-your-business/

Please, don’t wait for it to happen before you take action. I know that you’re busy business professionals but putting an hour aside to review your circumstances and then taking action could make all the difference.

Sometimes it’s wise to invest to save.

Stay safe x

Julie Knight Lash Stylist and Trainer Elite Eyelash Extensions www.eliteeyelashextensions.co.uk

Information about independently vetted, inspected and competent locksmiths. www.locksmiths.co.uk/ Immobilise property registration Secured by Design approved free property registration database . Police search this database for the owner when lost or stolen property is recovered. www.immobilise.com/ Information Commissioner’s Office Information on ow to comply with the law. www.ico.org.uk/for-organisations Crime Prevention Website Free online crime prevention advice. www.thecrimepreventionwebsite.com

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