Hypnotic Lashes has national training opportunities for people who are interested in becoming Lash Stylists. I was lucky enough to take my training in Sydney, New South Wales.
Bright and early I entered the training room. Our instructor for the training was Kaysi. Who is a Master Lash Artist and is the founder of Hypnotic Lashes. She has been in this industry for over 10 years now. Kaysi has been traveling the country training lash stylists for Hypnotic Lashes for the last four years. "I put my heart and soul into my classes," says Kaysi. "I'm here to encourage my students to follow their dreams; and to build our industry ".
Kaysi started out her working career on a very different path in law, until she wanted to do something more creative. She enrolled in makeup, then nails and then found her passion in eyelash extensions. First training in America and then on her return to Australia completing as much training with different companies as possible to make her the best in her industry. "I loved eyelash extensions right away," Kaysi says. "Here was something natural [eyelashes] that I thought couldn't be improved upon. And BAM—here I was witnessing incredible changes taking place. The transformation wasn't limited to the physical lashes, it went deeper and seemed to increase self-confidence. That's what really got me."
I asked her to tell me what it was about styling lashes that appealed to her. "Making people feel good about themselves is so rewarding," says Kaysi. "Through lashes and makeup, I'm transforming a client's appearance. But, the change is more than skin deep. It's about the chance for a client to see themselves in a new light, to boost their confidence and that's just the most gratifying thing I could ever ask for."
At the beginning of the training I asked who normally comes to get training. I was surprised to hear the stories of what brought people to Hypnotic Lashes. Most of the students are makeup artists with clients who had been requesting eye lash extensions. Some students come after having taken classes with another company and feeling like they had not received the knowledge or confidence that they had expected and had heard of the Hypnotic Lashes training.
In an industry full of competition Hypnotic Lashes is recognized as one of the leaders in the eyelash extensions. This is due to several factors such as their commitment to the health and safety of their consumers, the quality products they produce, the specialized training and support they offer their stylists.
When I first received my training, I was overwhelmed. I never thought this would be so hard. I struggled. My teacher, Kaysi, provided me with the motivation, knowledge and inspiration to invest the time and money into my business and my craft. I bought retail products to sell, exponentially increasing my profit potential. I began to target my circle of friends and family as models to get the skills I needed to become a Certified Lash Stylist. The structure of their Certification test makes it almost impossible to become certified without going through the ins and outs of hours and hours of practice, practice and more practice. Knowing that each lash has to be perfect on my certification test, I began to practice on each of my clients and models with impeccable technique. I thought I would be ready in 2 months to take the test, but it took significantly longer than I first conceived.
As a business person, they have equipped me with a business plan, marketing materials, networking and support. They have answered every question I have had. They have provided me with retail products I am proud to sell. They have also equipped me with the confidence to charge for a luxury service, because my skills and knowledge are nothing less than that.”
Back to class, the two days of class seemed to whirl by. Kaysi was professional, knowledgeable and very giving with her expertise. We spent time in learning how to pre-qualify our clients to see if they were good candidates to receive eyelash extensions. This included making sure that physically they didn’t have allergies, or diseases that would interfere with the process. Then there was a lot of time in learning health and safety measures one needs to take when working so close to the eyes. Other things that were covered in the class were ways to market your business, and ways to style the eyes with the lash extensions. This is where the artistry comes in you can actually create the illusion of changing the shape of a persons eye, by which kinds of lashes you use and where the lashes are placed. They also have colored lashes available and with these you can enhance the natural color of a person’s eye by applying colored lashes in the mix. The last thing I wanted to mention which they covered in class was about the difference between a good lash extension and extensions that are not so good. If poor products or incorrect application techniques are used, the results can be disastrous and can actually damage the clients’ natural lashes.
The real fun started when it finally came time to learn to apply the actual lashes. Kaysi showed me everything hands-on first. Then my model came in and I practiced on her. Kaysi checked my work and gave me tips on my technique. I was surprised at how difficult I found it. When you see it done it looks relatively straightforward and simple. I found the simple part not to be the case at all. I felt like my fingers were buttered it was hard to just hold and use the tweezers with the proper hand technique. Then there was the task of actually touching the extension lash to the real lash. Wow. I was also surprised at how slow my work was. On the first attempt after about two hours, I think I got around ten lashes on both eyes. After just one day, the mystery of why someone could call themselves a lash artist and how they can charge the prices they do for expert extensions was answered. It isn’t easy and it requires hours and hours of practice on multiple clients to perfect your technique. I think it also requires the personality of someone who is extremely detail oriented and patient. It’s the ideal thing for perfectionists who require “instant gratification”; the kind of instant that only comes from hard work and time.
Since training class I’ve been practicing on my mannequin head and my friends. I’m getting quicker at applying lashes and am feeling better about my work. Im thinking of stating a facebook page or something like that to show my work.
So there you have it. The training was excellent. I left the first day wondering what I’d gotten myself into and questioning if I’d ever get it. The second day I felt 100% more secure and confident. Ah, the difference a little hard work and dedication can make. The instruction given, knowledge I gained and the techniques I picked up were first class. The support system Hypnotic Lashes has set up for their stylist’s is amazing. They are obviously interested in doing everything they can to provide the highest quality of products and instruction to ensure the success of their Lash Stylists and also their company.
If you have been thinking about training then definitely give them a look in - you wont be disappointed.
It was so nice to hear such great feedback. We really need to start asking for our students comments and opinions more, its the only way to make improvements! Hehe although maybe a little shorter would be good!! Thank you Linda you were wonderful to meet and I wish you every success and look forward to the future with you.
Linda can be found on out stylist links page at www.hypnoticlashes.com
