Mikki Bey, a former news producer, stepped into glam and makeup artistry to make people, especially women, feel beautiful again. She had a record of working with many celebrities and glammed them up for their red carpet events.
Alongside her makeup salon, Mikki started an eyelash business where she made extensions for women of all age groups and turned normal eyelashes into luscious ones.
Her eyelash business rose higher since the eyelash extension was currently a trend in those days. She charged $200 for applying synthetic but real hair eyelashes on her clients. The mink eyelashes cost a bit higher, that is $350. The whole process of application and drying takes almost 90 minutes, which is undoubtedly a very exhausting waiting phase. The eyelashes last for 60 days; 2 months after that, you have to go for another session to refill all the eyelash gaps. The refill process takes about an hour and costs $85.
Mikki Bey was a sensation then, and she and her business got featured in many popular fashion magazines such as Vogue.
Mikki also gives training workshops for ladies who want to learn the eyelash extension work. This workshop costs $600 and comes with a complete package for the women since they get training materials and a starter kit for every participant so they can practice the eyelash extension art at home.
According to Mikki, the eyelash business allowed her to earn a six-figure amount every month, and she wants other women to be self-confident and financially independent. Hence, she likes to teach her art and business so that others can also make money.
She organized “The World Lash Tour,” in which she gave her training classes in almost every state of the United States and the United Kingdom. Her classes got exceptional positive responses, and women from all over the world requested her to travel to other countries.
Mikki Bey, along with her fellow workers and some models for the demonstration, came into the Shark Tank show in the quest to include the sharks to invest in her business so that she can expand her business significantly in the global market as well since up till now, her company was only restricted to the United States and the United Kingdom.
She started her pitch by explaining how the makeup and glam business is rising high, and eyelash extensions are a new source of adding extra beauty and style to the overall look. She further predicts that with investment from the sharks, the business will reach heights that no one would ever expect.
She then demonstrated her eyelash extension art to one of the judges of Shark Tank. She also brought in models, showed their before and after looks, and compared how a simple eyelash can make a huge difference to your face.
Mikki also stated that with more investment, she would be able to buy a patent for her eyelash business and sell it to different salons and makeup agencies.
Mikki demanded $300,000 with the percentage of 20% profit of her business since her goal was to make her eyelash extensions popular and in-demand globally.
When explaining her investment deal, she said that her business is worth $2.5 billion overall. Upon the judges’ questions, she said that the eyelash business is becoming very popular daily, and hence her sales are also increasing. Most of the costs apply to holding a license in the eyelash extension business and doing training workshops for women. The underlying expenses included in organizing a workshop include travel costs and individual costs of each starter kit bag for every participant.
However, Mikki Bey couldn’t make a successful deal out of her business with the investors. The judges were not interested in investing since they mainly thought that what Mikki was doing was merely a service, not a company. Even though the judges believed that Mikki had a lot of potential and she would go very far, Mikki got emotional and disheartened after getting such a response from the judges.
After presenting on the Shark Tank, Mikki got depressed and thought her work and business were not good enough. She closed her salon one year after coming to Shark Tank. She completed her MBA from Pepperdine University and started working in a pharmaceutical company.
Our Review of Mikki Bey Eyelash Extension
Though the eyelash extension business is still a sensation, Mikki Bey Eyelash Extension could have become a large hit irrespective of any negative criticism. The eyelashes were seen to be a new reason for igniting self-confidence in women, and long-term durability was a plus point.
Eyelash extension has experienced a lot of social media popularity, and support from global fans could have helped take the business to another level.
Even though the eyelash treatment was a bit costly, it was still as per the market rates and with additional services provided by the salon.
The training workshops would have been a source of hiring new talent and providing internships to those newly hired attendees to polish them more in their work performance.
Pros of Mikki Bey Eyelash Extension
Visible benefits of Eyelash Extension are as follows:
- The applied eyelashes were breathable and did not allow natural eyelashes to grow underneath them.
- These eyelash extensions became a source of confidence for women who suffered from alopecia and were experiencing low confidence and self-esteem. They don’t have to hide from people anymore.
- They saved time for women who struggled to add volume to their eyelashes by using mascara.
- The extensions gave an overall stylish and bold look on the face.
Cons of Mikki Bey Eyelash Extension
Lash extensions also have many negative side effects and key benefits. Some of the disadvantages are:
- The eyelash extension treatment is not easily affordable for everyone. When combined with spending hefty money, the treatment also takes much of your precious time.
- The extensions might damage your natural eyelashes and can cause lash breakage.
- Constantly doing the eyelash treatment might cause the weakening of the natural eyelashes causing them to fall out.
- They can cause eye infections since synthetic glue is a chemical used to attach them.
- They can be quite uncomfortable at times during long-hour events and parties.
Who is The Mikki Bey Eyelash Extension For?
Mikki Bey Eyelash Extensions were for women who want to feel beautiful and glamorous at the same time and give their overall look a stylish boost.
Are There Any Alternatives?
There are some healthy alternatives for lash extensions.
- Fiber Mascara, the latest mascara, gives an extra luscious effect to your eyelashes without much effort.
- Instead of spending hours in a salon for lash extensions, you can naturally grow and nourish your lashes by using lash growth serums.
Our Final Thoughts
Even though Mikki Bey Lashes is no longer operating, there is no doubt that eyelash extensions provide a confidence-building experience, even if the extensions industry can be tricky. There is room in the industry for customizations and unique lash extensions due to the growing beauty industry which leaves a gap to be filled in the eyelash extension industry.
