After being attacked for her lash extensions, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett went viral for her clapback over the weekend. Naturally, this stirred up the existing conversation around the price we pay for our lashes. With the cost of living in the United States rising and grass wall salons offering less for more, justifying the price of lash services may be more difficult now than four years ago. And while Texas natives (cue: Megan Thee Stallion and Revlon’s lash collaboration) may be able to come out of pocket, clients in New York and California could be turning to affordable DIY lashes as an alternative.
According to Los Angeles lash tech Alanah Sahaba, lashes experienced a major surge in popularity during the pandemic in 2020, which was the year she started. “With masks covering most of our faces, the focus shifted to the eyes making lash extensions way more sought after,” Sahaba tells ESSENCE. However, “before lash extensions grew in popularity to the masses, the standard lash set was $300 dollars as it was hard to find someone that did lash extensions to begin with.”
At that time, extra-full one-length lashes were all lash techs offered, making it difficult to find looks other than classic, hybrid and volume lashes. Now, with education significantly more accessible, it has allowed many techs to expand their services. But, not without a cost. “The almost over-accessibility in knowledge has made it so some people will jump into the lash industry without proper training,” Sahaba says. “It has given such a bad reputation to extensions as a whole,” she explains, citing the “get-rich-quick” lash courses cluttering the market.
Other than the techs only concerned with a quick buck (often at the expense of quality service), the generational shift from a traditional 9-5 to entrepreneurship is not cheap. “Inflation has made it increasingly difficult to maintain low prices,” Houston lash tech and wispy specialist Aria Smith says. “When clients see a higher price tag, they often assume we’re overcharging, unaware of the many expenses we face,” with services in HTX ranging from $100 to $120 dollars. From rent and taxes, to the cost of supplies and professional training, “the financial burdens of running a lash business are significant.”
With that, it makes it more difficult for clients, particularly in expensive, high volume cities, to find a lash tech that can provide a service that is worth the cost. This is why they may prefer to do it themselves. Statistics show strip lashes account for 65.9% of the global false eyelashes market, a market expected to grow from $1.50 billion in 2024 to $2.70 billion by 2032. “There are options in every industry,” says Jas Imani, a licensed esthetician in New York. “DIY lashes aren’t new and they will get better and better, that is a fact.”
Having to compete with DIY lashes and an oversaturated market, lash techs are more susceptible to burnout, unable to turn clients away even if their books are full. “There’s a pervasive culture of hustle that can lead to burnout,” Smith says. Sahaba agrees, saying the hardest part about being a lash tech is not being able to say “no” to new clients. “I end up working on my off days or at the most insane times to get everyone in,” she says. ”It is so important to have strong boundaries and set off days as a lash tech, especially if you want to do it long term because it is a very physically taxing job.”
Known for their affordability, convenience, and easy application, drugstore lashes are the quick fix we’ve even seen on celebrities for red carpets and award shows (think: KISS lashes). However, their popularity may be behind the perceived decline, weeding out inexperienced lash techs that only offer simple services. “I think [DIY lashes] are the main cause of the decline in business for lash techs that still offer the same ‘copy/paste’ lash styles that don’t take much expertise,” Sahaba says. “I think those lash artists are becoming less common and will not find much success in this industry for very long.”
According to Miami lash tech Valencia Koger, the rise of custom designs is replacing standard sets. “”I think the most difficult part of being a lash tech starts with how much you know and how confident you are in the craft,” Koger says. For example, her most popular lash service called “lash color matching” includes clients with albinism who may not be able to find DIY lashes in their shade. “The technique is popular because it’s inclusive,” she says. “It opens up the opportunity for anyone to wear lash extensions even if it is a one time thing.”
Imani notes lash services are just like selling any other product. “If a lash artist feels they are losing clients then they need to adjust the treatment or experience around it,” she explains. From offering all original lash styles like Sahaba to Koger’s lash color matching service, “a treatment is an experience and usually a luxury for most people,” Imani says. Which is why booking appointments with lash techs who offer a service DIY lashes can’t, as well as including them in spaces other than just the salon, will keep these artists afloat.
“The beauty community can support lash techs by including us in spaces that makeup artists and beauty influencers have access to,” Koger says. After all, their influence, as seen this week with Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s viral moment, makes lash extensions an unparalleled detail in Black beauty. “Typically lashes are the final step in routine and with our expertise we can add a lot of value to the cosmetic industry as a whole.”
