Before it all started
Hello to all our fellow Women On Topp, my name is Sarah, me and my sister Heather want to share our story with you. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you will push any doubts you may be having to the back of your mind and go out and achieve all you have ever dreamed of because believe me when I say, the harder you work the luckier you become.
We are two sisters coming from a small town in Shropshire called Wem. I (Sarah) 27 started a Nursing degree in 2016, I loved people, and supporting them was my passion. To start my first month of my degree I thought I would treat myself to some individual eyelash extensions for the first time to impress my fellow students, little did I know that this impulsive decision would change my entire life and those closest to me. After my 2 hours individual eyelash extension appointment I looked in the mirror and could not believe the transformation! I felt instantly better about my appearance with them on, they gave me so much confidence. After paying £50 for my set and recalling my lash technician saying she had 4 girls in after my appointment, working out at roughly around £250 a day!!
”I wonder if I could give it a go starting by myself”
As a finically struggling student, it made me think ”I wonder if I could give it a go, one to help fund my degree & two to make others feel like how I felt with the lash extensions on.” I fully believed in this beauty treatment and how it can work wonders for your self-esteem. I took a 1-day course the following month & from that moment on I was lash obsessed! I worked every hour I had spare in my converted attic room to be the best I could possibly be, I did a lot of research and practiced day in day out. I was so passionate about this industry. As a Leo I am very proud by nature and wanted to be a recognised lash artist within the industry alongside my idols. I luckily had a lot of friends to practice on, with those free sets came to their friends & relatives asking me for appointments, and before I knew it, my small “Lashes by Sarah” business was fully booked.
That’s when my sister Heather who had recently flew back home after working a season in Ibiza trained & joined the business! With the two of us now working 7 days a week, we knew we had to rebrand. We decided that our initials were perfect for the rebrand. S-arah H-eather E-dgerton & SHE was born! That is when the fun really began. With our growing female client base averaging around 70 per week, came our passion for empowering these women and making them feel their absolute best!
SHE Lash was born
Rule no.1 at SHE Lash is unforgettable customer service, every client must leave feeling like the queen she truly is! We realised we had something special, our clients were not just complimenting our lashes they were complimenting their experience whilst receiving treatment from us. We needed to grow, so from then on, we decided to expand our team of two. One by one we started the process of training and recruiting new SHE artists for the team. Today, we have built a successful brand that has no intention of slowing down. We have lashed many celebrities & influencers such has charlotte Crosby & Daisey O’Donnell to help promote our brand nationally. We have given opportunities for fellow ambitious career-driven women & taken on a staff of 13 beautiful women who inspire us daily. We all hustle together to lash from 4 of our studios based in Shrewsbury, Chester & Ibiza.
When we are not lashing we have a sister company called SHE Academy which trains and motivates women daily in lash extension applications to believe they can achieve their dreams if they hustle hard enough. With the success of SHE LASH & SHE Academy We also decided to start an online store that provides lash technicians all over the world with Lash extension supplies.
SHE as a brand is undeniably growing bigger, day by day.
We are so excited for what the future holds. Our vision and mission is to franchise and have a SHE Lash store in every major city in the UK eventually advancing further to the USA & Australia, remember our name ladies because one day SHE LASH will have a studio near you! Every year we see our annual turnover increase and there is honestly no feeling like seeing your hard work paying off. We are not the same Girls who started this business 4 years ago we have grown into women, women who are unapologetically themselves, we believe in the power of girls and above all kindness.
We have learned more about business these past 4 years from growing our brand than any university lecturer or degree ever could have. Passion is energy feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. All you need in this world to succeed is courage, ambition, a positive mindset, and the motivation to work really hard for your goals. For SHE Lash there has been no such thing as luck or handouts during our journey, we just won’t stop hustling until we have achieved our goals and made ourselves proud. Remember queens bosses you will have setbacks, it’s how you progress through them, that’s what sets you apart, without struggle there is no strength, When you’re heart is pure and you have no hidden agendas, everything always works in your favor. Lots of Love SHE x
See more on www.shelash.co.uk
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![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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