Saturday, December 8, 2012

REALLY!

I REALLY need to write about this because it really frustrates me that some people are like this.
OK, so I have this client who is a pain in the ass. I feel like my services are being taking advantage of and quite honest if she doesn't like my prices then she can go to the place down the street and do them for what she wants to give me. Let me start from the beginning so this all make sense.
I started doing lashes outside of my house to for my existing clients. In the beginning I had given them a little something special for following me. Well, this particular client had ask a couple of times if she can give me half because either she didn't get paid yet or because her car isn't working. I said yes a couple of times since she was a client that had came ever 2 weeks. Well over time she was getting more and more comfortable with this and one time she didn't pay up front so me being the trust worthy person I am thought nothing of it, until it was time to pay and she's like "oh, I only have xyz, can I just give you the rest next time or Friday"... I was pissed.
Her appointment is tomorrow and I get a text of her confirming her appointment and she says "All i have is xyz is this OK" my response was just this "Considering that i haven't seen you in well over a month I believe we need to do a full set (she wanted to give me $60), and what you want to give me is not consider a fill price. OMG is right. This is just a mess, how are you going to come into my home, my business and think it's OK to negotiate my services. How would you like if your boss came to you and said "Hey, um yea, um thanks for giving us a 110%, but is it OK that we only pay you half because we just don't have the money". I mean seriously people. WTF. Like that's some sh******.
It just bothers me that I've busted my ass, came this far, work at BEST lash boutiques in Chicago OK and do lashes at home, became lash stylist of the month... for some heffa to ask me if it's OK to do them for NOTHING.. get out of here.
VENTING. VENTING. and VENTING.
I need to be professional, This is not how I handle business nor do I want to handle business like this because it sends wrong messages. I don't want to attract these kinds of people. Pfft $60..wth.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Tips on preparing for Eyelash Extensions

Hello Ladies,
So either your interested in getting eyelash extensions or you have questions. Maybe I can be a help on this matter.
First thing do your homework. Reviews are HUGE, and so are before and after photos. For most woman that don't know what to expect and how are they suppose to know anyway. Well, that 's a big part of why I want to do a blog about lash extensions.
So pictures and reviews first. Word of mouth.
there is a lot of people out there that does lashes and horrible might I add, I have pictures to prove it.
here is an example: Suzy wants eyelash extensions right, she walks in to Lash R us because they have a special for $50 for a full set.... THAT RIGHT THERE SHOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO RUN OUT THE DOOR. But most woman don't know any better, so they get the $50 full set, they feel like something is togging on their lashes, lashes start to fall out, everything is stuck together, your eye is puffy. So what does Suzy do, she looks online and finds The Lash Boutique (made up names) and they have lash extensions removal for $25-$50 and their lashes extension are $300+ for full set. Suzy says wow that's a lot of money, but I need these lashes off. Suzy goes into the Lash Boutique, she talks to a certified lash artist name Marisol. Marsiol take a look at Suzy lashes and then Marisol starts to shake her head because this is something she sees a lot. Marisol explains to Suzy how lash extension should be applied and demonstrates when brushing lashes it should smoothly brush and not snag. Suzy is like oh wow I didn't realize that, that make sense. Marisol starts to explain why they charge what they charge and why we charge what we charge. Suzy is like, well how am I suppose to know.
That's right, how is she suppose to know.  All Suzy knows is she sees a special on something woman want... LONGER, THICKER, FULLER, FABULOUS LASHES. Trust me women of my world, I'm worth my price, I promise to deliver and if I can't give you what you want, I will most defiantly let you know I can't make you look like Kim Kardashian.
what lashes SHOULD NOT LOOK LIKE

what lashes should NOT look like!

what lashes should NOT look like.
Done by Marisol: this is what they should look like

Done by Marisol: Before

Done by Marisol: After (this is what it should look like)
Please woman... stop wanting what you want at that very moment. DO YOUR HOME WORK and start with the simple tools, even if these woman are certified, ask who the are certified with, look at pictures, reviews, word of mouth. You can find certified lash artist on Xtreme lashes .com
Or else you can end up with DAMAGE LASHES.





Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Beginning of how it all got started... EYELASH EXTENSIONS

Hello ALL this is Marsiol EYELASH EXTENSION ARTIST,
Let me tell you all a little about who I am and why I chose this as my profession.
Well, I'm a mother of 2 boys, Andre who is 12 and Aiden who is 3. I'm married to my high school sweetheart Mark. I live in Lake Villa, IL and work in Chicago Il at Flutter lash Studio.
Before I get started, let me start by saying I'm not a teacher and I hated school, so if I write incorrectly... GET OVER IT. I'm here to write and not try and get graded. So you all know what I'm trying to say so please don't correct me with it's there not their and it's it's not its... I don't care, that's why I do eyelash extensions for a living. LOL
How it all got started for me, well ever since I was a little girl I always knew that I wanted to be a hairstylist, not just a hair stylist, but the best damn hairstylist in the world, I wanted everyone to know who I was like Vidal Sassoon. Beauty school was fun, loved doing every ones hair. Until one of my teachers showed me how to do cluster lashes with hair glue (GHETTTTOOOOO) , but whatever it worked and it lasted for if not almost 2 weeks. I was the "GO TO GIRL FOR LASHES". Everyone came to me. Well, I was such a pain in the ass as always, even teachers thought so. Such a pain that this one teacher said she knows of a salon that she will suggest me to and that the owner will straighten me up...haaaaha OK. Well, I kept this salon in the back of my mind because I wanted to make a name for myself in the BIG CITY of Chicago. After beauty school I was working corporate because I was a mom and we were kinda living the pay check to pay check life. I just wasn't ready to take the jump and make 100% commission. Over time I kept stalking the salon that was suggested to me, until it caught my eye "XTREME EYELASH EXTENSIONS", UM what is that. So I googled it and it popped up... I was interested, but nervous because who  and how was I going to get $1100 for this 2 day training. One person to ask was my mom... I convinced her to loan me $1100. I took my class in June of 07. It came so natural to me, other stylist to this day find it challenging to do them, let me tell you, my job is not as easy as it looks, but it was for me. So those 2 days was so much fun I thought "THIS IS IT, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO".  I don't know how long until I contacted that salon, but I did and I told them that I'm interested in a job, eyelash extension artist please.... so I got an interview with the infamous salon owner. I'm such a cocky, confident person , no one intimidates me.. So I went to the interview and got the job. I met the girls, one who is actually is my boss today (more about that later.
Well, I didn't last long there, not because I got fired, just because I was traveling about an hour and a half each way and I just am not that person that is going to let ANYONE talk to me like I'm a piece of shit...PLEASE.
So I decided hey no one in the suburbs is doing this let me be the first. Well, my best friend Sarah was a nail tech at a salon located in Gurnee IL and she gave me a good word, went in for an interview and the owner bought it....
Now I was working in the burbs, trying to do what I seen work in the city. I only lasted there for about a couple of months, why... because I would go in on my days off and do the stylist lashes so they could spread the word for me, Well I got tired of doing that so I started to have them come to my house, no big deal right,,,, WRONG. The owner got word of it and she taught I was stealing clients , well NO I WASN'T. I don't know if I got fired or wtf happen, but that was that. About a week or so later my best friend told me that the owner asked her to take the Xtreme class and Sarah was more concerned on how I felt about that, and to be honest, it didn't bother me one bit, in fact I was excited and I told her to do it because this will be something that will always follow her and can't be taken away.
After that I just went to work at another salon for about 2 years, doing lashes at my house her and there but not much. I had Aiden, we moved from Kenosha to Lake Villa. I was a stay at home mom, board out of my mind. I would always go online to see my last job where my BFF worked, I see they were still doing lashes, it kind of pissed me off. That lit a fire under my ass..I was so damn pissed that I was told myself "F that ... this is something that I brought to them and I'm not going to have them do it and not me". It just so happen that another salon owner had requested me on facebook and I thought I was related to her, but it just so happen that it was an accident that she requested me, I looked and there she was Owner of a high end salon in Gurnee. I told her the same story I told this other salon... she bought it and there I was working there. I said "I'm taking back what was once mine"...cheesy but truth. And I did just that.
Mean while, I've always check to see what the other salon was doing in the city, I remember when I was there I met this girl (not saying her name), this "girl" was up and coming and I ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO HER. I remember telling her when I was working with her that she should have her own lash place, I remember telling her that and she kinda brushed it off. But years had pass and over the years she became advanced certified, then became lash stylist of the month, then became a trainer, and yes, she finally became proud owner of the BEST lash place  in Chicago. I swear I feel like a stalker, although you can call me that, but I've always wanted to be like her because she loved what she does and it showed, and I GOT IT.
So working in Gurnee, I was doing lashes and nails. I wanted just lashes, I built up some clientele , but I wanted more. After all the years that I did lashes I felt like "oh what the hell, let me go take my damn certification". If my gurnee salon wasn't going to promote me or advertise more of the lashes then I need to.
Signed up for the class in May, the class was held in Chicago:)
Day 1 of the class, in a way I was really excited to see that "girl" I had worked with in the city, even though she probably forgot who I was, I knew who she was and I was so DAMN PROUD of her for doing it BIG.
Day 2, I did my model, 97 lashes per eye in less than 2 hours, I'm a lot faster than that , but was using a glue that I normally don't use.That "girl" was impressed. That says a lot. Well, she mention that she was hiring, um I wasn't looking especially to come back all the way to the city. But, she's my role model always had been, she gave me her card. I went home talked to Mark, he thought it was another crazy thing I was doing, he said you went there before and it didn't work out.... NO, But this is working for my role model. bla bla bla.
I've wanted to do her kind of work, maybe with a little twist.
Well, It's December 4, 2012. I work at the BEST eyelash extension studio in Chicago. On Friday Nov 30th I got a phone call from Xtreme Lashes to congratulate me on becoming Xtreme Lash Stylist for the month of December 2012. I'm headed in the same direction as my mentor. I will be submitting my resume or application to become an Xtreme Lash trainer.
I BELIEVE IN THE LAW OF ATTRACTION. nothing in my life is a mistake or accident. EVERYTHING I've done this far, right or wrong was suppose to happen to me. And I'm so ever grateful.
I love what I do, I do it well and I'm doing it big.
xoxo Marisol