The Lash Industry Has Some Problems
No single person runs the lash industry. That is both the freedom of the profession and, as Danielle and Ashtyn point out in this episode, one of its biggest ongoing problems. No governing body sets real education standards. No industry-wide policy requires client aftercare communication. And no rulebook tells stylists what a 45-minute full set actually signals about technique.
Episode 27 of Behind the Brilliance is their version of that rulebook. Five rules Danielle and Ashtyn would implement if they were in charge.
Rule 1: Speed Is Not a Flex
Ashtyn opens the rules with a direct one: if your biggest marketing point is that you do a full set in 45 minutes, you should probably stop leading with that.
"If your biggest flex is a 45-minute full set, I'm not impressed. I'm concerned."
The issue is not that some artists are naturally faster than others -- speed does come with experience. The issue is what moving that fast usually means about the work. As Danielle puts it: "Being fast doesn't mean you're advanced. It means you're likely skipping steps."
Their rule would require mid-set quality checks. Instead of finishing an appointment and doing one final review, stylists should be checking for stickies throughout the set. The water scrub method -- which Danielle and her team use at Garnet Lash -- supports this: every time you refresh the adhesive drop, go through and check the lash line. Do not wait until the end.
Rule 2: Being Good at Lashes Doesn't Mean You Can Teach
Teaching is a skill. Separate from lashing skill. And the lash industry, as Ashtyn describes it, has no standard that says so.
"Being good at lashes doesn't mean you can teach. I think teaching is a skill. That's a skill in itself."
The gap she's pointing at: lash artists who begin offering training before they are at a skill level that should be passed along, or salons that nominate an employee to teach without any quality control standard in place. Students pay thousands of dollars for training, and there is no requirement that the person teaching them has any credential beyond "I can do lashes."
Danielle's addition is the one that reframes the whole section: after years of educating, she makes more money lashing than she does from education. She does it because she genuinely enjoys helping people succeed, not because it is a revenue stream. That is the question she would ask every person thinking about becoming an educator: why are you actually doing it?
Rule 3: Retention Is a Partnership, Not a Promise
Client expectation reset. Danielle opens this section: "Retention isn't a promise. It's a partnership. And there are clients who refuse to participate."
Her rule: every client should be taught explicitly how to care for their lashes. Not because clients should already know -- most first-time clients are treating extensions like a completely foreign object on their eyes, because they are. But because lash artists sometimes assume home care is common sense, and it is not. Clients who came to Garnet Lash from other providers regularly told Danielle that no one had ever told them to clean their lashes.
The intake form solution: build aftercare expectations into the consent process. Have clients agree in writing, before the appointment, that they understand their home care is their responsibility and part of maintaining their retention. This is not about being punitive -- it is about making the agreement mutual and explicit from the start.
The language shift she recommends: stop calling it a refill. Call it a maintenance appointment. The word matters. "Refill" implies you are just adding extensions on top of what remains. A maintenance appointment communicates that you are removing grown-out lashes, checking bases, correcting placement, and rebuilding the set. That is so much more than a fill.
At Garnet Lash, if a client comes in with more than 50% of their extensions missing, it is classified as a refresh plus appointment -- a longer, differently priced booking that reflects the actual work involved.
Rule 4: Enforce Your Policies -- Or Your Clients Will Train You Not To
This is the section with the most direct application to business ownership.
"If you don't enforce your policies, your clients will train you to tolerate disrespect."
Danielle's framework is the one-pass rule: the first time a client breaks a policy, she communicates the policy clearly, acknowledges what they are going through, waives the fee this one time, and makes sure they understand that the waiver is the exception. The next time, the policy applies. Not because she wants to be punitive -- but because she needs clients to understand that she is serious about her time.
The Venmo story is the proof that this works: she has a client who is by her own description very flaky. But after years of consistent policy communication, that client now preemptively Venmos the cancellation fee and rebooks -- before Danielle even follows up. That is what trained compliance looks like. Not resentment. Not confrontation. Just clarity.
Her practical recommendations: collect a card on file for new clients and communicate the cancellation policy at booking, not just in the intake form. People do not always read fine print. When you say it out loud, they know you mean it.
Rule 5: Your Routine Should Have Five Steps, Not Twelve
Ashtyn's last rule: simplify.
"If your routine has 12 steps, you don't have a routine. You have anxiety."
More products do not produce better results. They produce more things to blame when something goes wrong, more inventory to manage, higher supply costs, and more chemical exposure -- for both you and your clients. The areas near the eyes absorb ingredients quickly. Why add products you do not need?
Brilliant Lash Pro does not use or distribute primers, sealers, or bonders. Danielle has been lashing for decades without them. The case she makes is simple: lash artists who are getting excellent retention without these products exist in large numbers. The products are not the difference. Skill is.
The tools you actually need: cleanser, water, adhesive, tweezers, lashes, paper towels, and ipads. That's the list. And for ipads specifically -- Danielle has used reusable silicone ipads for two decades. They are Barbicide-disinfectable and last for months. She never needs to reorder disposables.
Fresh adhesive is the one supply item worth protecting. The Adhesive Monthly Club at Brilliant Lash Pro ships adhesive to your door on a regular schedule so you never use an old bottle and wonder why your retention is off.
The Number One Rule: Invest in Yourself
After all five rules, Danielle lands on the one she would put above them all: invest in yourself if you want your business to be good.
Not in more products. Not in a faster technique. In your actual education, your skills, and your mentorship. There are people willing to help -- including herself.
"There's never a bad time to invest in yourself."
Watch the Full Episode
Episode 27 of Behind the Brilliance is available on YouTube and all podcast platforms.
https://youtu.be/zwQ6WGmdc6c?si=o4keD_Bhydx4d1qX
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brilliantlashpro.com
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