Ellie-Mae is 22 years old and has been a lash tech in the beauty industry for 5 years. She completed some of our training courses with us back in 2020, just after covid, to do clients alongside her studies whilst doing her A-Levels. She is an extremely talented beautician with an amazing reputation in her area. Ellie-Mae is now one of our amazing Brand Ambassadors and is a valued member of our Pinkfishes family!

Ellie-Mae started training and began her beauty business alongside school, so lets take a look at her journey and how she found becoming a lash boss from such a young age.

How it all began

What made you join the beauty industry and train in lashes to start with?

For as long as I can remember I have had a passion for all things beauty! I started out as a Saturday girl in my local hairdressers which was great but at that point I knew that hair wasn’t for me so I started looking into training for beauty treatments and found Pinkfishes. 

How did you feel coming out of school – did you always know you wanted to go into lashes/beauty?

After my GCSE’s I had no idea what I wanted to do. I decided to stay on and take my A Levels, which is when I trained in lashes to fuel my passion and help make some money whilst studying. Over those final years at school, my passion for lashes grew and grew along with my client base. It was only when I finished school that I knew I wanted to take the leap and go into beauty as my full-time job.

What fears/doubts did you have before starting?

For me personally the idea of being so close to someone’s eyes was scaring me more than anything, however, I was soon reassured when I trained. This is why I think in person training is so important as its hands on and there are people there to help you understand the treatment with the models in front of you.

What was your process of setting up your business from leaving school?

During school I was lucky enough to have a spare room at my parents’ house where I did clients in the evening but as soon as I left school I quit my Saturday job and started renting a room in that same salon. Since then, I have moved to a huge location full of girls carrying out a variety of treatments as one big beauty hub. Instagram was my best friend; it is literally a portfolio of your work in people’s hands! Word of mouth from clients also helped me gain new clients too.

Ellie-Mae’s Training Experience

What made you book your training with Pinkfishes?

I had looked online at various academies and courses but when I saw Pinkfishes they jumped out at me. They seemed like such a fun brand with an amazing social media presence which made it easy for me to see the type of place and people I was going to be training with.

What courses have you done with us?

I completed my Classic training course followed by my Russian training course. This also allowed me to offer hybrids as it’s a combination of the two treatments.

Can you explain your whole training experience with Pinkfishes?

The training with Pinkfishes was nothing short of amazing. The location is just beautiful with the most warm and welcoming team within those walls. They were so attentive and filled me with so much confidence to get started on my new career. Pinkfishes require case studies post training which they review thoroughly in order to ensure that you are applying all techniques learnt during training to offer the best and safest service to clients possible. I am so grateful for their training as it’s gotten me to where I am today!

How has the support been since you trained?

Since leaving Pinkfishes they have always been there to answer any questions I may have had. I am lucky enough to be one of their brand ambassadors which opens me up to a group chat full of other technicians who share any questions or problems they may be facing, and we are all there to give each other advice or a helping hand.

Life After Training

What did you do after training and qualifying?

After qualifying I used all of my family and friends to my advantage and just practiced and practiced and practiced. The one thing I struggled with initially was timing. I conquered this by doing lashes after lashes and soon enough you will get quicker.

How did you start offering treatments?

I started by posting pictures of my family and friends to build up a portfolio and gain some confidence in offering the treatments. When I felt ready, I opened up my diary with just one appointment per evening. This allowed me to take my time as it was still a new and scary experience at this point. But, before I knew it, more and more people began to book in with me and that was where it really took off.

How did you feel offering treatments right after you trained?

Initially I was nervous! Thankfully I had some experience speaking to clients and making conversation as I had always done this in my hairdressing job on a Saturday, but knowing these clients were coming directly to me for my own services felt a little daunting. Thanks to my training I felt confident in the services that I was offering and after doing a few new clients for the first time, things started to get easier.

How did you find setting up your own business?

Setting up my own business at such a young age was quite scary, no one around me was doing it as they were all either off to uni or going into a full-time job. I definitely learnt a lot on the way just by experiencing different situations as well as trial and error for what worked for me. There’s also so many resources online to help with the business/financial side of things.

Advice to Aspiring Students

What advice would you give to your past-self about to embark on the lash/beauty journey?

If I could give myself any advice, it would be that patience is key and time and practice is your best friend. The more you do something and the longer you do it for the better you’ll get. Rome wasn’t built in a day! It’s taken me years to get to where I am now, and I know that there is still more I would like to achieve and ways that I would like to improve.

Would you have done anything differently?

In all honesty, no, training with Pinkfishes really put me on the right path and from there things started to fall into place (along with some hard work).

What tips do you have to get the most out of the training experience?

My biggest piece of advice would be to ask questions, even the questions that seem silly or obvious. Also, your trainers are there to help you, use them! Don’t be afraid to ask them to help you with something, explain something to you or show you something again.

My final bit of advice would be to worship your manuals like a bible, this will help you with your clients and one day you’ll notice you do a client without even reading it or checking anything.

Would you recommend training with Pinkfishes?

I couldn’t recommend training with Pinkfishes enough! It was the best decision I have ever made.

What 3 things should a beginner not be without at the start of their journey?

Firstly, a good light is essential, I use a moon lamp but I also love a ring light! Secondly, tape is your BFF this will make your life so much easier and help you to save time. Particularly when you start out and you feel like time is against you, as it separates the layers or helps you to get those tiny lashes on the inner corners.

Finally, your fav playlist! Some days can feel long but having a good playlist will help you to get through those busy days.

A big thank you to Ellie-Mae for sharing her incredible and inspiring journey in the lash industry. She has achieved so much already, we cannot wait to see what is in-store for her next!

For any students looking at stepping into the industry, we hope this blog has shown you that it can be done! Even from a young age, with the resources that are out there, the whole world is your oyster! For more information on starting your journey in the beauty industry, visit our website or get in touch here!