It's a big birthday! NovaLash,a topnotch eyelash extensions distributor and educator, is celebrating ten years in business.
When she started the company, CEO Sophy Merszei's dream seemed a simple one: "I wanted to bring back the glamour and femininity of 50s and 60s false eyelashes in a way that would not scare women," the biologist and cosmetic chemist attests.
"For the first five years of our company, the public was just not ready for false lashes," Merszei reminisces. "We knew they were the next big trend, but educating consumers and the industry about the health and safety of the service took many a sleepless night," she continues. Regardless, NovaLash and Merszei forged on.
The company has expanded to over 40 countries. Perhaps most importantly to Merszei, though, NovaLash has brought profitable, rewarding careers to thousands of professionals, as more women than ever before are opening stand-alone lash salons.
To assist them on that quest, NovaLash created the Signature Studios program-a model that supports lash artists hoping to start their own businesses by providing training and licensing, business support and reduced prices on NovaLash's premium products.
In 2007, the company won the ICMAD award for cosmetic innovation of the year. In 2010, Merszei was awarded individually as the National Association of Professional Women's VIP Woman of the Year.