
Rodrick Samuels on The Silent Work, Modern Beauty Education and Why Empathy Wins
MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.
I arrived at The Lash Co. in Houston, which is owned by NovaLash CEO Sophy Merszei and Sophia Navarro. Sophia is known as one of the top eyelash extensionists and educators in the world—and for good reason. She delivers.
I am a huge fan of dramatic eye make-up, the darker the liner, the better. The longer the lashes, the better! So when NovaLash offered me a full set of upper lashes to help me better understand the application process (I'm live in Houston for the NovaLash Academy tomorrow—more on that later), I knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
I arrived at The Lash Co. in Houston, which is owned by NovaLash CEO Sophy Merszei and Sophia Navarro. Sophia is known as one of the top eyelash extensionists and educators in the world—and for good reason. She delivers.
Upon arriving at the salon, Sophia gave me a full consultation, analyzed my existing lashes, and asked me about my expectations. I told her that although I want long, glamorous lashes that curl up like crazy, I also know I want them to last as long as possible. After analyzing my lashes, Sophia said the thick, extra curly lashes would be a perfect fit for my naturally thick lashes.
Sophia explained to me all about the NovaLash eyelash tecnhique that would give me the results I was seeking, with a natural-looking, "maybe she's born with it" finish. It's called the NovaLash Triple-Length Bonding Technique: A way of using a minimum of three different lash lengths to not only mimic the natural lash growth pattern, but also as a way of supporting the extensions.
Though the average eyelash extensionist is expected to complete the lengthening service in 2 hours, Sophia is an absolute pro and finished in 45 minutes!
I'm so excited with the results! Here are my before and afters.

BEFORE. No make-up.

BEFORE. No make-up.

AFTER. No mascara, but a touch of eyeliner.
Come tomorrow, I'll have 9 hours of hands-on experience and will give you more details on the service, what an eyelash extensionist can expect to charge, and what makes the NovaLash application technique a premiere service. For now, here are some of the NovaLash Extension Selection To Dos:
-Select a minimum of 3 lengths of extensions to work with.
-For short, natural lashes, use 6mm, 8mm and 10mm lashes.
-For medium length natural lashes, use 8mm, 10mm and 12mm lashes.
-For longer, natural lashes or for a dramatic look on medium length natural lashes, choose 8mm, 10mm, 12mm and 14mm lashes.
-Mix all sizes across the length of the lash line with the exception of the inner 10-15% closest to the nose. This area should only have the shortest lashes.
-If a Cat Eye look in desired, a few extra long extensions can be concentrated on the outer corner, but always mix some medium and shorter extensions between the long ones for support and thickness.

MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.

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