Eye Lash covers the latest makeup, eyelash extension and eyebrow trends for makeup artists, lash and brow stylists, and other beauty industry professionals who provide eyelash extension, eyebrow shaping and makeup application services.
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10 eye | la | JULY/AUGUST 2016 | eyelashmag.com PHOTOGRAPHY: SAM TURNER eye opener EDITOR'S NOTE MINNESOTA'S NEW LAW GET SOCIAL WITH US! Visit eyelashmag.com Liz Turner EDITOR IN CHIEF lturner@creativeage.com When she fi rst considered getting into lashes, she sent an email to her state cosmetology board to inquire about regulations. "I got back a short and simple letter that basically said there were no regulations in the state of Minnesota for eyelash extensions," says Totz. So, she received training and got certifi ed, and a small business was born. But in the last couple of years, Totz heard rumblings that the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners was preparing to update their rules and that once that happened, she would have to go to cosmetology school or shut down her business. "I just didn't think that was fair," she says. "I didn't feel like I should have to spend six months and thousands of dollars learning services that I'm not interested in performing." Totz reached out to her local state legislators for help, and she got it. "I'm very happy with the outcome. I get to keep my business, and I get to keep doing what I love," she says. "It's a start and a step," says American Eyelash Association founder Sunnie Ullo, who is working on specialty lash license Lash legislation alert: In May, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill creating a specialty license for lash technicians. That means Minnesota lashers won't need to attend cosmetology or esthetics school to get a license. Instead, they will complete lash-specifi c education requirements that have yet to be determined. (Read more about the new law on p. 18.) "That's two down and 48 to go," says Sophy Merszei, CEO of Houston-based NovaLash. Back in 2011, NovaLash spearheaded the passage of Texas House Bill 2727, which created America's fi rst eyelash extension specialty license, in Texas. "As our industry grows, we expect to see more states follow in the steps of Texas and Minnesota. A specialty lash license will provide better training to ensure consumer safety as well as easier access to employment and job growth for professionals," says Merszei. Who got the ball rolling in Minnesota? It was Brenda Totz, owner of BuKu Lashes in Alexandria, Minnesota. Totz has been doing lash extensions for a decade, but she didn't go to cosmetology or esthetics school. legislation in her home state of Illinois. Ullo would like to see more cohesive specialty licensing and training in multiple states. Tialutrell McCormick, vice president of the National Eyelash Extension Safety Association (NEESA) is more cautiously optimistic. "It's progress for states that have no existing regulation," she says. "However, in states like Nevada, where the procedure is limited to licensed estheticians and cosmetologists, our collective goal should not be to create specialty licenses; instead we should shift our focus to better defi ning existing regulation and establishing inspection protocols. People are starting to recognize eyelash extensions is not just a service, it's a profession. The question is, what is the best thing long-term for the industry?" It's a good question, and one we'll be talking about a lot more as the industry continues to grow.