Sisters and salon owners Kea and Violet Rogers are two of the leading faces behind Australia’s renowned Brow and Lash Co salons. In the face of the pandemic, the duo furthered their success with the launch of The Lash Rehab. Kea tells Hannah Gay how developing the brand unfolded.
Describe your career in the salon space and how you came to open Brow and Lash Co?
“I co-founded Brow and Lash Co with my high school best friend when I was 23 in 2015. We both had a passion for beauty and I had a career background specialising in small business start-ups. We were the very first lash and brow bar to open in Melbourne, introducing the collaborative ‘barber chair treatment room’ concept. We were renowned at the time for our handmade Russian Volume Lash extensions.
We grew rapidly in the first year, turning over seven figures and booking out months in advance with a very loyal following and high-status clientele. We then opened an additional three salons across VIC and NSW, as well as a Training Academy.
[My sister] Violet worked very closely in supporting the business’ needs for years as an employee and educator at Brow and Lash Co before eventually co-founding our Byron Bay salon in 2018.”
I understand you currently own four spaces! Name some of the key strategies you put in place to save your businesses during the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021?
“In small business you are constantly busy and working around the clock, especially when you’re ‘in the business’ and often without the time to work ‘on the business’. When the COVID Lockdown of 2020 came, Violet and I quickly realised that we would have time to work ‘on the business’. We had to think quick on a strategy to be able to support all of our clients that could no longer receive their regular lash treatments during the lockdown. Violet and I had previously discussed wanting to bring out a cosmetics range specialising in safe and effective lash serums that could suit our clientele. We saw the opportunity with the time on our hands, and quickly got to working on the formulations and branding for The Lash Rehab. We wanted to deliver a fast and effective lash growth serum to rehabilitate everyone’s lashes in lockdown, including for ourselves!”
The Lash Rehab was born out of a need to support your clients’ lashes during this time. Briefly detail the steps you took to start this business. Can you share some resources for our readers if they’re looking to do the same?
“The first step is to think of a product you need. Analyse the competition in great detail. Understand the pain points, read the customer complaints; what are other brands missing or getting wrong? This will become your unique value proposition; your value add. Write a detailed business plan and timeline, adding in as much detail as you can. Share [your idea] with people you trust and look up to in business, get their feedback and advice and continue to work on this, constantly updating it as you go. Add in your brand values, ethos, products, short term and long term goals… everything and anything… this will be the backbone to your brand that will continue to keep you true to your vision and values.
Always get multiple options to trial or test, in every area of your business: products, packaging, formulations, branding, freelancers… Never be afraid of starting again or moving manufacturing. Continue to listen to your mentors, always get feedback, and improve where needed.
Back yourself and be proud, embrace competition and support others.”
How did you come to land on the right product formulations for your products in such a short timeframe?“Violet and I worked on the formulations for well over a year – trying, testing, and amending until we had the perfect ones that were safe for the eyes, included clinically tested ingredients, and showed effective results. Having worked in the lash industry for over ten years combined, performing treatments and educating, we have a very thorough understanding of lash health, contraindications, irritations, allergic reactions, chemical dermatitis and eye sensitivity. I suffered from repeat over-exposure to poor quality lash ingredients from repeatedly applying the wrong chemicals to my eye area, so I have a personal passion for understanding what ingredients cause irritations and allergic reactions and what are safe and effective for the eye area.
That’s why when formulating The Lash Rehab it was so important for us to work closely with an Australian manufacturer to get the formulations perfect – safe for pregnancy, sensitive eyes, with no long term concerns and above all, to provide rapid and effective results.”
To stock or learn more, contact The Lash Rehab via their website.
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