【London Lash Battle 2024】Overview of the competition
👆The venue (stage) before the start of the competition
▲Name of the competition: London Lash Battle 2024
▲Overview: A world competition organised by Europe's largest Lash Supplier
Lash artists from all over the world gather to compete in Eyelash extensions and Lash Lift techniques. The day before the event, a conference is held, where you can listen to talks by lash and brow artists who are active across the globe, as well as business-related talks.
▲Date: 23 Jan 2024
▲Venue: Canary Wharf, London, UK ｜ Hilton London Canary Wharf
▲Judges: A super-famous celebrity will be judging the show.
- Dionne Thomas
- Jade Seoane
- Anastasia Hutsaliuk
- Ioana Dinu
- Mimi Oviawe
- Kira Bezkorovainaya
- Amy Vince
- Silvia Gasperi
- Sylvia Liu
- Veronica Rich
- Susanna Kettle-Williams
- Helga Toth-Halapi
- Vitalina Rastsiazhenka
【London Lash Battle 2024】Overview of the conference
📷Left: group photo at the pre-competition conference
📷Right: Aisha Jagieva, an internationally acclaimed Lash Queen, was there as a judge.
📷: The venue of the convention. One floor of the Hilton Hotel was allocated as the venue. The beds still continue on the right.
📷: Scene of the treatment. The work station is shared with the participant next to it.
🪑Highlighting the chair ‼: it was a normal chair 😅When I first saw it, I thought it might not be right because it was not height adjustable, but I managed to get through it by adjusting the height of the beds.
▲How to enter
Purchase your entry ticket online and then upload it as you will be asked to send a photo of the first lash training certificate you have attended.
You will also be sent a questionnaire to answer, which asks if you have ever attended the training of more than one judge, if you have ever worked for them, and if you have any personal relationships with them. (If you are involved with a judge, you will be double-checked on the score sheets scored by that judge.)
▲At the competition venue
Registration starts one hour before the start of the competition.
It is a good idea to arrive at the venue early to complete registration, as those who have completed registration will be taken to the competition venue in order to prepare the work tables and beds.
You will be emailed details about the competition in advance, but the competition organisers will only prepare the chairs, beds and lights for you.
You will need to bring your own commercial materials and tweezers, as well as pillows and blankets for the models (and you will find your own models!). I had a lot of luggage in order to participate from abroad.
There were no waiting rooms for competitors. There were about 50 beds lined up in a row at the venue, which was quite large for a LIVE competition. This is probably why I felt less nervous than in smaller LIVE competitions. For one thing, the judges didn't sit closely beside me while I was checking my treatment, and it was easier for me to show my ability.
✈️ Besides, the seasons are the exact opposite from Australia to the UK. Because I was going from a country in the middle of summer to a country in the middle of winter, I had to buy new warm clothes which I usually don't need in Queensland. I couldn't imagine how layered I should dress, so I had to bring spare clothes which resulted in quite a lot of luggage other than eyelash-related items.
👆London Lash Battle staff
👆During the judging
📷Left: After the procedure is finished, participants are doing make-up on the models and taking photos.
During the break after the treatment was finished and before the models were judged, a few participants were giving a touch of originality by doing make-up on the models like this and putting flower crowns on them. By the way, these makeovers have nothing to do with the judging. I choose to do nothing.
📷Right: During the treatment. Some of the participants were not wearing masks, others had their long hair down in a relaxed style, and many other "styles" could be seen.
Interview with the winner
👆Awards ceremony
▲Mai's profile introduction
Born in Osaka in 1985, Mai went to Australia on a working holiday visa in 2011 and stayed for three years. She was attracted by the mild climate, the warmth of the people and their willingness to do what they want to do without worrying about what others think. And so she set her sights on becoming a permanent resident of Australia.
In 2016, upon obtaining permanent residency, she began to aim for a career where she could live off her skills, and discovered the profession of a Lash Artist.
She first started a home salon in one of her small living spaces at home, and as of 2024, she manages two eyelash salons in Brisbane, Australia.
In Australia, where many Lash Artists think 'just put them on and you're good to go', she focuses on her technique and treatment, emphasising on 'how delicate and beautiful they are and the overall comfortability for the customer to enjoy eyelash extensions for a longer period of time'.
What made you enter the London Lash Battle 2024 competition?
My honest reason for entering the competition was that I wanted to test how well my technique would work on a global scale.
I have participated in many competitions, both Live and Online, and have been awarded prizes.Of course there have been moments where my competitive skills didn't reach my expectations as well.
The experience of practising and taking the time to face my limits and my skills have given me a lot of confidence.
The London Lash Battle competition is such a huge international competition that anyone who is serious about being a lash artist knows about it. It is also a competition with a long history that the top people in the world's eyelash industry have participated in at least once before.
A few years ago, I saw some of the leaders of the Japanese eyelash industry taking part and bringing home trophies, and I knew that one day I would definitely like to try my hand at it.
Thoughts on winning the competition
It's a cliché, but "I'm so glad I took on the challenge!" was the first thing I thought when I got on the podium.
I left the two Australian salons to my staff members and my husband and invested a lot of money in this competition, including airfare, hotel and entry fees.
I told my clients that I'm going to London and wondered if I’ll return empty handed! The pressure was so huge that 'relieved' is probably the best way to describe it.
What I did to prepare for the competition
As well as practising the technical aspects, I also spent time on SNS, checking past competitions and image training so that I could mentally calm down and take on the challenge.
Also, the smoothness of eyelash extensions depends on the room temperature, humidity and the moisturising condition of the model's eyelashes on that day.
I had no idea how smooth the process would be in London, which is the opposite season to Australia where I am based, so I brought as many tools as I could to prepare for anything that could happen.
In terms of the procedures, I went over the items to be checked by the judges many times and carefully considered which ones I could aim for a perfect score on and which items I could limit the number of points that could be deducted.
The secret to my being able to take on the challenge without being nervous on the day may have been that I constantly told myself during practice that "I can do it".
What changed after winning the competition
'I knew MAI would win, I knew it !' 😆 and I often hear my own clients say that to me, and I have made a new discovery that they believe that I could do it.
I have not changed much in the way I run the salon or treat clients on a daily basis, but
I have gained more confidence in my technique.
Before this world competition, I had received compliments on my technique from customers and other professionals, but I had always thought to myself, "Even so, there are certainly many people who are better than me.
I was not 100% confident in my technique. Winning this competition was a great opportunity that gave me a lot of confidence.
🏆 "You are the best in the world, Mai!" I will never forget what the judges said to me after the awards.
Also, I think that after winning the competition, the number of requests for training courses has increased a little bit, which I think is due to the competition.
Future vision
My next endeavour is to support Japanese artists who want to work overseas.
When I first came to Australia, I didn't understand the culture, I didn't speak any English, and I never thought I would settle in a foreign country and start a business in the beauty industry I had no experience in.
When I started my own lash home salon, I was told that I would never be able to earn a living solely from eyelash extensions.
When I first started employing staff, I was also told that it was reckless to have staff in Australia.
But I overcame the things that were said to be 'impossible' and 'reckless' by continuing to take action and not giving up.
I am sure that there are many people who are active as Lash artists in Japan today who are thinking, "I would like to try overseas, but it's just not possible for me".
I would like to tell them, "Nothing is impossible! If you don't take the first step now, when will you take it?
The Japanese people have great attention to detail, sensitivity and commitment to pursuing whatever it is that they are inquiring about.
This is truly the best in the world.
I hope that more and more Japanese artists will be active outside Japan, spreading the high level of Japanese techniques around the world - at the same time, more and more people will find their own place of success.
I hope that gradually more people will discover that the world is bigger than they thought.
In the future, I would like to work harder to receive more requests for training courses.
Until now I have not actively accepted requests for training courses, but I would like to take this opportunity to pass on and teach people about the wonderful techniques and skills.
Overview of Eyelash Extension and Lash Lift training
📷Left: Instruction on how to handle the tweezer, looking at individual habits.
📷RIGHT: A scene from the Lash Lift training. Teaching from the basics of tape work.
I am involved in about 3000+ eyelash treatments a year and I find myself with 7 years of varied experience. I have had a whole range of experiences (and of course hardships 😅), so the next step is to pass on my experience and know-how, and to just overall embrace the world of eyelash treatment! I would like to train artists who enjoy "Lashes" and increase the number of people I can talk about lashes with.
"I just don't know what the solution is regarding technique"
or
"I'm self-employed and there are limits to what I can solve on my own!"
For anyone who has ever thought "I just don't know how to solve this on my own!"
Face-to-face Lash Lift and Extensions training is available on request.
We have had award winning lash artists from our past students.
The main feature of our training is that it is tailored to the individual needs of each student, without being restricted by the boundaries of the course.
For example,
Personal mentoring with ZOOM:
We can also do courses from １ hour on request.
Individual skill checks Face-to-Face:
From 3 hours
Currently
We do not offer training courses for beginners.
Only for experienced Lash technicians.
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