Have you ever found yourself wanting a little change up in your look? Maybe you have a special occasion coming up and want to go that extra step in your appearance, or maybe you are just in need of a little TLC.

Well, look no further than this student-run, on campus eyelash extension business. Known on Instagram as @lashedbymota, sophomore Ramota Olatunji has all of your eyelash needs covered.

Olatunji has been a trained and certified eyelash technician for 10 months now, but the beauty world has always been of interest to her. She combined this love of beauty with her entrepreneurial spirit and thus, Lashed By Mota was born.

“Prior to lashing, I did makeup as a side hustle and hair every now and then,” Olatunji said. “It has been fun to turn hobbies that I love into a business.”

When the pandemic first hit, Olatunji had to put her business on pause in order to stay healthy and protect her customers. She then embraced the time spent in quarantine and dedicated herself to becoming the best eyelash technician she could be.

In order to succeed in the eyelash business, it is imperative to make sure the customer feels safe. Olatunji requires everyone to wear masks when they come in for appointments. She has also spent a lot of time learning about eye care and the steps needed to ensure the area and tools she is working with are safe and properly disinfected. The eye area is very sensitive, and Olatunji does not take these steps lightly.

During quarantine, Olatunji was able to dedicate a lot of her time to perfecting her lashing technique. A lot of patience and practice is required of a successful eyelash technician.

“It took many hours of in-class training, as well as out of class training to steady my hand,” she said.

Olatunji sees most of her business coming from her Instagram account, @lashednymota. She is very active on her Instagram and posts pictures of her clients after her work. Olatunji finds that future clients use these photos as reference points for potential lash sets. If you follow her, you can find that she often posts raffles or polls on her story.

She aims to keep her followers engaged, and one can often find a discount for a set on her Instagram. The classic word of mouth is also how potential clients can find out about Olatunji.

“I am very appreciative of my customers who tell their friends about my business,” she said.

One of the perks of running your own business is being able to create and work around a self-made schedule, which is one aspect that Olatunji loves. People are able to book appointments through her Instagram account, and she dictates when she can fit clients into her class schedule. She sometimes fits clients in before and after her classes and some on the weekends too. The future is bright for Olatunji, as she hopes to continue this business that she loves as she continues her studies in graduate school.