Building Beauty and Balance One Lash at a Time
Evelyn López, owner of Pinkgirs Estudio, Lashes Extension and Eyebrows. Photo by Tar Macias, JEFAS Magazine
By Antonia Rivera, JEFAS Magazine
Evelyn Lopez knows the formula she wants for a happy life: a successful business that allows her to be a good mother. From her business, Pink Girls Estudio, she does just that as she applies individual lash extensions with surgical precision, building beauty one lash at a time for clients in Ottumwa, Iowa.
From Motherhood to Entrepreneurship
It all started in 2022, when a major life change sparked a new vision for her future. Lopez became pregnant with her first child and knew that she did not want to have a 9-to-5 job while working for someone else, with limited opportunity for growth. She wanted to nurse her child, be available if he became sick and spend time with him as he grew up. “I wanted to earn money, without neglecting my baby,” she recalls. “There was a course to learn how to do lashes in Des Moines, and I decided to go back to school.”
After earning her certification, it was a slow start. Lopez practiced in her living room and only had one regular client for a while. She was able to care for her baby, but the lack of customers was frustrating. “My job is beautiful, but there is a lot of competition. There are so many lash businesses that charge far below what I think is fair. So many people choose the cheaper option,” Lopez explains. She wondered if she should lower her prices to help her business grow but decided instead to focus on building a brand that would show customers the value of her skills.
Creating a Unique Studio Experience
Rather than compete on price, Lopez developed a three-step strategy. The first was giving her studio a proper home. She purchased a shed and painted it pink. She designed a simple layout with a waiting area, a workspace and photography station. Once she was happy with the transformation from a shabby shed to a vibrant, inviting studio, she was ready for the second step: attracting new clients.
She took a welcoming approach. Lopez invited women to her studio for free services. The offer was successful, especially for those that had bad experiences in the past. Lopez emphasized impeccable craftsmanship, limiting appointments to a maximum of five clients per day to give everyone the time they needed. The plan allows her to pay attention to detail. “Lashes need to be applied slowly, with precision. If they are applied too close to the eye, they can cause an eye infection,” she explains. “The glue, the lashes, they need to be of good quality.”
Once her studio was established and client flow began, Lopez was ready for the final step: promotion. Lopez posted videos on her social media, and they soon began creating traction. “Posting helps me connect with my clients. I do not just share before and after videos,” she says. Her approach is personal and less conventional. “I make pranks. I share my funny side.” Lopez explains. On Halloween, she wore a scary clown mask and filmed a client’s reaction. “She had no idea what she was going to see when she opened her eyes,” Lopez says with a laugh. “We have a respectful, but fun relationship. We have a good time together.”
Evelyn López, owner of Pinkgirs Estudio, Lashes Extension and Eyebrows. Photo by Tar Macias, JEFAS Magazine
Finding Success on Her Own Terms
Now that Lopez has built her brand, people from nearby towns like Burlington and Oskaloosa are discovering her business. But even with all the promotion, her schedule isn’t packed every day, and Lopez is okay with that.
Recently, Lopez gave birth to her second child. She now works a few hours, a few days a week so she can care for her children while her partner works at a nearby factory. She has time for the things that matter to her, like cooking, and meal prepping for busy days, which makes her happy. Even when she has a full day of appointments, she spends her mornings and evenings with her family.
This careful balance between work and family means everything to Lopez, who moved to the United States from Guatemala when she was 12 years-old to escape from the violence in her country. For this jefa, safety and security for her family are the driving force behind her work ethic and values.
Today, from her carefully constructed studio, Lopez has found the success and family time she was searching for. It has been a slow, steady process, but Lopez is proud.
“I am so happy that I did not give in when I only had one client, that I believed in myself, and that I kept on going,” Lopez shares. “To succeed, I had to learn to resist failure and tolerate the loneliness that comes with having my own business. I have learned many things thanks to that.”
