Eyelash extension prices

[joshinjune]

Guys, I'm always reviewing my local competition and pricing to ensure I remain competitive.

More and more I'm seeing very low prices for extensions - £25 here, £30 there (for a full set). Most of these are advertised on Gumtree, and when you look closely at their work, you can usually see why - i.e extensions too long, not isolated properly etc etc, so I know I'll be able to distinguish my work from theirs (I charge £60).

However, I've just come across a local add from an eastern European lady offering what appear to be (from her facebook page) volume lash extensions, that look really well done - professional photographs etc etc, for just £35!!!! SO this has made me really worry. She is home based (as am I). But I just cant understand how she can offer volume lashes for such a low price.

I'm starting to wonder whether the industry as a whole is having to start dropping its prices in order to get and retain customers. I am certainly starting to think that even £60 for a full set is something people don't seem willing to pay. I understand it varies from area to area, but a full set in this area were on average £80/90 just a year ago!

Has anyone else noticed prices dropping, and feeling under pressure to follow suit?

 

[Kaz Ashton]

Ive noticed a price drop in my area aswell.....some places are charging £15 for lashes!! I need to phone up to see how many lashes that is per eye......I do mobile and certainly couldn't afford to do a set for £15!
Ive also been getting lots of recommendations which is great but if I say I have an offer on (full set £50 instead of £60) people decide they don't want to book as still too expensive?!?! Luckily I have some great repeat customers who keep me going x

 

[libbylou]

if you have enough clients willing to pay your prices,then i really would not worry,if not then you prob need to look at your area for the going rate,in my area it averages abt £40 for a full set x

 

[tigerlil]

I will be doing my eyelash extension coutse tomorrow and I know already that I will not be able to charge more than £40 for a full set.

Speaking to friends that have had it done most have said that they wont pay for lash extensions any more as they were not pleased with them! They have all had them done at various salons/therapists.

After asking them what the problems etc were, it seems to be that a lot of salons advertise SP extentions but are actually express lashes instead. Unfortunately not many knew that there was even a difference.

Maybe this is one reason why customers dont want to pay more, as they dont know what they will be paying for. After doing research and having had this happen to myself at a reputable salon i cant say im surprised.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[joshinjune]

I will be doing my eyelash extension coutse tomorrow and I know already that I will not be able to charge more than £40 for a full set.

Speaking to friends that have had it done most have said that they wont pay for lash extensions any more as they were not pleased with them! They have all had them done at various salons/therapists.

After asking them what the problems etc were, it seems to be that a lot of salons advertise SP extentions but are actually express lashes instead. Unfortunately not many knew that there was even a difference.

Maybe this is one reason why customers dont want to pay more, as they dont know what they will be paying for. After doing research and having had this happen to myself at a reputable salon i cant say im surprised.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

Do you know what? I think this is EXACTLY the problem. We're fighting against 'reputable' salons and other technicians who (through ignorance or wilful deceipt) are not fully explaining the service to their customers. But IMHO, £40 is very low for a service that can take up to two hours, and also requires a high degree of skill. I'm worried that by dropping our prices we're ALL devaluing what we're doing. This is why I think the industry needs better regulation, particularly when it comes to extensions, as there's a dangerous mixture of poor technicians and consumer ignorance when it comes to the choices available :-/

Thanks for all your replies peeps. I'm going to stick at it for a while and see how it goes. But I'm very reluctant to drop down to £40 at the mo xx

 

[rippersroo]

Are lashes more popular in USA? I've just been on a website and thier pictures are as good as lielash's on here and they're charging $200 or £121!!
I can't believe it, the highest price in uk I've seen is £75.
If they're more popular in America they must be able to get clients at that price! Shocked!
The site is ATouchOfLash.com

 

[Precious Joelle]

My area is £20-£60 depending where you go. Mobile - to well known salons.

I charge £30.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[Precious Joelle]

America certain things are expensive. Tiny tattoos in vegas started at $200 in some places

Sent from my GT-I9505 using SalonGeek mobile app

 

[LMA]

I've seen prices from £15-£70 in my area. I'm £45 and mobile. You get what you pay for though... The £15 place did some HIDEOUS lashes when I looked them up and the £70 was very brand-orientated.

As for this new lady doing volume. Are they actually individual SP lashes or express? If they definitely are then are the photos her own work? I just can't believe it myself lol
X

 

[joshinjune]

Hi LMA

They def looked like SP and not Express (and I'm trained in Express as well as SP, so should be able to spot them), and def her own work....They were also extremely good. So yes, I can't believe it and am a little shocked too.... Just worries me so much because I wonder where will it stop? If we're all under pressure to keep dropping our prices, surely the industry will suffer as a consequence, as quality will inevitably follow suit......

The reason I think extensions are so cheap in this country compared to the States is because the industry is heavily regulated in the States, so technicians have to be extremely well qualified, where as in contrast here, all you need is a one day (and in some cases 4 hour!!) course...... This is a massive threat to the industry in this country, as poor technicians can operate, do poor quality extensions, which customers cannot identify. If a customer gets a poor set of extensions, they will almost always blame extensions generally, rather than the technician, and are unlikely to give them a second chance.....word spreads, people are reluctant to pay for them, and hey presto, the industry drops all its prices.....:-/

 

[LieLash]

Hi LMA

They def looked like SP and not Express (and I'm trained in Express as well as SP, so should be able to spot them), and def her own work....They were also extremely good. So yes, I can't believe it and am a little shocked too.... Just worries me so much because I wonder where will it stop? If we're all under pressure to keep dropping our prices, surely the industry will suffer as a consequence, as quality will inevitably follow suit......

The reason I think extensions are so cheap in this country compared to the States is because the industry is heavily regulated in the States, so technicians have to be extremely well qualified, where as in contrast here, all you need is a one day (and in some cases 4 hour!!) course...... This is a massive threat to the industry in this country, as poor technicians can operate, do poor quality extensions, which customers cannot identify. If a customer gets a poor set of extensions, they will almost always blame extensions generally, rather than the technician, and are unlikely to give them a second chance.....word spreads, people are reluctant to pay for them, and hey presto, the industry drops all its prices.....:-/

Joshinjune - can you pm me this lady's details and let me have a look.

There's no way she can be offering volume for that cheap, the level of skill that goes onto lashing and the amount of product used for volume lashes means she will probably me making a loss once she considers her time - so be very dubious.

It does all depend on your area where U live for prices:,

This time last year I was charging £20 full a full set - and I couldnt give them away, I've gradually upped my prices and until about 2 months ago I was still charging £40.

After the summer I increased to £50 and now I'm £58 ( still cheap for the amount of training I've had and my work compared to others in my area)

Unfortunately people would rather pay cheap for shoddy work than spend a bit more.

I've now learnt to believe in myself and you should too.

People should pay what you are worth / if they won't then let them go get their cheap lashes and damage their lashes so don't lower your prices

Instead work on your webpage, post pics promote yourself and make you webpage informative too x

 

[libbylou]

i really dont think its a good idea to be posting pics of another techs work , and debating her prices,i would be p***ed right off . xxx

 

[FAB_LASHES]

around my area people are charging from at least £65. I get people ringing asking if they need to bring their own lashes too which i find strange?! (not clusters.) I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to help me. I did the eyelash extension course around two months ago and I am charging very low prices at the moment for obvious reasons. I am having a problem though, when I am applying the lashes I seem to get glue stuck to the other lashes and then struggle to put more in, i still manage to put around 25 in per eye but please can some one help me :Love: xxx

 

[wowbb]

Do you know what? I think this is EXACTLY the problem. We're fighting against 'reputable' salons and other technicians who (through ignorance or wilful deceipt) are not fully explaining the service to their customers. But IMHO, £40 is very low for a service that can take up to two hours, and also requires a high degree of skill. I'm worried that by dropping our prices we're ALL devaluing what we're doing. This is why I think the industry needs better regulation, particularly when it comes to extensions, as there's a dangerous mixture of poor technicians and consumer ignorance when it comes to the choices available :-/

Thanks for all your replies peeps. I'm going to stick at it for a while and see how it goes. But I'm very reluctant to drop down to £40 at the mo xx

I couldn't agree more! There seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to what you are getting for your money when you book an appointment as every salon seems to call the lashes slightly different whether this is just their way of interpreting the treatment or to mislead and confuse the clients is a different story.
Fact is you don't want to undervalue your time and service! Make your work stand out by giving a good service with high quality products and reliable aftercare. You will soon find out that clients that might wander elsewhere will probably come back as they will find out that lashes at £15 are nowhere near as good.

If you enter into a price war in your area its a downward spiral and no one is going to win as everybody is under pressure to offer the treatment in less time and cut corners with products etc and then you will end up getting bad reputation so stick to your guns and charge your clients what the treatment is worth!