Meet Sophia Ngo | Eyelash Artist & Lip and Eyebrow PMU Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia Ngo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
There are a few things that have aided in my success as a business owner and Eyelash Artist. The most important is that I am very open and honest with my clients. When clients call me, I don’t treat an inquiry any different than I would one of my regular clients. I always make a point to answer all questions, and give them guidance on their decision to get eyelash extensions or not. After that, it is up to them to decide if they want to get them done, and by whom. If they have a place in mind, I will guide them in the type of questions to ask and the things to look for in an artist. I don’t view my clients as a cash transaction, because they are more than just income to me. I care most about the integrity of my work and the health of my clients. If they want something that will cause damage to their lashes, I will refuse servicing them. For me, a long term client who can continually get their lashes done for years is way more important than the one time client who gets what they want but cannot get lashes long term because of the damage done from one session. If client’s come in with lashes that are still full and not in need of a refill, I will reschedule them or offer them a discount for a shorter session. I am very open and transparent with my clients- for me, my business was never about making money. It has always been about making women feel confident and beautiful when they open their eyes and leave my chair. I am also constantly learning new skills, techniques, broadening my menu of services, and trying to provide a better experience for my clientele.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started out learning eyelash extensions application through a friend of my, Jenny- owner of Beyond Beauty Lashes in Las Vegas, NV and in Garden Grove, CA. At the time she taught me, I was not interested in any type of work in the beauty industry. I was only trained by her because my boyfriend at the time and I would drive to Arcadia, CA to visit her and her kids at the salon she worked at during that time, in 2006. At that time, eyelash extensions were pretty new and Jenny was self taught. She forced me to learn the skill since I was there every week sitting around at the salon anyway- she told me that lashes would be the next big thing. I came up every Saturday for 6 months, and Jenny got clients lined up for me to practice on. It was a very difficult skill to learn- especially for someone with no beauty background, and for someone who never wore make up or dyed their hair. I still remember the first set I did, was on an older client and it took me over 2 hours. When her husband saw her afterwards he said to us, “She looks like a clown”. I was so embarassed and it took many many more clients before I understood how to do the procedure correctly. During that time, there was only one type of lash- synthetic, thin lashes that were almost the same diameter of a natural lash. The glue we used at that time had a 10 second dry time- which meant that you had to hold the lash in place for 10 seconds for the glue to set before you could move onto the next lash. After about 6 months of training, I stopped coming up to Arcadia weekly and decided to try finding clients of my own to work on the side. At the time, I was living in San Diego, and most people had never even heard of eyelash extensions before. I was able to do lashes for one coworker and a few family members, but that was about it. I decided to leave my kit aside and focus on my full time work. By 2007, I moved to Orange County to live with my siblings- 10 of us total in one 4 bedroom house. My daughter was 2.5 years old at the time, and we ended up sleeping on a twin mattress on the floor of my 2 brothers’ room. Eventually my oldest brother expanded and built an extra room in the house for my daughter and I to stay in. From there I had to decided if I would go work full time again- I decided Orange County was the perfect place to work as an eyelash artist, with a flexible schedule to be home with my daughter. I spent 1.5 years taking the cosmetology program at Paul Mitchell, The School in Costa Mesa, CA. During that time, I made extra money by posting mobile lash services on Craigslist. I was able to get a few clients from there, and eventually I got my cosmetology license and began looking for a place to take clients. For 2 years my sister let me take clients in her living room, and during that time I was introduced to Kymm Gaskin, the owner of Creations Salon and Barbershop, in Irvine, CA. Kymm offered me a station at her shop and eventually we worked it out and I have been working there since 2009. I am most proud of how much my clientele base has grown- without the use of paid advertising! I had to build the business from nothing, I had to try out many different brands of lashes, adhesives, and techniques to get to where I am today. I came in knowing absolutely nothing about business or eyelashes and through research, trial and error, trainings, and relationships I have built with my clients, I have created a name for myself. I am one of the few lash artists that can truly say I have over 14 years experience as a lash artist. My journey has been difficult but I am truly blessed. I come from a supportive family- most of whom helped me along the way financially or with advice and guidance. I also had to deal with non-supportive family who told me I should get a full time job so that I can take care of my daughter and our future, especially since I was a single mom. There have been moments in my journey I wanted to give up and go do what everyone else does, I even went as far as applying for jobs, but I am glad I stuck with my decision and was able to overcome all the bad times. There were a lot of mistakes, trial and error, and learning along the way- and I am still learning new things every day because I constantly want to improve myself, and my business. I think one of the biggest lessons I learned was that people really do notice the way you treat them, and they remember you for it. I have always made it a point to be respectful and kind to my clients, and during Covid-19 and not being able to work really showed me how much of an impact I had made on the lives of the women I provided services for. I have so many clients who continued to support me during that time, knowing that I was a single mom and sole provider for my family. I never imagined that I would have so many of my beautiful clients offering or sending me money to get me by without asking for anything in return. It really does show how important the way you treat people is in life. I also learned that not all money is good money. By this, I mean that if a client pays you well but is a constant problem in your life, causing a lot of headaches, and constantly negative energy, sometimes you have to let them go for your own well being. No amount of money can replace peace of mind, I am grateful to be at a place in my business where I can say no to certain clients and be ok financially still. I want the world to know that I will constantly strive to be better- for myself and for those around me. I will always put the needs and health of my clients first and foremost above anything else, and I will always do my best to provide clients with the best service possible. I will not stay stagnant, I will always find ways to improve in every way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my friend were visiting, I would definitely spend a day taking them to Disneyland. In the heart of Orange County, you have to make a trip to disneyland and california adventures- at least one day for each park. I would definitely take them to eat Vietnamese food in Westminster. Brodard is a staple for spring rolls, and other Vietnamese dishes, and people come from afar just to eat there. I would also take them to eat Kaju for Korean Soft Tofu soup in Garden grove, CA. I would also take a day or two to spend at different beaches- Santa Monica Pier for a day at the beach, fun and games on the pier, followed by walking through 3rd st. promenade. In Orange County we would visit Newport Beach Pier, grab some drinks at Sharkeez and some ham and cheese croissants at Seaside Bakery. I would also take a day to drive down to San DIego, to visit Old Town, Chicano Park, Seaport Village, and cross the Coronado bridge. We would definitely make a stop at Porkyland for some tacos, and Lolita’s for carne asada fries. I think that you can find interesting people anywhere you go. I am not much of a drinker and I don’t really go to bars or clubs so my idea of a great time is more relaxing and enjoying nature and the sites. I would want them to visit the places I enjoy going and also places that you cant really find anywhere else.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout my trainer and mentor Judy Liang, owner of Effortless PMU in Alhambra, CA. Judy has given me so much help throughout the time I have known her. She has helped encourage me to level up and build a better, stronger business as well as helped train me in eyebrow tattooing and lip tattooing. I am forever thankful for the knowledge she has shared with me and the doors she has opened up for me.

Website: www.lashesandbrowsbysophia.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lashesbysophia/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lashesandbrowsbysophia
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lashes-and-brows-by-sophia-irvine-2

Image Credits
Khoa Nguyen Photography