The lash industry right now isn't what it was a few years ago. Clients are tightening their budgets, social media feels like a minefield, and the cancel culture climate has made a lot of artists hesitant to put themselves out there. We get it. We're navigating the same waters.
But here's the thing — where you are five years from now is being decided right now, by the people you're surrounding yourself with.
The Room Always Teaches You Something
Lash events are not just about the classes. They're about the energy in the room. They're about standing next to someone who has built the career you're working toward and realizing they're just a person — humble, approachable, and genuinely happy to talk to you whether you've been lashing for three months or thirteen years.
The greats in this industry show up to these events and they meet you where you are. That's one of the most underrated things about the lash community — there's a real culture of lifting each other up. You might walk away with a new technique, a fresh business strategy, or simply a mindset shift that changes how you show up for your clients. Any one of those is worth the trip.
And in a world where everyone is being more careful about what they say and who they align with online, a face-to-face connection carries more weight than ever. Real relationships are cancel-proof.
Tier 1 Conferences Set the Trends — You Might As Well Be In the Room
Industry direction gets shaped at these events. New techniques, product innovations, business models, marketing pivots — the conversations that happen in those hallways and breakout sessions ripple outward into the whole industry. If you want to stay ahead of what's coming, you need to be in proximity to where those conversations are happening.
You don't have to attend every event. Money is tight, and we understand that. Be strategic — pick the one you think will give you the most return, and go all in on that one.
Think of It Like Costco on a Sunny Sunday Afternoon
You know the energy. You walk in, membership card in hand, and suddenly the whole store has transformed into a tasting event. Little cups of everything, friendly reps, zero pressure — and you can go back for seconds. Or thirds. Nobody's judging.
A lash conference floor is the same thing.
Your ticket gets you in. The booths are your sample stations. Walk up, try the products, handle the lashes, test the adhesive, ask every question that's been sitting in the back of your mind. Then go back and ask more. You may not buy a single thing from a brand — and that's completely fine. The point isn't always the purchase. The point is that you now know what that brand is about. What they stand for. How their team shows up when no one is making them.
That kind of intelligence is priceless, and you simply cannot get it from an Instagram feed.
Separate the Real Ones From the Noise
Here's something worth saying out loud: there are brands in this industry that show up — and brands that don't.
The ones who make it to the conference floor are putting skin in the game. They're investing in the community, showing up in person, and standing behind their products where you can actually see them, touch them, and ask them anything. That matters.
Then there are the brands that exist almost entirely online. Heavy on aesthetics, heavy on marketing — but when the product actually arrives at your door, it doesn't quite match the picture. The packaging looks nothing like what was on the website. The lashes don't perform the way the beautifully curated content suggested they would. The hype was the product, and now you're stuck with an order that doesn't serve your clients.
An in-person event protects you from that. When you can hold the actual tray in your hand, feel the lash quality, test the adhesive, and look a real human being in the eye when you ask your questions — the truth has nowhere to hide.
Find the brands you believe in. Try their products at the booth. Ask a million questions — there is genuinely no such thing as too many. The brands worth your loyalty will welcome every single one.
Use It As a Business Opportunity — Especially With Your Suppliers
Lash conferences are one of the best opportunities to sit down face-to-face with your suppliers and have the conversations that actually move your business forward.
And we mean all your suppliers — not just us.
While you're on that floor, ask the hard business questions too. Ask how they're willing to work with you during a slower market. Ask whether they can customize SKUs or bundle configurations so you're not paying for product you'll never use. If you're getting mixed-length boxes and consistently throwing out certain lengths, say something. You're probably not the only one. A good supplier will listen, and if enough artists are saying the same thing, adjustments can and should be made.
This industry moves forward when artists demand more from the businesses that serve them. Don't leave that leverage on the table.
Where LivBay Will Be This Year
We're not going to every event this year either. We made the same call we're encouraging you to make — pick the one that makes the most sense and show up fully.
This year, we'll be at LashCon, and we would love to see you there.
Come find our booth. Try our products. Ask us the hard questions — about our adhesives, our lashes, our bundles, how we handle issues, and what we're doing to support artists when the market is tough. What you see on our website is exactly what will arrive at your door, and we're confident you'll feel that the moment you pick up the product. We want to earn your confidence in person, not just on a product page.
We're going because we believe it's where we'll have the most meaningful conversations — with artists, educators, and yes, even fellow suppliers. The lash industry is competitive, and we are fiercely committed to being the best at what we do. But we also genuinely want everyone in this industry to succeed, competitors included. A stronger industry lifts all of us.
Future events? We'll always be evaluating. But this year, LASHCON is our focus, and we're showing up with intention.
The Bottom Line
Investing in your network right now, when things feel uncertain, is exactly the kind of long-game thinking that separates the artists who are still thriving in five years from the ones who faded out when things got hard.
Go to the conference. Walk the floor like it's Costco on a Sunday — curious, hungry, and unhurried. Find the brands that show up, hold up the product, and answer every question without flinching. Let the experience do the work that no website or social feed ever could.
We're rooting for you — and we hope to see you at LASHCON 2026.
— The LivBay Team
livbaysupplies.com