Overview: “I taught myself, but I just wanted to make it official.”
Contributing writer Lizzy Nyoike highlights how Minneapolis-area entrepreneur Shareez Foreman transformed self-taught lash artistry into a growing beauty brand. Balancing a 17-year airport career with her passion for low-maintenance beauty, Foreman shares the hurdles of standing out in a crowded market and her upcoming move into a Black woman-owned, faith-based salon space.
For Shareez Foreman, becoming a lash artist started by being curious, having a creative mindset and the confidence to teach herself a skill that would grow into a business.
Today, Foreman is the owner of Certified Lash Lover, where she has spent the past three years helping clients enhance their natural beauty through eyelash extensions.
What began as a home-based business has grown into a professional salon suite, marking another milestone in her entrepreneurial journey.
“I’ve been lashing for three years, I taught myself,” she said.
Before opening her salon suite, Foreman worked from home for about a year and a half, spending hours practicing and refining her craft.
While many lash artists begin with formal training, Foreman first leaned on her passion and natural abilities.
“It’s just something that I’ve been passionate about for a very long time,” Foreman said. “I’m very crafty, creative and steady with my hands.”
That passion eventually led her to enroll in cosmetology school to become licensed. While she already knew the craft, Foreman said she wanted to make her business official. Her instructors quickly noticed the level of skill she had already developed.
“When I went to school, my instructors were, ‘oh my gosh, like you. Have you been doing this?’” Foreman said. “I taught myself, but I just wanted to make it official.”
Like many small business owners, Foreman balances her business with another career. She has worked at the airport for 17 years and currently runs her lash business part-time.
Rather than seeing that as a limitation, she views it as an opportunity to build something that belongs to her while continuing to grow her clientele at her own pace.
“This is something that I wanted to do for myself because this is something that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” she said.
Foreman says growing her business has come with challenges. However, she says she’s remained resilient. Foreman said one of the biggest hurdles has been making her work visible in an increasingly competitive beauty industry. She has focused on creating content that showcases her work and introduces potential clients to her services.
“I’ve really been pushing myself to create the content to get myself out there. To have people see the work that I do and it’s been pretty positive so far,” Foreman said.
Lash extensions continue to gain popularity, and Foreman believes the service offers clients a simple way to feel confident without spending extra time getting ready each morning.
Foreman says she rarely wears much makeup herself, making lash extensions a practical part of her own beauty routine.
“A lot of females are kind of fading away from makeup,” she said. “Lashes are an enhancement.”
That convenience, she believes, is one reason the lash industry continues to grow as more clients look for low-maintenance beauty services that fit into busy lifestyles.
As Foreman continues to expand her business, she will soon be moving into a new salon that reflects her values: a Black woman-owned, faith-based suite salon.
Looking ahead, Foreman hopes to continue expanding her clientele while providing a space where clients leave feeling more confident than when they arrived.
For those interested in booking an appointment, clients can schedule online through Booksy or connect with Certified Lash Lover on Instagram.
Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student and contributing writer for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She welcomes reader responses at lnyoike@spokesman-recorder.com.