Our Founder
 

Elaine Starchuk, started working in the lash industry in Vancouver 12 years ago, at the time there were only three other lash artists in the area. There are now thousands in the lower mainland.
Elaine was the first Canadian lash artist to write a lash course in Canada. Teaching the Enlightened Lashes course at Vancouver Island University for 5 years.
She has paved wave for many lash artists here in BC. Training more than 700 students and counting.  Check our Directory of Lash Artists page.  
Elaine has watched the lash industry go through ups and downs, different products come and go and come back again as new products ten years later!  We are proud members of PBA The Professional Beauty Association.

 

Elaine is always updating the course manual adding new ideas that can help you learn easier and give you the best tools possible to work with when you leave our classes.   Once you get certified, we are right beside you as long as you need us.  Elaine personally works with the students after class on their last three sets of lashes during the two week practicum period.

 

Elaine's dream is to pass on the knowledge she has worked so hard at finding and creating in the Lash Extension business.  Focusing on proper education, safety and safe products are extremely important.

Elaine would like to see the industry become a safer industry with much higher standards of lash artists out there.

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Being the first in British Columbia to write and offer an advanced three-day semi-permanent eyelash course with certification back in 2004, Elaine has since taken the condensed program down to 2 days.  This change has been such so successful, that other companies have followed suit.

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Elaine calls herself an eyelash alchemist, after developing an all-natural and organic, line of aftercare for lash extensions. Enlightened Lashes carries the finest in organic & natural, After Care designed to benefit both natural eyelashes as well as semi-permanent & artificial eyelash extensions.  We have a new innovative tray system blending perfect lash sets in one tray for individual clients.  Enlightened Lashes not only "keep up" with new products and training ideas, but also creates new products and ways of practice. 

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At Enlightened Lashes, we are continually learning new ideas through our students, models, and staff.

The result of all the time and effort put into Elaines career is the experience needed to perform and achieve a more than remarkable training system. You will be equipped with the highest skills and techniques so you can be the best in the Eyelash Extension business.

 

Elaine has held training sessions in laser clinics, Spas, Medical-Spas, and beauty supply shops in British Columbia and Alberta.  She has also set up and ran two spa/medical-spa related booths, one at the Esthetics Trade Show in Vancouver British Columbia, and the other at the Calgary Esthetics show.

 

Elaine is a cancer survivor; she was diagnosed with (terminal) cancer some years ago.  After having surgery cancer spread through her body and she opted to heal herself naturally. She was on an all woman's prayer team for two years spending every Friday night praying for many in need,  going to homes of those that were passing over and in need of love, prayer and compassion.

 

Elaine also worked in the Whalley, BC "inner city" area on the homeless projects doing soup kitchens and driving with an emergency response truck five days a week for almost two years.  She was a director on the board of "Artists for Autism" 2009 - 2010.  

 

Elaine has a great love for animals and creates cruelty-free products.

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Elaine had studied Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine since she was diagnosed with cancer and has helped others deal with all types of disease .

 

 One of her dreams was to create the safest and most natural Eyelash Extension Procedure with the cleanest and safest products, she now gets to live this dream every day. 

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About Us

The team at Enlightened Lashes  love inspiring and empowering women to their greatest potential.  They are fully involved and committed to learning and practicing themselves every day.  Sharing with students each time better ideas come up .  The Enlightened Lashes system and products has been taught at Vancouver Island University for 5 years.  We have our products and Enlightened Lashes trained lash artists in all of the Eccotique Spa/Salons , The Spa by Ivanka Trump in Vancouver and Funk n Frost in Guildford town center to name a few.

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We are a B.C. Company who proudly supports local B.C. businesses.  We have a fully stocked online store located here in BC, with fast delivery via Canada Post.  By using a Canadian company you will not have to worry about the exchange rate on the US dollar or customs charges.  You can sometimes wait weeks for a parcel to come here from other countries, and many parcels are now being held at customs if they are not submitted into Health Canada before being sent here.

 

Our system is completely different in the way that we are geared towards an "all-natural" earth friendly system for you, your health and the planet!  All of our retail aftercare is made in Canada.  Our retail aftercare products are 100% natural, much of it is organic as well.  Our aftercare products are also chemical-free, phthalate-free, paraben-free, sulphate-free, gluten-free, no petroleum by-products, GMO's, artificial colors or fragrances.  Enlightened Lashes retail line is 100% Vegan meaning they are cruelty-free and not tested on animals.

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Faux Mink Lashes

In additional to being the founder of Enlightened Lashes, Elaine is also the creative force behind the 'Faux Mink' term back in 2006.  Being an animal activist at the time, Elaine was very upset that there were still real Mink lashes on the market.  She was sitting with a friend thinking how she could come up with an alternative idea and name for these new synthetic mink lash trays that were coming out on the market, she wanted a lash tray that could be produced and marketed without any cruelty towards animals - this is how she created the name "Faux Mink".

 

This name and idea “Faux Mink” is now used on eyelash trays from Asia to Canada.  Elaine's goal was to create awareness concerning animal cruelty and real Mink eyelashes in this industry.  She is still in awe this many years later at the amazing change she made in the industry. Thank you to all that supported this change! You ladies are all beautiful souls indeed!

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DID YOU KNOW?

You cannot comb a Mink; they have razor sharp teeth and retain their aggressive nature.  Real Mink fur is 2-3 inches long and very straight.  Why factory cage or possibly kill an animal for our lashes when we can get the softest and most natural product on the market without doing that?  There is no such thing as Siberian Mink Lashes they are actually Siberian Weasels.  Any Minks/Weasels in captivity would be considered factory farming, which is considered animal cruelty.

 

Enlightened Lashes supports  many Local Charities including :

Homelessness in Surrey BC
Battered Women in Vancouver BC
Abused Animals in British Columbia - Animal Advocates of BC