Life & Work with Mia Shannonhouse

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Shannonhouse.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and playing “beauty shop” as a kid, so cosmetology school was a natural choice for me. But my parents really wanted me to get a degree so I spent a lot of time in my late teens and early twenties trying to achieve that for them. But it wasn’t until I had enough confidence in myself as an adult that I had the courage to just follow my dream and not live for anyone else. I went to Avenue Five Institute at 23 and I can honestly say that the most fun I’ve ever had in a classroom environment. I was not expecting to fall in love with lashes though! It became almost a meditative practice for me. To put myself through school, I worked at Hoppdoddy and one of the owner’s wives happened to have a gorgeous, very high-end lash studio. I wanted to work in that beautiful space so bad, and I was so proud when I landed that job right out of school. The owner was extremely meticulous and serious about training her employees to do lashes as gently and healthily as possible. I learned so much from her and feel very lucky to have been able to start my career with a strong foundation that many lash artists don’t get. Fast forward ten years later and I’m finally working for myself thanks to final push from the pandemic. It’s been a joy to curate my own space and share it with the clients I’ve seen for almost a decade, as well as meeting new clients through referrals. I’m very grateful. Now I’ve been expanding my menu to include more brow services as well, which has been so fun!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest obstacles I’ve had are the ones I created for myself. Like how it took me so long to try beauty school. And there have definitely been times where I’ve felt uninspired. I lost my dad and my grandmother who I was extremely close to. Both in the last five years, so mentally that was a struggle. I don’t come from money at all so I used to be very afraid of taking financial risks, especially going into business for myself. But doing lashes and brows never stopped being fun, and all I’ve ever really wanted in life was to have fun. Once I stopped telling myself I wasn’t smart enough or organized enough, everything began to fall into place! Everything that led up to this point was important for my growth so I can’t say I have had a terribly rough road.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a licensed esthetician and I specialize in classic and hybrid lash extensions, brow shaping, lash lifts and brow lamination. These services are safe, non-surgical ways to flatter and improve your appearance. I’m known for my soft and natural style. Lash extensions can get a bad rap as being damaging, but they really are not when they are done correctly. It’s a very meticulous process and you need someone who will do it properly. I always say a good set of lash extensions can be like a non-surgical eye lift! I think what sets me apart is my natural style. It’s not for everyone, I don’t do the superthick “Instagram lashes.” I think they can be pretty, but I’m really proud of my style. I want people to notice how pretty my clients look, it’s less about the drama of the lashes and more about enhancing their natural beauty.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
2020 was rough. I don’t think I can put into words everything I learned because I’m still processing it all. I consider myself very lucky I was able to slow down and ride it out. So many struggled all year long just to keep a roof over their head. I think the number one lesson for me was how important it is to share your wealth. And by wealth, I don’t necessarily mean money. It can be giving someone a ride, picking up groceries for an elderly neighbor, joining your neighborhood Buy Nothing group, etc. But if you do happen to have some extra cash, I like to donate to small GoFundMe’s for local people in need rather than big orgs. Small acts of kindness go a very long way and we should all be lending a hand to each other.

Contact Info:

• Email: miashannonhouse@gmail.com
• Website: styleseat.com/miashannonhouse
• Instagram: instagram.com/luckystarlashandbrow