From left, Steffi Pol, master certified lash stylist; Lindsey DeHaven, apprentice; Olivia Zickmund, apprentice; Jared Shaughnessy, co-owner; Kate Shaughnessy, co-owner; Camille Carafiol, client liaison; and Audrey Brown, certified lash stylist. (Submitted photo)

By Mark Ambrogi

For Kate Shaughnessy, the eyes have it.

“The eyes are the window to the soul, and so owning a studio that allows women to enhance the way they and others see themselves is truly rewarding,” Shaughnessy said. “My passion and goal is to allow women to see the confident, gorgeous woman in their mirror.”

Shaughnessy, a licensed aesthetician, opened Lash & Brow Design Co. at 301 E. Carmel Dr., Carmel, in October and held a grand opening in November.

Shaughnessy, a Zionsville resident, started her business eight years ago. Her husband, Jared, a Fishers firefighter, is co-owner. The business was previously in a smaller office on Carmel Drive. Jared said the new space is three times larger.

“After spending several years working at high-end day spas in the Indianapolis area, I felt it was time for me to open my own space,” Shaughnessy said. “Being in the industry, I had a very good grasp on what I wanted to do differently with my own studio. As the first certified Xtreme Lash stylist in the Indianapolis area, I quickly gained a following. Continuing education is extremely important to me, and so I earned my advanced certification as well as my color theory certificate through Xtreme Lashes. Recognizing my talent, the leading eyelash extension company in the world recruited me to become a national trainer. After traveling all over the United States, I decided to stop training and focus more on growing my business.’’

Jared said when his wife became a national trainer, business picked up and they were able to hire their first employee approximately three years ago.

“We’ve been steadily growing ever since,” Jared said.

There is now a total of eight team members.

“I groomed these young women to be the very best lash stylists,” Shaughnessy said. “During this time, I also earned several certifications in microblading (a semi-permanent form of eyebrow tattooing) from both the U.S. and Europe. Microblading really came into the mainstream a year ago, helping transform how women can look at their eyebrows. In the past year, I have begun training women from all over the U.S. in the art of microblading.”

For more, visit lashandbrowdesignco.com.