Live Love Lash

When Amy Dickerson moved to Madison, Wisconsin, and wanted to get lash extensions, she was disappointed to find out the closest lash studio was a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Chicago. Shortly thereafter, the Oklahoma native was on a plane reading a magazine article about the beauty business that said no matter the economic conditions, the beauty industry mostly remains steady. 

---

“All those things together just hit me, and a lightbulb went off,” she says. “People are always going to do something for themselves, be it a haircut, nails and toes or lashes. Whatever their personal beauty routine, they’re never going to give that up.” 

And that light turned on at just the right moment: Dickerson and her husband, who she met while working on a cruise ship (she was an art auctioneer, he was a singer), had just decided to retire their sea legs to his home state of Wisconsin, and she realized there wasn’t much need there for her auctioning skills. 

“It was kind of one of those things where I was like, ‘Okay, what’s next? What’s the next step in my career?’ I wanted to get my lashes done and quickly discovered there was no one in that part of the country doing lashes.” 

Dickerson got all the necessary certifications to become a lash stylist and opened one of the first lash studios in Madison, where she saw immediate success. She and her husband started thinking about where to go next, and her love for Colorado, where she lived for a time during childhood, won out. “I was coming out to Denver teaching this service and it sort of occurred to me that there wasn’t any specialty studio yet in this market, so we decided to make the move to Denver.”

Seven years ago, she began Live Love Lash a one-room studio on Milwaukee Street before settling into her current space on 3rd Avenue three and a half years ago. “This building is kind of a dream. I have my classroom space and we’ve also got private rooms. When [my husband and I] talked about moving to Denver, we did market research of the neighborhoods and obviously this just stood out as the cherry of neighborhoods, no pun intended.”

Dickerson says the walkability of Cherry Creek North makes it very convenient. “People can come here and do multiple things; you can get your spa services, go to the grocery store, go to the post office and do some shopping, so that really appealed to me.” She adds “safety was also a factor” and the area made her confident that her all-woman staff would always feel safe when leaving work at night. 

“All of those things just came together, and it was no question; Cherry Creek North was where I wanted to open. It’s really been the best choice. Quite honestly, the neighborhood is so incredibly helpful, and everybody wants to cross-promote. All the other small businesses are really lovely and always willing to participate. We all help each other out and support each other. As far as the support to keep small businesses in the neighborhood, I don’t think you could ask for more.”

In recent years, Live Love Lash has expanded to offer lash lifts, lash and brow tinting, microblading, permanent makeup, professional makeup artistry, spray tanning, body contouring, waxing and more.

About 85 percent of Dickerson’s business is relashing, or repeat clientele getting their lash extensions filled in after their hair sheds naturally, which usually occurs every two weeks. 

And lash extensions aren’t just for glamorous types. “Especially in Colorado, it’s more so women who want to be more natural and don’t want to do a ton of makeup, so they like to just kind of wash their face and go. It makes the morning routine easier.”

During an initial consultation for lash extensions, they will help the client determine the desired look and design. “We can design almost anything. We have over a thousand different types of lashes—lengths, diameters, thicknesses, and in over 60 colors.” 

The service takes about two hours. “You just lay down with your eyes closed. It’s very relaxing. The stylist puts the extensions on, one extension to one hair. People come in for their ‘lash naps,’ as we call them—it’s always the on-the-go women who don’t think they can lay still for an hour, but they can—they come in and fall right to sleep or meditate, they just really enjoy it.”

Live Love Lash’s vendor, Xtreme Lashes, uses only medical grade eyelash extension adhesive, and Dickerson says this ensures a very low likelihood of a skin reaction. “It’s a safe technique and all of our girls here are very well trained. They all go through the Xtreme Lashes certification process and we have ongoing education classes to make sure everyone knows how to troubleshoot and do the right thing.” 

Dickerson just opened second location in the Highlands a month ago, giving her the opportunity to employ more lash stylists and spread the lash love. “Really, my passion has grown into growing our girls. It’s fun to be the keeper of our culture and get to help them on their career path and watch them grow.”

Giving all of her clients the gift of being able to walk away from her studio feeling their best is Dickerson’s passion. “We’re providing a simple service that really has an immediate gratification and makes people feel great. There’s nothing wrong with doing a little something for yourself to put a little spring in your step and make yourself feel better.”

---

Mentioned in this Post