Making up to the “falsie” market

Every young girl has her first makeup story. It’s standing outside your mother’s room, peering through the ajar door and watching her powder her face with little wisps of dust that carry every ounce of magic as the ones in cartoons.

It’s stealing a tube of red lipstick, and with your weak child hands, overlining your lips and leaving a trail of stains that your mum can never wash off the carpet.

It’s wearing mascara for the first time, fluttering your darkened lashes and walking into school with a renewed confidence.

Makeup is art, its expression, its strength.

For Yasmin Copeland it encapsulates a large part of her life and now her business. At just 20, the Melbourne arts student self-funded and launched her own false eyelash company entitled Yasco Lashes. Copeland was unsatisfied with the ‘falsie’ market here in Australia and decided to do something about it herself.

“Most places in Australia sell dramatic eyelashes and I couldn’t really find anything more natural,” Copeland said, “I was caught up in a routine with university and work. I was looking for side-projects and I decided to do this [make her own false lashes].”

On her social media Copeland appears fierce and confident. She carries herself with the poise of someone who runs their own business. Copeland however revealed that there was uncertainty with the launch of Yasco Lashes.

“It was hard at first,” she confessed. “I started everything from scratch. I knew nothing about business, and it was difficult to convey to the manufacturers what I wanted, especially with the long-distance communication.”

It paid off, Yasmin Copeland recently launched her eyelashes in the nine different styles of: Innocent, simple gal, flutter, Xtra, Wispy, Dolly, Shaz, baby face and Pixie.

One of Copeland’s hobbies consists of painting and drawing, further questions in this area revealed that she was painted the signature green background of the Yasco Lashes graphics herself.

With the range of talents Copeland demonstrated she could’ve easily expanded into different fields, yet she chose makeup. Curious to know I asked if she had a special affinity for cosmetics.

“I have three sisters and my dad doesn’t live with us. So, growing up my household was mainly female,” she said, her tone was fond when she added, “We were bound to have makeup all over the place.”

Yasmin Copeland reflecting on herself. Photo Saredo Miguil.

Wanting to know more I asked what her what her first experience with makeup was. She explained that she moved to a new high school when she was younger, and she felt the need to wear it to fit in with the other girls. “I try not to wear as much now,” she said, “I’m trying to embrace my natural beauty.”

Copeland shared another high school experience as one of the few Muslims in her school. “It was difficult, fit in with everyone. I was only hijabi in the whole year level and at some point, in the whole school.” She went on to say, “It was kind of good that I went to that school because just by being there I changed a lot of people’s perceptions on Muslim women.”

Copeland expressed gratefulness for moving high schools, because adapting to a new environment gave her the opportunity to slowly come out of her shell. “I used to be really shy,” Copeland said, “but now I’m a bit more outgoing, I think its something that naturally develops with as you grow.”

Copeland’s younger sister Aqeelah described her as. “A person that is shy when you first meet her but once she’s more comfortable, you get the best side of her. Even if she doesn’t have everything together, she presents herself as someone who is organised and is always on the ball.”

Copeland’s growth isn’t just in her personality but now in her time management, she explained that she struggled to balance her time in year 12. But now running a business, working part-time as barista and studying fulltime at university, she was forced to adapt to her busy lifestyle.

“I’m very organised now, I have to be. I’ve learnt to write everything down in my planner and to plan my weeks ahead of time. It’s been very helpful.”

Copeland attends Latrobe university where she is currently studying to acquire a Bachelor of Education. In the future she hopes to become a primary school art teacher. “I’ve always loved art and I love working with kids,” she said.

Lina Zackariah one of Copeland’s friends from primary school and a design student at Melbourne university said, “My first impression of Yasmin when we met in prep was that she polite and that she drew so well!” Having sustained their friendship for over a decade, Zachariah gushed about her excitement for Yasco Lashes. “Yasmin was telling me at the start of this year that 2019 will be her year and so far, it seems it has!”

Now with Yasco Lashes successfully launched, Copeland has time to breathe easy. I asked about future plans to branch into other types of makeup and Copeland took a moment to respond. “I’m not sure,” she said after a beat of silence. “Maybe if there’s an opportunity but right now I’m just taking everything slowly.”