The pandemic caused a seismic shift in her life, though just as it has for all of ours.
Allow me to rewind a bit.
“I’d never gotten my lashes done before,” Sahaba tellsAllure.
Photos courtesy of subject /Allure/ Channing Smith
Without going back and forth to classes, she needed something to fill her time.
Getting her lashes done every two weeks proved to be a fun alternative.
“She was working out of her own private suite, and she was only 18 years old.”
One of Rico Nasty’s 323LashTherapy sets
She quickly fell in love with learning how to apply lashes and bought a mannequin head to practice on.
“When you’re getting certified, they only teach you surface-level techniques,” Sahaba says.
Through trial and error, she learned what kinds of curls and placements worked best on certain eye shapes.
323LashTherapy’s Alanah Sahaba
At first, a full set of about 200 extensions would take Sahaba six hours to complete.
“I do get a lot of inspiration from cartoon characters,” she explains.
[Their lashes] naturally flow with them."
323LashTherapy
Needless to say, going to school no longer appealed to Sahaba.
“You’re going to do so well in your business.
This is something that it’s crucial that you fully invest in.”
A client with star gem-studded lash extensions
That was all Sahaba needed to hear to do just that.
With each bold and playful lash extension experimentation, Sahaba would post the results on Instagram.
Soon, the masses caught on, and her schedule started filling up with appointments.
Kehlani’s first set with Sahaba
Rarely did anyone reply, but Lede eventually did in 2021.
“She was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I just saw your message from 2020.
I came across your page, and I’d love to work with you,'” Sahaba shares.
323LashTherapy
Lede ended up becoming a major catalyst for Sahaba’s success.
She’s friends with fellow singer Kehlani and recommended Sahaba to her.
“I like talking to my clients about everything, about every aspect of life,” Sahaba says.
323LashTherapy
“It’s just so intimate.
Now, they even come over for dinner.”
Honestly, I understand why they are willing to do so.
Sahaba has the cadence of a yoga instructor or even, dare I say,a therapist.
She’s incredibly calming to listen to and comfortable to talk to.
These close relationships also help Sahaba get an idea of what kind of lashes they would like.
“We’ll cycle through a bunch of different looks.
This is just the beginning of what you’ll hear about Sahaba, though.
“I haven’t seen anyone do it yet, and I’m really excited.
Save that for me; don’t do it on anyone else,’ so hopefully, soon.”
OK, excuse me while I keep an eye on Kehlani and Rico Nasty’s Instagrams.
