If eyes are the windows to the soul, then lashes are the frame. Dunya Afshar’s (C/W ’27) company Wink Aesthetics is not just a business, but her way of blending technique, entrepreneurial drive, and the human element. Dunya has been perfecting her craft since high school, developing an innovative and deeply personal method of lash work.
Name: Dunya Afshar
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Field of Study: Majors in Political Science and Consumer Psychology
Activities: Penn Persian Society (Social Chair)
When did you start doing lashes?
I started learning lashes my freshman year of high school. COVID hit and I had just quit gymnastics. I wanted to do something to keep my hands busy. I knew that my mom loved getting eyelash extensions, so I wanted to surprise her for her birthday by trying to do that for her. I had a lot of social anxiety, so my mom wanted me to try taking clients as a way of putting myself out there. My first set took six hours.
That’s a long time, you must get to know your clients very well.
Yeah—people think, “Oh, you’re just doing a mere tweak of lashes,” but I’m putting one single extension on every single lash–able natural lash—typically 100–250 on each eye. I really want to do it perfectly. But I think one reason why I enjoyed those six hours and it went by so fast was because I was doing it with my older sister. She and her lash model didn’t really get along. They didn’t have a good conversation, but my technician and I were talking about her pregnancy. I was asking her for advice on really niche questions, and it felt like we were friends after that. It went by so fast, and I realized that it was a great way to create a space to make my clients feel empowered. I originally thought that getting to know people was my second priority, but I would actually say it’s the first. It’s taught me how to listen, how to really be attuned to myself and my client.
Who are your clients? Where do they come from?
My clients have ranged from 13–year–olds to people in their 80s. Now, it’s predominantly college students, but before it was moms who were taking a nap between graveyard shifts and working two jobs. It was teenagers who wanted to feel a little more confident, who didn’t want to wake up every morning and put on makeup to feel ready. I think it served a different purpose for a lot of different people, but I made some really great friends from it. Some of my closest friends are clients. It’s my way of creating space for somebody, and also creating space for myself. When you make somebody feel comfortable, when you give them that space, it’s really hard not to build relationships with them.
The slogan of Wink Aesthetics is “science, empathy, and precision.” It’s clear that empathy is a big part of your method, but what about science and precision?
I keep a catalog of every single client that I’ve ever had. And each of them has their own file. I’ll take pictures of their natural lashes, keep track of their natural eye growth, even their routine. For example, if somebody likes to sleep on one side, I’ll note that and get a sleeping mask. I’ll put pictures of my client over a map of a perfect lash set and then tweak it to suit their eye the best. I’ll do specific measurements and calculations in order to make it look really good for someone’s eye. Most lash techs will just use a typical map. They won’t take that extra step. But I think it’s really important. That’s what I mean by science and precision. Lashes change your whole face. My clients are the ones who have to look in the mirror and see themselves like this for a whole month, so I don’t care if I spend two or three hours on this. If you don’t like it, I’ll fix it.
Do you see lashes as just a business, an art form, a craft, or something else?
I would say it started off as a necessity. I’m daughter number three out of four and my parents are divorced. Right when COVID happened, my mom was laid off and luckily she had a union, but the union wasn’t great. When you’re a middle child, especially in a first–generation household, you’re taught not to take up space and to figure things out on your own. I didn’t want to financially burden my mom. It was a way I could help pay for my little sister’s summer programs, birthdays, clothes, food, everything like that. I’ve always liked to work with my hands. I used to repair people’s bikes or mow lawns. For me, lashing is more about tinkering.
Lightning Round!
In one word, why should someone choose you over another lash tech? Care.
How would you describe yourself? Tenacious, maybe a revolutionary–optimist.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
