How to Develop an Aesthetic for Your Beauty Brand (in-studio + online)

Owning a business is different than having a "brand". A business can be a simple transaction or exchange of services while a brand leaves a customer with a long-lasting impression or feeling. It's a reflection of you and how people see your business. 

When I first came up with the idea of "Lash + Love Apparel" now "Dear Lash + Love", I knew I wanted it to be more than a transactional business, I wanted to develop a brand like I described above. As I started building it, I gravitated towards pink because it felt feminine and girly (this was before pink really exploded EVERYWHERE). I wanted my branding to feel fun, fresh and effortless and never too luxurious or out of reach to other lash artists coming to my site or IG. Pink felt like the best combination of everything I wanted my brand to be and helped set the perfect foundation for what I was building.

So while I do use a ton of pink, I work hard to make it not too off-putting or fairy princess pink, lol. At the end of the day, Dear Lash + Love is a reflection of me, and when I'm creating content for the brand, I really want that to show through. 

But how do you find an aesthetic like this for your brand in-studio + online? Here are a few initial tips and then I'll dive into more detail in a later post.

+Think about your business name
What do you want it to represent? How can you show this through images and colors? Get on Pinterest ASAP and get inspired! Create a secret board and start saving everything that could potentially work for your brand. I love Pinterest and find it extremely helpful when working creatively.

+Think about design styles and colors
Are there any you already gravitate towards and enjoy (and not just because someone else is already doing it well)? Do those ideas align with your business name?

I've found it a lot easier to create and be consistent when what I'm working on is something I'm excited about and love. It would be hard for me to work with the color blue because...well, I just don't love it. Incorporating colors and various shades of colors I like has allowed me to create longevity with my branding because I can easily talk about it and capture the right feeling. 

+Figure out who your audience is
Mine is 21-35-ish but also women that are growing with me so this may change. Your branding should be appealing to the age group/type of people you want as clients and customers. 

+Be consistent
Styles may change but your branding should still be recognizable! There are so many trends I see a lot of people following but it can get confusing if you are constantly changing colors, fonts or filters. Don't confuse your people! It's ok to dabble but stick with the foundation you've set in place. If I want to jump on a trend train I'll just hop on for a moment to enjoy the ride and then get right off. I always know my final destination.

+Tell a story
Branding is really a lot of storytelling. It's capturing a feeling, selling an experience, or just the way something is photographed. Because I am so open about my business and have allowed so many of you to follow along with me/learn from me it of course leaves you feeling more connected to me and the brand. I don't just want to sell you a shirt. Selling a shirt is SO BORING. I want to sell a dream, motivation - a feeling! THEN a shirt.

Think about how you can connect to your customers, expose yourself a little more, share stories with them and tips they may not know. Intertwine this into your business and there you have it! You've created a brand. 

Now, rinse + repeat for your studio. Your social presence should reflect your business and its vibe. Work to create cohesiveness both on and offline so, once again, your customers can get familiar with you and your brand. Choose decor that flows and fonts on menus and business cards that are the same as your site and graphics on social media. There's a little more wiggle room here but basically if your studio is black and white your branding should be something similar across the board. 

As you can see, I'm pretty obsessed with branding. If you aren't obsessed like me or just need help finding your style, let's work together to get you started. You can email me directly for custom online coaching! 

If you liked this blog and found it helpful leave me a comment on my latest post about what you found helpful and I might just send you something fun! xx

My Amazon picks for cute decor on a budget HERE

Furniture in my studio now HERE