When you think of hair care, you tend to think about the strands that grow from the top of your head — but, what about eyelashes? Lash care brand Borboleta Pro is looking to change the narrative, creating a game-changing, ultra-nourishing lineup of products that help you treat your lashes right.
While the hair community may be vibrant and flourishing, many lash artists struggle to find others to ask for advice, lean on and chat about the industry. With LashBash, creator Mo Hamill has built a space for local lash artists to connect and cultivate a strong, supportive community.
Together, these powerhouse lash brands teamed up to host Artistry in the City, celebrating beauty, community and the art of lashes. Held on Sunday, July 27 at the Chicago Architecture Center, the event raised money to benefit Beauty Changes Lives and Beauty4ACause.
Event Vendors
During the first hour of the event, attendees could interact with event sponsors and vendors!
- Angelina Ortiz, owner of Royal Reset (@royalreset), gave attendees a peek into the brand's IV Injections that restore, rejuvenate and reset.
- Carmen Chen (@esthetically.carmen) was in attendance, offering tiny tattoos to attendees that were eager to get inked!
- Crystal Senda (@linkedbycrystal) brought her permanent jewelry, allowing attendees to get a ring, bracelet, necklace or anklet.
- Aycuell (@ayucell.us) chatted with attendees about its Korean Skin Care and anti-aging products.
- Primabiotic (@primabiotic_us) brought its liquid collagen and hyaluronic acid shots to the event for attendees to try.
- Bourgeois Lashes (@bourgeoislashes) allowed attendees to purchase personalized, engraved tweezers to bring back to their salons!
- NZBeautyy (@nz_beautyy) connected with attendees about her permanent makeup business and the training courses she has available for microblading, microshading, lip blushing and ombre powder brows.
- Dr. Aaron Bryant (@renewedbodywellness) brought his Chiro Care business, Renewed Body Chiro to the event. He chatted with attendees about the importance of self-care and bodily wellness.
- Jason Chan (@ifightdirty) brought samples of Caviar Polanco USA (@caviarpolancousa) for attendees to try.
- Jem Junkies (@jem.junkies) showcased its tooth gem and grillz services for attendees.
There was also plenty of opportunities for photos with Apex Photobooth (@apexphotobooth.chi), Jacob Anthony Photography (@jacobanthonyphoto) and Bonitas Photo Booth (@bonitasphotobooth) all offering opportunities for attendees to snap a picture to commemorate the event.
The Auctions
The event raised money for two 501(c)(3) non-profits: Beauty Changes Lives and Beauty4ACause.
- Beauty Changes Lives supports beauty and wellness professionals through scholarships, mentorships, advanced education and resources for cosmetology, nail, massage, makeup, barber and esthetics professionals.
- Beauty4ACause is a community-driven movement dedicated to supporting artists who have experienced economic hardships, life challenges or unforeseen disasters through a unique blend of donation initiatives, specialized products, comprehensive training programs, beauty events and mentorship opportunities.
Sponsors like, Cosmoglo, Raden Wellness, Ayucell and Primabiotic, provided items for a slient auction.
But, the main event of the evening, featured a live auction of stunning canvas art created by lash artists that spotlights the beauty of lashes. Each of the artists had the opportunity to introduce their piece before it was auctioned.
To open up the evening, Borboleta Founder Kimber Jaynes and CEO Mike Alexander spoke about the importance of the event and bringing the lash community together. Beauty Changes Lives Executive Director Lisa Roeberg and Beauty4ACause Co-President Mo Hamil also spoke about their organizations and the importance of giving back to the beauty community.
After the auction, attendees were invited to dance to a DJ and grab swag bags, as they headed out into the Chicago night.
The Visionaries & Their Art
Here's a peek into the lash art created by visionary lash artists.
Eye of the Peacock by Crystal Alcaraz (@311beauty): Inspired by a spring visit to the Getty Center in LA, there was a single vibrant dahlia in the museum's garden that was in full bloom, and it reminded me of a peacock's feather. This lash set is my tribute to that moment where art and nature collided.
Becoming - The Power of Transformation by Dalia Delacruz (@aestheticallydalia): This piece symbolizes the ever-evolving journey of beauty professionals — from the delicate beginnings to the bord confidence of mastery. The butterflies represent growth, resilience and reinvention, echoing how we're constantly transforming not just our craft but ourselves. This artwork is a tribute to the artists who continue to bloom, shift and rise with every season of their journey.
Drawn to the Light by Jess Dowd (@lehighvalleylashes): This lash set is inspired by the Spanish Luna moth — nocturnal, haunting and delicate like stained glass. UV-reactive wavy fibers mimic its wings layered with magenta and purple spikes to echo its bold design. Bottom lashes nod to the moth's iconic tails, adding movement and depth. It captures a familiar story: a creature of the dark, lured into the light — suspended in instinct, caught in transformation.
Rococo Requiem by Whitney Fairbanks (@dubklash): Born from the quiet aftermath of heartbreak, this piece draws from the romantic excess of Rococo art — soft curves and shadows telling a story of love lost. One side swells with structure, symbolizing connection and all that once was. Opposite, wispy spirals unravel — an echo of absence and all left unsaid. The negative space isn't a flaw; it's sacred. A requiem in lashes. A love letter built from silence.
The Eyes Carry Generations by Yoselin Flores (@yosisglambar): This piece honors ancestral memory, identity and cultural pride — our eyes as vessels of history and resilence. A central figure peels back her face to reveal ancestral eyes, each holding legacy and emotion. Surrounded by Mexican and indigenous imagery, this piece celebrates heritage and community. Made in tribute to my father, it's a bold, reverent reminder: we carry our history with us, and we're never alone in it.
Taste of Death by Karly Foydl (@thelashvamp_): This piece is inspired by the beauty of nature's morality. As the lash vamp, I am highly inspired by finding parallels between vampires and nature's real life predators. A tigress, just like a vampire, uses her sharp fangs to feed of the blood of her enemies — all while looking effortlessly beautiful.
Sage Deep by Jay Greeley (@jay.bloomwild): This art piece was inspired by my spiritual awakening, my healing journey and is dedicated to my children, who continue to show me that home is where the heart is.
Metropolitan Muse (@hanna_modamuse): Inspired by the mystery of a city after dark, this lash look channels urban drama with slanted cat-eye structure, moody shadows and crystal gems that mimic city lights. Borboleta black lashes in Skyline and Slanted shapes create a sleek, sultry silhouette, enhanced by soft lighting that evokes a glowing skyline.
Designer Mivoga by Jen (@jenthelashartist): A love letter to the originators. From beaters to bonnets, grills, gold chains and nails, this look is a tribute to the women who showed up fly, even when the world said it was "too much." They weren't following trends. They were the trend. Black culture is culture. Our style has been copied, celebrated on others and questioned on us—but it's always been rooted in identity, resilience and self-expression. This isn't struggle. It's power. It's our legacy—dressed in gold.
No Place Like Home Girl by Cecilia Lehman (@ceciliafaye): This piece reflects my passion for lashing, my love for a brand that's always been in my corner and the balance of my light and dark sides— both delicate and strong. Most importantly, it represents where I come from and the journey I've taken to get here. Like the Borboleta butterfly, it symbolizes my transformation over the past decade. When I see it, I'm reminded of how far I've come and remember: there's no place like home.
Freshly Slashed by Claudia Montalvo (@slashedbyclaudia): A provocative take on the cost of beauty, presenting the face as a product—packaged, perfected and ready for consumption. Using Styrofoam and plastic wrap to mimic meat packaging, it blurs glamour and gore, asking: when perfection is for sale, how much must we sacrifice to stay desirable? The lashes reflect both artistry and loss, turning beauty into a chilling display of dehumanized perfection.
Skyline by Yuel Rafferty (@whiteflamingolash): Skyline captures the moment where personal history and architectural inspiration meet. Set against the crisp geometry of lash design, this piece reflects the towering elegance of Chicago's skyline — but through the softness of my sister's gaze. She is not just the subject. She is the reason. The person who first saw the artist in me — before I ever did. This eye, her eye, becomes a blueprint. Each lash placed like a steel beam, every curve echoing the lines of the city. Transparent 3D contours rise above the canvas, mirroring the skyline that inspired this set. Resin glosses over the structure, not to blur it — but to immortalize it. To preserve what's both sharp and soft. Skyline is a tribute to the people who believe in us before the world does.
The Butterfly Effect of Her Love by Cindy Richard (@epitomestudios): Love is one of the most beautiful parts of life—but it comes with the risk of loss. When someone we love deeply is gone, grief becomes the price we pay for that love. Losing my mom shattered me in ways I couldn't have imagined. It felt like a part of my heart died with her. But over time, I realized my love for her didn't disappear — it lived on through my grief. That pain became an opportunity: to grow, to see life differently, to find strength and peace. It taught me to live with intention, to embrace calm and to welcome new beginnings. Through my art, I hope to share that sense of love and peace. If you've lost someone special, imagine this is where they are now—and smile, knowing they're at peace.
Fountain of Eternal Life by Jazmin Riordan (@beautynartistry): Inspired by the Fountain of Eternal Life in Cleveland, this piece is deeply personal. I grew up running around that fountain with my mom and siblings—and years later, I stood in front of it in my wedding dress. This art feels full circle. I've been lashing since 2017, blending my love of art, transformation and storytelling. As a Navy veteran turned lash artist, my passion is helping people feel seen, powerful and beautiful.
Fall of Humanity: Flesh Vs Firmware by Jessica Valentine (@masscaramassacre): This piece is a visceral confrontation, a reflection of the quiet apocalypse we're living through where consciousness is traded for code and connection is sacrificed to the algorithm. It is an elegy for the human experience in the world becoming increasingly artificial, where viral has become virus. One eye bleeds with the depth of human experience: flesh, blood, rage, grief, memory and the complexity of emotion. The other glows in cold UV and neon: a synthetic echo of life, built to mimic but incapable of meaning. This is not just about beauty. It's about erasure. About watching art become data. Artists become obsolete. And creativity becomes a commodity stripped of soul. Because no matter how advanced the algorithm, it will never know what it means to feel. To suffer. To want. To be alive. True art is born of flesh. Of wounds and wonder. And if life feeds on life...What does firmware feed on? Not us. Not yet. This is more than a lash set. It is proof that no matter how advanced the code becomes, it will never know the hunger that is the human condition.
Fall of Humanity: Flesh Vs Firmware by Jessica Valentine (@masscaramassacre)Courtesy of Jessica Valentine
For More
Thank you to Borboleta Pro for inviting us to the event. You can follow Borboleta Pro on Instagram and visit its website for more. You can also keep up with LashBash on Instagram or by visiting its website.
