Francesca Anastasio and her salon, Essence Lashes and Beauty, have won the North West Melbourne Local Business Award, a prestigious recognition celebrating the talent and dedication she’s poured into building her business.
Despite launching only recently, Anastasio has already made a name for herself in the beauty industry with exceptional service, turning her salon into a local favourite.
“It was a completely unexpected win,” the Rome-born entrepreneur admitted.
“I never imagined that among so many larger, more established businesses, they’d choose me. This recognition has truly motivated me to keep giving my very best.”
Essence Lashes and Beauty first opened in Carlton in 2020, in a small studio that later had to close due to pandemic restrictions.
“After that, I moved my business home and kept working until February this year, when I found my ideal studio,” she explained.
The new studio, located on Nicholson Street in Brunswick East, offers a range of beauty treatments, including lash and brow services, lymphatic massages, facials, manicures and pedicures.
“In Australia, the beauty industry is very segmented. There are salons that focus only on waxing, others only on lashes and brows, and so on,” she said.
“I trained in Italy, so I wanted to bring all these services together under one roof, just like a traditional Italian beauty salon.”
Alongside professionalism and high-quality services, Anastasio believes her customer-focused approach is one of her business’s greatest strengths.
“As a small business with just me running things, I’m able to look after each client from start to finish,” she said.
“In larger businesses, it’s not always possible for clients to feel prioritised by the person greeting them.”
Now, Anastasio is looking ahead to the future of her business.
“After this win, I’m already working towards growing even more,” she revealed.
“I’m currently preparing some courses to teach the techniques I learned in Italy and from my [Australian] colleagues.
“In the coming months, I might also find someone qualified to help me elevate our service quality even further.”
