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They’re a confidence booster and a lifelong passion. The entrepreneur and Wayne Valley High School graduate has turned her love for lashes into a thriving business, D.Sierra Lash Co., with three successful salons, a celebrity client list, and plans for national expansion.
Oh, and she's only 27 years old.
Sandu opened her first studio in Little Falls in 2021 at 24 years old, a leap of faith that proved to be life-changing.
“I’ve been obsessed with lashes since high school,” Sandu said. “I believe in it, I love it, and I wanted to create something not just with the locations but also my own product lines.”
Just three months after launching the D.Sierra Little Falls location, demand was so high that Sandu opened a second location in East Hanover.
“We were fully booked, and I needed to expand very fast,” she said. “I put in tremendous work to get the business there.”
Last year, D. Sierra Lash Co. gained national recognition when it was named Best Lash Salon of the Year by Vagaro Salon Software, cementing its reputation as a leader in the beauty industry.
Then, in September 2024, Sandu opened her third location in Glen Rock, and has a fourth in the works. Each step in her journey brought its own challenges and lessons. And so, after taking a break to restructure her rapidly growing business, Sandu is now setting her sights on franchising.
“I’ve had people reaching out constantly to open their own locations,” she said. “It would be amazing to line my girls up—the most dedicated and prepared—to open one of their own.”
The secret to her success? A commitment to quality.
“I don’t hire beginners or let them touch a client until they’re the very, very best,” Sandu said, adding that her team undergoes rigorous training, and all stylists are licensed aestheticians or cosmetologists.
Sandu's salons have earned a reputation for excellence, attracting celebrity clients like Teresa Giudice and Dolores Catania of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."
“A lot of lash companies around us have beginners working for them,” she explained. “That’s not how we do things here.”
Beyond lashes, Sandu invests in her staff’s success by offering financial education. “We have financial planners work with them one-on-one,” she said. “I’m looking out for their financial independence as well.”
This December, Sandu's salons are running a holiday toy drive, collecting donations at all locations through Dec. 19.
With services starting at $99.99 during promotions, her salons have become a go-to for anyone looking to wake up flawless. “When your lashes are perfect, you feel good,” Sandu said. “It’s a confidence boost that you can’t replace.”
Sandu's journey from a Wayne teenager experimenting with makeup to the owner of award-winning salons shows the power of passion, hard work, and big dreams. “I knew I had this in me, but not on this scale,” she said. “It’s a blessing—a level I never thought I’d reach this young.”
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