Meet Shirley Be, Founder of Youthphoria
Youthphoria was founded in 2012 by Shirley Be, an Australian pharmacist with more than 16 years of clinical experience, a cosmetic chemist, and a five times qualified lash artist who still takes clients herself. That combination is unusual, and it is the reason every lash in the range is built to look, feel and move like a real one rather than like a false lash.
- Bachelor of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, with more than 16 years of practical and clinical medical experience.
- Cosmetic chemist. Diploma of Personal Care Formulations, and the founding cosmetic chemist behind Youthphoria's original skincare range.
- Five times qualified lash artist, and the creator of the featherlight lash extension technique used in the Balwyn studio.
- Certificates in skin and laser therapies, plus a Diploma of Naturopathic Nutrition.
- Has formulated for a number of other Australian skin and beauty brands.
- Founded Youthphoria in 2012. More than 50,000 Australian customers and over 600 five star reviews since.
Why a pharmacist ended up making lashes
Shirley spent years applying professional lash extensions in her own studio, and developed a featherlight technique: very light extensions used to build a comfortable, realistic set that does not weigh the natural lash down. Clients loved the result. What they did not love was the appointment, the cost, and the infills every few weeks.
That is the problem Youthphoria was built to solve. The magnetic lashes are an at-home version of the same look, designed to go on in about a minute and come off just as easily, with no lash glue and no salon booking.
What her background actually changes about the product
Every style is made to look like a real lash, not like a false one. That is the test the whole range is built around, and it is what a lash artist notices that a factory does not. The fibres are fine and tapered rather than thick and uniform, the band is soft enough to follow the curve of your lid rather than sit on top of it, and the lash moves with your own blink. What the range was built to avoid is the rest of the category: the glossy, plasticky strips that read as false from across a room, and the thick spiky ones that clump into spider legs. Ours look, feel and move like your own, which is why we call them the most realistic on the market.
The magnets are smaller than the industry standard. Our micro magnets are around 50% smaller than the bulky five magnet strips sold on most marketplaces, because a heavy magnet is what makes a lash feel like it is dragging on your lid. Six smaller magnets spread the hold along the band instead of pinching it in three places.
Every product is formulated with care and consideration. The Hybrid Magnetic Liquid Eyeliner, the Magnetic Eyeliner Pen and the Crystal Clear Adhesive Eyeliner are Australian AICIS compliant, vegan, and free from latex and parabens, and the same standard applies to everything else in the range.
Lash health comes before the look. It is why the range includes styles that need no natural lashes underneath at all, and why the Eyelash Growth and Repair Serum exists alongside the lashes rather than instead of them.
Shirley still sees clients herself at the Youthphoria studio in Balwyn North, which is where most product decisions get tested first. If something is uncomfortable after three hours in the chair, it does not ship.
The five lash systems she designed
There are 38 lash styles in the range, across five systems. All five are made to the same standard of realism. What changes between them is the band and what holds it on.
| System | How it holds on | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 6-Magnet Black | Six micro magnets grip a magnetic eyeliner | A defined liner look, worn again and again |
| 6-Magnet Brown | The same six magnet system, in brown | Softer everyday wear, and lighter hair and brows |
| Invisible Magnets | The magnets are concealed inside the band | Magnetic hold with nothing visible on the band |
| Clear Band | A clear, film forming adhesive liner. Not magnetic | No dark liner line at all, for a bare lid look |
| Fastbond Press-On | Presses on directly, no magnets and no separate liner | The fastest option, and a custom fit across eye widths |
Every style is reusable. You can see all 38 side by side in The Lash Guide.
Lashes for people with little or no lash of their own
Because a Youthphoria lash sits on the lid rather than on your own lashes, it does not need a natural lash underneath to attach to. That matters to a large part of our customer base: people going through chemotherapy, and people living with alopecia, madarosis or trichotillomania.
Shirley built the Reclaim Confidence range around exactly that, and wrote a set of guides in The Lash Library for it. It is the part of the business she is proudest of.
"I created Youthphoria with one simple vision: to provide high-quality products that not only transform our features, but our confidence too."
Where to start
New to magnetic lashes
A lash and the liner made to hold it, bought together. Mismatching the two is the single most common first-timer mistake.
Magnetic Lashes & Liner KitNot sure which style
Answer a few questions about your eye shape, your lid and how much lash you actually want, and get matched to a style.
Take the lash finder quizPrefer to see them on first
See any of the 38 styles on your own face, in your own lighting, before you spend anything.
Virtual try-onIf you would rather start with everything at once, the Ultimate Starter Kit puts two lashes, the liner, the applicator, the scissors and the mesh bag in one box. You can also build your own bundle and take the multi-buy discount.
Seeing Shirley in person
Shirley still takes lash clients at the Youthphoria studio in Balwyn North, Victoria, and also offers a styling consultation for anyone who wants help picking a style. See the Balwyn lash studio guide for what is offered, or book a lash styling consultation.
Common questions
Do Youthphoria lashes look fake?
They are designed not to. The fibres are fine and tapered rather than thick and uniform, the band is soft rather than stiff, and the lash moves with your own blink, so they look, feel and move like real lashes. The glossy plasticky look, and the thick spikes that clump into spider legs, are exactly what the range was built to avoid.
Who founded Youthphoria?
Shirley Be, an Australian pharmacist and cosmetic chemist based in Melbourne. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Sydney, is a five times qualified lash artist, and founded Youthphoria in 2012.
Is Shirley Be a real pharmacist?
Yes. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Sydney and has more than 16 years of practical and clinical medical experience. She is also a cosmetic chemist, with a Diploma of Personal Care Formulations, and has formulated for other Australian skin and beauty brands.
Is Youthphoria an Australian brand?
Yes. Youthphoria is Australian owned and Australian designed, based in Balwyn North in Melbourne, with a studio there as well. The eyeliners are Australian AICIS compliant. Orders ship across Australia and New Zealand, with free shipping over $70.
What makes Youthphoria lashes different from other magnetic lashes?
They are made to look real rather than to look like false lashes: fine tapered fibres, a soft band, and a lash that moves with your own blink instead of sitting on the lid as a stiff shape. The magnets are part of that. Six micro magnets roughly 50% smaller than the standard five magnet strip keep the band light and flexible. There are also ranges that need no natural lashes underneath, for customers with lash loss.
Which lash does Shirley recommend if I have never worn magnetic lashes?
The Magnetic Lashes and Liner Kit, because it pairs a lash with the liner that suits it. If you are not sure which style, the lash finder quiz takes about two minutes.
Can I see Shirley for lashes in person?
Yes. She still takes clients at the Youthphoria studio in Balwyn North, Melbourne. See the Balwyn lash studio guide for what is offered.
Made to look like your own lashes
Every style has to pass the same test before it ships: does it still look, feel and move like a real lash after three hours in the chair?
More about the brand itself on the About Youthphoria page, and more on how each system wears in The Lash Library.
