Mikki Bey Eyelash Extensions: What Happened To The Brand After Shark Tank?

In 2015, Mikki Bey brought eyelash extensions to "Shark Tank" before at-home lash extensions became popular. It all started when a producer for the show walked into her lash salon, which was on the same street as the "Shark Tank" studio, and was wowed by her informal pitch and the growth of her business. An official meeting and a 60-page application later, Bey was set to meet the Sharks with a rather unusual business concept.

While other contestants, like "Shark Tank" favorite Bridal Buddy, pitched unique physical products, she came in with a service based on a refined lash-extension technique she'd perfected to look natural, stay on longer, and stand out from competitors. She told the Sharks that her grand vision was to launch luxury lash lounges in glamorous locations across the world.

But as you might remember, Mikki Bey Eyelash Extensions didn't get a deal. However, what made her pitch unforgettable wasn't just the business idea or her (very accurate) prediction that lash extensions would soon become makeup staples. It was the emotion. Bey cried during her presentation, and it drew a lot of mixed reactions. Some called it passion and flamed the Sharks for missing out on her pitch, while others said it was overly dramatic and backed the investors' decision. Either way, Bey's "Shark Tank" appearance was quite controversial. 

When Mikki Bey Eyelash Extensions met the Sharks in Season 7, the ask was $300,000 for 20% equity in her company. Her plan was to patent her lash technique, hire staff, and expand into luxury locations. She also tried to disprove one of the myths about eyelash extensions, which was that all techs do extensions the same way. She demonstrated her skills by fixing a lash on Mark Cuban. But the Sharks just weren't buying it. Kevin O'Leary praised her dedication but passed. Barbara Corcoran and Lori Greiner followed, saying they didn't see enough room for growth. Finally, Cuban and Robert Herjavec bowed out, pointing to the lack of scalability.

The rejections seemed like a punch to the gut, but years later, in 2022, Bey claimed that she wasn't surprised by their rejections during an appearance on the "Girl Stop Playin'" podcast. "I knew I was not going to get the deal when I went in because the money didn't match," she told host Koereyelle. This raises the obvious question: If she knew that, why the tears? According to Bey, the episode was edited for max drama, and the crying had nothing to do with the rejection. She explained it came after the Sharks asked her a personal question about her business.

"The crying was actually because they asked me what was the hardest part of running my business, and it was when I had to go and take care of my father, who was terminally ill for three months and leave my business to go and be with him," she said. Unfortunately, the way the episode was cut, paired with Barbara Corcoran criticizing her for being emotional, gave the impression she was crying because they said no, and this perspective stuck.

When Mikki Bey's "Shark Tank" episode aired, it was an instant hit for obvious reasons. People don't usually cry on the show, and the moment sparked strong reactions. So even though she was prepared for a boost in visibility, she wasn't prepared for the additional backlash that came. "When you're going into a situation, it's reality TV and you're not a celebrity, you're not thinking, I'm going to get Kim K-level venom thrown at me, because I'm just a regular person," Bey said on the "Girl Stop Playin'" podcast.

People went out of their way to contact her — and not always with encouragement: "I was not prepared for it. And I would consider myself someone with pretty thick skin, but the viciousness that came out ... People would find me, email me, call the shop." She explained that the combination of online hate and being so accessible took a serious toll on her mental health. "The aftermath, it was pretty traumatic for me ... I was unprepared. I think that was the first time I like felt depression," she noted. Still, it wasn't all bad. Bey admitted the episode brought major visibility and did blow up her business. But in her words, the backlash ended up canceling out the exposure.

Unfortunately, Mikki Bey Eyelash Extensions wasn't one of the "Shark Tank" beauty pitches that didn't get a deal and still saw success. Just six months after her "Shark Tank" appearance, Mikki Bey shut down her eyelash extension business for good. According to her, a major reason was the intense backlash she faced after the episode aired. "It really made me shy away for a long time. For years, I went into a completely different industry and just tried to forget about my Mikki Bey life, and go on about my life as a wife and a mom," she explained on the "Girl Stop Playin'" podcast. "I was so turned off ... turned off by people."

But that wasn't the whole story. Bey also explained that closing the business had been part of a longer plan, admitting, "I was already in the process of my exit strategy when I went on 'Shark Tank.' ... I knew when I got into eyelash extensions, which was by happenstance, that it was not going to be a forever thing." After wrapping up her MBA, she pivoted fully, starting a new career in pharmaceuticals.

Despite the hardships, Mikki Bey doesn't regret going on "Shark Tank." She believes it set her on the path to the life she has now and loves. "In five years, I went from being an entry-level sales rep at a pharmaceutical company to a vice president at a dermatology company," she explained on the podcast. After that success, Bey transitioned into life coaching, and she credits "Shark Tank" as the catalyst, adding, "'Shark Tank' was absolutely a dream come true, and it started my manifestation process; what I teach now as a life coach is manifestation."

She now offers coaching packages on her website, helping women design their own destinies and sharing tips to manifest the life they want. As for whether we'll see Mikki Bey on screen again? It's unlikely. She made it clear that her "15 minutes of fame" was more than enough for her: "People are like, 'Well, what happened to Mikki Bey?' Nothing happened to Mikki Bey. I'm just not out there like that."