A letter from Han.

Lab fam,

Hello! I hope you are comfy, tea and TimTam in hand, ready for a large read.

… Actually best you grab the whole packet for this one.

It’s time I properly introduce myself!

If you have ever ventured beyond the curtains of our Manuka studio to our skin rooms or if you have visited our pop-up studio in Bondi, chances are we have crossed paths!

There are few instances where I emerge from my nicely tucked away corner of the studio (it’s giving Harry Potter) BUT for the times where I have managed to pop out, we may also have met at the front desk or in The Lab’s Instagram DM’s!

For everyone who has not met me before, I am Hannah.

For the past 11 years of my career in the beauty industry I have worn many hats so to speak…

You may have known me early on as a beauty apprentice; the girl that folded washing, cleaned the toilet, scraped wax spots off of literally every hard surface in the salon, and the girl that took the tissues out from between your toes once your toenail polish had dried. Or you may have known me as your friend that set up a home studio to practise brows as much as she could outside of work and school. This was baby Han at the ripe age of 15.

My first beauty gig was a SBAT in my home town of Young (teeny tiny town of 7000 people in regional NSW).

*Story time*

I wasn’t overly interested in the beauty industry before starting work here, I was actually interested in interior design. BUT my mum had gotten me a voucher to The Stables Day Spa in Young for Christmas one year which I used toward a facial treatment. From that appointment the beauty industry had my heart. Shannon was my skin therapist and I remember being completely in awe of her knowledge, her caring and gentle nature and the experience as a whole. Shortly after this I sent a request to the spa to complete work experience with them and not long after that handed my resume in where I then began my SBAT working late nights and weekends outside of school hours.

In more recent years since moving to Canberra in 2016 you may have known me as your massage therapist, your manicurist/pedicurist, your spray tan lady, the girl that waxed your back and chest, lasered your pits or the girl that prepped your bikini line for your upcoming c-section.

For the greater part of the last 5 years, you’ve probably known me as your skin lady…. Or your brow tattoo lady! 4 years ago this month (which is INSANE, how has it already been 4 years?!) I founded my first business Haus of Cosmetic Tattoo allowing me to split my time between my two passions….

Eyebrow & lip tattoos for the creative parts of me.

Skin revision for the nerdy parts.

Both food for my soul, equal parts gratifying and challenging.

The last 11 years of my career have seen me part of 3 beautiful establishments and a self-owned/operated business before firmly planting myself at The Lab 3.5 years ago… and if you think that was an accident, think again. I had been creeping on The Lab HARD for at least a year or 2 prior to joining the team, waiting for the perfect moment to slide into their inbox and drop my resume.

My career has seen me through a continuous journey of growth not only as a professional but as a young woman. I have had the pleasure of working along-side so many inspiring people and of course have had the pleasure of meeting YOU! Colleagues and clients alike, I have made so many great friendships and shared many special moments with memories that will last a lifetime.

So what have things looked like since being at The Lab?

For 3.5yrs I have been your skin lady.

For the past 2 years I have been The Lab’s ‘co-boss lady’ and creative director working along-side Tegan and Sianne as the ultimate biz boss trio.

For the past 6-8 months I have been head of skin training imparting my skills, knowledge, experiences and our unique concept, vision and service style on equally passionate and amazing humans as the team continues to grow.

And from now until the foreseeable future I will be the solo director of The Lab, leading a group of incredible humans;

Elle (studio manager, tinting queen and all round legend, your energy is infectious)
Charli (Brow & lash apprentice and most incredible 16yr old I have ever met, GIRL I am in awe of you everyday)
Sophie (Our country music lovin’ gal and senior brow & lash specialist with the most angelic voice… fun fact Sophie is an incredible singer!!… Sophie, please make me a CD for Christmas)
Anna (Part time skin specialist, full time funny girl and an absolute wealth of knowledge on all things in life… I will always choose Anna to be my trivia partner)
Tegan (Head of brow training, the most rad mum, incredibly generous and funniest human to exist)
Sianne (Silent partner but always in the wings to listen to me vent and help where needed while she lives out her gypsy life experiencing different parts of the country. Sianne you are one of the most gifted, hardworking and inspiring people I know).
Kristina (Last but not least! Newest to The Lab fam, Skin expert, Sydney sider turned Canberra local, Greek mama of the group! We love you and your crazy smoothie concoctions)

Being blessed with a role such as this is something I feel quiet honoured to be trusted with. My love, admiration and gratitude toward Tegan and Sianne is out of this world and I can quiet confidently say that I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if not for meeting them. They have collectively taught me so much and I can’t wait to see what life has next in store for the three of us.

Now let’s circle back a bit because I know you are intrigued to know why I was so hell bent on securing a spot working at The Lab.

While the apparent things were enticing; The vibey instagram page and website, the incredible studio space, service offering and the amazing team (love you all!) Oh and of course the free lunches on Fridays.. which are obviously no longer free for me lol.

My desire to be apart of this business was about so much more.

The philosophy of education, inclusivity and authenticity was a stand out factor.

The beauty industry has, for a long time, fed off of peoples insecurities in order to sell a product or service (ick, I know).

It will offer high maintenance solutions that keep you coming back more often than you need to.

The beauty industry will also generally tell you what you need rather than ask you what you want and can tend to only cater to certain people or will base it’s offering off of timely industry trends and societal expectations.

The Lab is quiet the contrary; A space in the beauty sector designed to educate and empower people in their own bodies. A space where individuality is celebrated in the most authentic and unfiltered way. A space that recognises beauty in its many MANY forms. The Lab was created with the community at its core and with a team who are so unique and different, all coming together as friends and collaborators to create the experience and atmosphere that we are now famous for.

The Lab is a breath of fresh air not only for clients but also for employees and creators alike. Something so unique, so positive, unpretentious and seperate from the norm of what beauty establishments generally look like. I would even go as far as saying that The Lab is hardly a beauty salon at all. Rather a space that focuses on helping humans be their healthiest and happiest selves, aaaannnddd we just so happen to love creating top notch, elite brows and lashes and have an unwavering passion for skin health. The lab allows us to offer these services to you in the funnest, most chill way possible!

I wanted nothing more than to be apart of the group of people that had brought it all to life.

Being part of The Lab has turned out to be much more than I could have ever imagined. This business and it’s community have taught me so much especially within the last 6-12months; the power and importance of community and co-creation. How to be a good listener, practise patience, lead and teach. How to chill the f out (sometimes learning this the hard way), how to love myself, how to love others and how to celebrate beauty in everything without doubting my own. I’ve learnt to care for my body, and to appreciate the many changes it goes through.

In turn I hope we have been able to teach you something too.

Now that we’re all caught up let’s talk about the future!!!!!

The thought of this next chapter of lab life makes me equally excited, scared, calm and content all at the same time. The type of feeling where you don’t know whether you need to cry, laugh or vomit. (standard business owner things).

We will continue to provide you with the brows of your dreams.

We will continue to offer a relaxed and fun space to connect and learn.

We will continue to ‘keep it real’ when it comes to skin revision solutions, offering a ‘no BS’, completely custom and holistic approach to the body’s largest organ. We will continue to LISTEN TO YOU and support you through what can be an emotionally charged process, and we will continue to celebrate with you.

We will FOREVER be: driven by our community, committed to our service and live by our values of Authenticity, Inclusivity, Education and Excellence.

I can not predict every twist and turn but I can promise that the road ahead will not be boring and I will be here every step of the way.

So all in all. we will continue to be all about YOU. While staying true to who we are.

I am so grateful for all your continued support! Running a small business is no small feat but with you all alongside myself and the team, The Lab legacy continues.

Love Han.