Sahara Lotti (born June 3, 1977) is an Iranian-American

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

and founder of Lashify, a luxury beauty company. She is known for inventing and patenting cosmetic technologies, most notably DIY

eyelash extensions False eyelashes are a cosmetic enhancement attaching synthetic or natural fibers to the eyelids to give the natural eyelashes a fuller, more dramatic look. They are available in various lengths, thicknesses, and curvatures. History In 1882, He ...

Early life and education

Raised in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

in the town of

Atherton, California Atherton ( ) is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,823 as of July 2023 estimates. The town's zoning regulations permit only one single-family home per acre in new subdivisions, though smal ...

. She attended

Menlo-Atherton High School Menlo-Atherton High School (known as M-A to locals) is a four-year public high school secondary school located in Atherton, California. Menlo-Atherton is part of the Sequoia Union High School District.

. After graduation, Lotti moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and attended the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

(USC). In addition to her regular classes, Lotti studied with Hollywood acting coach,

Ivana Chubbuck Ivana Chubbuck is an American acting coach and creator of the Chubbuck technique. She heads a drama school in Los Angeles and hosts acting workshops worldwide. Chubbuck originally worked as an actress before becoming an acting coach. Some of her ...

. Lotti also informally studied

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

and

singing Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

for numerous years, showing passion and talent for

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

music. In her early career, Lotti acted in a series of independent films and wrote several scripts, including the comedies ''A Family Affair'', ''WishBoned'', and ''Back Magick''. In 2010, Lotti adapted the British novel ''The Ex Files'' for CBS Films.

Lashify

In the 2010s, Lotti began developing patented DIY

that were easier to apply and looked more natural. This led to her invention of a "wand" applicator that would allow lash extensions to be placed on the underside of the lashline in a more natural pattern. In 2016, Lotti founded the luxury beauty brand, Lashify, with her own money. The company is most well-known for developing the Gossamer lash and Fuse Control Wand, used to apply vegan silk eyelashes. It also develops color cosmetics and other beauty products. The company's products are

cruelty-free In the animal rights movement, cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals anywhere in the world. Products animal testing, tested on animals or made from animals are not considered cruelty-free, since these ...

. When the company was first founded, Lotti demonstrated the products on social media as a way to build interest and attract customers. As of 2023, the company had reached $80 million in annual sales. It opened its first physical location at

Melrose Place ''Melrose Place'' is an American prime-time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex in West Hollywood, ...

, Los Angeles in 2024. The brand is widely used by makeup artists in the film, television, modelling, and

influencer A social media influencer, or simply influencer (also known as an online influencer), is a person who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content such as photos, videos, and updates. This is done by using direct audience intera ...

industries. Vivian Baker used Lashify while styling

Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 201 ...

, who portrayed

Megyn Kelly Megyn Marie Kelly (; born November 18, 1970) is an American journalist, attorney, political commentator, and media personality. She currently hosts ''The Megyn Kelly Show'', a talk show and podcast that airs daily on Sirius XM's Triumph channe ...

in the film, ''Bombshell'' (2019), winning the 92nd

Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling The Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling is the Academy Awards, Academy Award given to the best achievement in makeup and hairstyling for film. Traditionally, three films have been nominated each year with exceptions in the early 1980s a ...

. The brand was also used for

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...

's makeup in the "

360 360 may refer to: * 360 (number) * 360 AD, a year * 360 BC, a year * 360 degrees, a turn Businesses and organizations * 360 Architecture, an American architectural design firm * Ngong Ping 360, a tourism project in Lantau Island, Hong Kong ...

" music video for the album ''Brat''.

Intellectual property lawsuits and patents

Lashify holds over 750

patents A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

and 1,000

trademarks A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a product or service from a particular source and distinguishes it from ot ...

worldwide. The company has filed numerous lawsuits alleging infringement on the company's

intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

. Regarding the litigation, Lotti has stated "What is really the point of any of the IP stuff in beauty if it’s simply that easy to copy and no one respects it? You have to be a millionaire to even have a chance." In August 2020, Lotti asked the

International Trade Commission The United States International Trade Commission (USITC or I.T.C.) is an agency of the United States federal government that advises the legislative and executive branches on matters of trade. It was created by Congress in 1916 as the U.S. Tari ...

(ITC) to investigate the unlawful

importation An importer is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. Import is part of the International Trade which involves buying and receivin ...

of false lash systems. Her complaint alleged these systems infringe on their patents by copying its technology without license. In October 2020, the

(ITC) launched the investigation into Lashify's patent-infringement complaint. After the ITC initially ruled against Lashify, Lotti filed an appeal with the

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has special appellate jurisdiction over certain categories of cases in the U.S. federa ...

. The circuit court ruled that Lashify should have qualified for patent protection. This ruling created a legal precedent that would broaden the types of complainants who are eligible to seek relief from the ITC when their patents are infringed. In May 2020, Lotti filed a

lawsuit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...

against Qingdao Hollyren Cosmetics Company alleging misuse of her patented technology. This suit was the first time that a female-owned beauty company took legal action in China against competing manufacturers. In August 2024, the

United States District Court for the Western District of Texas The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (in case citations, W.D. Tex.) is a federal district court. The court convenes in San Antonio with divisions in Austin, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Pecos, and Waco. It has ...

awarded Lashify $30.5 million in damages from Qingdao Lashbeauty Cosmetic Co, along with 30% royalties from Qingdao.

Other work

In 2020, Lotti founded a

startup incubator A startup or start-up is a company or project undertaken by an entrepreneur to seek, develop, and validate a scalable business model. While entrepreneurship includes all new businesses including self-employment and businesses that do not intend t ...

to invest in Black-owned beauty businesses.

Animal wellness

In 2010, Lotti founded Bobzilla, a non-profit organization that researches and supports animal wellness, including natural medicine and healthier breeding practices for breeds like English bulldogs. Lotti has stated that she founded the Lashify company to earn money that could be invested into animal wellness research.

Personal life

Lotti has three dogs, Roberto, Bob and Mack.

References

1977 births Screenwriters from California Living people University of Southern California alumni American women screenwriters People from Atherton, California 21st-century American women

External links

* {{authority control American cosmetics businesspeople