ZANDALEE MATENE

SISTER LASHES

Zandalee is a proud brown woman and the founder of Sister lashes, an award winning lash brand built from resilience, culture, and community. Her journey into the beauty industry wasn’t just about lashes it was about creating space in an industry where brown women are often underrepresented, underestimated, and expected to work twice as hard to be seen.

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Zandalee built Sister Lashes from the ground up while navigating the realities many brown women face cultural expectations, self-doubt, financial pressure, and the responsibility of carrying not just personal dreams, but generational hope. What started as a skill learned to survive and provide has grown into a recognised business, earning an industry award, national media attention, and major collaborations.

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As a brown woman, Zandalee’s success is deeply rooted in her identity. She brings authenticity, humility, and strength into every space she enters, using her platform to challenge stereotypes, uplift other wāhine, and show that brown women belong at the table not as guests, but as leaders.

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Today, Zandalee is a lash artist, educator, mentor, and speaker who shares the real story behind entrepreneurship the unseen sacrifices, the cultural pressure, and the courage it takes to back yourself when the world isn’t built for you. Through her work and her voice, she is committed to opening doors, creating representation, and reminding the next generation of brown girls that their dreams are valid, powerful, and achievable.