Meet the En Beauty Team
A specialist studio in Northcote, Auckland, led by internationally awarded lash artist Izumi Sugihara and lash and brow therapist Mayu Kobayashi.
Why En Beauty Exists
En Beauty was founded in August 2025 by Izumi Sugihara, after more than a decade and a half practising her craft across Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The studio exists because Izumi believes beauty treatments should be designed around the individual, not applied from a template. Across years of working in salons and competing internationally, she kept returning to the same question: what would genuinely suit this person, rather than what is simply on trend?
En Beauty is the answer to that question - a studio built on Japanese technique, an unhurried approach to consultation, and the conviction that the best result is one that looks naturally yours.
The name carries meaning. En (縁) is a Japanese concept with no direct English translation - it refers to the connection, fate or bond that brings people together. Izumi chose it deliberately. Beauty at its best is relational: between practitioner and client, between technique and the individual it serves.
Izumi Sugihara - Founder and Lead Artist
Izumi has been a lash artist since 2008, beginning her career in a total beauty salon in Kobe, Japan. In the years since, she has worked across Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, refining her technique across cultures and client types before bringing that experience to Auckland's North Shore.
She has competed at international level and won. Her competition record spans three countries and eight years:
Best in Show
Artistic Fur Lash International Competition, London 2022
Top 5 Volume Lash,
Artistic Fur Lash International Competition, London 2022
1st Place Volume Lash,
NZ Lashes Competition 2019
1st Place Classic Lash,
NZ Lashes Competition 2019
3rd Place Classic Lash,
Sunshine Pro Series Lash Competition, Australia and NZ 2018
Her practice extends beyond lash artistry. Izumi is a certified Reiki master - a discipline that informs her understanding of the whole person, not just the treatment in front of her.
At En Beauty, Izumi works from a principle she calls Niawase - a Japanese concept meaning 'match beautifully'. Every treatment begins with a consultation, because what suits one client will not suit another. She does not follow trends. She reads faces.
She also trains the practitioners who work alongside her.
The standard at En Beauty is hers.
Mayu Kobayashi - Lash and Brow Therapist
Mayu brings 18 years in the beauty industry to En Beauty - a career that began in Tokyo, where she worked in advertising as a photographer, editor and sales representative for beauty salons, developing a precision-led eye for detail long before she picked up a lash tool.
In 2011 she moved into nail artistry, training at NSJ Nail Academy in Shibuya - one of Japan's leading training institutions. She moved to New Zealand in 2014, drawn by the country's pace and quality of life, and has continued building her practice here since.
Mayu and Izumi have known each other professionally for some time. When Mayu moved into lash and brow work, there was only one place she wanted to train - and one person whose standards she trusted to match her own.
Her aesthetic is rooted in Japanese craft. She holds a licensed master's degree in Ikebana - the Japanese art of flower arrangement - and has studied Shodo - Japanese calligraphy - for most of her life. The discipline, balance and spatial precision of both practices translate directly into how she approaches lash and brow work.
She specialises in lash extensions and brow treatments at En Beauty, working to Izumi's standard and within the same Niawase philosophy: treatments designed for the individual, not the trend.
Mayu Kobayashi - Lash and Brow Therapist
Mayu brings 18 years in the beauty industry to En Beauty - a career that began in Tokyo, where she worked in advertising as a photographer, editor and sales representative for beauty salons, developing a precision-led eye for detail long before she picked up a lash tool.
In 2011 she moved into nail artistry, training at NSJ Nail Academy in Shibuya - one of Japan's leading training institutions. She moved to New Zealand in 2014, drawn by the country's pace and quality of life, and has continued building her practice here since.
Mayu and Izumi have known each other professionally for some time. When Mayu moved into lash and brow work, there was only one place she wanted to train - and one person whose standards she trusted to match her own.
Her aesthetic is rooted in Japanese craft. She holds a licensed master's degree in Ikebana - the Japanese art of flower arrangement - and has studied Shodo - Japanese calligraphy - for most of her life. The discipline, balance and spatial precision of both practices translate directly into how she approaches lash and brow work.
She specialises in lash extensions and brow treatments at En Beauty, working to Izumi's standard and within the same Niawase philosophy: treatments designed for the individual, not the trend.
Together at En Beauty
En Beauty is a small studio by design. Two Japanese practitioners. One set of standards. An approach to beauty that prioritises what a client actually needs over what is easiest to sell.
Every service - from lash lifts to Japanese Meridian Face Lift - begins with a consultation. Every result is considered in the context of the individual client. That is not a marketing position. It is how both practitioners were trained, and how the studio operates.
The Niawase Styling
Niawase is a Japanese word meaning 'match beautifully'. At En Beauty it describes the method that shapes every appointment.
Before any treatment, we take time to understand the client's face structure, lifestyle, skin condition and personal preferences. The result is a treatment that is genuinely suited to that person - not a style applied from a menu.
This approach applies across everything at En Beauty - lash and brow work, Japanese facials, face sculpting and skin treatments. The technique changes. The principle does not.
En is a Japanese word
that speaks to connection
Not just with others, but with the self. It carries meanings of fate, bond, and the invisible threads that bring people together. At En Beauty, it symbolises the harmony between inner wellbeing and outer beauty. Everything we offer, from lash artistry to Japanese Meridian Facials, is about nurturing a deeper connection to your natural self.
At a Glance
18
years
Izumi has been a lash artist since 2008
5
international competition wins
Including Best in Show, London 2022
40+
5.0 star Google reviews
100+
5.0 star Fresha reviews
One studio, one standard
B2/129 Onewa Road, Northcote, Auckland
Fresha Highly Recommended 2026
En Beauty is a Fresha Highly Recommended 2026 winner - awarded to studios that consistently go above and beyond for their clients. Alongside 40+ Google reviews at 5.0 stars and 100+ Fresha reviews at 5.0 stars, it reflects what clients experience every appointment.
Finding En Beauty
En Beauty is located at B2/129 Onewa Road, Northcote, Auckland 0627 - easily accessible from Takapuna, Birkenhead, Devonport, Albany and beyond. Clients regularly travel from central Auckland and further for specialist treatments not available elsewhere on the Shore.
Hours:
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Tuesday and Friday: 9am - 6pm
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Wednesday and Thursday: 9am - 7pm
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Saturday: 8am - 5pm
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Sunday and Monday: closed
Bookings are taken via Fresha. A consultation is included with all first appointments.
