Blo Blow Dry Bar Acquires Mync Lash and Brow Bar

From left, Vanessa Yakobson, of Blo, and Nathalie Smith, of Mync, bonded over their shared love of the color pink.

Vancouver-founded Blo Blow Dry Bar bought Mync, a six-unit lash and brow bar chain based in Canada, thus announcing Mync's shift into franchising.

Blo CEO Vanessa Yakobson said the brand was looking to acquire a smaller concept in the beauty sector "that we could really lend our expertise and experience to in order to help them grow through a franchise model."

Yakobson and Mync founder Nathalie Smith said they met through a mutual franchise attorney and decided the acquisition was a great fit for both parties.

"I was really excited to grow," Smith said. "We had the same franchise lawyer, and right away we just connected the dots and realized that we made a lot of sense together. We were complementary."

Mync is pronounced "mink," like the animal whose fur false eyelashes are typically made from (not Mync's, though—it uses a cruelty-free synthetic material).

"When we originally set out to name ourselves, the thought was ‘Oh, let's call it Mink,’" Smith said. "Then we started to play with the letters and came up with Mync, which had a bit of a New York vibe to it."

The two companies being women-led (as well as Smith and Yakobson's mutual adoration for the color pink) further emphasized the match being a great one. Plus, Yakobson and her daughter are longtime Mync customers.

Blo and Mync are exploring the option of opening some co-branded stores, where Blo can combine its make-up and hair services with Mync's lash and brow offerings.

Blo won't change anything about Mync's operations, Yakobson said.

"They had such a strong platform when we discovered them," she said. "So we want to preserve all of that, while at the same time taking all the expertise from our corporate team, as far as how to take those systems and make them scalable and replicable, and how to develop the training models for franchisees, training models for staff, all of that."

As Blo expands Mync into the United States next year, the brand will likely operate under a new, not-yet-disclosed name. "It's a name we’re really excited about, because it really does capture who we are culturally," Yakobson said.

Blo and Mync aim to provide staff and franchisees with profitable business models.

"That's really important to us, to continue to build a model and build a business that provides that wonderful career opportunity," Yakobson said. "And knowing that our services make people feel wonderful, it's certainly a big part of what drives us every day, and we want to preserve and expand that."

In 2021, Blo's 68 locations raked in $19.3 million, with an average unit volume range of $55,443 to $578,004. The investment needed to open a Blo location ranges from $257,400 to $372,958.

Emilee enjoys getting to know the people behind a brand. She has a knack for personality-driven stories and is always excited to learn about a new franchise or a bold deal.

Franchise Times presents a virtual dealmakers event covering franchise mergers and acquisitions, financing and valuation.

Check out the Dealmakers Week sessions.