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They were once treated as fancy dress accessories or bought for big occasions, but fake eyelashes have now become big business.

Worn by thousands of women anywhere and everywhere – to work, on nights outs and even to the gym and the supermarket – the beauty trend will be worth around £1.5bn within five years, so standing out from the growing, crowded lash bar market is tough, but so important.

And Ashleigh Stevenson has just the answer - fake eyelash vending machines.

The 27-year-old beauty entrepreneur from Newcastle was one of the first lash technicians to set up business in Newcastle and, thanks to a large following on social media and large numbers of regular customers, her Gosforth salon The Lashloft, where she has six other lash technicians, is often fully booked, week after week.

So to reach out to new customers, satisfy existing ones who can’t get a booking, and to raise awareness of her brand and business, she created the Lashloft vending machines.

The vending machines sell her handmade ‘fans’ of lashes – from natural falsies to glamorous, dramatic sets, for £10.99 and the glue for £6, all at the push of a button.

The machines sells 18 styles of her lashes in vending machines in Newcastle’s Eldon Square, the Metrocentre and in Manchester, and a new machine is about to be unveiled in Milton Keynes.

She said: “It’s been amazing, everyone’s loving them. And we are a social media generation so Instagram has helped it blow up.