Many have asked me how I got into this career? My response is always the same: It was a natural evolution. Esthetics has been silently pursuing me forever. My love of Esthetics began with my obsession with make-up. And, thus, the aesthetics of the face as my canvas. I started my journey as a Make-up artist in 2006, doing everything from beauty and corrective to special effects make-up for film and print. Often, especially when trying new artistry techniques and cosmetic mediums, my face was my canvas, which introduced me to the cruel world of skin sensitivities and reactions. Suddenly, my once clear skin (for most of my life, I was one of the lucky teens that skipped the acne phase), woke up! And it was angry.

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I experienced first hand; irritated dermatitis, peeling red skin, acne breakouts, and sensitivities I never knew I had. Suddenly, I realized just how critical skincare was; it wasn't just some luxurious novelty; it was necessary! I began to budget regular facials into my life and instantly saw the results as my skin began to heal and regulate itself.  At the time I was working in the beauty industry, managing a salon in Beverly Hills, we had a make-up artist/esthetician who encouraged me to go to school to get my esthetics license. It would be seven years before I would heed her advice. 

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I can't begin to tell you how embarrassing it was when my make-up clients would ask me for skincare advice, and what they would receive was a dazed look followed by "Uh, Cetaphil?". It was then that I realized, to be entirely of service to others as a make-up artist, I needed to educate myself on skin. It wasn't enough to "paint the canvas" I had to learn to honor and appreciate it. I mean for goodness sakes, I was putting glue, prosthetics, and latex on some of these faces. With ingredients that I'm sure were toxic to the skin, I too was even a victim of this cosmetic abuse! I suddenly embraced the truth: I had to learn how to heal the skin after such asphyxiation. I enrolled in the very same esthetics program that ten years prior, I had dropped as an extra credit class in high school. It was there that my evolution began. Suddenly, my fascination with skin, our largest organ, was born. 

 

I dove headfirst into a sea of information, ingredients, and facial anatomy.  Unanticipatedly, a shift happened, and it became less about painting the canvas for me. More about making the canvas the BEST it could be so that it wouldn't have to be layered with toxic ingredients to camouflage inconsistencies and blemishes. I discovered that I could heal people's skin; and that I loved it. My keen eye for structure, texture, and detail orientedness translated from my days as a make-up artist into my facial treatments. I quickly gained a reputation for having a loving and nurturing "tough love" approach to skin. I am in the business of reviving your skin because every canvas is unique, stunning, and worth radiating its beauty. 

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In 2019, I partnered up with my mentor and fellow Esthetician turned dear friend, Tanis Rhines to create Ask The Estheticians. An authentic online beauty resource, where Estheticians share their savvy and knowledge no holds barred! Ask your beauty questions and get REAL answers. Check out not only our articles by clicking here.