Pulse March / April 2018 | Page 44

ElizabEtH taylor dEstiNatioN: True Beauty Brooklyn origiN: Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics, new york, new york “I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them.” — ELIzABETH TAyLoR, Actress, businesswoman and humanitarian With a name like Elizabeth Taylor, success in the beauty world seems eminent. Like the Hollywood star, this Elizabeth Taylor has tapped into her passion and strength to follow her dreams. Several years ago, Taylor founded True Beauty Brooklyn, a boutique dedicated to natural skincare. “I love that I get out of bed to educate people about my passion for skincare and plant seeds of passion in them.” To stay afloat, Taylor knew she had to add services to her boutique’s offerings—retail wasn’t going to sustain her small shop in and expensive neighborhood. So, Taylor put in the blood, sweat and tears it took to become an esthetician. We sat down with Taylor to find out what the schol- arship winnings meant to her and how she sees her future in the spa and beauty industry. Pulse: Why did you decide to pursue a career in the beauty industry? taylor: I initially went to esthetics school because my interest in all-natural and organic skincare led me to open a small skincare boutique. I very quickly realized that it would be difficult to support myself fully in a small neigh- borhood in Brooklyn selling luxury specialty organic oils, and I would need to offer a service. What I did not know at the time was that I would completely and absolutely fall in love with the beauty industry, and finally feel like I found my purpose in life, which is to help people feel their most beautiful. I like to think that what I offer is one part emotional therapy, and two parts beauty therapy. P: tell us about your career aspirations. t: I have so many! My most immediate would be to become a leader in New York City in permanent make up. I absolutely love shaping brows, microblading and lash extensions. Manual and machine microblading takes years 40 PULSE ■ March/April 2018 of hard work, discipline and practice to really become great, but once you are great it can be very lucrative. Once I hit that level, I would like to mentor young women of color, and teach them this trade so they have a skill to support themselves. Once you can support yourself, your world is open, and you can then go to school and get a higher education degree or trade school certification and not have to take out student loans, which can be crippling. Education is the key to changing your life. P: What advice would you give someone who wanted to pursue a career in the spa, wellness or beauty industries? t: You must have a passion for helping people above all else. That passion is what people can feel, and it is what will keep your clients coming back to you, rather than the other businesses that are offering the same things as you. Your passion for helping people will be a force to make you become the best esthetician or wellness professional that you can be. Never stop learning, and always invest in yourself.