Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nathalia Clariesse. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nathalia, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I had just graduated Beauty School and I got a job at Sephora back in 2019, I was a skin and beauty rep at that time and I would simply help create either a Skincare routine or Make up list for my clients.. I have a huge passion for anything in the beauty industry and I truly believed Sephora opened that door for me to not only work for them but also allow me to network and showcase my business.. while I would help clients out, I would somehow mention my business and what I offered outside of Sephora in hopes that they would book an appointment. To my surprise, my strategy worked! Keeping those extra business cards on hand and putting my lash work on my co-wokers definitely helped me get the word around quick.

Nathalia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Nathalia Clariesse, but I mostly go by Alia. (ah-LI-ya)

Im 23 years old and I have successfully been running my business since 2019. I am a Licensed Esthetician specializing in Lash Extensions, Lash lifts & Brow Services. I’m also an Educator for Lash extensions and I teach women how to become their own boss as well. I tattoo on the side sometimes and I do Lip Blush & Freckle Tattoos. I’m a woman of many trades & it all started when I was growing up in the Philippines. I lived there most of my life and moved here in the US in 2012 with my family, growing up in a third world country we were taught A LOT of skills in school like hospitality classes, computer skills, business management and I even learned English in school. I went to a private school in the Philippines that really focused on life long skills outside of school and I really think that made a very huge impact on my mentality.

” Do the most, to do the least ” is my business Motto, looksbyalia is a luxury service provider that will make your everyday life a breeze. My clientele are Entrepreneurs, Medical Workers, Teachers & Mom’s that have no time in their daily lives to get ready, but want to feel beautiful as soon as they wake up.. yes fill appointments are very time consuming and cost a lot of money, but I assure you that this self care investment will be worth it. During your appointments you are welcomed with the cutest service dog named Elizio who is a 4yr old Tri Color Corgi, he is sometimes in the studio whenever he is requested. Elizio is the goodest most quiet boy and is simply there for pets and a long nap, I’d be lying if I said my clients love me more than Elizio, but I’m not mad because he is pretty great at getting those extra tips haha. Once you get all your cuddles in with Elizio, you are now laying on a Memory Foam Massager Bed that can provide heat & massage you during your services!! Game changer I tell ya, after a 12 hour shift my nurse clients INSTANTLY fall asleep on my bed. I take your Self Care days and hard earned money seriously and I want to make your appointments an escape, even if it’s just a few hours. I also provide complimentary drinks/snacks if clients ever get hungry or need a snack on the way back home.

In the studio you will also see a retail section where I collaborated with one of my talented clients who makes her own Earrings & Hair Clips, @twilightclayco is a momma of twin boys and she somehow has the time to create these beautiful pieces that my clients love!! It makes my heart full seeing women pursue their passion, and its one of my business missions to give back to my local community of talented women. I hope to one day expand and have a storefront of all local womens work/crafts with my spa in the back.. maybe my next article feature I will, who knows!

Have you ever had to pivot?

This year is actually really hard so far on my business I recently raised my prices due to products and rent going up & It actually made me lose a few clients.. It’s unfortunate for my business but as a business owner, I have to do what’s right to be able to run my business smoothly and give myself income as well. Thanks to therapy I am equipped with mental tools to give myself grace and open my mind to different perspectives during this difficult time. I’m the youngest of 2 in my family and my dad is disabled and has been laid off from his long term work since August 2020. This has resulted to my mom, brother and I to financially provide for the family since we all live in one roof. I am happy to help my parents out and without my dad, I wouldn’t be here in the US in the first place.. so I owe him a lot for giving me this opportunity. After being self-employed since 2019 and being my own boss, I recently went back working for Sephora part time this year in hope to give my parents financial relief and I will say, it definitely is a very humbling experience and I am so grateful for Sephora for welcoming me back with open arms.

Being a business owner is terrifying at times, it’s a lot of responsibility to keep everything running smoothly. I used to be hard on myself for not always hustling like I used to before the pandemic happened, but now I feel like it was a huge reality check for me that even though I was doing all these great things, I didn’t really get to be in the present moment with it, because it was always on to the next. I’m at a phase in my life where I don’t think too much of the past and what could’ve been or the future that hasn’t even happened yet, but I’m simply here in the present moment writing this article and feeling blessed that I’m still here.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The beauty industry is a very saturated industry in itself already, and I think what made me build my reputation and create a name for myself is how diverse my work is, I’ve come across clients that have been turned down for services because their situation is more complex than other clients.. & I say I’m always up for a good challenge and I’m willing to adapt with what my clientele needs from me as a provider. I have clients that drive 30+ mins away from me just for their lashes, and it’s all because I always try to adapt and evolve in my industry. you can never get too comfortable with this type of field because it’s always changing with all the new techniques and demand.

Contact Info:

• Website: looksbyalia.com
• Instagram: @looksbyalia
• Facebook: looksbyalia
• Yelp: looksbyalia