We were lucky to catch up with Nathasha Vargas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nathasha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Before COVID, I was practicing skin care and lash extensions at home while working at a waxing chain. It was great! I was getting some hands-on experience with facials so I could eventually work at a spa like I originally wanted to when I got my license, and I was learning a whole new skill with waxing. Then, COVID hit and we had to shut down at work, and I also had to close my doors. We went through a lot of opening and closing at my waxing job, but eventually things got better and we were staying open. Out of wanting my loved ones at home to stay healthy, I took the risk of finding a room for rent so that I could take in my clients that missed their facials and lashes. I have always been scared of taking risks, but I told myself that if I did not do it, I would always wonder “what if..?” Almost 2 years later, here I am! It was an impulsive decision, but I am so happy I took that chance on myself because I would have never thought that I would be where I am today.

Nathasha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Nathasha. I have been a licensed esthetician since 2019. I originally got into the beauty industry because of makeup, but while in school I found a love for all things skincare. I also struggled with acne as a teenager, so I remember making my own DIY masks and being in esthetician school reminded me of those times, but now at a more elevated level and with professional products that were definitely not going to harm me! I knew then that I wanted to help others with their skin and if I could help someone just relax and leave their troubles for at least an hour of their busy day, I would love to be part of that. When I opened Skin by Nathasha, I wanted to bring that same energy and philosophy. I wanted my studio to be a place where you come in and instantly feel a little more relaxed; whether you are coming in for a wax, a brow lamination, a facial, or a chemical peel, I want it to feel like you are taking a moment to feel at ease and not think about what you have to do later that day or the meeting you have to reschedule. I currently offer full body waxing (from head to toe,) eyebrow laminations and lash lifts, brow stains and lash tints, facials, acne treatments, and chemical peels. I am a Wax Specialist, Acne Specialist, and DMK Skin Revision Therapist. I love my acne bootcamp because just seeing those results and noticing how my clients’ confidence goes up is just the best thing in the world for me. I could do acne every day and never get tired of it. Waxing is the funnest as well. We get to chat and get a little bit of chisme (gossip) going and have a laugh or two, I get to show you aaaaall the hair that just came off and it’s always a great time! Dermaplaning facials are so satisfying as well because we get all that peach fuzz and you are left with baby smooth skin. I love my job and I love making my clients feel amazing.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Success can definitely be seen in different ways. I think that to succeed in the esthetics field as an esthetician, you need to love what you do, have that nurturing and caring instinct and have great customer service. I always joke with my clients: “Imagine if I got grossed out by extractions, I don’t think I could do what I do!” Clients can tell when you just love what you do. You show up and you are present with them and they feel like they are taken care of, and they trust you. I feel like estheticians naturally have that healing and nurturing personality and instinct. We are one of the few fields that are so physical at our jobs. We are dealing with people’s skin, energy, and we can tell when they are undergoing any stress because their body will show it as soon as we make contact. It’s really cool to feel that shift during a massage portion of a facial when you go from feeling all that tension and built up stress, to feeling all that energy release and their body just relax. That always tells me I did my job right. Having good customer service skills will also set you up for success because in this industry, you need to have a good relationship. I want to make sure that I am checking up on my clients after a facial, chemical peel, any time they start using a new product. This lets them know I care about them and want to make sure everything is progressing how it should. I am here to support them and they know that if they have any questions or concerns that they can reach out to me.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Social media has been very helpful when it comes to growing my clientele, but what has been the most effective at growing and retaining my clientele has been referrals. I started showing my work on Instagram and that is still my main way of receiving clients. It is a lot of hard work! However, in this social media age, everything seems to be trendy and there does seem to be a lot of information and sometimes over saturation of people around the same area doing the same thing you are doing, so I completely understand wanting to try out various providers, which I definitely encourage because you should be on the same wavelength as your esthetician! Not everyone is the best fit for you and that is okay. For me personally, I do not always like to follow trends. I do my own thing. I like to be myself and post what feels right for me and I know that my ideal clients will be attracted to that. Referrals are the best way that I have received clients and kept them. When you have one of your clients tell their friends or their family about you and they come in and see for themselves what their friend/relative was talking about and they love their experience, they come to you for (hopefully) life! I love all my clients! Everyone is super sweet and amazing and highly encouraging.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skinbynathasha.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinbynathasha
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skinbynathasha