Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Marie Perez.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Since I was small, I used to love going to the salon with my mom and felt at home there. Once I graduated high school, I started looking for schools but my parents wanted a better future for me which is understandable! So, I started school but for nursing, and I also started working in UM Hospital for 4 years from cancer patients all the way to genetics I was doing it! Good position, poorly pay with everything they would make me do. In the 4th year I couldn’t take anymore I wasn’t happy; I was breaking out very stressed out and I said to myself I need to get out of her but doing something I love & I remember what I loved and finally I was more than just doing hair and nails. I started taking courses on how to do brows, and lashes left and right. After work, I started doing models for free in my house in a small room to perfect my work! Opened my Instagram started posting and started getting some movement. I sent up the room very nice didn’t look like it was at home! And people started booking! Also, word of mouth! I would wake up at 6 am to be at work before 7 am to leave by 3:30 pm and rush home to continue working! Sometimes clients would get there before me but they would wait for me! So, one day I said the day I start making what I make in UM I’m leaving, and Guess what??? In 6 months, I left UM
I sat down with my parents and told them this is what I love doing, this is what makes me happy and I know I can make it! And from there everything just took off thank God! I started adding new services now I do permanent makeup which I love even more!!! I was home for 4 years and a half and in June of 2021 I’m blessed to say I was able to get my First storefront location and we made it beautiful! And opened in October 2021 and here we are less than a year later the team is growing! We are 3 now and hoping to expand to more girls, Services & locations! Can’t wait to see what else is coming! Hopefully you guys like my story all the sweat & tears but the truth! And ignore any typo I’m doing this from the phone.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, definitely not it’s been a lot of tears & sweat. I left a job that was secure that I knew I would get paid every two weeks to open my own business and not knowing what tomorrow was going to be like. People think owning your own business is easier and it’s actually harder because your business depends on you.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What I do is brows, lashes, and permanent makeup. I specialize more in brows now since I have my other artist doing lashes! I’m pretty much known for my brows, regular brows, henna brows, brows with tint, and am I favorite ombre powder brows (permanent ones) I’m most proud of how my work has gotten better throughout the years. I like to take yearly courses to always be up-to-date with everything but definitely, ombre powder brows are what I’m most proud of it’s not easy and not everyone can do it you have to really love it!
What makes you happy?
One of the things that makes me happy is seeing my family and friends seeing me succeed seeing me go from nothing to what I have now and this is in the end! It makes me happy to see the support that I have behind me not only from my family but from the clients that have become my family. Being in my salon makes me happy because every day I remind myself “you did this” because sometimes it doesn’t feel real!!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: lavish beauty by amarie
