IMAGE CREDITS
Ava McQuay @Photosbycloudz
Today we’d like to introduce you to Beauty by A. Barb.
Hi Barb, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Barb is the name!
Also known as Beauty by A. Barb & Creator of Barb Essentials
I am 26 years old, born in Brooklyn, NY & I currently live in Jacksonville, FL.
If we’re being honest, I have always been a girly girl, always been into fashion, beauty, and hair. I just don’t think that I’ve ever considered making a job out of anything like that. but here we are! I am A Full Specialist, but I have been primarily focused on nails throughout most of my beauty career. I have pretty much been doing acrylic nails since I graduated beauty school in 2018, up until mid-2021. Unfortunately, I was attacked & stabbed in my dominant hand, causing me to completely stop working.
Since then, I have had a significant amount of time away from doing acrylic nails & have had time to explore my other interests (Make-up, Hair, Fashion, skincare, etc.) that I guess you can say I sort of put to the side while focusing Soley on nails. Today I currently run an online press-on nail/Accessory business (Barb Essentials) that I have recently launched, which is growing and evolving daily! We specialize in custom-made press-on nails, (in all shapes, color sizes, lengths, and of course designs) Luxury mink lashes & cute and convenient accessories that are sure to make you “UNLEASH YOUR INNER BARBIE!”
In addition to that, I also create fashion and beauty-related content on my personal page (@amandathebarb) in hopes to collaborate with some of my favorite bigger brands someday. It gives me a break from day-to-day “work” and gives me an opportunity to show people the face behind my brand!
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?
I started my journey to becoming a beauty professional in 2018. It was … a process, but I finished feeling excited and purposeful. It was easily one of my proudest moments. Things were relatively smooth after graduation. I had a lot more time to practice my new skills and thankfully, a lot more time with my family after being so busy with school. In addition to Nails which was my primary focus after school, I tried waxing & facials; I became fascinated with make-up & I even started my own lash line. I did all this while working part-time at amazon. Soon I had clientele to quit amazon do nails full time, things were progressing nicely. I would say I had a few normal hiccups here and there, but I faced some of the biggest challenges of my career and life in starting in 2020.
To say 2020 was a hard year for many, would be an understatement. Lockdowns, opening and closing up shop, canceling and rebooking clients, the list goes on. Just getting through an awful business year with the COVID protocols in 2020 was stressful enough, but to top it off my favorite aunt Tren was diagnosed with late-stage cancer just months before the outbreak and unfortunately, passed away shortly after. In late January 2021, (at My 25th Birthday brunch) I found out my high school best friend Jonathan, was shot and killed the night before. And to top that off my mother was sick in the hospital with covid at this time as well. Even though I walked into the new year with positive thoughts and optimism, I don’t feel that anything could have prepared me for these heart-wrenching moments.
With all of these things going on, as well as my regular life tasks & at-home responsibilities, it was extremely hard for me to focus on work the way I normally would. In the midst of all the chaos, I still clinged to work I guess as an escape from everything that was going on. It was a release, a distraction, and a source of happiness in a time where I definitely needed that. Yes, I was upset inside, but I knew my loved ones would be happy I was doing what I loved. Sadly, my optimism would come to a halt after receiving the most traumatizing phone call of my young life.
On Feb 20th, 2021, I lost the most important person in my life. In just the blink of an eye, my mother was gone. I stopped everything. There wasn’t any amount of acrylic that could distract me from what was happening, my whole world went quiet. I was numb. I wasn’t myself; my heart was broken & I couldn’t have felt more lost in my life. Immediately I stopped working, but this time I didn’t return for months. Losing her has been the hardest life experience to date. Followed by some more of the most trying times in my young adult life.
It has been a tough recently, to say the least, but somehow, I manage to pick myself up and keep going. I know that’s what my loved ones would want me to do if they were here. I have a lot more work to do!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Licensed Full Specialist (Nail tech & Esthetician) & Also a Beauty & Fashion creator. In addition to nail content for my business, I love to create makeup & hair tutorials, skincare reviews, the list goes on. It is safe to say that I wear many hats! As far as nails, what I liked to do most, ironically became what I was known for. FREESTYLE SETS! Freestyle sets were my absolute favorite to do because they give me the chance to bring whatever ideas I have in my head to life. I loved creating unique designs to show off my skills! It is so rewarding as an artist to connect with clients that love and appreciate my nail art. Bringing your creativity to full circle is truly an unmatched feeling. To this day I am still surprised to find out how many other people from all over like my work! That is definitely something to be proud of if you ask me. Even though I can’t currently work on acrylics, that doesn’t stop me from bringing my designs to live through my press-on nail sets. I even offer several “Freestyle” options on my site! Doing Press-Ons has even helped me improve on some of the skills I was struggling with while doing acrylics, simply because I didn’t have the extra time to really practice certain things. It seems I can’t stay away from nails no matter how hard the universe kicks me down. It is truly a passion of mine. I am very proud of what I’m creating today and excited to see where my business and I will go in the near future.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
As far as books go, I actually do love to read; when I’m in the mood and actually have time to enjoy my book. I do read from time to time, but I don’t really have a go-to book I use for business. I do use a planner to try to keep my personal and business tasks organized. I also use Journals & notebooks to write down all my ideas, from nail content to outfit ideas and everything in between. They help me to get some of my ideas out of my head, even when I am not ready to execute them. Not to mention I don’t have to worry about trying remembering ideas from earlier when I am ready. This way I am less overwhelmed, and I can plan my content out easier. To stay positive and inspired I always listen to music, the right song can change any mood if you ask me. Music has helped me get through some of my toughest moments! (YES, a few Nicki songs) I do most of the behind-the-scenes work myself for my business as well; like designing packaging, product photos/videos, promo, etc. I even designed my entire website by myself with no prior training! It’s safe to say sometimes my work “projects” can take a while, and my mood can greatly affect the timeline. I’ve also learned over time that self-care and breaks are needed! Things can get stressful! Feeling burnt out from trying to do so many tasks can sometimes be overwhelming no matter how much you love what you do. So, I definitely feel it is super important to make time in your life for breaks from your business. Spending time with friends, family, or even doing some housework, anything that completely detaches me for a minute. Having a break allows me to come back with a fresh, clear mind, ready to execute new ideas with ease!
Pricing:
- Custom Press-On nails starting @ $25
- Mink Lashes Starting @ $10
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BarbEssentials.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandathebarb/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbEssentials/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jazziec22
- Other: https://allmylinks.com/beautybyabarb
