A lot of people have asked us how our medspa came to be as well as who we are and what we are about as Flagstaff's top skincare clinic, so I decided to do a little post about the story behind Allure and how it all started.
I’m Taylor, the owner and founder of Allure Aesthetics Az. I began my passion for skin when I was a student at the University of Arizona studying for a future in dermatology. After feeling lost and unsure about my future, I decided to look into other ways to work on skin. I became highly fascinated by the aesthetics industry, and I had no idea that aestheticians were able to do so much with their license. I began researching more about what my career would look like as a licensed aesthetician, and I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to do. I began my schooling at the NIMA: The National Institute of Medical Aesthetics in South Jordan, Utah where I received 1400 hours of high-quality education. When I decided that this was my path, I wanted to be sure that I was getting the best possible training and NIMA is the nation's leading provider in aesthetics education. I knew that traveling out of state would be totally worth it.
As soon as I began my course, I immediately knew that this was what I was meant to do. Everything about what I was learning felt so natural and like I had done it in a past life. This made school very enjoyable for me as well as finishing top of my class in sales and a month early.
While I was a student I had started to wonder where I would work back in my hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona, and this logistic had me stuck. I realized that Flagstaff was in desperate need of a spa that would provide the newest and best techniques in the aesthetic industry, and I knew there was an opportunity for me to do so. After I graduated from NIMA in the summer of 2018, I began putting the puzzle pieces together to create what you all know today as Allure Az. However, it didn’t start like that.
In October of 2018, I officially opened my doors to the public. As a one-woman show, I offered Hydrafacial, basic facials, eyelash lift & tints, facial waxing and gentle peels - all in a 500 square foot studio space with an office divider that separated my “treatment room” from my “waiting room”. My goal was to offer services that weren’t already available in the area as well as provide a welcoming environment for women and men to allow me to treat their skin concerns and needs.
Surprisingly, this went really well for only being 20-years-old at the time and no previous spa experience. My business catapulted into success and resulted in a waitlist to get on my books within the first 8 months of opening! Allure was featured in the Daily Sun as well as the local radio station and other local news outlets. After a year of steady business, I realized it was time for an expansion. I was able to stay in the same business complex but found a larger space at 1,900 sqft on the second floor. This office area was the perfect set up for me and another esthetician to continue to grow our business, so that is what I did. I made my first hire and brought on another licensed esthetician to work by my side. With the support of our loyal clients and community we were able to make it through the shutdowns of 2020 and doubled our growth from the previous year.
But at the start of 2021 is where Allure Az really transformed. We started the year with two employees and ended with nine, six of those being estheticians. This allowed me as the lead esthetician to completely phase out of the treatment room and dedicate my entire focus on the business. This was a very difficult decision for me to make since working on clients and having that bond has been the fuel to my fire since day one. However, I began to realize that running a business full time while also trying to work 40 hours a week on clients was slowing me down. I was essentially working two full time jobs and one had to give. I knew that I could train other talented estheticians to do the treatments but I couldn’t train someone to run my business, so December of 2021 was the last time I worked on clients. I always say that if there is a time and need for me to hop back into the treatment room that I would do it in a heartbeat, but for now my duties are focusing on how to make the most of what we do and offer at allure.
My new passion has become finding ways to challenge my team in being the best, constantly offering advanced trainings to expand our knowledge, researching new services to offer to our clients and most importantly, creating a space where our clients feel empowered to love the skin they’re in. Since day one, our goal has been to offer a relaxing treatment while also providing real results, so every treatment we bring to Allure will always have that focus.
Based on our reviews, I can proudly say we have been able to satisfy and exceed the expectations of our clients. Since our grand opening in 2018, we have only received 5 star reviews on all platforms. Making sure our clients feel seen, heard, and understood is a priority for us and we are always striving to be better and do better. A phrase I ask my girls to ask themselves each day is “How can I help someone today?” - a very simple question, but it relates to the core of who we are as estheticians. It is our duty to empower our clients to feel confident and beautiful no matter what.
Now, we are coming up on four years of business. Twenty-year-old me would never imagine what Allure would become in just four short years but I continue to feel overwhelmed by the love and support this mountain town has given me. It is truly a blessing to have had so many people support us through all the challenges, growing pains, and changes we experienced as a small business. We promise to always take care of and support you back.
Thank you for taking the time to read the story behind Allure and our timeline!
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So Awesome, Taylor! Dandad loved reading this!
Thank you so much! <3