Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Flores.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love for the beauty industry sparked at the early age of 11 years old. I was so fond of makeup videos on Youtube and secretly wanted to be a YouTuber, filming and editing my own videos. But my parents didn’t have the equipment or resources to make this dream of mine come true, so all I could do was watch these dreams of mine through a computer screen.
In middle school, I started to dabble in makeup which led me to be more vigilant in my appearance. I mean my base was my face! I began to notice I was growing dark thick hair on my face and my arms, and that I was hairier than the kids around me, which was mortifying. So when I brought this up to my mother she told me it was a part of being Latina and our heritage. My mom dealt with the same insecurities and even got bullied for it. That is when the journey to getting waxed at local nail salons started for my sister and me because it was the only place my mother knew of. After a few botched experiences, ending up with thin brows after asking for a little clean up, skin lifting, and constant breakouts afterwards, we were willing to try something new. The next best option was threading, let me tell you beauty was pain! Not only was it extremely uncomfortable, I was still left with thin and uneven brows at times. Thin brows were not the trend during this time! I was traumatized enough that I didn’t let anyone touch my brows anymore. When I turned sixteen I learned how to brow map, from then on I was tweezing and shaping my brows back to their thickness on my own for years.
In my junior year of high school, I started making baby steps towards my career. Preparing for this opportunity for three years, I was accepted into the 2-year cosmetology program that my school offered. At this time my mom tried her best to get me all the newest makeup because I wanted to be a makeup artist. After practicing for years I became that friend or family member that was asked to do makeup for events. That was a new level of satisfaction, to make people feel beautiful and confident with my own hands. It confirmed that this was my dream career, I wanted to do something I loved for a living and not attend college even if it was frowned upon. My mom was my biggest supporter in my decision and on my journey so I tried to make her proud. Flash forward to the end of senior year, I clocked in all my hours from the previous two years and passed the state board exams. I was graduating high school with my Cosmetology license!
After a “gap” year I was kind of at a loss, I no longer wanted to be a makeup artist because I felt like it was over-saturated. I did not like doing haircuts, color, or nails so I was feeling doubtful because my cosmetology program primarily focused on that. Trying to get back into the beauty industry I applied at Ulta, then noticed a Benefit brow bar option for licensed professionals. When I interviewed it dawned on me that I had different opportunities with my license, I never thought I could wax brows for a job. I remember when I trained with a few regional managers they said I already had so much potential that they could see I was going to be very good at this. Luckily I had plenty of experience shaping my own brows and working on people so it felt like a perfect match!
I gained so much confidence at the Benefit brow bar working with so many people daily, I felt ready to create my own space and offer more services. I saved up for supplies, education, and decor while working a year at Ulta/Benefit. Then unfortunately the COVID lockdown hit, I was unemployed for months setting me back in my plans. Once the mandate was lifted I got another job to get me back on track while starting my home-based business for a year. Finally, I felt ready, again to make my business official. I researched and planned for months from all the legal needs for a business to drawing my room out to designing logos and building an online presence. In July 2021, Brown Honey Beauty was officially opened for business and taking clients. Coming up on our one-year anniversary has been such an amazing yet stressful journey. The clients I’ve helped and built relationships with have made it well worth all the struggle. I want to continue giving the greatest experiences and techniques I would’ve wanted for myself as a client for years to come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think a smooth road was planned for me, in fact, I went through the bumpiest road. Growing up in a big immigrant family meant we didn’t have a lot of money or opportunities. This led me to be very independent and forced to make things happen on my own. I didn’t have someone I could get a loan from to start up my business, instead, I worked two jobs to reach my goals. Not to mention a global pandemic put me behind in my plan and financially. Once the business began I learned quickly that I had to wear a lot of hats being a one woman show. Not only am I a cosmetologist that keeps up with state sanitation regulations, I’m a bookkeeper, a marketing team, customer service, digital designer, janitor, content creator, and much more. But I’m also a human who is prone to feeling imposter syndrome and entrepreneurial depression, something that never crossed my mind. I’m still learning how to balance out work and personal life but most importantly prioritizing my mental health.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Brown Honey Beauty?
Brown Honey Beauty is a private salon suite located in Spring, Tx owned by me, a licensed cosmetologist specializing in esthetics for 5 years. Offering luxury services such as brow shaping, tints/hybrid tint, brow lamination, waxing, lash lifts and add-on skincare treatments. Here we only use high-quality products with the best continuing education to guarantee that our clients are receiving a luxurious, comfortable experience and services done with the finest skills.
For the longest time, we went to salons that did not specialize in brows, waxing, or proper sanitation because that was our only option at the time. Some of us had better experiences than others but regardless it was frustrating to walk out unhappy. Being Latina, I had dark hair everywhere, so I started waxing at a young age because I was insecure. As a client I wanted a welcoming, cute space with a service provider I felt comfortable with so I decided to create that place in the area I grew up in. My pink and red salon is the space where clients look forward to their monthly appointments while being pampered with treats. I want to change the narrative that if you get your brows waxed you’ll get thin brows or your skin will react. Waxing doesn’t have to be scary anymore!
What I’m proud of brand-wise would probably be the name. The name and purpose of Brown Honey Beauty was created as a symbol of taking power back from the insecurities I had in my youth. It means finally being proud and confident in my body no matter how dark my skin is or how hairy I am. That is why I included brown in my business name which was a plus because it included the word brow. Whether it’s struggling to feel confident in your own skin or looking for a service provider to trust, no need to search further. Let this brown honey be your go-to brow girl!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I would say the summers between the school years spent with my siblings were one of my favorite memories. While my parents worked, my eldest sister watched over the five of us. We would watch tv and play video games together all day the whole summer. Looking back it was the longest we got to spend time altogether in the same room. It’s one of those nostalgic yet simple moments that makes me want to go back and enjoy it more.
Pricing:
- Brow wax: $21
- Brow wax + Tint: $30
- Brow Lamination + Wax: $65
- Lash Lift + Tint: $80
- Men’s brow wax: $14
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.brownhoneybeauty.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/brownhoneybeauty?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrownHoneyBeautyLLC/
Image Credits
Diana Valencia
