ElizabEtH taylor
dEstiNatioN: True Beauty Brooklyn
origiN: Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics, new
york, new york
“I feel very adventurous. There
are so many doors to be opened,
and I’m not afraid to look behind
them.”
— ELIzABETH TAyLoR, Actress, businesswoman and humanitarian
With a name like Elizabeth Taylor, success in the beauty
world seems eminent. Like the Hollywood star, this
Elizabeth Taylor has tapped into her passion and strength
to follow her dreams. Several years ago, Taylor founded
True Beauty Brooklyn, a boutique dedicated to natural
skincare. “I love that I get out of bed to educate people
about my passion for skincare and plant seeds of passion
in them.” To stay afloat, Taylor knew she had to add
services to her boutique’s offerings—retail wasn’t going to
sustain her small shop in and expensive neighborhood. So,
Taylor put in the blood, sweat and tears it took to become
an esthetician.
We sat down with Taylor to find out what the schol-
arship winnings meant to her and how she sees her future
in the spa and beauty industry.
Pulse: Why did you decide to pursue a career in the
beauty industry?
taylor: I initially went to esthetics school because my
interest in all-natural and organic skincare led me to open
a small skincare boutique. I very quickly realized that it
would be difficult to support myself fully in a small neigh-
borhood in Brooklyn selling luxury specialty organic oils,
and I would need to offer a service. What I did not know
at the time was that I would completely and absolutely fall
in love with the beauty industry, and finally feel like I
found my purpose in life, which is to help people feel their
most beautiful. I like to think that what I offer is one part
emotional therapy, and two parts beauty therapy.
P: tell us about your career aspirations.
t: I have so many! My most immediate would be to
become a leader in New York City in permanent make up. I
absolutely love shaping brows, microblading and lash
extensions. Manual and machine microblading takes years
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of hard work, discipline and practice to really become
great, but once you are great it can be very lucrative. Once
I hit that level, I would like to mentor young women of
color, and teach them this trade so they have a skill to
support themselves. Once you can support yourself, your
world is open, and you can then go to school and get a
higher education degree or trade school certification and
not have to take out student loans, which can be crippling.
Education is the key to changing your life.
P: What advice would you give someone who
wanted to pursue a career in the spa, wellness or
beauty industries?
t: You must have a passion for helping people above all
else. That passion is what people can feel, and it is what
will keep your clients coming back to you, rather than the
other businesses that are offering the same things as you.
Your passion for helping people will be a force to make
you become the best esthetician or wellness professional
that you can be. Never stop learning, and always invest in
yourself.