Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristal Rose.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My entrepreneurial journey actually started when I was in the 3rd grade at Stafford Elementary in the heart of South Memphis! We were in reading class one day and I saw a need for a page marker. Typical me, I had to have my very own bookmarker because to this day I love exclusive, one-of-a-kind things. After school, I told my mom that I wanted to make my own bookmarker and she helped me make it happen. I came up with a few catchy phrases, we printed, cut, and laminated them and I took them to school with me. The next thing I know my classmates wanted one. So, I came up with pricing based on the marker design, created an order form, and started taking orders from my classmates. My mom actually kept some of my markers and order forms. Some of my teachers and family members patronized my small business, shout out to them!
Fast forward to 2009, I am a high school graduate who feels the pressure of going off to college, getting a degree, and working in corporate America. I started my freshman year of college at the University of Memphis and I was feeling like “Ok this isn’t so bad, I got this!”. But let me tell you, sophomore year was a defining moment for me because I absolutely hated college. I mean I really struggled, mentally. By that second semester, I lost one of my grants so I decided to take a break for a year to work and explore my passions. During this period of exploration, The Brown Allure™ was born, thanks to Tumblr! I always wonder if anyone remembers Tumblr. It was there that I realized I was passionate about beauty, fashion, image, etc. but I wouldn’t take the leap to work towards a life where my passion and purpose met.
So, I enrolled at Southwest Community College part-time and completed semesters with 3.8/3.5 GPAs because my issue wasn’t the coursework but my lack of interest and passion. I kept talking myself out of enrolling in Cosmetology school because my mom wasn’t supportive of it. She felt like I couldn’t provide for myself “just doing hair and nails”. But God has a way of “shaking the table”! When I was enrolled at Southwest, I was paying for courses out of pocket and for the Fall 2013 semester, my mom was going to help me pay to go full-time. We had a disagreement and I said to myself “I don’t want to owe this lady anything!!” (Lol children, right?) It was the day before the last day to drop classes and receive a full refund so you know what I did. Yep, I dropped out of college that day. I called a cosmetology school, set up a tour for the next day, and enrolled on the spot.
In 2014 I became a licensed manicurist. I specialized in natural nail care and nail artistry. I treated nails like tiny canvases, from painting little faces and using different mediums to create textures like cable knit sweaters. I was and still am so passionate about nail artistry, it will always be my first love. To add a little flare to my nail artistry I launched The 4.19 Collection, a hardware inspired jewelry collection curated by me. I’m always amazed when someone tells me they still wear 4.19 pieces because the quality was so good! In 2016 I began my career as a licensed aesthetician. I always had a passion for art, beauty, and creating in all aspects of life. My mom now says “Girl this is one thing that you’ve completed and have not stopped doing!” It’s because I absolutely love what I do! I get to explore my creative side while helping women and men feel confident and look their best; it comes naturally.
In January of 2020, those tiny canvases turned into real canvas as I explored fluid artistry. It started as a therapeutic outlet to connect with my inner child as well as my femininity and soon became a source of income during the mandatory shutdown due to COVID. Here in Shelby County the beauty industry (hair, nails, massage, aesthetics etc.) weren’t allowed to to work for about 2-2.5 months. So my artistry was a savior mentally and financially!
I’d like to consider myself a serial artist instead of a jack of all trades because my creative mind has many facets. I’ve been a nail artist, lash artist, facialist, wax therapist, a confidant/an ear for many, a a jewelry curator and “part-time” stylist, etc. But everything that I’ve done has all been connected to beauty…image and it is all an art-form! When people ask “What is The Brown Allure?”, the answer is me. I am The Brown Allure™ | where eclectic meets eccentric, unbound to any box. Feel free to be a “Brown Allure” too! 🙂
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road but I will say that I’ve survived many potholes (if you’re from Memphis you know what kind of potholes we are faced with)! I think my biggest struggles were dealing with what some people would call “imposter syndrome” and not knowing who I was at my core. Since I was a child, I’ve always been super creative, smart, fashion-forward, quick-witted, and among other things, resourceful. But for quite some time I never really saw myself how others saw me. I doubted my intelligence to the point where I’d procrastinate (Master P) on practically anything/everything… talk about self-sabotage! I doubted my creative abilities, how I appeared etc. so when others gave me admiration, I wouldn’t fully accept it. I would, unconsciously, place limits on myself that kept me from taking leaps of faith that would have led to awesome opportunities.
As I got older, I realized that my self-doubt/”imposter syndrome” was really a lack of faith. Lack of faith can derail you from your vision and your purpose and in order for me to realign myself, I had to do inner work to reconnect. I’m still doing the inner work by going back to parts of my childhood where I felt the happiest, the freest, and the safest. It has helped me understand who I am at my core and why I do what I do. I am human so sometimes I still do a Lil dance with Master P! lol
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Brown Allure Aesthetics LLC?
I am a licensed aesthetician/licensed manicurist and the owner of The Brown Allure Aesthetics LLC. I refer to myself as a facialist or skin therapist because what I provide is a form of therapy. I specialize in result-driven, ethical skincare for women and men of color. I am most proud of my evolution in this industry. The investments I make in my aesthetics business by providing effective products, proper product knowledge, and advanced technology in facial treatments are what sets me apart as a woman-owned minority business. In addition to facial treatments, The Brown Allure offers facial waxing, full body waxing, and DPN mole removal.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
My industry is a half-trillion dollar industry and it will continue to grow as the need and demand for personal care and cosmetic products/services continues to grow. I definitely see an advancement in technology for skin treatments and products, as well as a focus on skincare being considered wellness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebrownallure.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrownallure/
