Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Farner.
Hi Kristen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a young girl, I always loved playing with my doll’s hair, and, in some way or another, I found myself getting into makeup. Sure, this is a natural thing for a young girl to do, but I just absolutely loved it! Going through middle school in the mid-90s there was nothing like YouTube or anything of the sort, just magazines and T.V. for hair and makeup trends. My mom would let me color my hair, and I was allowed to wear lip gloss and mascara. Moving into high school, let’s just say I experimented a lot more…with haircutting and makeup on my friends! As high school came to an end, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my career: Master Cosmetology! My sister, who is 4yrs older than me, asked me if I could do her makeup for her wedding day. I was absolutely surprised that she asked me, her 18yr old younger sister, to do her bridal makeup! She was my very first bridal makeup application; I was so honored she chose me! After graduating high school, college was not on my radar, but my parents strongly advised that I attend college first, and with some resistance…long story short, I did get my Associates Degree in Business. As soon as I graduated, I immediately applied for the cosmetology program at the local technical college. Nine months of cosmetology school and my own wedding in the mix, I received my Master Cosmetology Diploma! Once I was married and settled in my new life as a wifey, that’s when my stylist journey began! Starting out as a fresh out of school young stylist, it was scary in more ways than one, but I made it through. Fast forward 19yrs later, working in four different salons as a commission-based stylist/makeup artist as well as doing some skincare, I FINALLY took a leap of faith and decided it was time to go out on my own! As of January 2019, I have been a small business salon owner of Kristen Nicole Hair & Makeup Studio, and as of 2021, I moved into my very own brick-and-mortar studio! I have been there for 3yrs and have committed to another 3yrs, but this time…I am going full Bridal! Yes, another venture & dream that I am pursuing is to have a bridal shop. Just in the past few months, I have been working on re-branding and rearranging my salon into a bridal studio. La Sposa Studio, which is Italian for The Bride Studio, is the new name of my business; it adds a touch of my heritage to my lively hood, and that always adds value to doing what you love. What does this mean? I not only will be offering Bridal hair and makeup services but also will have a full bridal apparel and curated gifts as well! My new slogan:
“You earned the title, now shop the BRIDAL!” I love what I do, and I am beyond grateful that the Lord has walked me through this journey and continues to! My purpose in this beautiful life is to bring a woman’s inner beauty to the surface and, for my brides-to-be, make her special day a lasting memory of how she feels in each moment throughout the day. It’s truly a pleasure working with so many different women, and I want to use my talents and wisdom in each service I provide. I simply love what I do!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I can’t even begin to share all the obstacles and challenges that I have had to face, but I will just briefly share what I’ve taken from them. I can confidently say that I would not be the where I am today in my career without each challenge! I’ve learned to NEVER let anyone tare you down from the desires and passions you have – Listen to those who have gone before you and take what is valuable from them – Learn and grow on your own with full expectations that you will fail BUT you will also surprise yourself on how many wins and successes you will have! – Have a plan in place, or you will be a part of someone else’s plan. – Remember your WHY! – Find your specialty and learn EVERYTHING about it!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I found my passion pretty early in my career as a Master Cosmetologist. I found that majority of stylist do not care to do special occasion hair and makeup, so I took that and ran with it! I absolutely love taking a clean face and adding color to it and making ladies look polished, and seeing their confidence radiate! Doing the same thing for a special occasion hair styles is just as fun; I mean to be able to create something beautiful with hair is quite fascinating!
Contact Info:
- Website: LaSposaStudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristennicole_hmstudio
- Facebook: facebook.com/kn.hairmakeup82
Image Credits
Beauty Unveiled Studios
Stephanie Smith Photography
Alexandria Grace Photography
