Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Lopez.
Cynthia, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Eyebrows have always been a passion of mine. I just had no idea they would get me to where I am today. I promise I’m not kidding when I say at the age of ten I would look at someone’s eyebrows and shape them in my head. I guess you can say I made eyebrow contact before I made eye contact. I did my own brows when I was in 5th grade. I remember my mom complimented my eyebrows before I got in trouble and she took my tweezers away, so I guess I must have done pretty well, right? Two years later, I picked the tweezers back up, and I started to tweeze all my friend’s brows. Thin brows were in back then, so of course, even if I thinned their brows out, they probably didn’t care much. We all wanted to look like our mother’s, anyways. Once I got to high school, everyone knew I did brows, and I would charge people $5 to tweeze their brows at home.
However, that ended quickly when my mom no longer wanted random people at her house. After high school, I decided to go to school to become a certified makeup artist. This is were my understanding of brows became clear. I learned how to shape someone’s eyebrows according to their face shape and where a brow should start, arch, and finish. I did makeup on the side while trying to pursue a career in visual merchandising. Shortly after working my way up to the position I wanted, I got pregnant, and I had to quit my dream job. The workload was simply too heavy for me. My side hustle became my real job. I took clients every chance I could, and locals started to refer me more and more. After I had my son, Jullian, I wanted to return to my old job, but they were no longer hiring. I was devastated, but I needed to work to provide for my baby, so I started to look elsewhere. An old friend hooked me up as a receptionist at a waxing salon. I started as a receptionist, but the owner gave me the opportunity to apprentice under her. I was good at all types of waxing and sugaring, but it was no secret that brows were my thing. The first brow artist I found on social media was Kelley Baker, so I started taking pictures of brows and posting them on my Instagram.
Before I knew it, my appointments were 80 percent brows and 20 percent Brazilians. I stayed consistent with my Instagram, and my clientele started to grow. There were days where I had more than 20 clients a day for brows only, and that is when I realized it was time to go on my own. I wanted to start small, so I asked my hairdresser if she had space for me to rent a chair. I literally sent her a direct message on Instagram, and she said yes. I was honestly shocked that it was that easy. I have been doing brows in a little chair inside of Carmen’s Salon for two years now, and I absolutely love it. I get to work with some pretty cool, hard-working, and drama free women. I am so grateful for the clients that have stuck with me since the beginning, and everyone else who shows any interest in me when they find me online. Although being a working mom is hard, I get to do what I love every day, and going to work is my mommy’s time. Doing brows is very therapeutic to me, and I enjoy making everyone feel the same once they have a seat in my brow chair. I can honestly say I will continue to do brows until I’m a little old lady and my eyes can no longer see, so this is only the beginning, and I’m excited to see where this journey goes.
Great, 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 can honestly say that it has been a pretty smooth road for me. I’ve never rushed into things, and I believe everything happens for a reason, so I just let God show me signs. However, being a business owner is never easy. There have been some struggles along the way, but I take them all as a lesson. My biggest struggle has always been balancing my mom’s life and client life. One of the main reasons I decided to work for myself was to be there for my kids when they needed me the most. I think by now my clients know that and they respect that about me. If my kids are sick, I am there for them. If Jullian has an event for the school, I am there for him. I open my schedule monthly, so I can base it on my kid’s schedule, but that wasn’t always the case. It has taken me two years to balance that out.
Please tell us about Brows by Cakes.
It’s still hard to even say, but I do eyebrows for a living. I help people achieve the best eyebrow shape they have ever had. I shape brows according to a client’s face shape and desires, but I am still realistic with any expectations. I am known for rehabbing brows, and helping client’s fixed botched browse through a few sessions. My proudest moment is when I see a client’s reaction after a hand them the mirror for the first time. Yeah, there’s no better moment than that. I truly believe that brows are the most important feature on your face, so it can really make or break you. The confidence good brows can give someone is powerful. What sets me apart from everyone else is that I take my time. I map the brows before I even remove any hair. An eyebrow appointment should be a full service and not an add on.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I’m not sure why, but coming to America is my favorite memory. I was only six years old, but I can remember the whole process like it was yesterday. I think that might be because it was the day I met my brother again, and he became my best friend ever since.
Pricing:
- Eyebrow Design Wax – $30/$40
- Eyebrow Design & Lip – $35
- Eyebrow Design & Tint – $55
Contact Info:
- Address: 1216 Aviation Boulevard Suite 105 Gainesville, Georgia 30501
- Website: vagaro.com/browsbycakes
- Phone: 4046377573
- Email: cynelopezt@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/browsbycakes
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