Meet Trailblazer Carianne Cordova

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carianne Cordova.

Carianne, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my lashing career in a bit of a roundabout way. To be 100% honest, I didn’t even realize you could make a career out of being a lash artist until a few years ago when I first got into the beauty industry!

I got into the lashing world after becoming a licensed Esthetician in 2016. I had always known that I wanted to become an esthetician because when I was younger I had terrible acne. I remember being so self-conscious about my skin and just feeling so poorly about myself because of it. I remember countless trips to the dermatologist office and each time coming home with a new prescription… nothing ever seemed to work and I basically gave up on finding a fix. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I discovered what an Esthetician was and the magic that they had! After my first facial, I was hooked. She was so knowledgeable about my skin condition, about what my skin truly needed and what protocol to use that would actually yield results. After religiously seeing her for a few months my skin had finally cleared up to the point I didn’t have to wear foundation or even powder anymore! My skin was flawless and my confidence was back. After my experience with my esthetician, I knew that bringing those types of results to everyday people was something that I wanted to do. I wanted to be able to hold that magic as well and bring that type of happiness and confidence to anyone and everyone who needed it.

I would love to say that I became an esthetician right then and there. But let’s be real, life happens and our dreams can get put on the back burner. Instead of enrolling in an Esthetics program I decided to go to San Diego State University because having a bachelors degree was something that I thought I needed to have. I received my bachelors in Child Development and became a preschool teacher while I was in school. I was a preschool teacher for 5 years and I loved it. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I know that being a preschool teacher and majoring in Child Development was preparing me for my greatest job of all, being a mom.

At 27, my husband and I welcomed our son, Hunter, on February 6, 2013. To our surprise, Hunter came with an extra chromosome, it was the day he was born the doctor told us he had Down Syndrome. To say our world was rocked was an understatement, but I knew then and there that I was going to give this boy everything I had to give to make sure he was always loved and protected. I knew that I needed to put all of my focus on him, so I quit my job as a preschool teacher and forgot about becoming an esthetician. I had bigger hurdles to jump before I could focus on anything else. His first year of life was full of doctors appointments, therapy appointments and most importantly open heart surgery. My first year of being not only a mom but a special needs’ mom showed me how strong I could be, it showed me that I needed to have a voice for my son and not be scared for saying exactly what I wanted not only for my son but for my self. After Hunters first two years of life were behind us, doctors appointments slowed down and he didn’t have any major surgeries coming up. I knew it was my time to focus on what I had always wanted to do. So, I enrolled in a nighttime esthetics program at Bellus Academy in Poway, CA. That way I could still be with my son during the day and then pursue my dreams at night. While I was in school, I was introduced to the world of lash extensions. And since that day of picking up my first set of tweezers, I was hooked! I fell in love with the fact that I could still give women (even men) that confidence and happiness within themselves with a full set of lashes. You wouldn’t think that lash extensions would make that big of a difference in your confidence but it truly does! You feel so much more put together and like you are ready to take on the world. And honestly, I live for the moment the clients get to look in the mirror to see their lashes for the first time, nothing beats seeing your client smiling ear to ear!

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?
Every new journey always comes with bumps in the road, especially when you are starting out as a new lash artist. This job requires steady hands, patience and a whole lot of determination. As a brand new lash artist, you have to figure out how to make your left and right hand work together since you use both hands to isolate the natural eyelash and place the synthetic lash extension. It definitely gets frustrating trying to perfectly isolate each lash with your set of tweezers, but that’s the most important part of lashing. You want to make sure you are only placing your extension onto one natural eyelash, that way your natural eyelashes will continue to grow and be healthy. If you are starting out as a lash artist just know that you will be slower than the other artist around you… and that is OK! Take your time isolating those lashes, trust me your clients will appreciate how thorough you are in preserving the health and integrity of their lashes.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lashed By Carianne – what should we know?
As a lash artist at Hello Birdie, I specialize in classic lash extensions, that is where I attach one lash extension onto one natural eyelash. I am known for a more natural, seem less look of lash extensions. I take great pride in knowing that I not only provide a service that is gentle and relaxing for the client, but also provide lash extensions that are going to be appropriate in length for the client’s natural lashes. I want to always make sure that when I apply lash extensions to my clients that I won’t ever do anything that will damage their natural lashes. Keeping their natural lashes healthy is one of my main goals when creating a custom look for each client.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My parents were always supportive of me while I was growing up. They gave me the opportunity to try new sports and encouraged me to always follow through on my decisions. I remember there was one year I wanted to quit my soccer team halfway through the season, but my dad told me if I truly wanted to quit I had to be the one to talk to my coach and team to let them know, that he wasn’t going to be the one to tell them. He said I needed to be responsible for making that call and that stuck with me through adulthood. It showed me I needed to be accountable for my actions and that if there is something that I wanted or needed to do I had to be the one to do it.

Pricing:

• Full set of Classic Lashes $150
• Lash Fill for Classic Lashes $66

Contact Info:

• Address: 3032 University Ave.
  San Diego, CA 92104
• Phone number: 619.358.9875
• Email: lashedbycarianne@gmail.com
• Instagram: LashedByCarianne

Image Credit:
CarolJean Photography

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