DAYSPA is the business resource for spa & wellness professionals! Each issue covers the latest in skin care, spa treatments, wellness services and management strategies.
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J u l i a n R e y n o l d s front lin es spa pro Q&A; ulia n Reyn lds Owner, Julian's Cosmetics + Skin Care by Linda Kossoff [ 70 ] • # dayspamagazine • july 2017 t's the quintessential American success story: Born under humble circumstances in Jamaica, Julian Reynolds immigrated to the U.S. in 1998 at 19 and hit the streets of New York City in search of a job. With little experience but plenty of natural charm, Reynolds found himself interviewing at J.C. Penney. "They needed a male makeup artist in the cosmetics department," he recalls. "I knew nothing about makeup, or even that makeup artistry was a career." Nevertheless, the energetic newcomer jumped in with both feet. "I made a few mistakes at fi rst, but I'd studied art in high school and once I grasped the concept of the face as a canvas and that I was literally painting pictures, I became good at it really quickly." In the years that followed, Reynolds moved steadily through the American retail network, working for Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus before landing a gig as a manager for L'Oréal Cosmetics under its Kiehl's cosmetic brand division. Sometime later, the ambitious Reynolds decided to use his hard- earned savings to buy some property and relocate to Atlanta. After a stint at Nordstrom, he was recruited by a local retail spa boutique. He spent two years learning the business before he and his partner pooled their resources and opened Julian's Cosmetics + Skin Care in 2008. Since then, word of mouth has made Reynolds a hot commodity—he is frequently called upon to do makeup for models and celebrities at photo shoots and movie sets. His rise is far from over, however, as DAYSPA learned recently when we chatted with this enterprising artist and business owner. On his spa and clients: We have three full-time makeup artists and two veteran estheticians working out of two spa rooms. Most of our business is by appointment, and antiaging is our biggest spa category. About 85 percent of our clients are Caucasian women between the ages of 35 and 65, and we also have about 5 percent men. The other 10 percent is a diverse group. On his philosophy about beauty: I tell clients that there's no sense in buying $400 worth of makeup if you're not going to take care of your skin—that's where it all starts. You don't need as much foundation or even eye color when you begin with a clean, beautiful canvas. On making the most of his spare time: When I'm not working I try to get to the gym. I call that my therapy hour because it relaxes me; when I don't get there for a few days, I get grumpy! I also love staying at home and playing with my dogs, Mushu and Cairo, a shih tzu and a miniature pinscher. a iro, On a typical day: I still do quite a few in-store appointments, so most of my time is spent there, but I also do off-location work in print, movies and commercials. I enjoy helping my spa clients the most, because it's so important to me to touch that everyday woman and make a difference in her life. The people I work with on a set or at a shoot are usually accustomed to having their makeup done, so they know what they like and dislike; I'm able to make more of an impact on the clients I meet through my spa. Plus, many of them have become close friends, so that has been a bonus!