Loretta Jae Esthetics is celebrating one year of business in Fayetteville. To help commemorate the occasion, owner Lateifa Young isn’t just throwing a party for her business, she’s giving back with a back-to-school celebration for the kids.
Festivities start at 4 p.m. on Aug. 18 in the parking lot of the spa located at 402 Santa Fe Drive, Fayetteville. Kids will enjoy fresh off-the-grill hotdogs and hamburgers and fun giveaways, like teen facials and makeup vouchers, perfect for those upcoming special occasions during the school year.
Young has always loved looking pretty and she mastered the art of makeup and skin care early on. At first, she served as the family makeup artist, but with a little nudge, she decided to enroll in cosmetology school.
While she excelled, life had a side plan in store. Young took a break from school to take care of her family, a sacrifice she was more than happy to make. But a calling is a calling, and Young was destined to do what she loved: make women feel beautiful and teach them how to take care of their most precious and largest organ, their skin. A chance meeting with Montia Shardae, owner of Montia Shardae School of Esthetics put Young back on course.
“I started researching some of the schools [in the area]. I did Fayetteville Tech, I did a couple of private schools in Raleigh, and one other community college. But every time that I would call them to kind of get an idea of what was going on, they told me there was a waiting list or the school was packed and I couldn’t get in. And then I saw Montia post on Instagram that she had opened up a school and she doing enrollments. I was like this is my chance.’ So I contacted her, I went by the school and did a tour. And that was the day that really changed my life,” she said.
“I knew that's what I wanted to do, just having a conversation with Montia and her telling her story. I was like 'yeah this is the right place. This is where I’m going.' I paid my deposit that day and went home and told my mom. And she said, 'Lateifa that's it. This is what you’ve wanted to do your whole life. So why not go for it?' And that’s all the confirmation I needed.” Young’s mom is a huge part of her story and her strongest support system throughout the process. With a stretched budget, keeping up with her 9-5 was more vital than ever.
“It was a nine-month course. I went to work during the day and school at night. And my mom would help me with the boys back and forth. There were so many long days. It was not easy at all,” she said. “There were so many days I wanted to say, ‘oh no, I’m tired, I can’t do this anymore.’ And not to mention I was paying for it all out of pocket. That was difficult too. Keeping up with bills and children and study. It was a stressful time. But I would not change it for the world because it made it so much worthwhile.”
She credits her success and mastery of the business side of the industry to Shardae and the education she received at the school.
“She taught business classes, she helped us all get started with just thinking about our logo, our colors, and an idea of what we want our businesses to be. I started while I was in school. Just thinking about it about my name, my colors, my business, and for me, that was such a push because I had a name before but it didn’t resonate with me. When I came up with my name after that I was yeah this is it, this is something I can keep for the rest of my life and do other things not just esthetician business. I can do other things too.” Young said.
Loretta Jae Esthetics is by appointment only and offers a range of services for clients in a luxurious space fit for a queen. Services include facials (for men, women, and teens), waxing, makeup, and spa parties. One-on-one makeup tutorials and bridal party makeup packages and parties/tutorials are available as well.
Clients not only receive services but also a proper education on aftercare and taking care of and protecting their skin. To make sure clients are using the best products possible, there is a growing skincare line, Loretta Jae Skynn, available at the spa.
Young loves what she does and it is apparent in the way she speaks of her business and what she does for individuals.
“It has truly been rewarding for me because just to see the different transformations and people just coming back to me with confidence that they didn’t have before they started first going to me. Being an esthetician for me is more than just getting money or correcting skin. I friend my clients. It’s like therapy. I love my clients. It's more than just your booking. I want you to feel welcome. I want you to relax. I want my clients to take a self-care day and make them feel like they actually paid for a service, and it was valuable to them.” Young said.
Appointments can be booked online at https://www.lorettajae.com/s/appointments.