Two girls, two best friends, two fantastic business owners: meet Kim and Korynn, the owners of The Wax Boutique in Manorville, New York, the only full-service hard wax salon east of William Floyd Parkway. Their business offers face and body waxing as well as eyelash extensions.

They have decided not only to go after their dream, but also to change their industry on the East End of Long Island for the better, and while doing so, support other companies that were founded by women. The two, who both grew up on the East End, realized there was a need for such beauty services out here. With this, they created a sophisticated, gender-neutral space to provide beauty and self-upkeep services to men and women.

The Girl Power Behind the Salon

Kim started college as a nursing major but later switched to sales management. Subsequently, she found her way to construction management and to the particular shopping center The Wax Boutique now graces. Kim still works in commercial real estate development while she proudly runs her own business with her partner and friend, Korynn.

Korynn is a licensed esthetician with years of experience, and the two have been friends since their teenage years. When they realized the need for a full-service hard wax salon out east, they put their heads together and began crunching numbers. In no time, Kim and Korynn realized they could start this business together. The start of 2017 marked the beginnings of The Wax Boutique, and they had their soft opening that June.

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Meet Kim and Korynn, the owners of The Wax Boutique in Manorville, New York.

In our exclusive interview, Kim conveyed how it feels to now run her own business, rather than just watching businesses grow in the properties she had leased to them.

“It was always interesting to me to have something that was my own. When you are a property manager for all of these other businesses you get so much experience, and it is fantastic, but I often wondered if I could do it, too. The reality is that I still love being in commercial real estate but in addition to that, it’s so nice to have your own boutique and storefront, repeat clients, and things like that. This is Korynn’s industry; she is licensed in the field, she is an expert in waxing. It just fit for us to team up.”
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Korynn and Kim

Kim and Korynn take pride in giving their clients a comfortable experience at The Wax Boutique. Kim said all of the estheticians have their own personalities and often find themselves building strong connections with clients. Some customers can even say their esthetician is their “therapist,” illustrating the relationships that are sparked while receiving high-quality service.

“I think I enjoy interacting with our clients the most. From the second we answer the phone, or somebody walks in the door for the first time, I want them to feel like they are one of our friends. I want them to feel comfortable. Especially in this industry where it’s not quite the same as pampering yourself at a spa, but we’re still providing a very personal and at times intimate service to your body, it’s extremely important to me that our clients feel at ease.” -Kim, The Wax Boutique

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Products and Services

One of the secrets behind the boutique‘s success is the wax itself. Kim and Korynn have selected a custom blend of hard wax from a manufacturer based out of Florida. They had received samples from all over the world from France to California before they made their final decision.

Korynn originally discovered the final wax they selected from a beauty show at the Javits Center in New York City. This particular wax is infused with cotton oil, which is ideal for use on sensitive skin. It makes the waxing process much less painful for clients.

But their services don’t stop there, The Wax Boutique also offers eyelash extensions. The businesswomen didn’t originally plan to offer this, but the trend seemed too irresistible to ignore.

Kim also made sure to express that the eyelash extension process is by no means dangerous or damaging to lashes. Eyelashes follow a normal growth and shed cycle, and when the fake lashes are applied with adhesive, it may seem as though the natural lashes appear shorter than normal. No fear, they will grow back. In fact, Kim and Korynn recommend taking breaks for a couple months at a time to allow natural lashes to grow back strong and healthy. Kim said their lashes are waterproof, rendering the extensions to be a perfect option for every summer look.

Korynn became certified to service eyelash extensions before The Wax Boutique had opened. The partners wanted Korynn to set the quality standard for all estheticians they were to hire. Additionally, the two wanted to avoid hiring an independent contractor because they wouldn’t be able to dictate what products they use or how long the process would take.

Supporting Other Women in the Beauty Industry

In their business model, Kim and Korynn wanted to include support for other New York women in the beauty business. To do this, they partnered with companies FUR and Mullein and Sparrow. They’re both based in Brooklyn, founded by women. FUR features organic products, including their fur oil, which is a combination of nine essential oils blended to prevent ingrown hairs and to condition coarse hairs. Mullein and Sparrow is an herbal apothecary that offers body exfoliants, of which The Wax Boutique carries five different products.

Kim revealed that she and Korynn swear by the products they use at the salon, for they use them on a daily basis even at home.

“There are so many businesses that carry products that they wouldn’t use on their own skin and it is refreshing to see business owners who believe in their products.”

Advice for Eager Businesspeople

When asked, “what advice would you give to somebody who is thinking of opening their own business?” Kim replied with encouraging, yet heedful words to aspiring business owners.

“I would say that you definitely should do your homework ahead of time. I actually have a friend who was thinking of opening a plant store recently and I said make sure that if it is something you want today, you want it in three months, and you want it in six months because over time the idea or fantasy we have in our minds wears off. So can you be as passionate about it as the day you conceive the idea to the day that you open and then a year from then and two years from then? You have to be resilient! Owning your own business is demanding, even when you are not there. You know, we are open more than 50 hours a week. I’m not here all 50 hours but I’m working more than 50 hours, you know. I’m working on the days that we are closed and I think that’s something you need to be as mentally prepared for as possible.”

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Power in Beauty – Women in The Wax Business
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