Welcome back to #smallbusinesssaturdays with @twinmamawama! This week I am highlighting my friend Tara and her business Neo Beauty Bar located in Plainville, MA. I started getting eyelash extensions with Tara out of her extra bedroom in her old house years ago. Watching her turn her side hustle into a full-blown salon specializing in corrective skincare and the best quality eyelash extensions applied by the crème de la crème of lash artists, has been a beautiful transition to watch.
Tara approaches skin care and lashes from her mixed background in the sciences and arts. She majored in Restorative Art (with the deceased) which gave her a unique perspective on how to style extensions. She’s a nerd at heart and loves to explain the molecular structure of the adhesives and materials used in extensions, but she’s also happy to turn on your favorite podcast so you can have some much needed “me time” during your appointment (she knows the best podcasts in almost any genre). When I was having trouble with adhesives during pregnancy, rather than saying “sorry, this is what we have, take it or leave it” Tara researched why I would be so sensitive to the adhesive, and came up with a new washing regimen with the lashes that cured the ailment for me. She cares not only about how you look, but how you feel throughout the process. If you run into any issues, she gladly researches a solution.
After focusing on lashes for about a decade she decided to add skincare to her business. Most clients saw her as a beauty expert and would bring in all their skincare products for her to evaluate and she kept seeing clients fall for marketing over quality.
She wants you to know, the skincare world is sneaky and poorly regulated. It is extremely important to find a brand you trust and she begs of you to stop putting products you find in the kitchen on your face! It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong with rubbing papaya on your face but there’s a better way and its called science. When it comes to skincare, molecule size matters. If we look at a papaya as a raw good (meaning unprocessed) the molecule size is quite large. Our skin is designed to keep molecules of varying sizes out; therefore if we put a large molecule on our skin it’s not going to do much good for us. When we extract enzymes from the papaya, such as, papain now we can do some real good for your skin.
Her advice: leave your skincare to an expert. We train for years to know how to deal with skin and the team at Neo is required to take a minimum of two continuing education classes a year. Tara is a lifelong learner, and it is reflected in her business practices and content knowledge.
To get less science-y and get to know this entrepreneur, Tara is a Christmas obsessed, dog loving, aerialist. She holds national titles in polefitness which is so mesmerizing to watch (@dashilleberri on Instagram). She’s one of the hardest working people I know, somehow stays humble, and has a huge heart. Tara partners with local shelters every Christmas to make sure every pup has something to open Christmas morning. She cannot wait for Covid to pass to see her family again…she has 9 siblings and they’ve been separated since March 2020.
Now that you know a little about Neo Beauty Bar, it’s time to book your appointment! Use code TWINMAMAWAMA for $50 off your full set of lashes with stylist Lauren. And use code TWINMAMA for 20% off your facial or diamond glow treatment. As a special treat, anyone who books in the month of April using these codes will get a personalized goodie bag after their treatment. I’ll be sharing the contents of mine on my Instagram story @twinmamawama. Pamper yourself today at Neo Beauty Bar!
