Inspiring Conversations with Desiree Senior of Hottie Beauty Bar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desiree Senior.

Hi Desiree, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has honestly been about constantly reinventing myself and not being afraid to take chances on myself. I’ve always been very independent, creative, ambitious, and determined to build a life on my own terms. Over the years, I’ve explored different sides of myself through beauty, entrepreneurship, fitness, content creation, and now entertainment.

As a licensed cosmetologist and beauty entrepreneur, I created Hottie Beauty Bar, where I’ve been able to turn my passion for beauty into a business and create experiences that make women feel confident. At the same time, I’ve continued building my personal platform as @lovedesiswaan, sharing beauty, fitness, lifestyle, travel, fashion, and different pieces of my personality and life. I never wanted to put myself into one box because there are so many different sides of me.

That mindset eventually opened the door to one of my biggest experiences yet: becoming a cast member on Season 2 of Get Money Girls with Joseline Hernandez. What started with me taking a chance and submitting myself turned into flying to Miami and filming a reality show with women from different backgrounds and personalities. The experience challenged me mentally, emotionally, and physically. I had to learn how to stand my ground, speak up for myself, adapt quickly, and still remain true to who I am in an environment where cameras are capturing everything.

One thing I learned during filming is that people can form an opinion about you before they ever really know you. I can naturally be quiet and observant when I first enter a room, and some of the women initially interpreted that as me being intimidating or stuck-up. Once filming started, though, I had the opportunity to show that there is much more to me. I can be soft and feminine, but I’m also strong, outspoken when I need to be, competitive, funny, creative, and not afraid to defend myself.

Looking back, every chapter of my life has contributed to the woman I am becoming. I’ve experienced setbacks, taken risks, started businesses, built my platform, stepped into completely unfamiliar spaces, and continued moving forward even when things didn’t happen exactly how I planned. Get Money Girls feels like another turning point for me because it pushed me outside of my comfort zone and introduced me to a completely different side of the entertainment industry.

Today, I’m continuing to grow Hottie Beauty Bar, expand my work as a creator, pursue opportunities in fitness and entertainment, and build on the momentum from Get Money Girls. I’m still figuring out exactly where every opportunity will lead me, but I know I want to keep creating, building businesses, entertaining people, and showing that you don’t have to choose just one version of yourself. I feel like this is really only the beginning of what I’m capable of.

Alright, 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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I think one of my biggest challenges has been learning how to keep going when things don’t happen as quickly or as perfectly as I imagined. I’m someone who has always had big goals for myself, but building a business, growing a platform, working in the beauty industry, creating content and pursuing entertainment all come with rejection, setbacks, financial investments and moments where you question whether everything you’re putting into it is going to pay off.

Entrepreneurship especially taught me that having talent or a vision isn’t enough. I’ve had to learn the business side, marketing, branding, customer service, consistency and how to continue showing up even during slower seasons. As a creator, I’ve also had to deal with comparison, opportunities falling through, brands not responding, content not performing the way I expected and learning not to measure my potential by one post, one opportunity or someone else’s timeline.

Stepping into reality television challenged me in a completely different way. Filming Get Money Girls Season 2 put me in an environment where personalities were strong, emotions were high and people could form opinions about you very quickly. I had to become more comfortable speaking up, standing my ground and letting people see who I really am instead of allowing their first impression of me to define me.

Through all of those experiences, I’ve learned that resilience is probably one of my greatest strengths. I may have moments where I’m disappointed, overwhelmed or unsure of what comes next, but I always find a way to regroup and keep moving. Every challenge has taught me something about myself, and even the experiences that didn’t go the way I wanted have helped prepare me for the opportunities I’m stepping into now.

I’m still building, still learning and still evolving, but I’m proud that I haven’t allowed the difficult parts of my journey to stop me from continuing to bet on myself.

We’ve been impressed with Hottie Beauty Bar, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hottie Beauty Bar is my luxury beauty studio created around the idea that beauty services should feel like an experience, not just an appointment. As a licensed cosmetologist, I’ve had the opportunity to gain experience in many different areas of the beauty industry and behind the chair, including working with clients for weddings, parties, special occasions and other events. I still offer beauty services for weddings and special events, but as I’ve grown in my career, I’ve become more intentional about the areas of beauty I want to specialize in and build my brand around.

At Hottie Beauty Bar, I specialize in lashes, brows, makeup and customized facial treatments. I love that these services allow me to combine artistry with transformation and create a complete beauty experience for my clients. With brows, I offer everything from professional shaping and tinting to brow laminations and customized transformations. My lash services are tailored to each client’s eye shape and desired look, whether they want something softer and more natural or fuller and more glamorous. My facial services are customized around each client’s individual skin and concerns rather than treating everyone with the exact same routine. Makeup allows me to bring another side of my artistry into the business, from soft, polished beauty to full glam for special occasions.

What I believe sets Hottie Beauty Bar apart is the attention I put into the entire client experience. I’m very detail-oriented about consultations, sanitation, product selection, treatment protocols, aftercare and making sure clients understand how to maintain their results once they leave my studio. I don’t want someone to feel like they were rushed in and out of a chair. I want them to feel like their service was specifically designed for them.

I’ve also been intentional about building Hottie Beauty Bar as a recognizable beauty brand rather than simply a place where I perform services. I love the editorial and luxury side of beauty, so everything from the environment and client experience to the way I photograph my work and create content is part of the world I’m building around Hottie Beauty Bar.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that the business continues to evolve with me. As I’ve grown as a cosmetologist, entrepreneur and creator, my standards for my work have grown too. I’m constantly educating myself, refining my techniques and thinking about how I can make the experience better for my clients.

Ultimately, I want people to know that Hottie Beauty Bar is about more than looking good for the moment. It’s about confidence, self-care and having a beauty professional who genuinely pays attention to the details. My goal is to continue expanding the brand, developing the Hottie Beauty experience and eventually growing beyond the treatment room into an even larger beauty and lifestyle brand.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m someone who uses a mix of digital resources, social media and my own personal experiences to continue learning and growing. I’m constantly researching things related to beauty, fitness, wellness, food, content creation and entrepreneurship because those are all areas that are genuinely part of my everyday life.

I’ve also created my own digital resources based on things I love and have learned along the way. My eBook Hourglass Body Blueprint focuses on fitness and building an hourglass physique, while Comfort Food Made Simple reflects another side of me that loves food and making comforting meals approachable and enjoyable. Creating my own eBooks has been rewarding because I get to take knowledge and experiences that have helped me and turn them into something other people can use too.

Social media is another huge resource for me. I use it for inspiration, discovering new techniques and trends, learning from other entrepreneurs and creators, and staying connected to what’s happening across beauty, fitness, lifestyle and entertainment.

More than anything, though, I learn by doing. I love researching and preparing, but some of my biggest lessons have come from actually taking the chance, trying something new, learning from the experience and figuring out how to do it even better the next time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bookhottiebeautybar.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/lovedesiswaan
• Youtube: https://Youtube.com/desiswaan
• Other: https://Instagram.com/hottiebeautybar

Image Credits
Desiree Senior
Yassmin Photography