Life & Work with Roxanne Crisp

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roxanne Crisp.

Hi Roxanne, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I moved to LA in 2009 after graduating from Paul Mitchell School in Costa Mesa as an esthetician. At that time, I started my brand Crispy Brows and opened my brow studio a few years later. In 2015 I expanded and opened a bigger studio and training academy in Los Feliz where myself and my team focused solely on microblading and eyebrows. After the long pandemic closure and expansion in services I offer, I decided to close Crispy Brows. After working with my current business partner, Darla Joy, I rebranded my studio Vale of Shadows LA in 2021. Now our studio offers all cosmetic tattooing including Microblading, Nano Brows, Lip Blush, Waxing, Body Art Tattoos and more!

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?
There are always ups and downs when it comes to business, it’s to be expected. No matter how bumpy the road I always kept my head up and kept going. The pandemic was the hardest bump to get over but I’m still here, doing what I love to do every day of my life and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. I’ve learned so much of what to do and what not to do over the past 13 years. Opening a business is fun but it’s a lot of hard work. Through owning a business, I have found I love being an artist and educator more than being a business manager so having the right team is very crucial for me to thrive in my work environment. I’m at a point in my career and position that couldn’t make me any happier and for that, I am also grateful.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I became an esthetician in 2008, I started as a waxing specialist. My main focus was on the artistry of brows. I had started a brow makeup line and continued my waxing business until 2014 when I found a new service that would benefit my existing clients. That service was called “manual hairstroke tattoo”. At the time I wanted to add on this service (no one knew anything about) to help my clients who couldn’t grow their eyebrow hair back. Makeup washed off, growth serums weren’t working but with microblading, we could tattoo a hair to give the illusion the brow was fuller. Being so new to the beauty world this service exploded within months after picking it up, in 2015 the beauty industry started calling the service Microblading.

In 2016, I opened the first Microblading studio in Los Angeles. The health department had no idea what it was so I was lucky enough to work with them in becoming more familiar with the new wave of PMU they were about to see. This is a very proud moment for me. I then became an educator so more beauty professionals could feel confident adding this service to their menu. Fast forward to 2018 when we teamed up with a well-known tattoo supply manufacturer to design and create our own line of Microblades. Designing my own tools was such a fun experience, I learned so much about product manufacturing that I could in turn teach my students. Now I offer Microblading, Nano Brows (machine), Combo Brows, Lip Blush and Body Art Tattoos. I am still a full-time educator for all eyebrow cosmetic tattoo services and plan to expand the courses I offer this coming year.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The pandemic taught me a lot especially when it comes to the legal system. Owning a beauty business during this time was extremely difficult as we were not left with many options or much help from our government. I could let the negative effects of that stick with me but hey, I learned a lot that I didn’t know prior to the pandemic and if there’s ever another one in my lifetime, I’ll be prepared. There’s a silver lining in everything.

Contact Info:

• Website: Valeofshadowsla.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/Valeofshadowsla
• Facebook: Facebook.com/valeofshadowsla
• Other: Instagram.com/theroxannecrisp