Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly Pugil.
Hi Carly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was raised in Boise, Idaho but moved to Iowa to attend Iowa State University starting in 2010. I graduated in 2014 with a degree in Marketing, and after a summer internship in Los Angeles, I took the plunge to move here despite the fact that I was uncertain about what my career path would look like. I started bartending on the West Side, but quickly felt that I needed more to be fulfilled. In popped esthetics and it all made sense. Growing up, I always had a love for makeup and all things beauty. So in 2017, I attended and graduated from esthetician school at Academy of Beauty in Culver City. However, the learning really began when I started working at a salon in West Hollywood. Here I learned a lot about working with different clientele, as well as improved my skills as a facialist, lash and brow artist. After the Pandemic I was ready for a change and wanted to be closer to home (nobody loves rush hour traffic in LA), so I set up shop at a salon in Culver City. This was also a stepping stone in helping build my confidence and vision at what I wanted my future salon space to be. I think it’s important to note that esthetics is always changing and evolving and its so important to continue education. Throughout my time as an esthetician, I’ve taken various courses, whether it be for facials, brows or lashes, and this has really expanded my knowledge and allowed me to create a fully personalized approach at providing services. All of my experiences in the salon environment really helped me to come up with the vision of what I wanted my own salon space to be. In 2024, I opened Salt + Skin, a boutique beauty and skincare studio. Creating my own space has allowed me to share my creativity and passion of beauty with clients, and I could not be happier with how it turned out.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. Imposter syndrome is real. I feel like my biggest struggle throughout my work as an esthetician is self doubt and thinking I am not good enough at what I do. This has been a constant battle since I first began as an esthetician, but has definitely gotten better with experience and time. I think it is so important to realize that this is such a common occurrence especially when building a business. It’s been helpful to talk to other small business owners and realize that I am not alone in this . Starting my own business was a huge leap of faith, and to see it blossom has really been so encouraging. I’ve realized that you just have to follow your heart and really work hard at being the best you can be. Success will come when you put your heart and soul into your passions.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I founded Salt + Skin in 2024, bringing together my love for beauty and the beach. Salt + Skin is a cozy studio nestled along the Venice Canals in Venice, California, providing a relaxed and inviting atmosphere for your beauty treatments. I specialize in lash lifts, brow artistry, and personalized skincare treatments. My goal is to make clients look and feel their absolute best, during and after their time spent at Salt + Skin.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me success can be defined as being happy and fulfilled through ones work, personal life and goals.
Pricing:
- Brow Services: $40-$130
- Lash Services: $40-$150
- Facials: $150-$300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saltandskinla.com
- Instagram: @saltandskinla
Image Credits
Coral Von Zumwalt
