Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Taylor.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a professional skin therapist and the owner of Michael Taylor Skin a Professional Skin Care Line, and SKIN DB, a day spa located in Diamond Bar California. I specialize in a variety of skin treatments and full-body waxing.
I started my career in 2016 as a makeup artist and slowly discovered my passion for skin health. I got my first job at Ulta Beauty and made my way through different brands like Lancome, Clinique, and Dermalogica. Five years into the industry I decided to become a business owner which is when MTskin was born.
Originally MTskin was my spa. I started in the back room of a barbershop and thanks to social media my clientele and business grew rapidly in 2020. that’s when I decided it was time to own my own storefront. Which is when SKIN DB was born! MTskin was heading in a product development direction but I still held a strong passion for being a service provider and content creator which is why I decided to create a separation between the spa, myself, and the cosmetics line!
As a Content Creator, I’m responsible for creating marketing content on social media for different cosmetic companies. Even though I own my own company, I’ve always enjoyed the social media part of my job. One of my proudest moments was modeling for one of my favorite brands in the world Dermalogica!
I’ve been extremely lucky and blessed with a progression that both businesses have made and I can’t wait to see what 2023 has for us!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As glamorous as I make my career look, it’s never been easy. Being a male in a female-dominated industry made it extremely difficult. Whether a client didn’t want to work with me because I’m a dude or being kicked out of a class because the female model was not comfortable having me in the room. I ended up having to teach myself as I went. God bless my first couple of male waxing clients because I was just going with what I found on YouTube! However, with patience and practice, I ended up creating my own techniques that I was comfortable with and now I teach them to my students.
Besides that, life has thrown different obstacles in my direction. One I think we can all relate to is Covid. I started my business at the peak of Covid with lockdowns and health concerns being at an all-time high, it was extremely difficult to have my business grow. For a short period of time, I ended up working at a sunglass store because it Was the only thing available to me. I did what I had to do to make sure I had a steady income because I knew once the path started to clear up, I would need to get back to work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in a variety of skin care treatments and full body waxing for both females and males. You may know me as the guy that waxes butts on TikTok! At least that’s what a guy at the bar told me!
My first video that went viral on TikTok was me performing a Brazilian wax on a male client. I was shocked to know that I was one of the very few waxers in my area. Most of my clients were male and a constant topic of conversation was how hard it was to find someone that would wax them! It’s honestly sad because these guys just wanna be pampered or “cleaned up”! In my opinion, its just a lack of education in our industry. I can probably find over 10 waxing classes in the area but none of them will teach how to perform a male service.
That’s what makes me different I am a gay Latino male in the beauty industry and I service my community. Everyone has a place in my practice no matter gender identity, sexual orientation or race I got you! It’s my favorite part of my job knowing that I get to give back to my community doing something I love! My job!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
COVID-19 put me in a very dark place mentally however in many ways I am grateful that I had to go through that because I wouldn’t be where I’m at now. I was young minded 21 years old who didn’t know how to handle his money. I’d have 100 bucks and it slip out of my hand within three hours. I learned independence, financial responsibility, and overall learned how to trust myself.
Pricing:
- Brazilian Wax $55
- Facial $80
- Full Body Wax $200
- Makeup $200
- Full Lash set $100
Contact Info:
- Website: Michaeltaylorskin.com
- Instagram: @michaeltaylorskin @skin.DB
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaeltaylorskin?mibextid=LQQJ4d
