We had the good fortune of connecting with Ciara Italiano-lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ciara, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I would have to say that the most important factor behind my success is being true to who I truly am. It’s played a huge role in helping me find my dream clientele, grow into success and find more of myself.

When I first started Clementine Skin Bar, I struggled with who I wanted to be and the impact I wanted to have on social media. With that, of course, came playing different roles and trying to find a style that I deeply resonated with. After a while of trying to be something that I wasn’t, I decided that I had had enough and changed almost everything! This is the moment when I started to create original content that I felt mattered to my dream clients, and to me. Acting like somebody I was not only hurt my brand, and attracted clients that I did not connect with!

Now fast forward a year and a half. I have found my dream clients, community and my brand. Now, I truly strive to create a community, real life connections and confidence in every person I meet. I have an amazing community of people that all want to do better, be better and live better! In my opinion, this is the success of my brand!

What should our readers know about your business?
At Clementine Skin Bar, we are more than just skincare and relaxation. We take it above and beyond and create a community where you feel safe, confident and comfortable. I truly feel that it is important to get to know your clients, their hobbies and their goals in life! Becoming a Solo Esthetician and business owner has also been one of the most rewarding experiences! I have gotten to meet some of my best friends through the process. Sometimes, as business owners, we get wrapped up in our own world, my advice, be yourself, do what you love and don’t let anyone tell you how to live!

Starting Clementine Skin Bar was easily the best, yet hardest thing I have ever done! Nobody teaches you all of the little things it takes to make a business run…successfully! The first major challenge for me was navigating my new freedoms, not being on another person’s schedule had freed a lot of the time I was needing. I had quit my job, started Clementine Skin Bar, and needed to figure out what was next. Do I work full-time, or part-time? What product lines should I use or not use? Do I stay in Arizona to open my spa? There was a lot to think about! So, I sat down for 8 hours, mapped out a plan, and tweaked things as I moved forward – which by the way, is how every business owner is doing it! It taught me to have a plan, but to also be open to changing it when necessary. And it was definitely necessary sometimes! So, my advice for my current and future solo estheticians, have a plan, make connections and go with the flow!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Arizona is a gorgeous state! I am a born and raised Arizona girl so I definitely have some amazing go-to spots!

My dream Arizona day would be: Stop at Peixoto or Jupiter Cafe for some amazing Matcha lattes. Then,
a morning walk or hike in the valley to enjoy the morning (before the heat). After the morning hike, I would head to Worth Takeaway, a unique and tasty Chef-owned restaurant with only the best ingredients. After a full morning, walking downtown Mesa is always a great option. There are quaint antique and thrift stores, eateries and coffee shops! To end the day, facials at Clementine Skin Bar, a nice dinner at The Farm at South Mountain and the sunset from A mountain over at ASU. This would be an ideal day in Arizona especially in the fall and spring seasons!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people I would love to credit for helping me along the way! I’ve got a great support system between my parents, grandparents, and significant other. They have all pushed me in the right direction and supported me through all of my wild ideas! Right out of esthetician school, I had an amazing mentor, Kellie Summers. She is such a wealth of knowledge and a truly amazing esthetician in this community-thank you for seeing the fight in me! Of course, there are many other estheticians I would like to shoutout because you are truly now some of my best friends and I couldn’t have gotten here without your encouragement: Monika, Lori, Jazmyn, Claire, Sophia, Taylor, Mia and Alicia. Thank you everyone for believing in me and pushing me to do the hard things!

Website: https://clementineskinbar.glossgenius.com/

Instagram: ClementineSkinBar

Facebook: Ciara Kathleen | Clementine Skin Bar

Other: Google | Clementine Skin Bar

Image Credits
KayceeCherryPhoto
Karen_Cophotography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.