Meet Carmen Morales of Luna Esthetics & Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Morales.

Hi Carmen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! I will try and give you the shortest version of my backstory as I can, lol. I’m an aesthetician and a licensed tattoo artist. I’ve been fortunate to have trained with some of the best dermatologists, plastic surgeons, permanent makeup/tattoo artists, and aestheticians over the course of my 19 years in the industry. I specialize in permanent makeup, treating acne, scars, and treating all skin types and ethnicities.

With a much-needed push from a childhood friend, LUNA opened in 2019 in a small private suite, located inside Halcyon Studio, a salon in the crossroads. The excitement and momentum from being my own boss quickly faded as reality hit…I had absolutely no idea how to run a business. Like a lot of new entrepreneurs, I had the misconception that as an expert in my field it would be easy adding “business owner” to the list of my many titles. Learning the hard way that those two things are not one of the same I started failing quickly. So much so that my child and I became homeless. Feeling defeated and weak I refused to quit. Strength came from the determination of teaching my child to never give up on a dream. After what seemed the longest 8 weeks of our lives of couch-surfing and overstaying any welcomes from friends, I allowed breath back in as we moved into our own apartment.

Thankfully during that time of slowly getting on my feet, I became close with a successful business owner. He unknowingly became one of the most influential people to come into my life. I took as much of his knowledge, recommendations, and guidance about business as I could hold. Success soon followed. I almost feel bad talking about how happy and proud of myself I became during that time because it was the start of Covid, the rest of the world was miserable and here I am living my best life. From implementing the skills and strategies having learned from him I finished that year making just under six-figures. Beginning to finally feel like a business owner, I continued the hard work and learning to finish the second year making $30,000 more than the previous year. I finally felt proud of my achievements.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was more of a construction-filled Missouri road, lol. Obviously, the very start was one of the biggest challenges. I’d say other bumpy spots came from opening my own brick & mortar and starting a second business. After two years of success in the small suite, I thought I was ready for a much larger location. Year three and four of Luna’s operation was by far the most challenging. Having the stress and responsibilities that came with a 2,200 sq ft storefront on the Westside did not go as well as my 250 sq ft room inside Halcyon, that’s for sure. Opening that location, the buildout, and then beginning a second business as a commercial landlord was embarrassingly overwhelming for me.

Unlike covid, success did not continue for those two years. Business had slowed, rent and fees were raised drastically, I was down a renter, and was going through some major personal trauma, it was not going well to say the least. As painful as that time had been I learned a lot, created memories, built many relationships, and had two years of enjoying the beautiful Westside.

As you know, we’re big fans of Luna Esthetics & Wellness. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
I would say I am not your average esthetician. My laidback approach and sarcastic personality are sure to make any client feel comfortable while my expertise and skill are reassurances in trusting me with your skin.

I offer a variety of aesthetic services to transform or enhance your skin. These services include medical grade chemical peels, microneedling, and facials to name a few. I also offer permanent makeup procedures (lip blushing, powder brows, and eyeliner). Regardless of the service, I usually start with an in-depth consultation.

The systems I have developed are tailored to each client. Not only do I perform an in-depth skin analysis, I also create a very detailed treatment plan and regimen that will be sent to you as a helpful guide of what to expect and to look over my recommendations.

Any big plans?
While I will always love and miss being in the Crossroads & the Westside, I have found a peaceful space down the road in Midtown. Back to the suite life, renting a studio from Legacy Massage has been a real blessing. Regaining the ability to focus on my small business (instead of all the stress and anxiety of having two businesses, the outrageous gentrified rent and everything that came with that location) has been amazing for my wellbeing.

I plan to continue to transform and enhance client’s skin, making them laugh at my lame jokes, and educating them on the health of their skin in the process. Besides all of that, I’m not quite sure what is in Luna’s future, but I do know that, currently, I am exactly where I need to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: lunaesthetics.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lunakc.skin
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lunakc.skin
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@lunakc.skin

Image Credits
Dalton Paley, Madison Board, Carmen Morales