We sat down with cosmetic tattooist Junie Ye to dicuss her career and how her business is adapting during lockdown.

 

Tell us a little about you and how you got into the beauty industry

As a child my mother was a herbalist in a Chinese dispensary. I grew up seeing the joy of individuals healing through the power of herbs and various alternative treatments. I wanted to do something with my life that could also make a difference in others' lives. As an adolescent, my passion for beauty grew. I could observe easily in others how to improve physical appearances and how to utilise various tools to improve a person's wellbeing. I studied Chinese meridians in my late 30s and implement these principles in my treatments along with a diverse lexicon of acquired knowledge such as crystal healing, skincare formulation, colour therapy and ancient Chinese face reading methods. worked in many spas and brow parlour in the pass years that gives me the opportunity's to explored my creativity into my skill and knowledge. My journey into Cosmetic tattooing  is 1996 after experiencing traditional bamboo technique first-hand. This inspired me to learn both the bamboo method and the rotary machine in China, leading to training in Hong Kong with the ‘soft tap system’ Since then (pre-restrictions) I have travelled annually to Cosmoprof Hong Kong to keep up to date with leading global brands and manufacturers, attend  many worldwide conference to keeping my finger on the pulse of current developments and innovations. 

As a contractor for 7 years as an accredited trainer with an Australian cosmetic tattoo college and I am grateful for the breadth of experience that offered me. Many incredible, successful celebrity artists and trainers have come through these doors. I was then led to establish my very own training academy to offer more in fundamental and advanced skills and supporting work shops after training.

 

What do you enjoy most about working in the beauty industry?

Most clients come to me because they want a treatment that will help them look and feel better about their image. Being able to create opportunity to facilitate this change brings me immense joy. I know how physical transformation can directly impact other areas of life for a person, so what I do has a holistic positive effect. In 2011 I underwent a rigorous and intense training in the UK in preparation to work onboard a spa for the Royal Caribbean Cruise line. 9 months of cruise life was tough but it was a great experience that helped me grow in many ways, both personally and professionally. I would consider it a career highlight. 

How do you manage your business through lockdown?

• As of now, the business doors are closed and we can't take on students or clients in person so we are developing online training options
• We use this time to improve, develop and experiment within the academy and salon as an investment to future students so that when lockdown is over we can emerge better equipped and prepared
• We are building more and more digital content to make it easier for our students to access learning online
•  Lockdown is a great opportunity to reorganise and improve systems already in place within our salon. Our goal is to have a paperless environment and now is the time to test those systems and make the transition
• We have considered the lessons learnt from covid19 and really the infection control procedures are nothing new to us. However little changes in areas that are not treatment designated such as the reception and waiting room can be made to also uphold high infection control standard. For example, we have removed fabrics, altered furniture finishes and removed unnecessary décor items to ensure cleanliness whilst still being aesthetically pleasing.

 

What is your business advice for small beauty salons/freelance artists during lockdown?

• Update your skills! We are always looking for opportunities to provide new techniques and information. Enrol yourself into online studies, go deep into your online research and practice new and old skills you currently have.
• Maintain you relationships with your audience and customers, try to update your social media and provide positive messages to support them
• Up until now we have all been working nonstop, especially in this industry. This is a great time to check in with yourself and your family and take a break to recharge. You can't forget self-care and the health of your business will always be reflected by your personal health. So, be a good example for your customers and keep a positive energy so your clients will look forward to seeing you. When we all come out of this and the doors re-open we hope to be feeling refreshed and uplift

 

Is there anything different small businesses may not have heard about that could help them in this difficult time?

Not sure if this is anything new, however offering a complimentary one-on-one consultation to get them in the door