Chanti Claire Studios
Unbeknownst to me, the beauty industry racks up billions of dollars annually. It is predicted that by 2024, it is expected to reach approximately 863 billion dollars. Historically, women have been beautifying themselves since 4,000 bc, starting with the ancient Egyptians using kohl to make create dramatic eye i.e, Cleopatra. In the modern times, with the constant change in beauty trends and new cosmetics coming out every time you bat an eye, I can only imagine how participants of the industry keep up. What I admire the most is the time and effort taken out of an individual’s day to indulge themselves into the world of beauty. From putting on foundation to contouring to waxing to eyelash extensions, etc, there’s a lot of time spent for perfection. By the end, the outcome is refreshing and rewarding as the individual comes out looking and possibly feeling like a brand new person. To many, that time spent is also very therapeutic, especially after suffering from a long and stressful week.
Speaking of the beauty industry, i took it upon myself to reunite with my former high school classmate and savvy businesswoman AuJhante “AJ” Thomas. From as far as I know, she has always possessed an ambitious spirit. A mother to a goregeous babygirl that I’m sure keeps her motivated, AuJhante is a young and beautiful African American entrepreneur in the Dallas area and proud owner of the private beauty studio Chanti Claire, located on 331 Melrose Dr, Suite 100 in Richardson, Tx. Considering the fact that she graduated from Sol Salon and Spa Academy, her level of professionalism and knowledge of the industry is unmatched. There is no wonder as to how she maintains a consistent flow of clientele.
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Chanti Claire Studios was founded in February 2011 and shortly after completed it’s first salon shoot in March of the same year. The name “Chanti Claire” derived from AuJhante’s middle name Chauntiere ( I had a difficult time trying to pronounce her name to myself, you will NOT hear my attempt to say it out loud). “Growing up with my mother born and raised in Mississippi, she always jokingly ‘countrified’ my name,” she says “When she would yell my name across the house, she would holler ‘Chanti Claire!’”. What I found interesting is the choice of colors AJ used for marketing: the grey and purple color scheme. With grey being the color of the century and purple being the color of royalty, she wanted to choose modern colors that she could pair with different accents. Chanti Claire Studios offers a a variety of services, all pertaining to beauty that includes eyelash extensions, micro blading, waxing/tinting, makeup services and teeth whitening.
As I walked into the studio, I was greeted with a warm yet familiar smile. Even though it has been over ten years since I’ve last seen AJ, her skin aged so gracefully that it almost seemed as if I went back in time to Rowlett High, where we graduated from. There was a tranquil aura that filled the studios. Roughly ten feet in front of me, right below the tv and the silver deer head was a complimentary glass bowl of candy. My sweet tooth activated but I kept my composure until after the visit. The audio from Fox News swept through my ears as I observed her workplace; this is where the magic happens, this is where her clients come to relax as AJ pampers them and relieves them of stress. The lavender walls were pleasing to the eye as if it could calm the most irate client. The Studios reminds me of a well kept salon that would see in Uptown or Addision. To my right is the room where I assume she takes her clients to get eyelash extensions and to my left was another room where she handles the rest of the services. Her display of her cosmetology license and business certificate is appreciated, it could help with a new client become more comfortable with their experience. After a brief conversation of playing catch up, her friend and client Heather walked in to join the party. Initially she was there to fill her eyelashes. Like many of the clients, Heather not only comes to Chanti Claire for her routine fill, she come to enjoy a nice soothing experience and relaxes as she and AJ share conversations with each other. Although I’ve never seen the process of eyelash extensions, I was able to conclude that Aujhante knows what she is doing and is very precise at what she does. It wasn’t long before the session was over; not only is she very talented at her work but she also doesn’t take up a large amount of time doing so.
Chanti Claire has recently released their own teeth whitening powder , Coco Claire. It’s an all natural activated coconut charcoal powder that detoxes enamel and brightens smiles. Along with ththe release of Coco Claire, Aujhante plans on opening up more locations in the metroplex and solidifying Chanti Claire as the top salon in Dallas. For more information, check out the website by clicking the link below
