Local small business owner Angelea Mason is no stranger to waxing and skin care. After seven years of working as a licensed aesthetician, she decided to open her own waxing salon in Austin, Texas.

Mason graduated high school in Houston, Texas and started a successful career as a personal trainer and fitness model. In 1999, out of hundreds of women, Mason was selected to represent the United States in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Pageant and was crowned Miss Met-Rx, an award given by one of the top sports nutrition systems, Met-Rx, to the woman in the best physical condition to represent the company. To say that Mason is beautiful is a gross understatement; yet, despite her captivating appearance, Mason realized modeling could not last forever. In 2002, at the age of 29, Mason decided to retire from modeling, get her aesthetics license and start her career as a make-up artist.

“Modeling was fun, especially the traveling, but it’s a really self-centered career,” Mason said, “I wanted to become a make-up artist because I had established a lot of connections in Houston from years of modeling.”

Mason began her apprenticeship at Houston Skin Clinic under Susanna Shultz, named 2009 Aesthetician of the Year, after receiving her aesthetics license from the Institute of Cosmetology and Aesthetics. In this renowned clinic, Mason practiced everything from chemical peels to waxing and gained a keen understanding of not only effective waxing techniques, but overall skin care. Her career at Houston Skin Clinic came to an end when Mason’s husband’s work caused the pair to relocate to Austin, Texas.

“Houston is a great city, it’s really big and there’s a lot of business to go around,” Mason said in regards to her move, “but I prefer Austin. And it’s much more small business friendly.”

Mason said she knew, after working at Houston Skin Clinic, that waxing was her real passion, but dreams of opening her own salon were still unrealistic. Instead, in 2007 she began working at Austin’s fist all waxing salon—The Waxing Studio—underneath another renowned aesthetician and founder of the franchise Waxology, Jody Holtz. The Waxing Studio renovated the Austin salon market for waxing services by only offering and specializing in quality waxes. Here, Mason was able to hone her aesthetics skills and experience the positives and negatives of the Waxing Studio’s business plan.

According to Mason, one of the greatest flaws in the Waxing Studio’s technique was their emphasis on offering, according to their website, “the perfect 15-minute Brazilian wax.” The managers at The Waxing Studio stress to the Aestheticians that to maintain this image a wax should never go over 15 minutes.

“The problem is,” according to Mason, “some clients experience a lot of pain during the wax and they need more time, but I wasn’t allowed to slow down.”

After two years at the Waxing Studio, Mason set off to start her waxing business. On January 19, 2009, seven years after she retired from modeling, Mason finally opened Brazilia Waxing Spa on Guadalupe Street in Austin, Texas. The focus is predominately waxing, but Brazilia also offers facials, massage therapy, and airbrush tanning.
After her experience at the Waxing Studio, Mason says one of her main priorities at Brazilia is to create a personable, comfortable experience for her clients and, in turn, encourage them to come back. The interior of Brazilia resembles that of a high-end salon with comfortable couches and lounge chairs in the waiting room where the walls are painted warm brown and an inviting light blue. The waxing room is large compared to other salons and is also designed, painted and decorated in a manner intended to relax the client. All of the equipment, sheets, and towels are changed or cleaned between clients and Mason discards every waxing applicator after one use, causing a single wax to take over 20 sticks some cases, but also prevents the spread of germs and bacteria. During the wax, Mason insists on getting to know the client better by talking to them throughout the procedure which also helps to keep their mind occupied. After years of effort to open her own business Mason continues to struggle as she attempts to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

In addition to competing with her former employer, the Waxing Studio, a new waxing franchise European Wax Center, opened in August 2009, just one mile from Brazilia. European Wax Center, a franchise based out of Florida, specializes exclusively in waxing and offers their services at a median price of $20 less than similar salons. Something Mason says she, “just can’t compete with.”

“At European Wax Center, we go for more quantity,” said Brett Bunch, owner of the European Wax Center located in The Triangle, “by keeping our prices affordable we’re able to attract more people.”

Although Bunch claims the volume of clients keeps their prices low, a former European Wax Center employee disagrees. According to this former employee, who insisted her name not be disclosed, European Wax Center pays their employees $8.50/hour at a 10 percent commission rate where the national average, according to payscale.com, is approximately, $12/hour and 30 percent of the commission.
As a former aesthetician turned business owner, Mason believes one of the most valuable things in operating a salon is keeping her two aestheticians happy by offering a pleasant working environment and salaries comparable to the national average. Despite the extreme measures Mason goes to insure a personable environment some clients still chose to go elsewhere.

“For me, it’s all about money,” said Rianne Belan, an Engineering student at the University of Texas and a client of European Wax Center, “they [European Wax Center] never really worked to establish any connection with me. I don’t feel any loyalty to them.”

A stark contrast from one of Mason’s clients, Paula Spencer, who says, “I refuse to go to anyone besides Angelea [Mason]. I know her work is good, why would I risk having an unpleasant experience (when waxing is already fairly unpleasant) just to save a few dollars?”

However, recognizing that her prices are no longer affordable to the average college student, Mason sent out a press release on October 30, 2009 announcing that she has decided to cut her prices “in an effort to make body waxing and other various spa treatments more affordable to her Austin clientele. “

The price cuts have helped keep Brazilia competitive in the market, but according to Mason, remaining competitive is not as important as pricing the service and quality she believes in and has worked over a decade to achieve.

There were no guidelines to help Mason along the way, as there are in franchising, and she is quick to admit loosing thousands of dollars in print advertising; but, as the former swimsuit model sits comfortably in her salon, reflecting on all her challenges with marketing and competition, she said assuredly that she had no regrets about the whole process.

“I encourage people to think about what you like, what you love,” Mason said, “get out there and try to start something yourself instead of working for a corporation or franchise.”

Mason lives in North Austin with her husband and two kids and continues to work, through trial and error, at making her business thrive.