Alumni Spotlight: Shondrea Barmore, Owner of Snatched Pro Studio & You Cosmetix
Alumni Spotlight on Esthetics grad, Shondrea Barmore! From a young age, Shondrea found herself fascinated with skin care and beauty – from pimple popping to scalp massages. As she got older, these passions lead Shondrea to pursue an education from CV and begin her transformation into a successful esthetician and businesswoman. Along the way, Shondrea learned that it takes courage to follow your passion and the significance of remaining open-minded and kind.
- What specialty(s) did you study during your time at CV? I studied esthetics during my time at CV.
- What year did you graduate? Being that I took a bit of a pause, my graduation date was June 30, 2016.
- What are you doing now? I am the owner of Snatched Pro Studio LLC which provides services like makeup (also PMU), facials, body treatments, and more. I also own You Cosmetix LLC which is my botanical, vegan-friendly, and halal-certified skincare and beauty essential line. I am also a licensed esthetics instructor.
- What was your journey like to get to your current role? Where do I start? I was always the little girl in my neighborhood that gave shoulder and scalp massages. Everyone would come to me to tweeze hair or pop pimples. As crazy as it may sound, I didn’t realize how much I was intrigued until a friend went to school for esthetics. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. I started to research and visit schools and although I could have gone to a school much closer to where I lived, I chose Christine Valmy for the prestige, for the legacy, and because I believed I would receive the best education. I mean Christine Valmy is the reason the US even knows what esthetics is. I loved school. I was so happy, but unfortunately, life hit me. I was in school, working, commuting, and paying for it all out of pocket with no help. So my 9 to11 month course became much longer than expected. I was determined to finish. The staff knew it and was very supportive in helping me do so. I graduated and went for my test to receive my license and well, the first time, I failed. It was really the time away from school that got me (I will be honest I didn’t really study. I wanted to see what I remembered) but I went for it again right after getting the results. I studied and passed! I started by traveling to clients as well as taking them to a designated section in my home. I have never worked in a salon but have worked for MAC Cosmetics and the Impulse counter at Macy’s. While in school I came up with the name Snatched Pro Studio and treated it like a legit business from day one. I am proud to say that I have two (legit) businesses and am licensed to teach others. I will always be proud to be a Christine Valmy alumni.
- What was your favorite part about your time as a CV student? The relationships formed. I could never forget Mr. Elias who would joke and say, ” You’ve been here forever, you should have your Ph.D. (lol).” Mrs. Ross was always the sweetest and always gave positive energy, amongst others in the administration like Heather who always made sure we got what was needed to be completed in order to be successful. And most definitely the learning.
- What is something you learned during your time at CV that has stuck with you today? This may sound weird but making a shoe pad (lol) and the significance of the PH scale (body and food).
- Do you have any advice for someone who is considering a beauty education? I’ve seen an influx in the industry, especially in esthetics. My advice would be to make sure to not get mesmerized by how successful one might be and only think of the money. All aspects of beauty are truly an art form and need to be studied and understood. Make sure this is your purpose and let the passion drive you to never give up because it’s not an easy road. It’s going to take hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.
- Do you have any wise words for students who are about to graduate and look for their first professional job in the industry? I would say to remember that learning never stops. Be wise about the jobs you take and make sure it’s attached to the end goal. Be observant, ask questions, be kind and think of yourself as a business. Be professional at all times and network. Book different services so that you can learn and experience from the client’s point of view. It will help you with your clients and or business.
- What CV product is always in your inventory or on your shelf? I absolutely love 5.5 PH Toner and Lotion X. Both are always on the shelf. The effectiveness of these products is unmatched and it’s truly due to the ingredients and how it is formulated.
Our ultimate goal is to provide our students with a strong foundation upon which to grow a flourishing career. Marina Valmy, our leader, calls this a “root system,” and it’s why our success as educators is embodied by the successes of our alumni. To celebrate this, we feature the achievements of our fabulous graduates in our Alumni Spotlight series. Each Spotlight showcases an interview with a Christine Valmy graduate about their educational and professional journeys.
As part of our educational philosophy, we aim to provide thought leadership on topics relevant to industry professionals and those with a passion for beauty. Click here to visit our Educated Insights homepage to learn trends, tutorials, industry news, and tips for at-home care and spa treatments.
