Meet Alliya Jayde Cunanan | Luxury Lash & Brow Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alliya Jayde Cunanan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alliya Jayde, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is essential to life itself and can be a beneficial towards growth and transformation. It involves stepping out of one’s comfort zone to pursue opportunities that come with uncertain outcomes. The way we perceive and handle any risk can significantly influence both personal and professional lifestyles. When considering a risk, it’s important to weigh potential benefits against potential downsides. Risk taking has played a pivotal role in shaping my personal and career path with one thing on my mind, which was to embrace the risk. While risk taking can be intimidating, it’s also a powerful tool for achieving goals and realizing potential. Embracing risk requires a balance of courage and prudence, as well as a willingness to learn from failures. By approaching risks thoughtfully, you can open yourself up to a world of possibilities and growth.

Using just that as my motive, I then saw the increase on the demand for my business. The more I took a step forward, that one step which felt almost impossible every time, I was left feeling accomplished. Although there were many times I have failed in the past, those were the times I truly appreciated all that was happening for my business and myself. Always remember that even though you fail, it does not mean you should give up. That should be your reason to try even harder.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Sure, I am applying tiny fibers of hair onto natural ones but it’s more technical than that. Precision is key, as each extension must be carefully positioned and adhered to create a seamless, natural look. The process requires a steady hand and an eye for detail, ensuring that the extensions complement the client’s natural lashes without causing any discomfort. It’s not just about enhancing beauty it’s about boosting confidence and making clients feel their best. As you become more adept at this intricate art, you’ll find that the satisfaction of seeing a client’s delighted reaction is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.

As others choose to create dramatic dark looks, I on the other hand love the simplicity of an eye. The goal with my clients would be to make their eye pop or twinkle. I am proud of my achievements thus far in my journey. As many times as I’ve failed along side with all my accomplishments, I look back now and just feel good about where I am with my business overall. Although getting here to this point in my journey wasn’t the easiest, I definitely had some days where I just paid all of my essential bills and food throughout the month by taking 2 clients a week and working a full time job. I’ve learned in this business, if you want it you will have to work for it. You will have to put in the time and effort into building relationships, building an empire. Easier said than done, yes. But it is possible.

I, Alliya Jayde, love doing what I do. Every day that I wake up knowing that I have a few clients that day, I’m excited. I’m ready to create beautiful sets on all types of eye shapes, and wait to show my client the big reveal. The whole process of what I do is the most exciting thing I’ve ever felt. The anticipation on seeing the clients reaction to MY work, knowing that they will be walking outside for everyone else to see it as well. I have learned something about myself, and it’s that I love to make those around me happy. As a little girl, doing my makeup, nails, hair and experimenting with all the cool new things in beauty came natural to me. On top of that I was always the type of person to love seeing my friends and family have a smile on their face, so I made sure to be the one to do so every time. With my business, I wanted to be that person to help a person feel better about themselves in their own skin and appreciate what they see in the mirror. Bring a smile to their face. And what better way to do that other than using the interest in beauty and desire to uplift others through my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a woman who didn’t experience much until the age of 23, I have little knowledge on scenic views or cool hang out spots. If any one of my best friends were to visit, I’d probably start the week off by heading out to San Clemente or San Diego. Start off by heading to the beach and explore the food options. We would spend about 3 days there then head back towards LA, hang out and have a movie/dinner night staying in to relax from our mini trip. The following day will be filled with museums and scenic views. First I’d suggest a quick breakfast and some matcha, then check out museums like The Broad or Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. After a few hours, I’d take them to the best pasta place in LA called Uovo. Basically filling this day with art and food. On the very last day, before they leave I’d take them to my favorite scenic view point just to end the whole trip with a serene night.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Before becoming a Lash & Brow Artist, my life was at a standstill. I was looking in all directions for something to interest me enough that it sparked up any of my hidden passions. Working in food service, retail, customer service, and administrative offices I was able to experience different job fields which broadened my knowledge on people skills. Once I ventured into doing brows and lashing my father, Virgilio Cunanan, was my #1 supporter. Starting out my business I knew I had to have the correct supplies, certification and licensing to do so. My dad helped out and purchased my very first lash table, chair, ring light and paid for majority of the classes to get certified all of which I have till this day. Soon after I was able to start offering house calls and build my clientele.

Throughout my journey on becoming an artist in this industry, I have to give recognition to all of my clients that have been there with me from the beginning. Nothing can relate to the feeling of having that one client return back time and time again. My thanks truly goes out to one of my first clients, a sister at heart, Keets. My business skyrocketed when she helped me with learning about new products and discovering new things every single day. She definitely helped me stay motivated to show up for my business when I needed it most.

The support I had surrounding me is what kept me going at the end of the day, and I appreciated every one of them.

Website: https://hiighbrowsbeauty.co

Instagram: hiighbrowsbeauty_la

Image Credits
Alliya Cunanan
Anna Vu