About Me
Riki Leona
Esthetician ~ Eyebrow Artist ~ Makeup Artist
Aloha!
Thank you for checking out my page... my name is Riki and I am an eyebrow artist.
From an early age I have been fascinated by all things beauty. I still remember sitting on my parents bathroom counter applying all of my mom's makeup - including her mascara into my brows.. you know, to really make them stand out :) As I grew older, makeup was a way for me to be creative. I was a victim to the thin “90’s brows” and couldn’t go a day without reaching for the tweezers. Grateful they DID grow back and anything that didn't, I tattooed back on :)
As I grew older, makeup became a way for me to be creative and work alongside women to empower them in how they choose to show up in the world. I started doing special occasion and bridal makeup soon after I graduated high school, and in 2005 I enrolled in makeup school in Honolulu, Hawaii. I had found my path; doing something I loved and had a real talent for.
I was a freelance makeup artist for years. I loved it. I became so addicted to the feeling I’d get when I handed my client a mirror for her to see herself for the first time. I have always believed in enhancing natural beauty, working to accentuate what we have and appreciating the unique qualities of our appearance. It’s such a beautiful gift to make a positive difference in how someone sees themselves.
As I continued to work closely with so many inspiring women, I was touched by how many had concerns about overall wellbeing and skincare. I decided to deepen my knowledge and expand my offerings so that I could take a more holistic approach to makeup and skincare. I wanted to help women at a deeper level... not to just cover things up. I decided to train as an esthetician, to gain a greater understanding of skincare. In 2009 I graduated top of my class from the Skin Science Institute of Laser and Esthetics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I moved to Oregon in 2010 and decided to combine my professional training with my love of community. I opened Malama Day Spa – a space for rest, relaxation and wellbeing – which was home to a total of 13 amazingly talented women who served the Oregon community with a variety of nurturing beauty treatments. Malama was truly a business of love for me, and during the 9 years I owned and ran the space, it was awarded “Best Day Spa” 8 times by the Reader’s Choice Awards. I am forever grateful for the beautiful ripple of love Malama created in our community and in my life.
I closed Malama in 2019 to specialize in brow treatments; it became my calling. To say I am obsessed with eyebrows is an understatement and, although I loved offering a variety of services as part of Malama, nothing has ever compared to how I feel about permanent makeup.
I remember where I was the first time I ever heard of microblading. It was 2015. I was sitting on my couch in my post-divorce apartment scrolling through Instagram and wishing I were anywhere but where I was. A woman I didn’t personally know, but followed because hello we do that, had just posted about getting her brows microbladed and OMG did they look good!! I started researching and obsessing and getting frustrated because at that time, microblading was super new to the US and there really wasn't much information out there. But I knew I was on to something. This was my next chapter. I would combine my two loves of eyebrow waxing and makeup and create this hybrid of amazingness!!! I saw the light. And I sprinted towards it like something was chasing me.
In September 2017 I completed the Everlasting Brows Microblading Course in Seattle. I will NEVER forget the way I felt the first time I tattooed an eyebrow onto fake skin – it was the most incredible experience of my life. After my course I quickly started practicing on any friends and clients that were so gracious to allow me to. I am so honored to have their trust, especially during the beginning stages of my PMU career.
To fine tune my skills and because I believe education is so important and to keep improving my technique, I took on an apprenticeship with Mint Beauty in Vancouver, WA. I loved my original course but the one-on-one help from April at Mint Beauty really gave me extra confidence to move forward. Since then I have gone on to train twice with Jenn Boyd Ink in California, Brows by Linnie in Las Vegas and 3 separate PMU training courses through Bowler Esthetics in St. George, Utah. I am now an 8 times certified PMU artist. I LOOOOVE brows!
In January of 2018 I made my brow dreams come true by opening Riki Leona Brows in Long Beach, WA. Fast forward almost 4 years on my PMU journey and I am now operating out of Astoria, Oregon where I currently reside. I get to spend every day doing what I love. To do what you LOVE as a career is such an incredible gift. I've always loved the beauty industry, but PMU has allowed my love to become much deeper and so inspiring. It never gets old watching someone see themselves for the first time after I’ve had the opportunity to do what I LOVE for them. I have the best job in the world. And I am so grateful.
Thank you for reading about my journey and I hope you can be a part of it.
~Riki Leona
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