When you think of a “Brazilian,” one’s imagination could drift off halfway around the world to the beautiful cities of São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro.
But for Tricia Evans, the word embodies a place much closer to her home and heart, both deeply rooted right here in Southern Nevada.
Her business, The Pretty Kitty Waxing Boutique, is now synonymous with a “Brazilian” and other types of specialty waxing services for women (and men!) across the valley.
Evans and her business partner own and operate 12 locations in Nevada and California - five in the Las Vegas area. The first store launched in San Diego in 2006, and she said the journey has been an exciting one with lots of ups and downs. Some of the most challenging times were felt in the past few years as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
“Like a lot of other businesses, we did take a hit. There were days obviously that were really scary, and we didn’t know if we were going to make it,” said Evans. “But thank God, because of the way that we had run our business, we had a cushion to fall back on, and that was our saving grace.”
The Pretty Kitty did close two stores in California, but Evans said things are looking up this year, especially in Nevada.
“More and more people are moving to this area, and they are looking for work, especially women in the beauty industry,” said Evans. “This really paves the way for us to hopefully expand our business to serve even more customers throughout the valley.”
Pretty Kitty’s newest location opened earlier this year in Aliante off the 215 freeway and North Decatur. Evans said she’s happy to see operations running pretty much back to pre-COVID levels, but she’s also not taking anything for granted, knowing that things can change on a dime.
“One of the biggest changes for me personally in the last few years is that I don’t get stressed over the small stuff anymore. When the unthinkable happens, it puts everything else into perspective.”
A US Navy Veteran, Evans said she was raised to be independent and self-reliant. She had been on her own since she was 19 years old, and because of that, she had to learn to navigate whatever life has thrown her way.
As for her growth as an entrepreneur, Evans said it wasn’t something she had planned on initially, but now she sees the decision to open this business (with a lot of “friendly” nudging from her business partner) as her “God” moment.
"I had been trying to figure out what I was supposed to do,” said Evans. “It created a lot of angst in me. I was wandering around without much direction for a long time. I was an ‘aesthetician without a plan.’ And when the waxing concept popped in my head, I was like, ‘that’s it! This is going to work’.”
And now, as the business is celebrating its sixteenth year in operation, The Pretty Kitty has reshaped the face of specialty waxing in both Southern California and Southern Nevada, with the concept now also making waves in Texas, where Evans and her business partner have licensed 14 other stores.
While many trends come and go in the beauty industry, Evans says the essence of the waxing business has not changed that much. What has transformed, she said, is the accessibility to products and information because of technology. She said women today are more knowledgeable and sophisticated when it comes to knowing what they like and don’t like.
“We are thankful for what I guess could be described as a beauty trend that went “viral” some 20 plus years ago," said Evans. "It’s that ‘Sex in the City’ episode where one of the characters went in for a Brazilian wax. That made this particular beauty service become much more mainstream."
With summer 2022 promising a return to more normal times, Evans says it will also be a busy season at the waxing salons. But Evans is ready for a strong come-back. She said if anything, she’s much more motivated to showcase what makes her business unique and resilient.
“You need to believe in your work, and you need to feel it in your soul,” said Evans. “If you have that, it’s actually exciting and energizing. Of course, not every day would feel like that, but I think I made my point (laughing).”
