Jessie Hayes-Stallings,Skinphorea founder and CEO, second from left, and Shareese Shorter, Skinphorea co-owner and director of operations, second from right, celebrate the grand opening of the premier facial bar, spa, and educational hub on Friday, August 6 alongside Pierre Batton, vice president, Small Business Services, at the DEGC and Detroit Means Business (DMB) president, back left, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, far right.
Photo provided by Motor City Match
It’s hard not to smile when you step inside the luxurious, very Instagram-able new facial bar, Skinphorea located in Corktown in Detroit.
On Friday, August 6, a lot of smiles went around as the newest skincare spot in town officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony as business leaders, community members and supported poured into the luxurious facial bar located at 1620 Michigan Ave.
Those smiling most of all that day were co-owners Jessie Hayes-Stallings, Skinphorea founder and CEO, and Shareese Shorter, director of operations as they celebrated in style the opening of their second location; Royal Oak is home to their first facial bar.
Detroit’s location features a facial bar, spa, and educational hub, along with private rooms for facials, and rentable rooms for people in the beauty business looking for a space to do their craft.
Along with offering various spa-like amenities and services, the company’s Detroit location will serve as the brand’s flagship as well as the home base for its apprenticeship program, Skinphorea University. Created in 2016 around the time of its first location’s opening, the program partners with the State of Michigan to provide esthetician licensing for emerging skincare professionals, according to a press release.
“We are so excited and grateful for the opportunity to expand in the beautiful city of Detroit,” said Hayes-Stallings. “We can’t wait to help educate Detroiters on skincare, whether they’re learning how to take care of their own skin or attending Skinphorea University to kickstart their careers.”
The 4,000 sq.-ft location will offer many skin services, such as an acne clinic and laser hair removal, as well as beauty products and a signature happy hour feel to help clients relax and unwind. Hayes-Stallings and Shorter plan to hire 22 employees for the new space, including managerial and esthetician positions.
Detroit resident Corea Nimmons, who works nearby, attended the grand opening and told the Michigan Chronicle that she booked a spot at Skinphorea that day because she heard about their “wonderful facials.”
Nimmons, who also has a skin condition that makes her prone to clogged skin and ingrown hairs, said she is looking forward to being a regular client and stopping by in case of skin emergencies. Before she had to drive to the suburbs for such skin emergencies. She added that it’s beneficial to find a local skincare business that specializes in melanated skin.
“Who knows your skin better than someone who looks like you?”
Mayor Mike Duggan attended, too.
“Jessie and Shareese created Skinphorea to redefine their industry and offer a place where everyone is welcome,” said Duggan in a press release. “This Motor City Match business is a wonderful addition to the growing commercial district in Corktown. We are proud of Jessie and Shareese for chasing their dreams and choosing Detroit to expand their business and provide education for Detroit residents to expand their careers.”
Intending to redefine how skincare is approached, Hayes-Stallings and Shorter originally formed Skinphorea as an online business in 2014.
They told the Michigan Chronicle that it all started with a conversation on a couch.
“It started with us sitting on her couch,” Hayes-Stallings said standing near a deep velvet purple chaise lounge alongside Shorter under a ceiling with hanging purple and green flowers and vines with a lush wall of greenery bearing their company name. “We sat on her couch and we came up with a vision for how we wanted Skinphorea to be, and we were able to open up the Royal Oak location and it’s been busting out at the seams for the past several years.”
Shorter said that she works primarily on the business end.
“How do you make things work? How do you troubleshoot, how do you problem solve?” Shorter said, adding that it was always Hayes-Stallings’ vision and dream, while she was ready to help make that a reality. “I said, ‘Let’s just do it.”
The dynamic duo decided to merge quality care with a signature happy hour feel when they opened their first location in Royal Oak in 2016. Their innovative concept allowed them to create Metro Detroit’s first results-driven, high-concept facial bar. The brand holds a vision to fulfill the skincare needs of both women and men who desire practical pampering while highlighting an educational component.
Hayes-Stalling and Shorter thanked MCM for providing access to funding and serving as a strategic partner to grow and develop Skinphorea’s flagship location. They received an MCM Round 14 cash grant of $30,000. Skinphorea is located near several open MCM-supported businesses, including Plum Health Direct Primary Care, Batch Brewing Company, Michigan & Trumbull, and Mama Coo’s Boutique.
Skiniphorea is one of 129 open brick-and-mortar Motor City Match businesses that have received support from the program. Of those businesses, 81 percent are minority-owned, 71 percent are women-owned and 64 percent are owned by Detroit residents. The program continues to have a large and positive impact on Detroit’s small business community, including:
- Roughly 15 more MCM businesses are expected to open in 2021
- Around 1,000 jobs have been created as a result of open MCM businesses
- $9.5M has been awarded in cash grants through MCM and Motor City Re-Store, which has leveraged $44.1M in additional investment into Detroit’s neighborhoods
- Nearly 300 additional home-based and mobile businesses have started or expanded with the help of Motor City Match
DEGC President and CEO Kevin Johnson said that Detroit is on an economic rise.
“More Detroiters are on a path to economic mobility, have been given a chance to pursue their passions, and have access to goods and services in their neighborhoods because of this program,” he said in a press release. “Today, we are creating an even stronger MCM program to support Detroit’s small business community – the heartbeat of our city.”
Skinphorea is now accepting appointments online here.
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