Karisma’s Wax Bar

Karisma Elizondo is the owner of Karisma’s Wax Bar, located in Clovis, California. Today she is a successful business owner, but the road to the top has come with a series of challenges that have made her stronger. Karisma’s story is of perseverance and dedication and has surpassed the many obstacles that have come her way. She is a prime example of what it means to never give up on your dreams and to get up stronger when life knocks you down.

Karisma graduated from Sanger High School in 2010, then attended California State University, Fresno for two years before deciding she wanted to go to cosmetology school. In 2012, she enrolled at Paul Mitchell the School Fresno. While in cosmetology school, Karisma was hit by a car in front of Tom Flores stadium while attending a football game. She was lucky to survive with only five fractures in her spine and several scrapes and bruises.

Thankfully, Karisma was able to go back to school in a month and finished cosmetology school in 2013. After graduating, she began looking for jobs but still had a limp caused by the accident and could barely withstand the pain of standing all day as a hairdresser. For the next two years, Karisma worked as a nanny for a family because the work was less strenuous on her body. During this time, she found a great chiropractor in Stockton who helped her immensely with her back pain and cured her limp.

After seeing the chiropractor consistently for a year, Karisma felt much better and was eager to put her cosmetology license to use. She got a job as a wax specialist at a European Wax Center in 2015 and developed a passion for waxing!

“I fell in love with waxing! I loved how satisfied my guests were when they walked out the door! And I loved getting to know so many people while doing my job.”

In early 2017, Karisma and her partner, Aaron, found out they were having a baby. They were thrilled to learn it was a boy and decided they were going to name him Ezekiel. Karisma felt a bit nervous about the changes that would come with having a baby, but she was ready to be a mother and was excited to start a family with the love of her life.

However, in an unexpected and shocking turn of events, Karisma was rushed to the hospital while she was 21 weeks pregnant. She felt excruciating pain at the top of her stomach and was given fluids for her dehydration. At first, the baby appeared to be in stable condition and Karisma was going to be sent home. Then suddenly, as Karisma stood up from her bed, the pain got monumentally worse! She was urgently sent back to the emergency room, but the baby’s heart rate had dropped to less than half of what it originally was when Karisma first arrived at the hospital.

“As soon as they put that ultrasound to my stomach all they could see was blood. I was bleeding internally, and they couldn’t tell why. At this point I had blacked out from the pain.”

The doctor informed the father that the baby’s heart rate dropped too low and was not going to make it. He also said Karisma would need surgery but was in critical condition and only had a 25% chance to survive.

“The next thing I remember was waking up, but it felt like I was dreaming. The anesthesia was still in my system and I could hear family talking but I couldn’t move or talk. I was screaming at them, but it was only in my head. It was the worst feeling I have ever experienced. I could hear them talking about the baby and how he didn’t make it. I was crying and screaming, only I wasn’t. I told myself to go back to sleep and try not to worry or listen to them. I tried to convince myself it was only a dream.”

Devastated and confused, Karisma was told that the baby had passed away but was still inside of her. The internal bleeding was caused by a rupture in her spleen. The doctor told Karisma that she needed to recover from the surgery in order to vaginally deliver the baby. A few days later, Karisma delivered “Zeke”.

“He had every finger, every toe, and looked just like his daddy. We got to hold him and be with him for about an hour before we said goodbye. It was the hardest day of our lives. I have to add that my boyfriend never left my sight, he endured a lot, from having to be told his baby died, to his girlfriend on the verge of dying, and having to wait hours and hours in his thoughts, thinking about what do to now. I definitely would not be here if it weren’t for him.”

Coming home was bittersweet for Karisma and Aaron. It was incredibly difficult for the couple to get used to the baby being gone. The silence and depression hit hard, then it was anger. Karisma and Aaron fought through it and together, helped each other find ways to cope with the pain.

“I missed feeling Zeke kick. I was angry that this happened to me and was experiencing a whole lot of emotions. There was no real explanation as to why my spleen ruptured. One of the doctors said sometimes the hormones you produce when you’re pregnant can cause the walls in your arteries to thin out!”

After four months of being on a rollercoaster of emotions, Karisma was determined to go back to work. Although she had mixed feelings about returning to work, Karisma felt that getting back into the groove of things would make her feel better and help relieve some stress. However, when she returned to work she felt that she wasn’t really appreciated for what she did and that she was just seen as an object for the company to make money off of. She didn’t want to continue working there, and with the support of her Aaron and her family, Karisma decided she wanted to open up her own business and began looking for an office suite.

Karisma continued to work for the company for the next month. During that time, her desire to start her own waxing business grew more and more as each day passed. She saw this as a great opportunity to set her mind in a new direction and focus on bettering herself both financially and spiritually in order to allow herself to feel some sort of happiness once more.

With the help of her partner Aaron, Karisma found the perfect office suite for her business! Karisma was nervous but thrilled to begin the next chapter in her life. She wanted to have a place where clients could come in and have an all-around exceptional waxing experience. In order to make this possible, Karisma knew she needed the best wax and waxing products for her new business, Karisma's Wax Bar.

“The fact that this idea voided so many feelings I was going through and put my focus on something new felt so relieving. I had overcome the fear of failing and just went for it. My mom helped me with the deposit and once that was done everything started to feel so real.”

Karisma saw an Instagram post by “Brows by Liz” and noticed that Liz used a wax called Starpil. She loved how beautiful the wax looked in Liz’s videos and how easy it was to manipulate. Karisma contacted Starpil, which assigned her a Personal Account Manager, Mariana, to help and guide her in choosing the best products for her business.

Every new Starpil wholesale account is assigned their own Personal Account Manager that provides unbeatable customer service and saves customers time by ensuring they never run low on supply. Personal Account Managers also offer expert guidance on the best wholesale options catered to the customer’s specific needs.

“What I love most about Starpil is the customer service! Mariana is the best! She answers all my questions and knows my orders, so I never have to worry about running low on supply. She’s just amazing! And of course, I love the wax because it is easy to use and gets the job done flawlessly!”

Karisma’s favorite Starpil wax is the Pink film, which is a highly effective and low melting point wax that adheres to the hair firmly, facilitating its removal by extracting follicles at the root. This delays further hair growth more effectively than shaving and many other waxes on the market. It is a creamy, polymer-blend formula with great flexibility for removal; leaving skin looking beautiful and radiant. It is ideal for waxing smaller areas such as the face, Brazilian bikini area, and underarms due to its ability to pick up even the finest hairs. Karisma’s clients also love the Pink film and say that it feels amazing on their skin!

“I have only ever used Starpil wax in my business, that’s how much trust I have in the product, formula and company. Other companies have sent their wax to try and nothing ever compares. “

Each month that goes by Karisma is gaining new clientele and is becoming more knowledgeable about how to run a successful business. Her greatest satisfaction comes when she sees and hear the great experiences that her clients share through Yelp reviews, social media, and word of mouth. Karisma always strives for success and loves being able to be her own boss. Her goal is to always provide each client with the best waxing experience they’ve ever had!

“I used to hate it when people would tell me everything happens for a reason, and even now it’s hard to accept that saying. But in a small way I now understand it just a tad bit more. With the courage and strength of my partner Aaron and family members, we might try for another baby soon”.