The bathroom stalls in Pritzker Hall are billboards for student life, with psychology study sign-ups, club event notices and tutor advertisements competing for attention. Among these posters, a pink flyer with big brown lettering implores students to, “Make everyday a lash day.” 

Scanning the flyer’s QR code allows curious students to book a one-hour lash lifting appointment. But this lash business isn’t a storefront in Westwood Village or a home visit. Instead, customers head to 2024 alumnus Sara Kim’s apartment to lay down on her yoga mat and get their lashes permed. If you like her services, you might even get a $5 discount when you refer a friend. 

And it’s not just Kim. 

There’s the student advertising her affordable press-ons in a class GroupMe. Someone on Instagram who helped braid your friend’s hair. The tattooist at the fundrager you went to last weekend. Whether they treat their cosmetology as a side hustle or career training, this community of student artists offers low-priced services as part of UCLA’s burgeoning underground beauty economy.

Many of these self-employed artists began their journeys in spring 2020, when they found themselves at home during quarantine. According to Google Trends data, many people turned to new beautification hobbies. For example, Google searches for “DIY nails” doubled and “nail drill” tripled in late March of 2020. 

This do-it-yourself culture relies on the internet and basic materials. After purchasing nail technician supplies off of Amazon, rising fourth-year sociology student Kayla Saffold found easy-to-follow tutorials on Instagram and TikTok to hone her craft. Meanwhile, Shari Wei, 2023 alumnus, purchased her first tattooing materials online. And so began their DIY journeys. 

“I started in high school during quarantine, like a lot of people did, because I was really bored,” said Liam Liu, a rising third-year psychology student who works at a licensed tattoo studio in Los Angeles, Girlxfriend. “I ordered a kit online, and me and my friend were tattooing each other, just stick and pokes at 5 a.m.” 

Once Bruins returned to in-person school in fall 2021, some quarantine cosmetologists turned their newfound hobbies into student businesses that served other students. Wei and Saffold put their DIY skills to use by offering beauty services to close friends who flocked to their student housing for a stick and poke or nail fill session. 

With enough time and practice, these student beauticians turned their do-it-yourself procedures into beauty service businesses. But operating primarily out of their apartments, many students began selling their services before receiving cosmetology licenses. 

The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology states that unlicensed persons can be reported and fined if the service provider has not completed a range of 400-1000 hours of in-person cosmetology school covering nails, hair and skincare basics. Penalties for running an unlicensed business can range from $25 to $1000 fines, depending on the Board’s assessment of how much of a risk a business is. Yet, to be able to train in beauty specialties such as builder gel nails, Gel-X nails or hair extensions, one must learn the craft outside of cosmetology school, Kim said. 

Despite the risk of penalties, many student service providers have opted to embrace DIY culture. They forgo cosmetology school and learn on their own, from a combination of family knowledge and TikTok. 

Chinonyelum Okey-Iwobi is a 2024 alumnus and self-taught makeup artist who operates from her university apartment. Okey-Iwobi made the transition from doing friends’ makeup to booking clients as her equipment costs skyrocketed. 

“You’ve gone to Sephora and you’ve gotten a tiny bag that can cost you $300,” Okey-Iwobi said. “I was like, OK, maybe I’m gonna start charging for this.” 

Okey-Iwobi’s main clientele are friends and friends-of-friends, while other student businesses reach out to the UCLA community at large.

Kim found her lash lift clients via word of mouth and physical flyers posted around campus. Hearing about these businesses through the grapevine is the primary method for growth, she added. 

Saffold attributes her word- of-mouth success to how her services are often cheaper, and better, than the same services in Westwood storefronts. 

“Oh my god, I was paying $120 for really terrible jobs,” Saffold said. “And I knew I was capable of doing a better job, so I decided to start a business.” 

Student beauty providers base their flexible pricing on firsthand knowledge of their customer base’s budgets. When Kim started her lash business in February 2024, she first priced her lash lift at $70. Following advice from her friends, she lowered the price to $50 – half the price of a typical lash lift in LA – to accommodate college students looking for an aesthetic procedure. 

After hearing about her clients’ lives during appointments, Saffold occasionally knocks down clients’ bills even further. 

“Just because I kind of feel bad, or I really liked your story or you’re really cool, I’ll charge you less,” Saffold said.

These customer interactions are Saffold’s favorite part about her work, and she tries to make her sessions as accommodating as possible. To maximize client comfort, prior to each appointment, Saffold has clients fill out a Google Form asking for a variety of preferences. From inquiring about their music and temperature preferences to verifying allergies, she gathers information to customize appointments. 

“So then when they come to the appointment, I start with the information based on the Google Form,” Saffold said. “I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I saw that you’re psychobio. So, are you pre-med?’ And we start talking about their careers.” 

For Justice Basey, a rising third-year psychology and dance student, clients are mostly third and fourth-years who need a hair braider that can do work closer to UCLA. 

“With Black hair, you can’t really get most products at UCLA.” Basey said. 

These sessions are not only helpful for students searching for accessible services; the appointments can be the only time student business owners can delve into their artistic passions. For Okey-Iwobi, finding time for her makeup artistry feels therapeutic in the hustle and bustle of student life. 

Despite the upsides of their cosmetology services, many students also face challenges when running their part-time businesses. As Basey took on more clients, she began hosting appointments at her own place, rather than only offering home visits, to maintain professionalism and save time.

Similarly, Saffold said that students will cancel appointments at the last minute or sometimes never show up. However, she learned that requiring a deposit when booking an appointment makes people more likely to show up. 

It’s not just no-shows that cost money. Sourcing materials for work can run upward of hundreds of dollars. In the first year of her nail business, Saffold spent more than she earned, with her revenue totaling $509 after investing $645. 

To remedy this issue, Okey-Iwobi now sources many of her materials from overflow stores, where she can buy products in bulk, in addition to big chains like Sephora. Despite the overall lower costs of buying in larger quantities, the cost can be hard to recoup. 

“I’m not even sure I’ve even broken even for my makeup box. … I’m holding this bottle of foundation and I’m like, I know this will be my lunch and dinner right here,” Okey-Iwobi said. “It’s just something I do because I like doing it.” 

For many student beauticians, the costs are more than worth it. These student businesses can provide stress relief and community amid their hectic schedules. 

“Anyone in the beauty industry is in the beauty industry because they enjoy what they do,” Kim said. “No one goes into the beauty industry like, ‘I hate hair,’ ‘I hate doing lashes.’” 

For some student beauticians at UCLA, their side hustles have even given way to potential career paths.

Wei said that tattooing allowed access to a unique underground art space in LA. Since graduating, Wei said the adjustment to post-grad life has been made much easier by friends in the student arts community. 

Okey-Iwobi said she will be taking a gap year before pursuing medical school, and she plans to spend more time working on makeup. Similarly, Saffold plans to go to law school, with nails as a backup plan. 

However, many other students want to make their work at UCLA their bedrock for the rest of their career. For example, Kim plans to become a physician assistant in dermatology, hoping to open her own medical spa one day. 

Kim said she has found purpose in life by enhancing her clients’ and future patients’ beauty and confidence. 

“It brings me joy, and it brings them joy when they see their results,” Kim said. “So it’s a win-win.”