Unique Esthetics

Meet Kelly McKenzie, the Lash Queen Behind Unique Esthetics in North Bay

When you book at Unique Esthetics, Kelly McKenzie is the one who does your lashes, your brows and your nails, and the one you end up talking with for the whole appointment. She is a licensed esthetician with more than six years in lashes and skincare, and she calls herself the Lash Queen for a reason. She wants everyone in her chair to know they are getting a royal treatment. As one client put it, "it's like getting your lashes done by a bestie."

Her tagline is Be Uniquely U, and it is personal. Growing up, she says, she always felt like the black sheep. Being uniquely herself became who she is, and she wants every client to walk in without judgement and just be themselves. "Nobody else can be you but you," she says. "So you are unique."

From Mobile Esthetician to a North Bay Lash Studio

Esthetics was her grandmother's idea. Kelly lived with her for a while and watched her get care at home, and it was her grandmother who pushed her toward the work. At the time Kelly had no idea what esthetics was. Her grandmother passed before Kelly graduated, and Kelly thinks of her as her guardian angel. "She knows," she says.

Kelly started at Modern College of Hairstyling and Esthetics in 2019, and then the pandemic hit. She finished her course online while getting her hours in the school's spa, got certified in PPE, and jumped through every hoop to become a mobile esthetician. With so much shut down, people wanted one on one care at home. One of her early flyers offered a service in the comfort of your home, with your pets and a glass of wine. That grew into a studio of her own.

She still offers mobile appointments. When you book online you can choose the studio or your own location, and she works with visitors staying at hotels around the area. Her travelling massage table and a suitcase of supplies go wherever you are.

What to Know Before You Book Lash Extensions in North Bay

Kelly also fixes other people's lash work, so she sees what goes wrong. Most people choose a lash tech on price and on how quickly the service gets done. What they should understand, she says, is that it takes time, care and precision to get the right value from your lash maintenance. She wants you to look at the product, the placement and the technique. Her comparison is a car service: you would not want them to check one thing and skip the rest, and your natural lashes need the full maintenance to stay healthy and strong.

So ask questions. Ask what products they use. Ask about their glue, because one glue is not enough. Kelly keeps at least four, including options for allergies. She also does cluster lashes, a quick wear of about four days for special occasions such as weddings and photo shoots.

Permanent makeup works the same way. Before you book microblading or lip blushing anywhere, look for a clean space with proper sanitization for the tools, the way you would choose a tattoo studio.

Custom Lash Extensions in North Bay, Shaped to Your Face

Classic, hybrid, volume and mega volume mean everything to a lash tech, Kelly says, but to a lash artist they are only the start. Every set she does is customized to the shape of your eyes, your face and your personality, whether you want soft and natural, fluttery, or a bridal glow. Clients bring a photo, and as one review puts it, they leave with an even better lash style.

Her favourite right now is a dramatic set she calls the Medusa, a mix of spikes, fans and subtle fans that she is still perfecting. She also does colour pops and textured sets.

Permanent Makeup, Facials, Waxing and Nails in North Bay

Beyond lash extensions, Unique Esthetics covers lash lifts and tints, brow tint and lamination, microblading and lip blushing, facials with an optional jelly mask, vagacials, body waxing and sugaring, manicures with nail art, customized press on nails, and relaxation massage. Waxing, her site says, is not gender defined, and getting silky smooth is for anyone.

Two services surprise people. Kelly does beard trims: an exfoliation, a massage and a steam, then a trim and sculpt finished with beard oils. And she offers tarot readings. She does not call herself a psychic, but she gets what she calls downloads, and she likes to share that with clients who want it.

She hosts birthday parties too. For one twelfth birthday the girls had karaoke, music and a movie between services, foot scrubs and gel nails with little designs, and each one went home with a gift basket. The mom called it the most relaxing birthday party she had ever thrown.

Evening Esthetics Appointments for Working People

Unique Esthetics is open into the evening most weeknights and closed on weekends. That is on purpose. Kelly wants to be there for working people who cannot come during the day, and for anyone who wants a night for themselves: drop off supper, get away from the kids and the house, and come in for a service.

She books about two weeks ahead, sometimes three. At the end of an appointment she will offer to book your next two, so your usual time stays yours. "A lot of them are creatures of comfort," she says. If you like Wednesday mornings, you keep Wednesday mornings.

What Clients Say About Unique Esthetics

Every one of her 27 Google reviews is five stars, and the words that come up again and again are kind, comfortable and fun. Kelly says reviews leave her without words, partly because she is the hardest person on herself. What she wants clients to feel is what she feels in that space, which she describes simply as the love she spreads out.

She calls an appointment almost therapeutic. You become someone's sounding board for an hour, and she wants them to walk out feeling like they can take on the day.

Loyalty Rewards and Referrals at Unique Esthetics

Kelly says that if she could do every service for free, she would. Since she cannot, she gives back through discounts. Her loyalty program takes ten percent off your first five fills, nails or lashes, and fifty percent off the next five. Refer five friends who book with her and you get a service of your choice free.

A North Bay Esthetician Who Shows Up for Her Community

Kelly chaired the Business Women's Network for three years. She spoke to about a hundred people at Women's Wellness Day, the first time she had ever spoken in public. She has been voted Platinum in the Community Votes awards two years in a row, which means more to her than most people would guess, because she never got awards in school. She is a mom of three, and her children are what fill her cup.

You will find her at farmers markets, vendor markets and Chamber of Commerce after hours, talking with people for hours. She would rather meet you in person than on social media. Next up is a video podcast called Beyond the Lashes, where clients and guests share their stories. A new name is on the way too: Unique Esthetics is becoming Unique by Kelly.