Interview - Monique Aquino aka Dillon Delacroix
I met Mo working in the LA fashion industry in 2016. We’d just relocated the company there from Sydney and were based out of WeWork on 7th Ave in Downtown LA. We ended up working together for a little while, which was hectic but super fun. I loved Mo’s quirky office outfits and hearing stories of the good old days in DTLA, working in vintage and being an LA native. Seeing Mo transition into beauty/wellness has been amazing to watch and I’m so proud to call her an amigo, even though we’re now world apart. Her frequent Spotify playlists keep the vibes sweet, so definitely check her out! And of course if you’re in the LA area, definitely check out her business insta for everything lashes and skincare.
I’m excited for you to all read about her experience and career journey to date.
xx Lucy
The Questions:
Name(s): Monique Aquino aka DD ;0
Current location: Downtown Los Angeles
Where are you originally from/what is your family heritage? Philippines
Current occupation, industry and title: Esthetician, Beauty, Owner
Business name: Mobetta Beauty LA
Years in current industry: 6 years
What did you study or train or get experience and where? Studied Skin Therapy at Los Angeles Trade Tech
What is the best and worst part about your job? The best part of my job is being able to meet women on the daily from all walks of life, and being able to have women look and feel their best. I love a good beauty transformation! Worst part of my job if any, is that it's hands on. Which is a great and bad thing. What I mean by that, is that it's not as easy to relocate as it would be a digital marketing job. ;P
What do you think needs to change in your industry? I guess the focus on preserving the youth. There's something graceful and beautiful to aging too!
Is your industry female or male dominated? Female dominated for sure, although it is cool to see men in here from time to time.
What is the biggest misconception people have about you and/or your job? Mmmmm, the biggest misconception could probably be that it might be an expensive career to start. Cost of going to beauty school, etc. But after research, I found a great school that was under $2k (and the tuition got waived due to myself being a CA resident. It was also a really great program, and I had the best teacher named Mrs. Lydia Ley.
What's something you wish people told you about your industry/job before you dove into it? MMMM, nothing really at all. I liked figuring a lot of stuff out myself. I still am. I've worked mostly on my own the whole time, which is a blessing and sometimes a hard puzzle to figure out. The beauty of the beauty industry is that it's an on-going education of knowing all the latest and greatest beauty innovations that are constantly evolving day to day.
Is your industry generally supportive of individuals and peers? I believe so.
Have you ever considered leaving your industry? If you have, what other industries did you work in and why the change? I love the industry that I am in now! Before this, I worked in fashion for 15 years, and concluded I had my time with it back in 2016. Fashion was starting to collapse for me before my very eyes, and I thought to myself, if these big companies can't do it with a team of 45-10,000+ employees, how can I? It was time to leave, and pursue something completely off my radar, which was beauty. After some research, I discovered beauty was one of the best recession-proof things to get into. I see that very much so, to this day.
What's the favourite thing/item/project/person you've worked on? My favorite project I have had to work on was a newsletter that I had done for work for Mobetta Beauty. It was sort of "Stay at Home" survival guide when the onset of the pandemic happened. I constructed this newsletter high-lighting the rad women I get to constantly work on. They're all incredibly talented and working on amazing things, and I thought it was neat to do a spot-light on what they do, and to keep eyes on each other during this time. I still plan on continuing that project, and making it into something bigger some time soon!
What's something you had to do earlier in your career that you're relieved not to have to do anymore? MMM....i guess house calls. LOL. I started off as a lash artist, and when you start you're desperate to work on anyone who is willing to let you work on them. So you go to their houses, you work on their couch, bed, dining table, you name it. You have no idea what are the best conditions, you're just starving to work. It paid off of course, but I am glad to not being doing that in my life anymore. Humble beginnings!
If you have your own brand/business, did you start it right away or work for others first? I worked for a lash salon named GBY Beauty. I got certified through them, and boldly asked for the opportunity to work for them right then and there. It was great cos i got to have some experience right away, to work on timing, customer service skills in a different way, and see how the owners Kendra and Coco ran things. It's awesome to see their empire to this day. Still very proud to call them friends!
If you have your own business, what made you decide to go for it? I like to march to the beat of my own drum. Having a free schedule is a very important thing to me, although I do work ALLLL tha DAMN time, but I love it and it's under my control. Being able to give myself time off when I need it is important. Also environment is important to me. Ambiance, music, intimacy; there's so many reasons having your own business is the tits!
What are some pros and cons of working for yourself? Pros, most mentioned above-free schedule, constantly meet rad women, helping women feel their best, making my own schedule. Cons-figuring a lot of things on your own is probably the hardest part since I don't work with peers currently, but hoping one day soon that will change! I love collaborating in general. : )
What did you think you wanted to do career-wise when you were a teenager? Always thought I was going to be a fashion girl! Fashion will always be a part of me, I just don't see myself working in it anymore.
Do you like to listen to music while working? If so, what are your jams? I love love love love working to music! I am self-proclaimed vibe-maker/curator at the core. Jams? Too many to name, with genres that span over from indie, to rare disco, electronica, hip hop, etc. Find me on spotify to get a taste! I curate monthly mixtapes on there for my followers/clients here: @dillondelacroix
How has quarantine/the pandemic affected your job/career? Lots of up and down's, and figuring out what the new normal is. Safety & sanitation practices have ALWAYS been at the forefront of being in the beauty industry above all things. Of course technique and skills are important, but most of our testing at State Boards is all about disinfection and sanitation. It has forced many of us of how we can still have a business and be connected to our clientele online versus being hands on, since most of the year we haven't been able to work. Monetary-wise I am sure a lot of us aren't making what we have in the past, but we are all getting by and trying to survive. But we are all doing our best to adapt, which is selling online, doing informative social media posts for at-home beauty care, etc.
Are most of your friends from your current industry? If yes/no why do you think this is? Most of my friends are from places I've worked in fashion, where i went to school. I was fortunate to be born and raised in LA so my network spans pretty far now. Very grateful to say that. But a lot of my current clientele have turned into some great contacts and friends as well. I truly love what I do, because of that unique aspect!
What would be your last meal? Oh man. This is easy. Steamed crabs and live seafood at my favorite place on the planet: Redondo Beach Pier. One of the last standing places you can still eat on newspapers and a mallet and just go to town!