By Naomi Marshall

Focused on taking cosmetology to a whole other level in Guyana is Jennelle Blackman Jones, proprietor of the Urban Oasis Beauty Salon and Cosmetology School.

While growing up, cosmetology was never something Jones thought about doing, instead, she saw herself attending a university overseas then obtaining a job in the corporate world where she would wear uniforms with the logos of a professional organisation, which then indicated her status in society.

However, things did not go as planned for her. After excelling at CSEC, Jones went on to writing the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) and SAT at which she did exceptionally well. She would then get accepted to numerous colleges in the United States of America but on the other hand, she lacked the financial resources to attend college and make her dreams come through. So Jones spent over two years at home sending job applications into companies, never getting a call from the entities and being “helpless.”
One day, the determined young lady stumbled across an advertisement of a salon offering cosmetology classes and although she thought that was not her niche, she still wanted something productive to do, so she joined the cosmetology course.
One month after completing the course, Jones would get a job as a nail technician, which was the beginning of a few miserable years of her life because she was doing something she did not enjoy.

“Nobody knew that I did not like what I was doing unless I told them because in my mind I have that if you are doing something that you don’t like doing you still need to do it to the best of your ability regardless,” Jones told the Pepperpot Magazine.
Time passed and Jones never got a job in the corporate world but on the other hand, she grew to love cosmetology and “never looked back.”

During her cosmetology journey, she worked for five years in a salon that she described as a “toxic environment.”

“It is more of a culture in the cosmetology industry where it is most times toxic with frivolous misunderstandings. It’s issues that they are most times comfortable with and it’s just a part of them,” Jones explained. “But that was never me, I knew better. I kept focused on what I was doing and I tried to avoid being a part of it or letting my mind be strayed towards any negativity,” she added.

Jones used the “toxic environment” as motivation to open her own salon in 2015 which she named Urban Oasis. At Urban Oasis she not only strived to create a peaceful environment for her clients but also for her employees, which was important for her to do.

She said, “for me, being happy at the place you work is important because you spend most of your productive hours there and if you are not happy nor comfortable there it filters to every other part of your life.”

Also in 2015, she began teaching the art of doing nails in her small salon with the intention to share the knowledge that she gained through trials and errors.

“I decided that I wanted to start teaching how to do nails because I think if you were to learn certain things early it would eliminate a lot of mistakes you would have to make,” the young lady noted.

On September 5, 2019, Jones opened her Cosmetology School which she said her past students motivated her to do.

The school offers two to three-month courses in the art of facials including microcar oration and chemical peels; nails; hairdressing; waxing; massaging and braiding. In addition, students benefit from free customer service and business management training.
At the end of each course, students receive certificates accredited by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Students are taught by specialists in the cosmetology industry who are passionate, experienced and willing to share their knowledge.

Jones noted that the school is looking to partner with governmental and non-governmental organisations to offer subsidised training and assistance with job placements to students.
The cosmetologist of 12 years is hoping that her school would be the school of choice for persons undertaking the cosmetology industry “and more so because of the quality of education, the standards, the professionalism and comfort they know they will receive.”
She also sees her school partnering with international schools to offer more advanced training.

Jones is encouraging persons to do their best at whatever they pursue so that they can only obtain the best results.

“Everyone knows where their faults are; where their weaknesses are and it’s up to you to at least try to improve the,” she added.

The Urban Oasis Beauty Salon and Cosmetology School is located on 234 South Road and can be reached on Instagram and Facebook @ Urban Oasis Beauty Salon. They can also be contacted on telephone numbers 2312058, 6911512 or 678051.