It all started with a dream, a university slang word ‘saxx’ which meant CUTE or HOT that just stuck, and believing in herself. Kay Yarms who is well-loved on social media sits down with GLAMOUR as she births and opens up the doors to her very first beauty studio SAXX BEAUTY. An Instagrammable, fresh, minimal, aesthetically pleasing and lush space driven by purpose and powered by TRESemmé.
GLAMOUR: What inspired your business idea and how did you start out?
Kay Yarms: This was always something I wanted to do. It’s been a long journey since 2013 when I came up with the name Kay Yarms. I always wanted to start a makeup company and dabbled in that for a while and then did hair so it just all came naturally to me. I used to change my hair a lot and it made me feel so confident yet curious. I used my online platform to educate people and always knew I wanted to open a beauty studio. I love making women feel confident and beautiful. With TRESemmé it was a natural fit, as I was already doing campaigns with them and love the brand in my personality capacity too.
GLAMOUR: What challenges did you experience along the way?
Kay Yarms: Just having to figure out things. In as much as I am extremely talented, when you are working on a really big dream of yours you are expected to feel a lot of happiness and joy because you are finally doing it. But when you get in the thick of it you realise it can become more stressful than you thought it would be. That has been a really big challenge for me - not being prepared for the amount of work that I needed to put in because I felt like the years leading up to this space were the work. So I did think I was at the end of the road and I could gather up what I’ve been working on and put it into this nice picture - but that wasn’t the case. Even though you have been working on something for very long doesn’t mean you going to stop putting in the work. Another thing that has been challenging is finding staff. Finding people that I can trust, mainly because I have been working with myself for the longest time so delegating things has been hard and then still juggling my influencer job and this space.
GLAMOUR: What makes SAXX BEAUTY so different?
Kay Yarms: It is a comfortable space where you can be yourself feel at home and leave feeling your best.
GLAMOUR: What are you most excited about when it comes to collaborating with TRESemmé?
Kay Yarms: Even though I know a lot about the industry working with a big brand like TRES which so many people trust and I myself use and trust, just makes me feel more confident. I know that I can always lean on them for support and knowledge and they provide training for the stylists which is really amazing. They planned the launch of Saxx Beauty which is amazing because I know nothing about throwing a party. It is so nice having such a big brand in my corner and I’m delegating to a brand that I don’t even need to worry about. I also love the fit of the two brands.
GLAMOUR: What inspires you to be successful?
Kay Yarms: That dropping out wasn’t the end. People in South Africa don’t believe in the beauty industry and there is so much opportunity in the space.
GLAMOUR: Your biggest motivation?
Kay Yarms: I always want to be in a different space. I always want to be a better version of myself and elevate and do better for myself.
GLAMOUR: What is your personal beauty mantra?
Kay Yarms: Never ever sleep with makeup on and drink a lot of water.
GLAMOUR: What would you tell your 18-year-old self about achieving your dreams and believing in yourself?
Kay Yarms: Trust your instinct and go with your gut! You feel things for a reason.
GLAMOUR: If you could leave the house with only two beauty items what would they be?
Kay Yarms: Genuinely lipgloss and a hairbrush
