By Kurtavia Burton
A pleasant, transformative experience is unfolding at Dom-Tia Luxury Beauty Spa in Huntersville, North Carolina. The owner, Tonya Caldwell, is a licensed esthetician and makeup artist whose journey has been a testament of service and resilience.
Originally from Winston-Salem, Caldwell said she’s always felt that skincare and makeup were like breathing. Today, she uses that passion to refill the cups of women, and men in her community, providing luxury experiences just a short drive to what feels like a vacation.
Dom-Tia Luxury Beauty Spa carries personal significance, as Caldwell named the spa after her two daughters, Dominique and Tiara. For Caldwell, her desire to enter the beauty world was strong. . “I have done Mary Kay on and off for the last 30 years,” she said. “The passion started taking form through MK.”
But her path was interrupted 23 years ago by a car wreck. The following decades were a difficult journey of health challenges when she relied on a cane, a walker and a wheelchair to help her get around.
She tried to attend school twice over the years, but her health wouldn’t allow it. “I couldn’t understand why the desire was still there if I couldn’t do it.” she said. Caldwell reminds us that “your timing is not God’s timing.”
Her health eventually improved, and she chose a location close to home to decrease her commute time. which allowed her to finally focus on her dream. On her 60th birthday, Caldwell decided to embrace the Nike slogan and “Just Do It.” After attending the Huntersville Institute of Cosmetic Arts (HICA), and on her 60th birthday, her dream became real. She got the key to the suite for her spa.
Opening at 60 was just as exciting as it would’ve been back then, said Caldwell. “God doesn’t have an expiration date on your gifts that He has given you,” she said.
She said her school experience at HICA magnified her desire to become an entrepreneur, and she realized that her work is also attached to her ministry. “While I do the service, I pray over you and speak life into every area of your life.” She said this divine touch and spiritual connection are the core of the experience.
The atmosphere at Dom-Tia Luxury Beauty Spa is intimate yet luxurious. Caldwell has curated every detail to ensure clients leave everything at the door. The experience includes relaxing sounds, cotton house shoes, a head wrap and robe.
Clients also enjoy a hand massage and circulation booties on their legs and feet. The focus is on rubbing out the pressures of life that we carry in those unnoticeable places. These small things amount to something huge for a woman’s overall well-being, she said.
Caldwell’s philosophy is “Perfecting the Canvas.” She teaches that skin and makeup are one — not separate. “Know that skin and makeup are under one umbrella,” she said. “For your makeup to look elegant, you’ve got to take care of your skin.” While she helps women look their best, she also reminds them that they are beautiful underneath without the makeup, too.
Currently operating in a suite, Caldwell’s vision for the future is to move into a larger space to bring in more estheticians and teach women how to do their own makeup. She said she wants to leave a legacy of teaching.
Her message to every woman is to never give up and to adapt to whatever life throws at you. “The blessings God has in you are for you to bless others,” she said. “While you’re in the waiting room, continue to bless others.”
To book a luxury and beauty experience, call 704-576-0169.