New business provides facial skin care and treatments in downtown Merrill
BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Nicole Trumblay, a Merrill resident and 2010 Merrill High School graduate, took some time after graduation to figure out what she wanted to do with her career. She worked in the Wausau Center Mall until they abruptly closed in 2020 and also worked for a number of other small businesses in the area. Along the way, she learned a few things about what it takes to own a small business, many of those lessons from her former employer at a Merrill clothing boutique. Soon that employer became a trusted friend, advisor, and mentor.
“My mentor, and someone who I have always looked up to, pushed me to go back to school to focus on something that I not only loved, but excelled at,” Trumblay said, referring to Vanessa Lazarz.
“After losing my job that I loved so much in the Wausau Center Mall, I really had to do some soul searching,” Trumblay said. “During the pandemic, we were all stuck at home a lot.”
“Self care became a top priority,” she said. “I started really playing with makeup. I was doing everything from bridal to effects makeup. I really enjoyed it.”
“From a young age, I adored all things ‘girly.’ My grandmother, who was a cosmetologist in Chicago years ago, really showed me the ins and outs of being a girl,” Trumblay said. “In my teenage years, I discovered my love for makeup and anything to do with it.”
Trumblay enrolled in Nicolet College in Rhinelander. “It wasn’t too long into the program at Nicolet that I knew I wanted to practice aesthetics,” she said. She graduated in June 2022 with a cosmetology degree.
Starting her own business
Rather than work for someone else at a salon, Trumblay knew she wanted to start her own business. She launched Lueur Aesthetics, renting space for her business in the Tranquil Times Wellness health and spa building at 807 E. First St. in Merrill in June 2022. Not coincidentally, Lazarz owns the building. Lazare and Trumblay have remained close.
“If it wasn’t for the support from Vanessa and my friends and family, Lueur (pronounced “LOU-air”) Aesthetics would still be just a dream,” she said.
“It took me quite some time to come up with the name Lueur Aesthetics,” Trumblay said. “Growing up I was always helping and working with my grandfather. I was his little sidekick.”
“I looked up to him and his entrepreneurial and creativity skills. I can remember being a young girl and helping him arrange flower arrangements for funerals or weddings and just being in awe at his talent,” she said. “Lueur is the French term for glow. My last name, Trumblay, is French, so what better way to honor the men who gave it to me than by thinking of them every time I say my business name?”
Trumblay invested in the fixtures, equipment, and products she wanted to offer her clients and getting her space set up starting in June 2022 and started taking clients at Lueur Aesthetics last October.
“Before graduation, I had already chosen the skin care line I wanted to use in the field and had an idea of what services I wanted to offer,” she said. “At Lueur Aesthetics, we use a medical grade skin care line called AN Skin & Beauty.”
“I started as an ambassador for the company while I was still studying at Nicolet. I was using the products for almost two years and loved my personal results at this point. I then reached out to Ashley, the CEO of the company, about using the line in my business practices.”
“I am currently the only esthetician in the state that uses AN Skin & Beauty products for esthetic services,” Trumblay said.
An esthetician is a skin care therapist, spa technician, and facial specialist who helps clean, beautify, and maintain the skin and face.
Lueur Aesthetics offers a full menu of different skin services including a variety of facials and microdermabrasion, as well as hair removal services and makeup application.
Aesthetics explained
A facial encompasses several skin care treatments for the face for both general skin health and as a spa treatment and also to help remedy specific skin problems/conditions. A variety of techniques–such as steam, exfoliation, and extraction–are used to cleanse pores, exfoliate (slough/clear away) dead skin cells, and remove debris or blockage deep within pores. Lotions, creams, masks, peels, and massage can also be incorporated. Facials promote a clear, well-hydrated complexion, nourish the skin, and can help skin look younger.
Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic treatment that typically involves using exfoliant crystals and gently “sanding” the face to remove dead epidermal cells or the top thicker, outer layer of skin. Benefits include a baby smooth feeling, less variance in pigmentation, stimulating the production of collagen, aiding elasticity and lessening the appearance of wrinkles, and minimizing mild scars, such as those from acne or stretch marks.
“My goal is to help clients love the skin they are in,” Trumblay said. “Invest in your skin. Not only is it your biggest organ, but you have if for your lifetime.”
Trumblay credits her grandfather with sparking her entrepreneurial spirit and her mentor, Lazare, with helping her realize her dream of opening Lueur Aesthetics. “She’s pushed me through all this so far,” she said of Lazarz.
Trumblay applied for one of the Badger Main Street Bounce Back grants through the State of Wisconsin to help get her business off the ground, but she was turned down because the size of the space she was renting was deemed too small, she said. She applied for the program back in October and had been counting on that to help her successfully launch her business, but she was notified in early January her application had been denied.
Passion keeps Trumblay pushing forward
Despite the setback of the grant denial, Trumblay has continued to push forward. She’s getting the word out on social media and by word of mouth to help her business grow.
“Helping others feel and look beautiful has always been a passion of mine,” Trumblay said. For her, Lueur Aesthetics has become the means to fulfill that passion.
Lueur Aesthetics currently operates by appointment only, Tuesday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Trumblay will also work with clients to schedule weekend or late evening appointments. Call 715.722.0406 and leave a message. Trumblay will return your call to discuss your personal facial skin concerns and problems, and she can suggest and explain recommended treatments and what to expect. You can also reach her on the Lueur Aesthetics Facebook page.
