Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Leone.
Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path to becoming an esthetician and starting Haneul Glacé was definitely not linear. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Communication and also earned two associate degrees centered around business administration, marketing, and social and behavioral sciences. After graduating, I struggled to find a career that felt both fulfilling and aligned with what I wanted for myself, which led me to try a little bit of everything; from hospitality and social media marketing to client acquisition and working as a personal assistant in the entertainment space.
After moving to Los Angeles, I eventually reached a point where I knew I needed a change and decided to go back to school for aesthetics. I’ve always loved learning and making people feel beautiful and confident, and aesthetics unexpectedly brought those two sides of me together. I fell in love with an industry where I could care for people while also constantly learning and evolving.
That journey ultimately led me to create Haneul Glacé, my own skincare studio. Looking back, what once felt like a scattered career path actually gave me experience in communication, business, marketing, hospitality, and client relationships; all of which I’m now bringing together as I build a business of my own.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth or predictable road. One of my biggest struggles was actually figuring out where I belonged professionally. I had spent years prioritizing my education and doing what I thought I was supposed to do, but after graduating, I kept running into the same problem: employers wanted a degree and significant experience, and I had the education without the years of experience they were looking for. It was incredibly frustrating to feel like I had done everything “right” and still couldn’t get my foot in the door.
I worked a lot of different jobs during that period and tried different career paths, including social media marketing. I thought marketing might be the answer because it aligned with my background, but turning social media into my job eventually made me dislike my own relationship with it. At the same time, I had moved to Los Angeles, had a lease and real financial responsibilities, and knew I wasn’t happy with the direction I was going.
Eventually, I had to become comfortable with the idea that changing direction wasn’t the same thing as failing. With a lot of encouragement and support from my parents, I went back to school for aesthetics and essentially started over in a completely different industry.
Now, one of my newest challenges is entrepreneurship itself. Being a business owner means you’re suddenly responsible for so much more than the service you’re providing. You’re the esthetician, marketer, customer service department, content creator, buyer, planner, and decision-maker all at once. I’m still very much in the process of building Haneul Glacé, so I’m learning as I go. But I think my previous experiences taught me to be adaptable. My path hasn’t looked the way I originally imagined it would, but I’ve learned that sometimes the unexpected direction ends up being the one that fits you best.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Haneul Glacé?
Haneul Glacé is my skincare studio focused on Korean- and French-inspired skincare, with an emphasis on hydration balance, skin-barrier health, and creating healthy, glowing skin. The name is very personal to me. I’m part Korean, and “Haneul” (하늘) means “sky” in Korean and can evoke the heavens, while “Glacé” represents the French influence and glass-like skin that inspired the brand. Together, I think of it as “heavenly glass skin.”
I offer oxygen and hydrating skin-barrier facials, PCA chemical peels, LED light therapy, Korean and traditional lash lifts, tints, and brow laminations. I primarily work with professional lines including Le Mieux, PCA Skin, Sonäge, and Osmosis, and customize treatments using modalities such as oxygen infusion, LED, high frequency, and the Osmosis RevitaPen Pro. I can also personalize facials with targeted hydrolyzed add-ons, such as hyaluronic acid for extra hydration or vitamin C for uneven tone and dark spots.
What I really want to set Haneul Glacé apart is the combination of customization and hospitality. From sending clients off with a cup of tea to take with them after their treatment to taking the time to educate them about their skin, I want the entire experience to feel elevated, personal, and never rushed or one-size-fits-all. I’m most proud that I’ve created something that brings together my Korean heritage, my love of skincare and continued education, and my genuine love of making people feel cared for and confident.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I haven’t necessarily had one traditional mentor who has guided my entire career, but I’ve learned a lot from the people I’ve met throughout very different stages of my professional life. If anything, having such a nontraditional career path has shown me how valuable relationships can be.
My biggest advice for networking is to be genuinely interested in people rather than approaching every interaction by asking, “What can this person do for me?” My background is in communication, and I’ve also worked in client acquisition, where part of my job was connecting with business owners, entrepreneurs, influencers, and people in entertainment. That experience taught me that people can usually tell when you’re only speaking to them because you want something.
I’ve found that being curious, asking questions, listening, following up, and finding ways to provide value creates much more meaningful relationships. I’m also a big believer in simply putting yourself in the room. Introduce yourself, ask the question, send the message, attend the event, and don’t automatically assume someone won’t want to connect with you.
When it comes to mentorship specifically, I don’t think you necessarily need to find one person who has the exact career you want and expect them to teach you everything. I’ve taken pieces of advice and knowledge from professors, employers, coworkers, other business owners, family, and people I’ve met along the way. I think the best mentors are people whose values, work ethic, or expertise you genuinely respect; and sometimes mentorship develops naturally from building that relationship rather than formally asking someone to be your mentor.
Pricing:
- Skin Consultation & Analysis – $90
- Custom Facial – $175
- Oxygen Infusion Facial – $200
- Men’s Custom Facial – $175
- PCA Chemical Peel – $110
Contact Info:
- Website: https://haneulglaceaesthetics.glossgenius.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haneulglace
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-leone
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@haneulglace
