From the time she was a little girl, Elizabeth Yntema knew that she loved makeup, fingernail polish and making her friends look beautiful. Now, at twenty-five years old she has made that small dream into one large reality by becoming a licensed cosmetologist.

“I was always really interested in doing hair and nails and they offered it for free through my high school,” Yntema said.

Born and raised in Orange County, NY, Elizabeth recalled how she got her start in cosmetology and the long journey she went through to get there.

“It was a two-year program…I would go in the mornings to my regular school and take my regular classes and in the afternoons I would go to CTEC [Career and Technical Education Center] and do cosmetology…”

Yntema received her cosmetology license in January of 2007 after passing both the written and practical exams.

Since receiving her license, Elizabeth has done several events and gained experience over the years.

“I worked at a salon for about a year…and I only did that for about a year but before that I had done a few weddings with another salon. I was still in high school but I went and did a wedding at West Point. Mostly, I did it for my friends and family,” Yntema said.

In the recent years Elizabeth has migrated to Lynchburg, VA to attend Liberty University. She is studying  math with a minor a Spanish.

Although cosmetology will be on the back burner for now while she focuses on school, she finds time to squeeze in practice whenever she can.

“I still have people who pay me to cut and color. I don’t really have much of a clientele down here because I’m so busy with school and I have another job as well,” Ynetma said.

A new hobby Elizabeth has discovered involves making her own lipstick out of nothing more than crayons, coconut oil and boiling water.

“You take crayons and you chop them up into four pieces. Then, you have a pot of boiling water and you stick a bowl inside the pot of boiling water so its floating on top. You put the crayons and the coconut oil in together and mix it, and then you pour it into these little containers and let it dry.”

Yntema made about nine containers of lipstick for 7 or 8 dollars. This is extremely cost effective, especially since she admitted to spending as much as 15-20 dollars on a single tube of lipstick in the past.

While she is focusing on school right now, Elizabeth continues to learn new things with hair, nails, and even facial massages.

“I love all different colors and I love to experiment with makeup,” Yntema said.

To see more of Elizabeth Yntema’s creations follow her on instagram at lizzyb5252.

Kendra Alleyne