Today’s Business Highlight: Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar

rosajaviersales
Mar 11
9 min read

**Helena Petrossian, One of the faces of Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar**

On a Friday night while Easton was hosting its Winter Village, I visited Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar. As I walked through downtown, music filled the air and people were out enjoying the evening. After walking up a few steps into the studio, I was warmly welcomed by Helena Petrossian, one of the owners of Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar.

What followed was a candid, honest conversation- and truly a love story centered on the art of helping people feel good about themselves. Join me as Helena shares what she, an aesthetician, her older daughter Grace, a tattoo artist, her younger daughter Olivia, an eyelash technician, and Danya, the nail technician, bring to the Easton community and the greater Lehigh Valley.

Business Information:

Name: Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar

Address: 28 N 3rd St, Easton, PA 18042

Phone: (610) 297-5120

Website: https://www.metropolitaninkandbeautybar.com/

Meet Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar

Rosa: Hi! How are you?

Helena Petrossian: I’m very good! Thanks so much for coming in!

Rosa: Of course! Tell everybody who you are, what you are, and where they can find you.

Helena: Okay! So we are Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar- and we’re at 28th North 3rd St. We do tattooing and eyelash extensions, facial, waxing, and nail care.

A Family Business Built With Purpose

Rosa: Awesome. So, what inspired you to create Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar?

Helena: Well, it’s a family business- and both my daughters are involved. My older daughter Grace, is a tattoo artist, and my younger daughter, Olivia, is the lash tech. And then I am an esthetician, and we hired a nail technician.

Rosa: At what moment did you know this business needed to be in Easton? Or just exist?

Helena: I was becoming familiar with Easton because my daughter had lived here and seeing how downtown was really up and coming- and that there was really nothing like this in the downtown area- we thought it would be a great business to start.

What This Studio Means to Them

Rosa: Awesome! So, what does this studio represent to each of you, personally. If you know what your daughters- what it represents to them, that would be nice to know, too.

Helena: Well, to me, I’ve been in this business since the 80’s, so quite a long time. I was out of it for a while after raising my children, and I did want to get back into aesthetics. So for me, it’s really something that I’ve always had a love for. My older daughter, Grace, she- wanted a place to be able to do her tattooing. She loves to tattoo and she wanted to be in the heart of Easton- and younger my daughter Olivia- she had graduated from beauty school several years back and wanted to be with the family and just work in the business.

Women Building a Space Together

Rosa: Awesome! So, what does it mean as women to build such a space and to share it as well?

Helena: It’s really great! First of all, to be working with my daughters and to just have strong women who at such a young age, especially, want to have their own business and want to be able to build a clientele and make a name for themselves..

Creativity and Personal Expression

Rosa: Where does the business and your creativity or your culture- story come up within your work?

Helena: I have to say, for me, it’s kind of like- like I said earlier, going back to what I had been doing years ago- but kind of evolving with how the skincare industry has evolved. For my daughters, all I can say is that they both kind of got into their specific niche businesses and they’re using their talents, and that’s kind of where they- you know, how they ended up here.

Inside the Studio

Rosa: Okay! Well, what part of the studio reflects you the most?

Helena: Definitely the Aesthetics Room. A very zen place, very calm- and that’s where people can come and they can get facials and they just- can completely relax and zone out- and let me do the work. And then they leave feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Rosa: Awesome! What’s the heart of the studio?

Helena: The heart of the studio- I have to say, really, is the tattooing, because that’s what we started with. That was the idea we started with, and then we kind of added on from there. But I would say tattooing is the actual heart of the business.

Rosa: So, you guys started this and can you tell me chronologically who started first and so on and so forth?

Helena: Oh! Grace really started first. She was doing tattooing in a small studio somewhere else in Easton, and then Olivia jumped on board and then me. And then finally, when we found out that there was- really no nail technicians in downtown Easton, we decided to hire somebody because we thought that- that would be a great add on for the business.

Helena’s Journey as an Aesthetician

Rosa: Okay! So, for your specific service, what inspired you to pursue this craft?

Helena: I always loved skincare, and it’s kind of odd because I always had issues with my skin- going back as far as being a child. So, I was always very into- into skincare and wanted my skin to look the best. And that’s how I really got into the business- because I do love teaching people how to take care of their skin- and I just love working with people and making women feel good about themselves.

Rosa: Awesome. So like, that was- like teenager- dealing with skin stuff?

Helena: Yeah! From when I was probably a teenager- right out of high school, I went to aesthetic school.

Creating Trust, Comfort, and Safety

Rosa: Oh, amazing! How do you help clients feel safe, confident, and understood when they trust you with their face?

Helena: Well, I think my age does help me with that- because I’ve had a lot of experience and I just really like working with people- And, I like making women feel confident, and they feel as if they can trust me and ask me questions. And it’s really nice! We build a rapport, and that’s how I build my clientele- because they feel they can talk to me about their skin issues.

A Holistic Approach to Beauty

Rosa: So, what makes your technique or approach different from the others in the Lehigh Valley area?

Helena: I really take more of a holistic approach. I really don’t like to use anything that’s too- too rough on the skin. Back in the day, they always thought rougher or more was better. And we’ve come to learn over the years that that’s not really true- especially as the skin ages or even yonder people have sensitive skin. You really have to be a little bit more gentle with the skin- and you will build better results if you’re just consistent with home care- which I teach. And- also with the facials that I do here.

Rosa: So you teach here as well?

Helena: I’m just teaching the client what they should be doing.

Rosa: Oh, okay!

Helena: Because some people really don’t know. And that’s just because there’s been so much information out there- especially now with social media. You don’t know what to believe.

Products, Education, and Transparency

Rosa: Of course. Do you use Korean products? What kind of products do you use for facials and so on?

Helena: Okay, so we use a product line called Circada, and Circada is actually made here in Pennsylvania

Rosa: Amazing!

Helena: And it’s medical grade skincare- it’s- it’s mild skincare. It’s very gentle on the skin. And it can be used for all ages depending upon your skin type and skin issues.

Skincare for Every Age

Rosa: So, there’s also even really young girls are interested in skincare. What the- the ages that you service and how’s your approach for each age group kind of different?

Helena: Well, we- I will give a facial to a girl as young as ten or eleven, as long as her mom or guardian signs off for it.

Rosa: Okay.

Helena: For the young girls, really, it’s teaching them how to care for their skin. As you know, a lot of young girls will have problems with acne and breaking out, and that’s mostly hormonal. There’s not a heck of a lot you can do. But if you’re taking care of your skin and you’re using the right products, you can control some of these breakouts and- and help them to at least get through that tough period of teenage skin.

Rosa: Right!

Helena: And then of course, as they get older, in their 20’s and 30’s, that’s probably the easiest time because your skin is usually best in your 20’s and your 30’s.

Rosa: Okay!

Helena: Once you get beyond that, you start dealing with fine lines and wrinkles and dehydration. So then, you’re really teaching the person how to treat more sensitive or aging skin- things like that.

Rosa: And you teach them also about what products to use, how to put it on, when to put it on, and all of that?

Helena: Absolutely! When I give a facial, I’ll go through the steps and tell them what they should be doing at home so they can maintain their skin, because if you don’t take care of it at home, a facial isn’t going to do much for you. You have to continue at home care. But facials in between are wonderful to really clean the skin and get the moisture in there.

Who This Studio Is For

Rosa: What kind of clients do you imagine walking through your doors?

Helena: Easton is such a diverse town that I really, really love just seeing everybody come in. Young people, older people, people of color- it doesn’t matter, because we’re all basically the same, right?

Rosa: Right!

Helena: We all want- whether it’s a tattoo or a nail salon or skincare. Everybody wants to look their best and we really welcome a diverse group of clientele.

Long-Term Impact on Easton

Rosa: How do you hope your studio impacts the Easton area long term?

Helena: We hope that people get to know us and that they come to trust us- and they come back for- as repeat clientele. We already have developed some clients that are coming in second and third time- and people who are telling other people in the area about us- that’s the best way to build your business, is really word of mouth.

Rosa: Amazing! So, what’s your favorite moment in your work?

Helena: I just absolutely love when people are done with their facial and they actually sit up and they just go, “aawh- I feel so good!” (laughs)

Rosa: (laughs)

Helena: I know I’ve done my job. If they’re relaxed- because sometimes you walk in, tense- I only see you leaving calm and relaxed- and- but even with the other services, I love to see when somebody gets a tattoo they’ve been- they’ve been dying to get. Or they love their nail art, or they see their eyelashes. I mean, I just had mine refreshed today and it really does make a difference! (laughs)

One Thing They Want You to Remember

Rosa: (laughs) If someone could only know one thing about Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar, what would that be?

Helena: I would want them to know that we're a women owned family business, and we’re here to serve the community- and we really want to be part of Easton. And I feel like we have- even though we’re working a little less than a year- we have become a part of the community of the city of Easton.

A Space Built With Love

Rosa: Do you want to share anything that- like, you told me a cool story about how you guys got this building, maybe you want to share with people?

Helena: Yeah, when we first saw the building, it was an old dental office that was vacant. And it was quite a mess! And my husband, who was a fabricator, looked at it and he said, “I could fix it up!” And he went room by room, and he redid the floors, and the ceilings, and built a new room in the back, and just really made it special for all of us.

Rosa: So, it looks like every room has a personality.

Helena: Every room has a personality for each one of us- yeah, because we’re all a little bit different.

Gratitude & Final Words

Rosa: Amazing! Do you have anything else you want to add that I might have forgotten to ask? Or that you’d like to share?

Helena: I’m just really happy that you had reached out to the community about doing a spotlight for the local businesses. I feel that Easton has done nothing but support us- a small business, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for coming in and giving us a chance to tell our story.

Rosa: Of course! That’s what I want to do. Even when I write the blog, it will be like- a little- spiel thing that I’m going to write, but then most of it is going to be just a transcript of everything we spoke about. So you have the narrative of your own story.

Helena: Well, I appreciate it. Thank you!

Rosa: You’re welcome!

Supporting Local Means Supporting the Community

Supporting local businesses like Metropolitan Ink and Beauty Bar means supporting real people, creativity, and a women-owned, family-run business rooted in the heart of Easton. This space is built on trust, artistry, and care- where beauty, self-expression, and wellness come together. If you’re looking for a welcoming, inclusive studio that puts health, confidence, and community first, this could be the perfect place for you.