If you watched Sunday’s episode of “60 Minutes” – heck, if you’ve walked into a superstore lately – then you know this country has a serious supply chain problem. Docks are filled with items stashed in crates – and there’s no guarantee those products will end up in your stocking or under your tree this holiday season.

The warehouses, truck drivers and shipping companies are blaming each other, costs are going through the roof, and shelves have more bald spots than your uncle Leo.

It’s super-frustrating.

But there is a silver lining – no, not for that, but in your present planning.

If you’re one of the countless people who shop small, then you know a lot of aggravation can be avoided by patronizing locally owned merchants.

They have products! In fact, many make their own or utilize other nearby mom-and-pop operations for goods.

And if you’re into that whole, “What’s my name, does this look good on me, do you have it in blue, can you gift-wrap it for me?” thing, then you’ll be pleased to know local merchants are eager to answer those questions.

The pandemic is approaching (gulp) two years – and it’s still not easy (or cheap) to cross the border. Residents have been great in keeping local businesses afloat. They are encouraged to continue that practice on Small Business Saturday.

In return, merchants will make available unique gifts and goods at the lowest prices of the year.

There might even be hot chocolate.

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KP.Esthetics

By Joshua Maloni

It didn’t take long for Krissy Paul to learn what most Center Street merchants already know:

“I love Lewiston,” she said. “I feel like everyone's really close and everyone knows each other, which I like. It's a good area. It’s safe for one thing. I love Lewiston, and I feel like it's perfect.”

Apparently, that feeling is mutual. In the almost 18 months since Paul opened KP.Esthetics, she’s been “super-busy. It's been great.”

Paul explained, “I was really into makeup and all that, so I ended up going to esthetics school,” she said. “And then I fell in love with doing eyelashes and facials, so I just kept rolling with it. I worked a few other places before this, Maxx Lashes out on Military Road. I worked there for like three years and then I moved here like a year-and-a-half ago.”

Though Paul started her business at the height of the pandemic – and often has to work on faces covered with masks – she called her work “relaxing.”

“I obsess over it, so I make sure it's perfect at the end. I kind of like that. I like having something to perfect. It's like a challenge,” she said.

Paul offers eyelash extensions, lifts and tints, as well as facial waxing. She plans to add facials in the future.

What makes her different from other estheticians is, “I feel like me being so passionate about it makes my work better,” Paul said. “It shows in my work. They like that. I feel like a lot of people aren't as passionate as others, and I feel like I have that and it might show.”

With a fine eye for detail, “I have a lot of clients that followed me from the old place,” Paul noted. “Now it's like word of mouth. I have a lot of referrals. Also posting on Instagram does a lot of it. That's the majority. Mainly referrals, word-of-mouth type. …

“I think it's a lot of the relationship. … I've had the same people for years. You just kind of grow close to that person.”

KP.Esthetics is located at 755 Center St., Unit 4A, Lewiston – right next to The Stone House. To book an appointment, or for more information, call 716-946-9886 or visit www.kpesthetics.com.

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