Chicago native Cheri Wroblewski unquestionably epitomizes the free spirited nature so often found in creative and talented individuals. At the young age of 18, she began a trek across the country, searching for adventure and finding ways to grow and enrich her life by expanding her world. Her travels have taken her from the ranges of Wyoming and Colorado, to the beaches of California and Hawaii and just about everywhere in between. Her professional growth has seen its share of highs and lows along the way, from working the land on country ranches to a brief career as a professional jewelry designer for Fretz Goldsmith in Portland, OR. As a jeweler in 2001, Cheri truly began to explore her artistic spirit, set down a few roots and sow the seeds for her future.

“I have always been deeply interested in all facets of the beauty and fashion industry,” she says. “I loved the artistic aspect of jewelry design but didn’t want to spend my life soldering metal inside a small studio.” In 2003, Cheri found a way to direct her artistic tendencies towards a new medium when she attended the Award Studio in L.A. for specialized training in media make-up. With a natural eye for beauty, Cheri quickly found frequent work as a freelance makeup artist with top fashion designers and photographers. She worked on numerous ads, television shows, films, videos and magazine shoots all before the age of 25.

A chance encounter with a successful entrepreneur, who was loving the freedom of owning her own business,  cemented an idea for Cheri to establish her own beauty boutique and be in complete control of her own destiny. Expanding on her makeup skills, in 2005 she followed up her previous training with an intensive esthetics program at The International Beauty School and became certified as an esthetician. Just after graduation she found Xtreme Lashes® and thought it would be the perfect addition to her new business. Just one week later she flew to Boston for her November 2005 training in eyelash extensions.

When she returned to Portland, Cheri opened her studio, the Lash Boutique, with Xtreme Lashes® as her primary service. “Despite my original intentions, I never bought one piece of skin equipment. It quickly became all about the lashes,” she says. Four months later, Cheri applied for and was accepted as an Educator for Xtreme, conducting many of the West Coast trainings over the remainder of the year. In late 2006, wanting to be a little closer to her Illinois roots, Cheri transplanted herself and her business to New York and quickly built up a local following in the area.

Cheri’s New York Lash Boutique, with its comfortable but eclectic décor, mixing soothing neutral tones with hot and fiery reds, now serves over 50 regular clients. “I absolutely love working for myself and doing my own thing - just lashes,” she says. Her client roster includes the likes of Supermodel Molly Sims, Danielle Jonas (wife of Jonas Brother Kevin), American Idol alum Kathryn McPhee, movie producer Hilary Shor, Guiding Light actress Tina Sloan and Fox 5 News reporter Lisa Murphy. Cheri plans to expand this year by adding another stylist to the mix. “I work every day right now and I usually work late, just to squeeze them in.”

She’s not complaining in the least, though. Cheri’s wandering and artistic spirit has found a home in lash extensions. “I love making people happy; making people feel more beautiful.” She adds special touches to her services by providing clients with the use of an espresso machine while they wait, offering bottled water and broadcasting the client’s choice of tunes over her iPod system during the procedure. “Typically I’m talking the whole time, getting to know new clients or catching up with current ones. If I can tell they’re about to fall asleep though, I let them. Everything is all about how they want it,” she says.

And it seems to be working just perfectly, with Cheri’s clients getting everything they come to her for, exactly how they want it. Her fans are quick to praise both Cheri and the artistry of her skill: