For DeAndra Chavez, a longtime love of beauty has turned into a new career and an opportunity to provide nail services closer to her home.
Chavez, a mother of two, Mateo, 8, and Jordan, 5, is the owner and nail technician behind DeeLux Nails, a new nail business in Questa. She is a licensed nail technician who graduated from Glitz Cosmetology School in Santa Fe in May 2026 and completed her licensing requirements in July.
Chavez said she had always been interested in beauty and had wanted to attend cosmetology school, but life took her in other directions. Last June, she decided it was time to pursue that goal.
Before attending school, Chavez practiced doing nails on herself and her sisters. When she began her training, she started with gel polish and gradually expanded her skills to other nail services, including acrylics.
The decision to pursue nail technology was also influenced by the lack of local options.
“When I first started, a lot of people were very excited,” Chavez said. “Everyone would have to go to Santa Fe or Albuquerque to get their nails done because there is only one certified nail tech around here.”
Chavez said knowing there was only one other licensed nail technician in the area motivated her to continue pursuing her license and help make professional nail services more accessible to residents of Questa and surrounding communities.
Her training at Glitz Cosmetology School included both practical and written testing. The practical portion required her to demonstrate services such as a manicure and acrylic nail application while showing professional standards to other industry professionals.
The written portion covered laws and regulations, hygiene, infection control and proper care for both clients and technicians.
Today, Chavez offers manicures with gel polish, builder gel, acrylic full sets and gel full sets. Clients can also add nail designs and artwork, including chrome applications.
Prices range from $25 to $65, Chavez said, with the goal of offering professional services at a price that does not require clients to spend a significant amount of money or travel out of town.
Chavez currently operates DeeLux Nails from her home and is working at the business full time. Clients can schedule appointments through her booking app, which is linked through the business’s Instagram, Facebook and TikTok accounts. Chavez can also send the booking link directly to clients who contact her through social media or text.
The booking system allows clients to view available appointments and services while helping Chavez manage her schedule.
For Chavez, running her own business also means being able to spend more time with her sons.
“Now I have two bosses, and it’s the boys,” she said.
Chavez says this new endeavor has allowed her to spend more time with her children while they are young, something she considers especially important because, she said, time passes quickly.
In the future, Chavez hopes to expand DeeLux Nails to include pedicures. Her long-term goal is to eventually open a salon on her property.
The name DeeLux Nails has its roots in Chavez’s family. Her mother and sisters, Erika and Elissa, always used DEE to reference DeAndra. This is what helped inspire the name.
Chavez said her family has been her biggest support system throughout her journey into the beauty industry.
“They’ve said through it all, ‘We know you can do it,’” Chavez said, adding that her family has always encouraged her to pursue whatever she sets her mind to.
For Chavez, DeeLux Nails is about more than providing manicures. She hopes the business allows her to build a career while remaining present for her children and helping women in Questa feel beautiful and confident.
“I want to be able to be a solid mom and help women in Questa feel beautiful and confident,” Chavez said.
You can follow her social media on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok @DeeLuxNails and you can book an appointment at deeluxnails.booksy.com/a/.