A glow-up from the ground up: How one entrepreneur opened ‘the glam headquarters of Berwyn’

Laura Santoyo likes to call her colorful cosmetics shop, Date Nite Beaute, “the glam headquarters of Berwyn.”

She built the business from the ground up four years ago and is eyeing even more growth in the coming years.

Her warm, inviting storefront represents her dreams becoming reality after she came to a crossroads while working as an independent makeup artist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Laura credits the Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC), a Cook County Small Business Source Business Support Organization, for helping her business grow so rapidly.

She participated in the inaugural Berwyn Shops, a unique retail incubator the BDC has hosted since 2022, and the BDC has connected her to grant opportunities and other organizations that can support her.

“You’re not the smartest person in the room—and if you are, you’re in the wrong room,” Laura said. “So, to get connected with a business advisor, it’s so important, to be able to grow—and grow your network. Your network is your net worth.”

Laura had been an independent makeup artist for about a decade when COVID-19 struck. Like so many others, she was left to wonder about the future of her career. But instead of sitting idly by while the world changed around her, she researched her industry further—and she boldly decided to open Date Nite Beaute in June 2020.

Laura worked from home initially, also participating in pop-up events while working with manufacturers to develop her own line of makeup products.

Two years ago, Date Nite Beaute was selected to participate in Berwyn Shops, a unique collection of storefronts located on Roosevelt Road in the heart of Berwyn, dedicated to supporting emerging entrepreneurs. Laura, who moved to Berwyn in 2019, had heard about Berwyn Shops through a friend and successfully applied to participate in the first cohort.

At Berwyn Shops, business owners sell their products in small, cottage-style storefronts three days a week from May to December, with the opportunity to not only boost sales, but to improve their operations and management skills. That experience “opened so many doors,” Laura said.
Literally.

In 2023, thanks to receiving grants she learned about through the BDC, Laura opened her storefront—and gave it the makeover it deserved to become Berwyn’s “glam headquarters.”

She utilized a $10,000 grant she received after “graduating” from Berwyn Shops to help offset rent, and she secured a Finish Line Grant from the BDC to help renovate the space. In 2024, Laura also received a $10,000 “Backing Small Businesses” grant, which is offered by Main Street America and American Express. The BDC also introduced her to that grant opportunity.

Besides offering a wide variety of makeup products and “glam accessories,” Laura also hosts makeup classes, one-on-one makeup consultations, and custom lipstick-color classes. She also received advice from the late Reggie Wells, a makeup artist for Oprah Winfrey.

With her business growing further, Laura continues to turn to the BDC—and other organizations—to help her with marketing, utilizing social media to grow her customer base, and other needs.

“There is a lot of growing that you need to do behind the scenes,” Laura said. “I’ve been in workshops through the BDC—and the Women’s Business Development Center [another Source Business Support Organization], which was introduced [to me] by the BDC—to be able to connect with all those advising classes, to be able to grow.”

Marcos Martinez, a BDC project manager, credited Laura for being a go-getter and “not just sitting back and waiting” for her business to succeed. When other businesses approach him, his answer is clear: “We’re here to help.”

Date Nite Beaute is proof of that.

“I take a lot of pride in seeing businesses grow,” Marcos said. “Seeing a business go from an incubator project to having their own storefront—when I’m walking around town with friends, I point it out: I worked with that business. All the credit goes to the business, being the driving force, but it’s a point of pride to be a part of that process and being able to help out.”

Marcos stresses that he can help entrepreneurs find the answers they need, whether it’s connecting them with the BDC’s vast network of partners or helping businesses navigate the many grant opportunities available.

“We always like to say that even if we don’t have the answers, we are pretty hungry to find somebody that can help them get to where they’re trying to be,” Marcos said.

Date Nite Beaute isn’t just a place to buy or try on makeup, Laura said—it’s a comfortable place where customers know they can stop in just to chat. She takes pride in supporting her community, including other businesses—because her customer could also be a nearby shop’s customer.

Berwyn is a close-knit community—not just among residents, but among those in the small-business sector. Laura and BDC staff love seeing each other out and about at local events—and inside Date Nite Beaute.

Sitting alongside Marcos in her shop, Laura heaped praise on the BDC.

“You’ve become family,” Laura said. “You’ve become friends.”

Interested in no-cost advising from the Berwyn Development Corporation or any other of The Source’s Business Support Organizations? Sign up today!