It took Womenfolk Beauty founder Rhea Horvath three years to save the $10,000 she needed to turn her idea of a space to empower women and celebrate their beauty into a full-fledged storefront studio in Denver.

Described by Horvath as a “healing beauty studio focused on inner and outer beauty,” Womenfolk Beauty officially opened its doors last month. Its 650 square feet features two treatment rooms and plenty of room for classes, gatherings and events.

“Womenfolk Beauty is not like a typical day spa,” says Horvath. “We place great emphasis on nourishing a deeper connection with their [clients’] true nature through energy healing modalities such as Reiki, reflexology and intuitive spiritual coaching.”

The studio has an ethereal feel exemplified by blush pink and peach tones, vintage furniture pieces, floral images and intoxicating aromas that permeate the air thanks to the Botnia plant-based skincare products the staff uses. While the extensive menu includes classic spa treatments like facials, brow waxes and dermaplaning, it’s the offerings that involve holistic practices that make Womenfolk a standout. Services cost between $10 for foot waxing to $150 for a crystal healing facial.

Outside of the crystal healing facial and facial reflexology, Horvath says her most popular healing treatment is the Reiki facial. “It promotes healing and rejuvenation by combining a traditional facial with Reiki healing,” she explains. “It’s for body and soul, and it can’t get better than that.”

Horvath also proclaims Womenfolk has become the go-to destination for sugaring in Denver. Sugaring is a hair-removal technique that’s considered a less painful and eco-friendly alternative to traditional waxing. It uses a ball of paste consisting of sugar, lemon and water.

Horvath credits customer referrals for drawing foot traffic to Womenfolk, and the studio’s social media accounts are secondary marketing platforms. She adds personal touches to Womenfolk’s digital presence by showing herself and her staff on its website and feeds.

Before becoming a licensed esthetician in 2006, Horvath held various posts in the beauty and design industries. She says it wasn’t until late 2013, though, when inspiration for her future business struck. “I felt a strong need for deeper feminine connection,” recalls Horvath. “I started hosting gatherings for women around the full moon. Those evenings consisted of circling up, discussion of that particular moon energy, releasing rituals, and intention setting. I called those gatherings Womenfolk.”

As her followers mounted, so did the need for dedicated space. Horvath worked multiple jobs to save up for the space and supplement her income to maintain Womenfolk. Since opening the new studio, she’s remained financially independent and maintains a positive, almost spiritual outlook on external investment. “It is a reality that money is a part of the process. So, I work to flow in harmony with it,” muses Horvath. Asked what she might do with a cash infusion, she says she would like to partner with more women-owned businesses and open another location.

The holistic beauty scene in Denver is growing, but Horvath doesn’t view competition as an obstacle. “A rising tide floats all boats. It is good to stick to your vision and be consistent, and try not to compare your success to someone else’s,” she says. “We are part of this big trend and shift. We are not the first, and we won’t be the last and isn’t that a beautiful thing.”