Positively Radiant

Aesthetician and entrepreneur Mechelle Evans is living in her purpose

By Camille Cannon / Photos by Anneli Adolfsson

Mechelle Evans was used to long days under the sun. The California native regularly appeared as an extra on a television show that filmed at the beach. Harsh sun and makeup were routine and for Evans, who acted to help pay for nursing school, it was an eye-opening exposure to the very real effects of skin damage.

Those days on set lingered with Evans, who founded Glo by ME Skin Aesthetic Boutique in Summerlin Center and created a skin care line of the same name. For her, skincare is a way of showing up for others in the world and helping those in need. “I wake up every day knowing I can change someone’s life,” Evans says. Her work is also making an impact beyond Summerlin. Evans is trusted by major industry players, including Obagi Medical and she became the first woman of color appointed to their medical board.

This kind of success had been a long time coming for Evans; she just didn’t arrive here the way she’d initially planned. “I had a teacher tell me I would not be a good doctor because I care too much,” Evans says. She decided to pursue an alternate career path in telecommunications programming, where she programmed servers and helped develop early computer faxing systems. “I became the first woman of color programmer at Warner Bros. Studios,” Evans says. Still, she maintained an interest in dermatology. She started learning more about skincare, developing new skills, and using them to care for her friends and family.

Then Evans’ father got sick. He was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and passed away just weeks later. “I remember falling into a deep depression,” says Evans, who was still living in California at the time. “Everywhere I went, I saw my dad,” she says.

This spurned a decision that changed her life course. “He used to say that after he retired, he would move to Las Vegas.” In her dad’s honor, Evans booked a visit to Las Vegas. “I checked in, and I cried. Then the next day I got up and thought, ‘Where do people even live in Las Vegas?’” she laughs. She drove around the Valley, visualizing a new home and future for herself and her husband. She would make her dad’s dream her reality.

After moving to Las Vegas, Evans continued to pursue skincare on the side while working as a hospitality account executive. It was stressful work — almost too stressful. One night, Evans recalls suffering a headache and chest pains and driving herself to urgent care. She doesn’t remember much after that. “I had a heart attack at 40 years old,” says Evans, who now lives with a pacemaker and defibrillator.

“What am I supposed to do?” Evans recalls having a conversation with her husband, who pleaded with her to leave the hospitality job after her heart attack. “Go back to doing that thing where you wash people’s faces!” he said. Now, Las Vegas has that conversation to thank for the facials, chemical peels, and microneedling services that have earned 5-star ratings from Evans’s clients.

She took classes to become a licensed aesthetician and opened Glo by ME in 2019. “It’s been the most rewarding career ever,” she says. “I’ve realized that when people come to me, it’s not because life is perfect. It’s because they need help, and I get to do that.”

Owning her business means Evans gets to show up for her clients how she wants to. No one gets to tell her that she cares too much. “I feel like this is my purpose in life,” she says.

Evans proudly shares stories about clients whose confidence has been transformed at Glo by ME, including a teenager who was so happy with Evans’ treatment of her acne scarring that she invited Evans to attend her high school graduation. “This is a young lady who wouldn’t even look up [before treatment]. Finally, she got to experience everything that high school is supposed to be.”

Looking toward her own future, Evans is excited for more people to experience Glo by ME skincare. “It takes at least two years before I release a product,” she says. “I test it on myself. I work on it with my chemist.” She also plans to continue her industry work, speaking at conferences and serving on boards. Ultimately, though, Evans is glad to be someone who cares a lot. “When I leave this earth, I want people to know that I did care and want to help people,” she says. “When I say I got you, I got you. From the bottom of my robotic heart.” globyme.com.