Maria Fajardo is a woman of strength, determination, and a passion for making people feel good. Maria admits that it was not her lifelong desire to “do hair,” rather it was her sister who grew up wanting to be a hairdresser and she thought “that was crazy, and not really a career.” No, Maria had big dreams of going to medical school and becoming a doctor. She wanted to become a dentist to help others “feel good” about themselves by creating beautiful smiles. And she began her career path by obtaining her bachelor’s degree at UABC in Mexicali, Mexico. Then Maria found herself a young single mother. She left Mexico and came to the United States seeking better opportunities for herself and her toddler daughter, Marcia. Out of necessity to obtain a trade, and provide for her and her daughter, Maria decided to enroll in The Professional Institute of Beauty in El Monte, CA and graduated with a cosmetology license. Realizing that her limited English skills made it difficult to succeed she attended two years at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA taking general education and English classes. It was at this time with Maria’s determination and academic success that she was awarded a full scholarship to attend UC Irvine Dentistry, yet had to pass it up because the school did not offer dorm programs for single moms. So, Maria delved into her craft, attending many trade shows, and attending seminars by leading companies such as Vidal Sassoon Academy, ABBA Academy, Sebastian, Paul Mitchell, Schwarzkopf, Goldwell, Alfaparf, Redken, Matrix, American Crew, Aveda, Brazilian Blowout and many more. Her work featured on the cover of Latina Bride Magazine earned her the distinguished award of Who’s Who in American Art. Maria is frequently quoted and featured in major beauty publications. She is committed on "staying fresh" by attending advanced educational classes to provide her clients with the latest in cutting edge styles. Within Maria’s 20 plus years in the beauty industry, she was the proud owner of Bellisima Salon & Day Spa in Monrovia, CA for 18 years. Under her passion and leadership, Bellisima Salon earned the Reader's Choice award in the San Gabriel Valley for 10 years in a row for the Best Beauty Salon. She also received the Beacon Community Service Award for community citizenship, supporting Monrovia school children by the Monrovia Chamber of Commerce. Extremely dedicated and passionate about her work. Maria's loyal clientele includes everyone from beauty edito