Nargis Fatima, owner of Nargis Beauty Spot at 607 Dempster St., is wildly recommended online by her customers, and it’s no surprise. A petite mom of three with a soothing voice and fast and artful hands, she is a whiz at all things beauty.
From organic hair color to waxing, threading, haircuts and her talent for henna, it’s no wonder her loyal clients come from all over the Chicago area for her services.
Now in its 18th year on Dempster (she worked in other salons before opening her own) The Beauty Spot is a no-frills salon catering to all age groups.
“”We get Northwestern students, ETHS kids and even Nichols kids,” Fatima says on a subzero Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “The kids are the ones who tell their parents, and their parents become clients.”
“It’s true,” chimes in a 50-something male client who has come for a routine waxing appointment. “My nephew told me about this place.”
The guy is bummed, he tells Fatima a few minutes later as he receives his service, because the Trump administration has so heavily taxed his German-based consulting firm that it is closing its U.S. office, resulting in revocation of his work visa and forcing him to relocate to Munich from Skokie with his family.
Fatima hails from India, and it’s there she learned the art of henna. She has three sons, ages 30, 28 and 22. Her youngest is a lifelong Evanston kid.
That leads to a brief segue into the pandemic, and we discuss how both our sons, both 2021 ETHS graduates, struggled academically and socially their senior year and for years after.
“The COVID time, that was really hard, and I thank God I survived,” Fatima says. Even with no government assistance, she was able to keep her salon.
“I have the best customers, and they checked up on me during the pandemic. They worried about me, and I feel very loved.”
Nargis Fatima, owner of Nargis Beauty Spot, creates a henna work of art on my hand between clients. It’s my first henna experience, however, and I’m amazed at how fast she can create something so detailed. Credit: Belinda Lichty Clarke
Fatima is creating a henna work of art on my hand between clients. I’ve been going to her salon since our boys were in middle school.
It’s my first henna experience, however, and I’m amazed at how fast she can create something so detailed.
“Typically, the henna is for an Indian wedding ceremony, the happiness, love and affection,” Fatima explains. “Without this, there is no marriage, so it’s all about love and celebration. Not just the wedding party, everybody does it. And they do hands, feet. The feet are for fun.”
The henna is made from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna shrub, and it’s this powder that makes the reddish-brown dye used in hair coloring and temporary body art. The henna dye is squeezed out of a needle-nosed squishy pen, similar to what you’d put frosting in to decorate a cake. Fatima sources her henna only from Pakistan, she says, because while more expensive, it’s the best.
“For the weddings, it brings a successful marriage, but also it’s any sort of celebration, like birthdays, anything, because it brings good luck.”
Fatima is creating a henna work of art on my hand in between clients. I’ve been going to her salon since our boys were in middle school.
It’s my first henna experience, however, and I’m amazed at how fast she can create something so detailed.
“Typically, the henna is for an Indian wedding ceremony, the happiness, love and affection,” Fatima explains. “Without this, there is no marriage, so it’s all about love and celebration. Not just the wedding party, everybody does [it]. And they do hands, feet. The feet are for fun.”
The henna is made from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna shrub, and it’s this powder that makes the reddish-brown dye used in hair coloring and temporary body art. The henna dye is squeezed out of a needle-nosed squishy pen, similar to what you’d put frosting in to decorate a cake. Fatima sources her henna only from Pakistan, she says, because while more expensive, she says it’s the best.
“For the weddings, it brings a successful marriage, but also it’s any sort of celebration, like birthdays, anything because it brings good luck.”
Piercings, tinting and more
Back to her other services, Fatima tells me that piercings have become increasingly popular, especially nose piercings for her teenage and college-age customers.
The teens must bring a parent or guardian, she adds, and fill out a permission form.
Her most popular service is waxing — for example, eyebrows and other body areas (including noses).
Eyebrow services are one of Nargis Beauty Spot’s most popular offerings. Credit: @NargisBeautySpot Instagram
What she says she doesn’t offer are “crazy hair colors,” despite that being very trendy these days.
“No, those I don’t do, just the normal color and highlights,” she says. “I also do many eyebrow tints and eyelash tinting.”
At the end of the interview, henna complete, I ask Fatima what her favorite thing is about Evanston.
Her reply is no surprise.
“Of course, the people. The customers,” she says. “I am so lucky. For 30 years, I have the customers and they come from all over. I am lucky.”
Nargis Beauty Spot, 607 Dempster St., is open from noon to 6:30 p.m. Sunday; 2-7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. 847-864-2167.
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