Rest In Peace Jamie Lopez - Babydoll Beauty Couture

Photo of Jamie via her personal Facebook profile

About a decade ago, I was introduced online to a young woman named Jamie Lopez. Jamie was a nail technician, makeup artist, and hairstylist living in Las Vegas, Nevada. We connected professionally because she was planning a Spa Day for Supersized Women, and the idea was for me to travel to Las Vegas and provide massage therapy for some of her guests.

Unfortunately, the spa day never came to fruition, so I never made the trip to Las Vegas to work with her clients. The possibility remained open, however, in case she decided to organize another event in the future.

Jamie was, in every sense of the phrase, a larger than life woman. At her highest weight, she weighed more than 800 pounds, yet what I remember most was not her size. It was her presence.

She was beautiful, charismatic, and full of personality. There was something about her spirit that seemed even larger than her physical presence. Her warmth and genuine kindness came through in the way she interacted with people, and that is what stayed with me.

Jamie eventually began a remarkable weight loss journey and shared much of it through her personal and business social media accounts. I watched as she worked toward improving her health and mobility. After being largely bedbound for an extended period, she was eventually able to walk again. She also shared aspects of her daily life, including the foods she prepared and the ways she incorporated movement and exercise into her routine.

It was not until after her death that I fully realized just how much Jamie had accomplished professionally and how widely she had become known. She had her own reality television series, Super Sized Salon, which aired on WE tv and brought her story and her business to a much larger audience.

I had gone years without owning a television, so I never had the opportunity to watch the show or witness her rise to television fame firsthand. I suppose I was aware of the show because I remember sharing it on social media, but I did not realize the full extent of her popularity.

Even so, Jamie was already a star to me.

She built Babydoll Beauty Couture, a salon created with the needs of plus size women in mind. She understood that people deserve to feel comfortable, respected, and cared for when receiving beauty services, regardless of their size. Her business provided a space where women who might otherwise feel overlooked could enjoy beauty treatments and the experience of being pampered.

That is the Jamie I remember.

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to know her, even if our friendship and professional connection existed primarily online. Sometimes people come into our lives briefly, yet leave an impression that lasts much longer than the amount of time we actually knew them.

Jamie Lopez was a talented businesswoman, a beauty professional, and a television personality, but to me, she was also a kind and compassionate woman who cared about making other people feel beautiful and welcome.

She was a star long before I ever saw her on television.

Jamie Lopez
June 19, 1985 – December 18, 2022

Rest in peace, Angelita.

Internal Review

My workplace sends guests a review form after they receive a massage, and I remember the client who wrote this particularly wonderful review.

She was interested in trying cupping during her massage. When I initially applied the first cup, she found the suction too intense, so I immediately adjusted it. Client comfort is always important, particularly when introducing someone to a technique they have never experienced before.

The cups I use are made of silicone, which allows me to control the amount of suction by gently squeezing the cup before placing it on the skin. Once applied, the cups can either remain stationary or be moved across the skin with a controlled gliding motion. When used as part of a massage, gliding cupping can provide a different type of sensation and can be incorporated into work involving areas of muscular tension and restricted soft tissue mobility.

I particularly like silicone cups because they give me a great deal of control over the intensity of the technique. They can be adjusted quickly based on the client's comfort level, which makes them a practical option for introducing someone to cupping.

I also have my own set of silicone cups at home and have used them on myself and, when appropriate, on family members.

The first cups I ever encountered were glass cups used with a suction gun. The gun creates the vacuum inside the cup, allowing it to adhere firmly to the skin. Depending on the amount of suction used, this type of cupping can feel considerably more intense.

For someone who has never experienced cupping before, I generally prefer the control and adjustability of silicone cups. They provide an opportunity to experience the technique gradually rather than immediately beginning with strong suction.

As with any massage technique, communication is essential. Cupping should be adjusted according to the individual's comfort level, and there is no reason for a client to endure excessive discomfort simply because a technique is supposed to feel “deep” or intense.

A good massage is not about how much pressure a therapist can apply. It is about using the appropriate technique, at the appropriate intensity, for the individual client.