Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘The Skincare Queen and the Hitman – Part 1’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Curious Case of…,’ the primary focus is on a celebrity esthetician named Dawn DaLuise, whose skincare business and career were hampered by a stalker who tormented her in the 2010s. After she was arrested for plotting the murder of her competitor, the authorities uncovered a shocking truth that changed the course of the case. Featuring an insightful interview with the esthetician herself, the documentary delves deep into the entire ordeal.
Dawn DaLuise Was Falsely Accused of a Murder-for-Hire Plot Against a Competitor
Hailing from Panama City, Florida, Dawn DaLuise, whose father was a minister, began participating in beauty pageants and contests from an early age. With dreams of making a name for herself, she saved up some money and relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1980. For a while, to make ends meet, she modeled for Frederick’s before opening her own business. In 2000, she was voted as the best facialist in Los Angeles, which made her business boom as many celebrities visited her skin care clinic for treatments. However, things began changing for the worse in Dawn’s life when, in the 2010s, she reportedly received a series of threatening messages after her explicit photoshopped images were circulated in the area. On top of that, she also claimed that she found her tires slashed at least a couple of times and was being harassed in numerous ways.
Initially, she believed that it was all the doing of her competitor, Gabriel Suarez, who owned a skincare clinic called Smooth Cheeks. More complications arose when she was arrested and charged with solicitation of murder in March 2014. The authorities focused on a text she had sent to her friend, Edward Feinstein, claiming that she had found someone to get rid of Gabriel. However, she argued that she was not serious about it. During her trial, former NFL player Chris Geile, whom Dawn had allegedly approached to kill Gabriel, took the stand and testified that she didn’t ask him to do any such thing. Although she was acquitted by the jury after an hour of deliberation, she had spent ten months behind bars and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Dawn DaLuise Continues to Practice as an Esthetician in California
Before making it big as an esthetician, Dawn DaLuise attended Yamano Beauty College in 1995 and studied to become a skin care specialist and an esthetician. After graduating from there, she reportedly interned with Ernie Benson at the Face Place, where she refined her skills and gained more knowledge about the industry. Between 1989 and 1991, she attended Los Angeles Valley College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration and Management. Eventually, she opened her own practice in West Hollywood, California, called Skin Refinery, and began her own private line of skincare products.
In January 2018, Dawn landed a job at Salon Republic in Beverly Hills as an Esthetician and Owner. In 2024, a movie titled ‘Skincare’ was released, which was loosely based on Dawn’s life. Talking about the Austin Peters directorial, the esthetician told CNN, “I was stunned and in awe of how precise everything (was), from the location (to) the mannerisms and the way in which our salons were both decked out. Somebody really did their homework and did it well.” On the personal front, the cancer survivor is the mother of two grown-up daughters and resides in North Hollywood, California. Besides that, she is also a mother to her furry little friend named Milo, whom she adores and loves. As a nature lover, Dawn also enjoys being outside.
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