From Beauty to The Bachelor
To all my beauty gurus, fellow product junkies, ladies that want more knowledge on how the heck to take care of their hair, young girls that are learning what self care and self love is, and for the women that just want to learn how to use a dang curling iron - this is for YOU. While being behind the chair, I’ve been asked countless questions. Whether it’s about color, products, techniques, or skincare - I’ve come to the conclusion that women want to know more. Too often are we left in the dark when it comes to caring for ourselves, our hair, skin, and our soul. This isn’t something gifted to us in a handbook as we mature into womanhood. I’m sparing no details and am dishing up some of my best kept secrets for enhancing natural beauty while replenishing our minds and our hearts. I might even give you my favorite holiday recipes while I’m at it, because let’s be real, comfort food can be just as healing as a deep conditioning mask on tired hair.
I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a lot of you throughout the years, and I absolutely love that part of my job! I’m shown everyday how powerful and resilient women are. It truly is inspirational to hear your stories. Some people automatically assume that because I’m so passionate about doing hair, I must have known I always wanted to work in this industry. Truth is, I really didn’t know. I had an interest in makeup throughout high school (an expensive hobby for a 16 year old - let me tell you). I used to watch hours of Jaclyn Hill’s makeup tutorials and attribute a lot of what I know about makeup to those videos. It came time to start thinking about what I wanted to do following high school and I did what everyone else I knew was doing - touring four year schools.
Walking around these college campuses, I had no idea what I would want to study. After a lot of conversations with family and friends, my Mom suggested I look into cosmetology school. In my mind, I was sold. I knew I liked makeup and figured learning how to do hair would be an added bonus. After starting at the Aveda Institute, I quickly realized the education is 85% hair and 15% makeup. Little did I know, I would grow to LOVE everything about the hair world. The endless color opportunities, different cutting techniques, and simple beauty of being able to connect with people was amazing to me.
Throughout my career, I’ve experienced time and time again - this isn’t just about the hair. It’s so much deeper than that. I love a rooted blonde or fresh chop just as much as the next hairstylist, but what I really love is the power of an appointment and what can happen during that time. I’ve witnessed women chop their hair and suddenly feel like a major weight was just lifted off them, or the opposite: I’ve added one row of extensions and seen women’s eyes light up because they finally have their dream hair. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - we are not all blessed by the hair gods. Due to hormonal or other reasons, sometimes we need a little boost in the hair department (one reason I love extensions, but we’ll get into that later).
You trust me with so much more than your hair. I’ve been told first when a client is pregnant because she just can’t wait to share the news. I’ve cut a man’s hair who let me know he had just bought a ring before his appointment and is planning to propose (imagine my excitement - especially when I was seeing his soon to be fiancée later that day!). The human connection in this industry is undeniably the reason I love it most. I get to see such amazing women go through it all - college, first jobs, first dates, breakups, weddings, having their first baby - and I’m here for ALL of it.
This blog is a space for us to learn. It’s a space to discuss everything from beauty techniques to The Bachelor. Last but not least, it’s a place to connect with me. As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out - hair related or not, I’m your girl.
xo,
Rayna