As an aspiring hairstylist, there’s a neverending list of tools and products that you want to keep in your arsenal, and there’s no better time to stock up on them than the holidays. This year, The Tease asked three of our favorite stylists to share their top product recommendations as well as their best advice for anyone just starting their career in hair. Keep scrolling for their insights.
Dimitri Giannetos, Celebrity Hairstylist
The Tease: What are some things an aspiring celebrity hairstylist should keep in mind?
Giannetos: Keep putting out quality work and get as much content as you can with your work, and always be yourself, but be professional as well. Having a good balance of this is key! And learn how to do hair/makeup on many different races so you can diversify your work and keep on improving.
The Tease: What are some of the best tools you had at the beginning of your career as a stylist?
Giannetos:A good round brush should be your best friend when starting out your career, as it will give you the best long-lasting blowout for your new clients. A great round brush is the Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Round Thermal Hair Brush. This is a great professional round brush that is lightweight, easy to use, and will give the desired silky and wispy blowout your clients want.
The Tease: What are some tools you wish you had in hand then that you always use now?
Giannetos: The Rusk Engineering W8less Professional 2000 Watt Dryer, a fast-drying hair dryer that eliminates frizz while creating a long-lasting blowout. [It’s] great for thick, coarse hair that typically takes longer to blow dry. Also, the Bio Ionic 1.5-inch Long Barrel Styler Curling Iron. It adds shine to your curls with a ceramic iron that hydrates and conditions while ensuring the best long-lasting results.
The Tease: What are some of the products that an aspiring celebrity hairstylist should always have on hand?
Giannetos: The Moroccanoil Frizz Shield Spray, a weightless styling mist perfect for combating frizz, giving you a long-lasting look to repel humidity all day. Also, L’Oreal’s Paris Elvive Total Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, an expert repair formula that transforms your locks, giving a silky smooth easy to style look.
The Tease: What is something you wished you’d gotten as a gift as a hairstylist? Or what are some gifts that you would give an aspiring hairstylist?
Giannetos: Definitely some sort of hair spray. I love the L’Oreal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray. This is an ultra-fine mist and gives a long-lasting hold to your hair while fighting humidity and frizz.
McKenzie Turley, Founder of Invisible Bead Extensions and Goldie Locks Professional Haircare
The Tease: What are some things an aspiring celebrity hairstylist should keep in mind?
Turley: I think it’s important to realize how small the industry actually is. This can be used to your favor, or to your detriment, depending on how you treat people! Get used to the art of biting your tongue, as it will most often lead you to greater opportunities if people know you can be trusted and that you take your career seriously.
The Tease: What are some of the best tools you had at the beginning of your career as a hairstylist?
Turley: My Sam Villa Artist Series 2 in 1 Marcel Iron is still my absolute favorite tool after all these years. It’s super versatile and works extremely well with longer hair. As an extension artist, I’m usually styling hair that is long and thick, and this iron is my tried and true tool to create textured waves on any hair type.
The Tease: What are some tools you wish you had in hand then that you always use now?
Turley: It took me years to find extension tools that would assist in precise installs and not feel clunky in my small hands. My hands would cramp at the end of the day from using some tools that were hard to open and close. The only extension pliers I will pick up now are from shopIBE®. I actually created these and designed them to have a very sleek and pointy tip, perfect for precise bead applications. Extension artists who value precision and placement would love these pliers!
The Tease: What are some of the products that an aspiring celebrity hairstylist should always have in hand?
Turley: As celebrity trends continue to change quickly, there are some looks that always remain solid. Big hair is always in, and what better way to achieve big hair then with a texture spray. The Goldie Locks® Volumizing Texture Spray is a fan favorite for its multi-use capabilities. It not only has a lightweight feel that has a matte finish with high volume and texture delivery, but it also provides frizz protection. If you’re looking to create a slick back pony or precision style, the Goldie Locks® FlyAway Fix Pomade Stick is the ultimate product. Create perfectly polished styles, tame flyaways, or enhance texture.. This no-mess pomade stick unleashes style control with no greasy residue, giving your celebrity client that ‘fix’ they need.
The Tease: What is something you wished you’d gotten as a gift as a hairstylist? Or what are some gifts that you would give an aspiring hairstylist?
Turley: I think the best gift you can give any stylist is the gift of education. It is absolutely essential for stylists to stay current on industry changes, and oftentimes it can get pricey to invest in quality education or certifications. Giving stylists the gift of education that will convert into added revenue behind the chair is truly the ultimate gift. A certification with a quality extension education company such as Invisible Bead Extensions® is a gift that would be cherished. Stylists certified in IBE® make up to 5x more with that acquired skill and training, and that is a wildly impactful gift to give to any aspiring stylist.
Cassadi Currier, IBE Masters Color Lead Educator and Hair Stylist
The Tease: What are some things you would have loved to know when you started out that you know now about extensions installation?
Currier: Hair extension education is very important. Pay close attention to who you decide to invest with. Make sure your method teaches you everything from start to finish, not only how to do the install. The color, the cut, the marketing etc are all just as important as perfecting the technique itself.
The Tease: What are some of the musts to keep in mind when you’re installing extensions?
Currier: First, matching density to density. It is so important to match the density of your extensions to your natural hair in order to make your hair look believable! I always tell clients that the more hair they have, the more hair they will need to blend their extensions.
Next, I look at the texture of the clients hair to ensure that I am using the correct hair type on them. What I mean by this is that I look at the strand by strand density and texture of the hair to make sure that their new hair matches their natural hair as closely as possible. If a client has naturally fluffy hair with a fine strand by strand density I will utilize slavic hair. If a client has a bit thicker, coarser hair I will utilize asian hair on them.
Lastly, when it comes to the actual install I am going to ask them how they like to wear their hair so I can determine how I will place my rows and where I will place them to ensure that they fit their needs and fit into their lifestyle seamlessly.
The Tease: What are some of the tools you should always keep on hand?
Currier: I can’t live without my IBE tools. I am always using my IBE clips, IBE pliers and of course my IBE spray bottle. If I was stranded on a deserted island and I had to do hair extensions I absolutely could not live without my Goldie Locks flyaway fix stick. This is a lifesaver for me to ensure that I am not picking up any teeny tiny little hairs that don’t belong.
