What curl or hair trends are you seeing on the runways or in the fashion magazines or on the streets?

I’m seeing really wild, carefree curls in fashion editorials that are inspiring women here in Santa Monica and the beach communities to free themselves from perfectly styled locks. It’s very eye catching when you see a beautiful woman expressing her laid back vibe with ‘undone’ hair. That type of girl stands out to me, especially if she has dimensional hair color.

Any secret tips for products that people may not know?

Styling Mist is the best product when you want to speed up diffusing time. Keep spraying it on as you diffuse and it will also control fly-aways.

What is the biggest challenge that you hear from clients? And how do you resolve?

The biggest challenge I hear is keeping the style for a couple days. I tell clients to spend extra time when you style it initially. My tip is to set aside 45 minutes from out of shower to completely dry once or twice a week – I tell them do it on a night when they don’t have anything to do. Take the time to really ‘set’ the curls doing the rake and shake technique and diffuse them. I say to time yourself 5 minutes on each side and then 5 minuntes upside down. This ensures that you don’t rush when you style and end up touching it so much that it frizzes. While you sleep, put your hair in a loose ponytail and when you wake up you shouldn’t have to refresh too much.

What inspired you to be a hairstylist?

I was inspired to become a hairstylist because I felt that my own hair was so challenging! I was in college when I found Ouidad products – the only thing that ever worked for my hair. And believe me, I tried everything!! I started seeing a certified Ouidad stylist who became my friend. She was so professional and actually taught me to love my curls that I started seeing her so often at the salon and fell in love with the atmosphere. I knew that because I had such a passion for caring for hair and loved working with people, that it would be a great fit.

What is your quickest technique to do Rake and Shake?

The quickest way to rake and shake is to clip a top section up and split the rest of the hair in half and apply quarter sized amount of gel on each side gently raking your hands through it. Take a little extra time on the top so you can position the curls around your face raking the hair straight up and shaking it into place. Then scrunch with a towel leaning from side to side. As long as you spend time around the face, you can get away with not being so perfect underneath.