Hairstylist and Makeup Artist

Hairstylist and Makeup Artist

EmilyHudspeth

Richmond, VA

Female, 30

I work as a hairstylist and makeup artist for anything and everything you could imagine. A typical work-week can be special events, photo shoots, commercial production, makeup & styling lessons and more. Ask me anything!

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35 Questions

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Last Answer on April 18, 2013

Best Rated

At what point did you know that you wanted to become a hair stylist?

Asked by SimonSez almost 13 years ago

I basically grew up in a beauty shop in Louisiana (think Steel Magnolias) with three aunts as beauticians. While studying PR and business at Louisiana State University, I worked as a salon coordinator at an Aveda salon. It was there that I got my hands into makeup and watched all the talented artists work behind the chair to make hair magic. Two weeks after graduating from LSU, I was enrolled at the Aveda Institute and began my studies. Since I was surrounded by hairdressers, I would say that this was my destiny.

What are your thoughts on "Brazalian Blowout Keratin Treatment?" How safe is it? How long does it last? Is "Brazalian Blowout" brand really the best or would "Coppola" be a close second? Really appreciate your professional judgement!

Asked by blondshell over 12 years ago

I don't have much experience with any of these treatments. I have never done on a client or had it done myself so I can't give a personal testimony. There seems to be conflicting opinions. I tend to avoid harsh chemicals like this since it hasnt been around long enough for us to really know if there are significant side effects.

Do you cut men's hair too? What one hair / skin / hygiene tip do you wish all men would adopt?

Asked by David almost 13 years ago

Yes, I do cut men's hair. The good news is that guys still have it pretty easy in this department. You aren't expected to do much, just the basics. Just keep it clean and simple. Not too much, just enough, product in the hair. The biggest thing that men often ignore is skin care. You don't wear makeup, so protect yourself from the sun with a basic moisturizer with SPF 30 everyday.

Do you find it helpful when clients bring pictures from magazines to show you what they want, or in the back of your mind are you saying, "this is TOTALLY unrealistic?"

Asked by BombshellMel almost 13 years ago

We all (myself included) pick out pictures of either people who look like us or people we think are pretty. However, that being said, I do encourage clients to bring in both pictures of things that they do and do NOT like. Then when we consult, I ask them what they like about the photo. Sometimes, it may just be that they like one thing but not the over all look. That gives me guidelines of what to go for an what to avoid.

Have you ever had a complete misfire on someone's hair, such as turning someone's hair orange or chopping off locks you shouldn't have?

Asked by galfriday almost 13 years ago

Oh my gosh, the things we did in beauty school! Once I got into the salon and was working with actual, paying clients, I made sure that I to know what the result would be before applying color or getting out my scissors. But, when I was in school, the instructors and students would encourage the 'just try it' method with everything. It was a great way to learn because you figured out really quickly what worked and what was a disaster. I remember that I tried to color my friends hair at home even though we had not really learned this particular technique yet. For some reason we thought we could do this since we considered ourselves to be so advanced. When her hair turned our the most neon shade of orange you have ever seen, I was so upset but she just laughed and said that it was ok because we can just fix it. Um, I dont know how to fix it!. Oh, how fearless we were back then. One of color instructors happened to be a friend of mine that I had known before I became a student. She was a colorist in the salon I worked at in college. When I called her in a mad panic, she told me that messing up and making disasters was the way you learn to be a great colorist. She said you will not truly understand color theory until you can do and undo anything. The next day she told me how to fix it and we were back in business. I learned that she was right, that good colorists know how make pretty color and fix bad color. There were so many situations where I had a client come to me after having a color disaster either at home or another salon. Once you "fix" something for someone, you gain his or her trust for life.

What is your single favorite part of the job?

Asked by GeoffM almost 13 years ago

There are so many favorite parts! Aside from being able to play dress-up and experiment with fun products, I LOVE the relationships that I have with my clients. Being with them through stressful/exciting/happy times is an honor. It is really special to be able to make someone look and feel great during an important moment. Now that I am a freelance artist, being 100% mobile has taken me to some exciting places (Ireland, Mexico, and around the US) and I am ready for more.

How much can an A-list hair stylist earn in a year?

Asked by MoneyTalksBSWalks almost 13 years ago

I am not sure but as soon as I make it big, I will give you full disclosure of my annual salary. (Kidding!) Honestly, I’m not 100% sure. I would imagine that once you reach the A-list that probably comes with a celebrity clientele, multiple salon locations, product lines, etc. At that point, the income is coming in from so many directions (your work, product endorsement and sales, then your employees sales), that the annual revenue could be more than I would imagine. Several hundred thousand? A million? Millions? Maybe, who knows?