My New Years Resolutions: 4/25/2014 Update

4/25/14 Update On My New Years Resolutions

So I went back through my posts today and I saw my resolutions again, and as a glutton for punishment- I re-read them. 

And you know what?

I'm actually doing pretty good.

My realistic goals are actually being done. I was smart enough to know my limits and it feels good actually getting that validation that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

SO LETS SEE WHAT I DID:

"1. I'm not going to beat myself up over dumb things. Changes are hard and eventually you will fall, but it's not a big deal. It just isn't."

I'm actually doing really well on this one. I have been really kind to myself these last few months and it's showing. I will say a lot of my self anxiety stemmed from what I assumed others were thinking, and I DID give that up- because you know what? I shouldn't really care- unless it comes to my client and I'm getting paid to know what they want. Generally speaking though, I started doing what I felt was right for me and it's paying off. 

"2. I'm going to start running. I know it sucks, but it clears my head and keeps me tired. Plus it's free, and you have an excuse to wear adorable work out clothes and listen to cool running mixes on your ipod."

This one I gave up on. Running actually doesn't work well for me. I ended up blowing out my bad knee a few times and it threw off my schedule a lot. HOWEVER, I did change up my diet a lot, lost a couple pounds and I'm now getting more into "burn" yoga- where everything is tiny, isolated movements your body hasn't made in years and you sweat a ton. That ends up working out a lot better for me. I commit better to yoga. (Plus my yoga mat is adorable and I can do it inside where no one can see my fat jiggling.)

"3. I'm going to ride horses again. In exchange for a stupid exercise regime you're going to dread for awhile, do one you'll actually like."

AND I HAVE BEEN. The horse I normally ride has some feet problems again so I'm riding a shorter horse that bounces too much, but he's adorable and I love him.

"4. I'm going back to the shooting range and I'm getting my hunters license. Yeah I know, you're probably like, "Sweet Jesus, she shoots guns?!" and then you touch your pearls and scornfully look at me. Yes, I shoot guns. I used to do it and I miss it and it was fun. I was licensed by the way, I'm not just like, shooting in the open air like some heathen."

AND I DID. It was a long day, but my teacher was amazing and I got a 99% on my test. I only missed one question- resulting in high fives from everyone in the class. So bam.

"5. Even though it sucks being an adult, I'm just going to do my best. You're not going to leave a mountain of dishes in the sink and sleep on a pile of clean clothes. Despite Roger's very sweet nature, we know he's getting tired of your shit and you should probably do something about it."

I have been trying really hard at this. It's been difficult since I've been at work more consistently, and cleaning at home has gone to the side a little, BUT the dishes are done and the floor is always swept and frankly that's all I care about.

"6. Read all those books I've been wanting to read but never did because who knows why. You're going to read that book about Walt Disney that they train cast members on. You're going to read that book about the escort that charges $2,000 an hour. You're also going to read that book about authentic vintage hairstyles and you're going to try and do them- even if you suck at authentic finger waves."

I've been reading a ton. I actually took a couple weeks for a mini break because I was reading non-stop. I read Sugar-Babe (a book/diary of an Australian lady who decides to get a sugar daddy so she can be a professional writer) and I'm working my way through the Pretty Little Liars series (because I'm 12, apparently). 

I finished a few other shorter series and a handful of random books I've always WANTED to start... so really, this is definitely the resolution I've been nailing.

"7. State Board is coming, and I'm going to rock it. You've been studying for days and frankly, you can't afford to fail it. "

I rocked it. I rocked it big time.

"8. Sometime this year, I'm going to save up and buy that ipad I want. You've always been pretty shitty about saving money for things and you usually end up blowing it on the Naked palettes and sushi, but you can do this. You've already got $400, you're literally over halfway there for the fancy one you like. Your birthday is coming up, and you're selling some furniture. You are literally on 3rd base waiting to run home. How bad-ass are you going to feel buying yourself something awesome? Because you're a fucking professional and you need it for work."

WELL, after my dog breaking one of the windows and a couple other small disasters, my savings has run short. I'm still trying to put money away for an ipad, but honestly I think I might just have to put it to the side for now. Life is just too expensive at the moment. (PLUS THE MORTGAGE, SHEESH.)

"9. I'm going to grow out my hair again. The short hair was a fun ride, but lets face it- you love sassy ponytails and princess buns. Stop trying to cut it- just let Stephanie fix it as it grows out. She'll get you there, just stop being dumb and let it grow. By the way, stop forgetting to buy biotin. "

I DID buy Biotin, and my hair IS growing out- slowly but surely. I've been attempting to keep it healthy, but you know how that goes...

"10. Go back to doing things that you loved. You used to love waterskiing and volunteering at the animal shelter. You officially have all the time in the world and no more excuses to use. Just do it, you'll be happier in the long run."

The funny thing is I haven't done any of the things I listed above recently, but I did pick up new hobbies. I'm back to making jewelry and writing for funsies, and it's really helped to keep me focused on keeping my life fun. I have a tendency to become a work-a-holic if given the option. 

So what is that? 8/10? That's not even really that bad. In fact, it's pretty good considering it's only been 4 months since I made that list?

*pat on the back*

Nailed it.

-SamanthaK

Update On My Life

Keeping You Updated

I won't lie, I don't even know where to begin. Life has been sort of crazy lately.

So first off, my phone got stolen and I had to wait almost a week to get a new one. It was so crazy trying to get a hold of my clients and keeping my work active. You don't realize how much of your life is on a phone until you don't have it. (Luckily, I have a paper copy of my salon book, and my phone was backed up to the computer so I didn't lose anything.)

For the most part, I work a lot. Between keeping my home life as normal as possible (I have a small health scare going on. I'm not going into details because, whatever, I don't have to, but just know that the blog will be business as usual), working at the salon, and then picking up a new blogging job- I'm feeling pretty stretched.

And it's not anything I can't deal with, but for the first time in a long time- my success is based on other people. And that is a genuinely scary thing.

I do my best to keep on top of everything, but I'm finding a lot of my morning are taken up by phone calls and emails, and when I get in the salon, it's at weird times of the day. My coworkers are confused by my schedule, but my boss knows what's up. She gave me my own set of keys so I could keep the schedule going.

AND SPEAKING OF THE SALON, my boss has been so amazing to me. 

There is a room upstairs that basically hasn't been touched in years. Originally someone was doing nails up there and it just never worked out. I went up there a couple weeks ago and the place is perfect for waxing and facials. So in a moment of bravery, I drafted a business proposal and a budget and went to my boss.

And you know what? 

It's my room now.

And I get to rennovate it all I want, and put whatever I want in there!

I'm so excited. I haven't really been able to do anything in the salon quite yet other than rent my booth, and to know that my boss has trust in me... it means everything.

Carol has been my friend and has been cutting my hair since I was a baby. She knows I follow through and that I have the drive.

I'm really hoping one day when she wants to retire, she'll let me be the manager. PIPE DREAMS, BUT THEY MAY HAPPEN. I'm just gonna put it out there, like the Secret. Like Oprah taught me.

And speaking of work, I've been doing a lot of nails lately. And not even fancy acrylic nails, just nail art.

And it's been really fun. 

The wheel I have in the picture is a whole Disney thing I was tinkering around with. I have 2 other sets of wheels with designs and more Disney stuff. I texted this picture to my mom and she immediately flipped.

"I'M SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE."

I love my mom. I think she's just happy I finally have a use for my talent of cartooning.

It's also prom week in my town- which means my makeup is packed up in a giant suitcase and girls are flooding my phone with calls and texts. The work is good, but oh man... teenagers are kind of the worst when it comes to decisions. I had a girl change her mind mid-consultation/mid-hair style. Talk about frustrating.

I also finally bought some new clothes for summer. It had hit me, when the 90 degree weather came and I realized I had lived 2 summers in all black. All my summer clothes are black. I don't even know how that worked out, but it was all black. So I decided to get some summer work clothes. I think I look pretty cute.

I even lost a couple pounds. Boom. Nailed it.

But for the most part, I stare at my inbox with my iced coffee and work on my lesson plans.

Yeah that's right, I'm going to be a guest artist at Paul Mitchell soon and I have to make a lesson plan. 

It's honestly going to test my skills as a teacher. I'd been considering teaching for a long time and this is probably the first time I'll be teaching 200 adults. Uhhhhh.... should be interesting to say the least.

You learn a lot about yourself when you're busy. You discover where your priorities lie very quickly and I was surprised that what fell away was my anxiety. Being busy has kept me tired and uncaring for things that keep me from working. I kept saying, "I don't have time for this, I'll deal with the pressure later", but later never came. It just kind of went away. 

Don't get me wrong, it finds it's way into my life- like 3am, when I'm sleeping. 

It's not nearly as bad as it used to be though.

And I'm finding a lot of people are beginning to come to me asking for advice, asking to know what happens when you're successful.

And I just kind of laugh, because I'm not successful- not traditionally anyway.

I'm successful in that I work hard and things fall into place for people who try.

So yeah, life is crazy right now- but it's falling into place,

-SamanthaK

Talkin' 'Bout Fun-Raising: The 5k Fun Run and 1 Mile Doggie Walk

Talkin' 'Bout FUNraising: The 5k Fun Run and 1 Mile Doggie Walk

There are a few things I love in this world; gummy bears, eyeliner- you know, stuff.

But what a lot of you guys might not know about me is my incredible love for animals. 

Man, you don't even know.

I spent the better part of the year working at my local animal shelter, taking pictures to put on the adoption website, setting up adoption days (which included driving a van full of screaming cats), and taking animals on the news to give them a little spotlight (promoting in a ton of adoptions by the way *brush dirt off shoulder*). 

So when the owners of Paul Mitchell the School Fresno asked me to talk about their first annual Fun Run and Doggie Walk- I was beyond elated. Anything to promote FUNraising and encourage people to be with their pets makes me a very happy woman.

So let's talk about FUNraising for a minute:

Once a year for a few months, all of the Paul Mitchell schools team together to try and raise funds for a handful of really cool organizations. The schools are encouraged to pretty much do whatever they can to raise money and end up doing a lot of creative and fun activities in their community.

And the money they raise is insane. Over the last 10 years, the Paul Mitchell schools have raised over $11.2 million. 

You can read more on my previous blogpost, or here at their website:

http://paulmitchell.edu/giving-back/how-we-give-back

Now let's talk about the FUN stuff:

Here's a copy of the flier that has the who, what, when:

So the day is going to start with registration around 8:30. There's a couple ways you can go about registration- you can either show up early and register before the run/walk or you can go to www.active.com to register ahead of time. The first 200 registrants will get t-shirts!

At registration you'll receive a t-shirt, racing bib, and a "wag bag" with treats!

And if you go for the John Paul Pet Haven VIP pass, you'll get a t-shirt, racing bib, yellow Paul Mitchell bandanna, a special VIP "wag bag" with treats and discounts valued over $100, and access to a special VIP area where you'll be pampered after your long run or doggie walk! (These guys are really going all out aren't they?)

The run and doggie walk starts at 9am. There'll be a breakfast served after the run/walk (which, hello, so classy), and then it'll lead into the best dressed pet competition at 10:30am- so make sure you dress your dog up in something cute to win a prize!

Need inspiration? Google the Bully Boo Walk that's put on by the Fresno Bully Rescue or just type in "Dog costumes" in pinterest- they are hilarious and adorable.

And if you're local to Fresno, you'll be happy to hear the school will be giving a percentage of the proceeds directly to our Children's Hospital- which is insane considering I've already been informed the school's received $19,000 in donations already!

So come out May 4th to support our community, the school, and our FUNraising charities. I'll be out there spending a lovely, sunny day petting all the dogs and generally spoiling them with treats.

May the 4th be with you,

-SamanthaK

The PBS Spring Auction and Paul Mitchell Scholarship

The PBS Spring Auction and Paul Mitchell Scholarship 

So, I'm going to blow your minds right now.

You ready?

Paul Mitchell the school Fresno is offering a full ride scholarship at the Valley PBS Spring Auction.

I'm not even kidding.

Here's a link to the PBS site where you can bid and get more information:

http://auction.valleypbs.org/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=209848

And here's a video talking a bit about our school and the auction:

(Pretty cool, huh?)

Basically the starting bid is at $6,000 dollars and for the price, it includes a scholarship for the entire year as a student at Paul Mitchell the school Fresno.

Now before you roll your eyes at me like, "$6,000 dollars, are you kidding me?", let me just put this in perspective for you:

A full ride to a Paul Mitchell school is that amount, tripled. 

Now I know what you're thinking, "$6,000 is still a lot" and you know what, it is. I understand that.

Trust me, you won't believe how many months I ate mac n cheese to afford to go to Paul Mitchell (at the FULL price, mind you).

But here's what the good people of Paul Mitchell won't tell you, because they won't brag:

-When it came to me getting a job, just saying I went to Paul Mitchell gave me 4 different job offers- and I hadn't even graduated yet.

-In my opinion, Paul Mitchell not only sets you up to pass your State Board test, it sets you up to become a real stylist. The systems they have on their salon floor aren't just set up that way for fun, it's to show you how a real salon actually operates.

-Paul Mitchell not only sets you up for success, but actually encourages you to do more and be more. You don't have to be a hairstylist, you can be an educator, platform artist, and if you want to design wigs for Disney, then you can do that too.

And if you want my real, honest opinion, here's what I got out of my year at Paul Mitchell- Fresno.

I got way more opportunities and offers in my career than I would have gotten anywhere else.

I did charity fashion shows, I did performances, traveled to hair shows, I worked on So You Think You Can Dance, I met with platform artists, I hung out with people who work on movies, TV and photo shoots for a living, I went to Premiere Orlando, I met Sam Burns who invented the Paul Mitchell mens line, I met Martin Parsons the updo King, I saw almost all the Paul Mitchell shows they did that year... And there was still more things I didn't get the chance to do. The opportunities are there and you can take them whenever you want.

I made way more friends here than I did in high school and college.

And those friends you make end up making a small community, who support you in everything you do. Those guys STILL blow up my instagram with likes and comments. And when I have a job that needs a second person, I routinely call the same group. Those are the friends you're going to have through the rest of your life and career.

I did way more real life scenarios when it came to working on the floor.

I did a handful of proms, I worked a wedding, I fixed a little girls hair that had been thrashed with chlorine, I did highlights, ombres, and a million haircuts. I learned to be fast, proficient, and how to really listen to my clients.

I learned a lot about working in a team and how to be a leader.

At the school you're encouraged to work a lot in teams and groups. 

Look, I'm not going to sugar-coat anything. There no possible way you're going to absolutely love every person you come into contact with. It's statistically impossible. There will be arguments, there will be frustration-

-but they're going to teach you how to get through it. 

You're going to learn to work with difficult people, and you're going to learn how to be professional. Paul Mitchell the school Fresno is a small community that regularly supports each other- or figures out how to make it work. 

And as for leadership, I was regularly put into situations out of my comfort zone- whether it was mentoring in a Core (beginning) class, leading small groups/teams, or even just being a mentor to my assistant on a busy Saturday. The only way to know you own your knowledge is to be able to teach it to someone else. And believe me, I was given plenty of opportunities to own my knowledge. (Thanks to Stephanie, my resident learning leader/arm twister). 

When I left school, I wasn't left wanting.

Just by saying I was Paul Mitchell trained, I had 4 job options lined up before I even had a license in my hand. The name of the school alone opens doors I wouldn't have had before.

Plus you know, the swag isn't too bad either.

I know $6,000 dollars is a lot of money out of your pocket- but trust me, if you're going to be serious about your education, it's a good way to go.

And the bidding isn't over for another 18 days, so you could easily come by the school and get a tour:

http://fresno.paulmitchell.edu/

Some check it out, I think you'll be pleased,

-SamanthaK

Your Personal Brand and Owning Who You Are

Your Personal Brand and Owning Who You Are

So when I went to school the other day to hang out and get my hair done by Max, I wasn't surprised to see all the other students I'd worked with before. Some knew me from the week I mentored in their class, some recognized me from the blog (which, shocker, I honestly still believe no one reads this), and some just knew me from that one time I came into their class and got too excited talking about hair products. (I'm that guy.)

But it was shocking to hear the questions erupting up like a volcano. Honestly, I was confused by a lot of their personal confusion and fear of "life after school".

And a lot of it was the same:

"Did you have a hard time getting a job?"

"Are you making money?"

"How much are you charging for x, y, z?"

"How did you get people in your chair?"

And then, in a more confusing volcano, came the weird complements:

"You're so popular, of course you're not having trouble."

"People just love you, that's why you make money"

"You should come back and teach, or just come talk about what you've been doing since school."

It was flattering, mind you- to hear people say stuff like this like 10 inches away from my face. 

(You have to understand, getting a complement in front of me is like something from a fantasy. It's like seeing a lunar eclipse or something.)

But it was scary, to think a lot of these people who I really liked and genuinely want to help would soon just be jumping off a cliff into the working world without really having a sound knowledge about just themselves as a person.

A lot of working problems are solved by knowing yourself.

A lot.

If there's one piece of advice I would give to someone who's still in school, it's this...

...develop your personal brand, and own it, ASAP.

I took marketing classes a long time ago when I was still in college and we covered branding (more in terms of products, but it still counts) and it occurred to me to wonder how important was it to package yourself with something nice?

And that's when I really jumped into things like color theory and personal business ethics, because I knew I wanted to run a business one way or another and it was daunting to think someone would instinctively not like me because my business cards were red. 

And when I dropped into core for my very first day at cosmetology school, Erik (one of the owners) went over the very same subject I had been obsessing over for months. His, however, was more deliberate and frightening because it wasn't dealing with my business cards- it was about me.

What did my hair and nails say about me? Was I dirty and not taken care of? Or did I look pretty and presentable? Did my Gothic look scare people off? Or was my small town charming look not enough to pull people in?

It was an eye opener, to say the least, because while it has occurred to me before that my clothes said something about me- I always thought my personality trumped it.

It never became a thought though, that maybe the way I look stopped people from even wanting to hear anything I said.

I'm pretty sure Erik could smell the fear off me while he asked up to write down who we thought we were as people.

That's scary right? That's like the nice way of saying, "Who do you think you are?" 

And you know what? I didn't even have a clue. I was 23, bright eyed and bushy tailed, straight out from a real college and I couldn't even think of a couple of words to describe myself- someone I've known forever.

Everyone was scribbling buzzwords on their papers. I saw stuff like, "put-together", "fun"... hell, I think at one point I saw "poised".

Those weren't me. Those weren't me at all. I wasn't put-together and fun. I was anxiety ridden.

But then I thought about myself at my first job ever. I was still in high school, things were going incredibly well, and I was working at a propane distributor. I worked for a bunch of people who were family or family friends and the atmostphere was fun. I would lick envelopes and laugh with my aunt about "that old so and so" and when clients came in they knew me. I would sass them, I would make them laugh, and I made them feel comfortable in a home that wasn't theirs.

I was "familiar", I was "sassy", and I had a way that "made every problem someone else had feel important".

And that's where it all started. 

I had enough anxiety to understand others' anxieties. I knew what comfort is supposed to feel like, and if I can't have it, I'll make sure you do. And you'll laugh the whole time while I say the southern colloquialisms that fall from my mouth on the regular.

Because look, sometimes branding yourself is also understanding the things you just can't be. I'm not proper and poised. I'm not a southern belle. My clothes aren't pressed and ironed, and they come from Target (lets be real).

But people like that about me. They come to me because I make them feel like my friend. When they come to me, they're living out a real life version of Steel Magnolias. (If you haven't seen that movie, shame on you. Stop reading this and go watch it. It's probably on Netflix by now.) And I know myself enough not to stray. I don't really dress flashy (except for my shoes, I love me some zebra print Michael Kors), I don't do my makeup over the top, and when I do nail art- it's pretty much all Disney and baseball.

And when it came to understanding what I want to do, I had to look at myself and imagine where my talents are useful.

Who needs someone grounded, funny, and familiar?

Small salons, and brides. Which is why I do both. (And of course this blog, I mean, duh.)

So here's the rub.

Why am I successful?

I know myself and my clientele.

Am I always rolling in $100's and buying myself more Michael Kors shoes? No. I still live month to month and paycheck to paycheck like anyone else starting off. It happens.

The first couple months you're in business, you're working for scraps. I hate to be that guy, but you are. You're just trying to get butts in your seat. You're going to offer deals, you're going to have days where you wait for a walk-in, and you'll probably cry the first time someone offers you one of their jobs.

But the struggle is the best part. You learn so much about yourself and who you are, and you'll discover a lot about what people say about you.

I live in a town where everyone knows my name, and my parents, and my grandparents. Reputation is everything. And you know what they say about me?

"Karen's granddaughter is just a hoot."

(Real statement... by a lady who wears head to toe cheetah print.)

And you know what? I am a hoot. 

But I understand a lot of you guys are 19 and out of high school and don't really know who you are outside of your friends- and that is ok! Try out stuff. Always wanted to wear loud jewelry and be eccentric? Do it. Want to have pink hair and tattoos and work exclusively with punks in London? Do it. 

Know who you are as soon as you can, and do whatever makes you happy.

Look, I'm the guy who over packs to go to the beach, I'm the one with snacks in her purse, I make peach sweet tea on the regular, I read teen novels (*cough*Pretty Little Liars*cough*), and watch Mad Men.

I'm that guy.

Now you just need to figure out what guy you are.

-SamanthaK

Talkin' 'Bout FUNraising!

Talkin' 'Bout FUNraising!

It has come upon us my friends...

It's FUNraising!

Some of you might be new to my blog and you're probably asking yourself why I spelled "fundraising" wrong. (Which, side note, no I didn't.)

For a few months out of every year, all of the Paul Mitchell schools team up to raise money- benefiting a multitude of charities like the Morris Animal Foundation, Cancer Schmancer, and Gary Sinise Foundation.

For a list of all the charities Paul Mitchell is supporting for 2014, as well as a list of previous supported charities, check out the website:

http://www.magicofmemories.com/charities

And in addition to that, the Fresno school is opting to send a portion of the proceeds to our local Valley Children's Hospital (which, as a patient there before, is really cool).

And one of the cool things about Paul Mitchell being a huge, huge, huge company is that we get a lot of celebrity support, including Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dog), Betty White, Fran Drescher, and Dolly Parton. And of course we are heavily supported by our own Paul Mitchell family like John Paul Dejoria, Winn Claybaugh, Debra Dietrich, etc.

(I made this pic bigger so you could see the amount on this check- $2,668,104. 54. That was in one year! Not even- it was a matter of a couple MONTHS. Isn't that insane?)

And in the last 10 years, this project has raised over $11.2 million- ALL of which went to the listed charities. How amazing is that? The power of our combined schools is amazing.

And the activities the schools plan are amazing and hilarious.

Like Princess Day, where little girls (and boys on Pirate Day!) can come and get their hair styled and enjoy a fun day of activities with crafts and singing...

And of course, they get their picture taken with a few princesses.

(This is one of the Paul Mitchell Fresno Staff's daughter- isn't she precious?)

Then Debra Dietrich comes around to do Trending Tour- which is a 2 day makeup crash course through the basics and includes brushes and tools for you to keep. She's amazing, you can find her professional history online and on imdb.com (she worked on the movie "Milk", which blew my mind). 

Here's one of the owners of Paul Mitchell, D'Ann finishing up Debra's model while Debra checks on her students. 

 Then there was "Throw a Pie at Your Teacher".

This was a great success, can't you tell?

Then if we all remember, there was "One"- which I would talk about but I don't want to ruin the surprise!

I promise you're going to love it though!

Our Fresno school did so many different things to raise money, like raffling off tools, having theme dress-up days, etc and really dedicated ourselves to something we, and the Paul Mitchell company, believe in.

You can also come into the school for a list of happenings in the month (or to drop off a donation!):

5091 North Fresno St., Fresno, Ca, 93710

Or call 559-224-2700 for more info.

And if you'd like to see more about FUNraising, you can visit this website for info about the charities, what FUNraising is all about, and see pictures of the schools putting on events:

http://www.magicofmemories.com/about-us

And if you want to see more about upcoming events, you can also keep checking my blog- you know I'll be covering all the action!

-SamanthaK

My Experience with Paul Mitchell the School Fresno (and Max!)

My Experience with Paul Mitchell the School Fresno

So we all know I'm a Paul Mitchell Alumni. This is not a surprise to anyone.

And as alumni, I have a handful of privileges- one being that I'm allowed to come back if I want to take a class here and there, I'm finally allowed to be friends with my old teachers, and after I graduate (and when I get my first real cosmetology job), I get to come back to school for one day to get a bunch of services for free.

Yeah, being a Paul Mitchell alumni has perks.

So I called up one of the guys from the class I mentored in and basically told him the general idea of what I wanted to do, but I wanted him to be able to do anything he needed more practice in.

So although I'm a student, I still regularly hit up the school here and there to get my nails or hair done, and it never occurred to me until now-

I should review the experience!

And trust me, if you know anything about me by now- I'm brutally honest, pretty critical, and I do my best to remain completely unbiased.

SO LET'S ROCK AND ROLL:

The school is located at 5091 North Fresno St (kind of on the corner of Shaw and Fresno) and features a very normal looking salon in the front.

You can take a virtual tour of the salon on this website:

http://fresno.paulmitchell.edu/about/about-our-school

Behind all the salon fronts lies classrooms in the back for students to take scheduled classes:

See? Here's me assisting for Debra Dietrich. You can tell I'm assisting by the nervous weird way I'm standing and the 10 pounds I had lost in the process of being nervous.

In terms of the staff- everyone seems really helpful, and even the owners come though periodically to check things out.

See here? This is D'Ann, she owns the school and yet still comes into classes all the time.

And the students, of course, are hit and miss. Some are really active and others kind of mill around and look busy- which is normal at any school, university, or frankly any workplace I've ever been to.

So let's do a breakdown:

The salon in the front parts of the school seem very clean. Students clean up their stations after they've had a guest, and they even clean the front desks and product shelves- which to me says a lot. Coming into a clean environment, especially when it comes to a business where your hands and tools are going to be touching my head, is really important to me. 

The staff at the front desk are very accommodating. When I first called in to book my appointment, they were very cheerful and genuinely wanted to get me booked in and when I showed up on a busy Saturday they were still sure to say hi and that they'd be with my as soon as possible. AGAIN, that is something I really appreciate. You can't even believe the amount of times I've gone in a salon only to stand there while some high school kid files their nails or plays around with their phone- ignoring me in the process. (Meanwhile, there's like, no one else in the room so it makes it even MORE uncomfortable. Like, how much energy are you really devoting to ignoring me? That's insane.)

Cause let's face it- as a customer (and especially as a woman), I want to see a clean salon and a nice staff. Honestly. I could have left with a hole in my head and as long as someone greeted me kindly and said "thank you" on the way out, I wouldn't care.

So now let's talk about the "future professionals"/students/stylists:

In an effort to write this review, I looked up yelp reviews to see what other people were saying. (Counter productive? Maybe. Whatever. Shush.)

You know what comfused me the most?

Customers actually went into a SCHOOL thinking they were going to get the best damn haircut of their lives.

Seriously?

Did you miss the fact that this is a school? Generally, depending on who you get, you'll on average get a student who's been there a couple months. Did you think Paul Mitchell himself came down from the heavens and instilled his knowledge in their brains the minute they walk through the door?

I'm laughing, seriously. 

Would you go to a student dentist and expect the best crown on your tooth? Would you expect a kid who just learned to play basketball to get a slam dunk and make the backboard shatter glass? 

No.

So stop acting dumb.

You genuinely have to go into the school with a little bit of an iron stomach- and it's not because you're going to end up bald, or with green hair, or with anything crazy. You honestly need a stomach because they need you to. Those students are insanely worried every time you come in (I know because I asked and also because I was a student too). They want to give you the best experience they can on what little experience they know.

And don't panic, there's always a teacher 2 steps away quietly watching them work- ready to step in at any second. 

So anyway, I sat down in my chair and I had requested to get Max, a student I had formerly mentored while I was still there.

If you're seriously interested in getting a service done in the next 5 months while he's still at school- ask for Max. He is incredibly sweet and he's not afraid to ask for help when he needs it. I would definitely say he's one of those students who takes his job seriously (maybe too seriously, calm down Max! <3) and will bend over backwards for a guest. It also helps that he has that Disneyland- can-do attitude.

So we started with a basic facial and I have to say- it was awesome. It's sort of rare that I get to zone out and relax and Max was really awesome about making sure it was nice and quiet, that I didn't get overheated by the steam, and that generally I was comfortable and having a nice experience. Before the service, they have you fill out a questionnaire that helps them tailor their Dermologica products specifically to your needs.

I can't even tell you how nice my skin felt afterword. It was like baby's butt.

Then we moved onto my hair and honestly, I felt so bad for Max. I came in with dark roots and blonde hair that had basically turned yellow and although he seemed concerned the whole time- he did a fabulous job.

Before: Ugly, gross, crack addict blonde

After: super pretty, ash blonde that actually matched my natural coloring VERY well.

I got a lot of complements on my hair the last few days.

And the whole time my hair was being colored, treated and played with, there were teachers coming in and out to check on what we were doing and I had students ask if I needed water, magazines, and frankly just hung around to talk. (I'm alumni and Max is popular, you understand. *hair flip*)

So really, I had an awesome experience. Paul Mitchell really has a way of encouraging its students to be kind, helpful, and positive- even if you can tell they're panicking on the inside.

BUT HERE'S SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

These are people who are extremely new to the cosmetology world- and therefore they are going to look like you've ran over their dog pretty much 99% of the time. And they are going to go slow. Your highlights will probably be a 3 hour appointment. Your haircut will go painfully slow. It's normal. Just budget your time and bring in a magazine.

You are totally allowed to request a particular person. You not doomed to have a stranger every single time. If your friends' kid is a student, or you just know someone there, or you went once and want the same person again- you can ask for them. The front desk is really good about that. And on the flip-side, if you had someone you didn't really gel with, you can ask for a new student for next time. Again, the front desk is really good about that. (But I will say this, give them a chance. You never know that they're gonna learn in a month.)

When you're doing your consultation, the student and teacher who are assigned to you will at one point turn to each other and start talking crazy Paul Mitchell jargon like "diagonal slices" and "triangular layers with a square one length". I promise as much as it sounds like nonsense to you, it makes perfect sense to them. It's just how they learn to do their cuts and colors. 

They don't know what you want unless you tell them. They are not nearly experienced enough to ask you the right questions and frankly, they aren't mind readers. Bring in pictures, tell them how much time you actually spend doing your hair, and try to be nice about the experience. They're doing their best and they want you to be happy. If you don't like something, tell them so they have time to fix it. There's nothing they can do at 5pm when the doors are about to close and they've already finished your appointment.

So really, just keep in mind it's a school. These are kids who are excited and new, and there's always teachers there who ARE experienced to help and to guide them. As a customer you kind of just have to go along for the ride, but I promise you'll end up with something you love.

-SamanthaK

Review Time: DevaCurl Discovery Kit

Review Time: DevaCurl Discovery Kit

Ok, so we all know I love me some Paul Mitchell. I do. And when the curls line stuff (finally) came out I was all on board. When my hair was long and healthy, it would curl up like no other and looked really amazing.

See?

The creams were doing what they were supposed to do. 

(I will put a disclaimer here though- I wasn't using the curls line shampoo or conditioner)

So lemme back up and spin you a tale.

Awhile ago, I lightened my hair to almost platinum. It was a long process, I had to do it twice, and by the end of it (despite all my hair staying on my head and not falling out as it probably should have) I had barely any curl left. Which is sad, because I wear my hair curly 99% of the time, and if I can swing it- I let it air dry.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, I had to switch gears. I reached for my curls line stuff and it was just not doing anything. That stuff if legit when it comes to your hair being in good shape and crazy curly- because the creams really just shape and take away frizz. It's not really great for bringing unhealthy hair back to life. It just isn't.

I had heard a lot about DevaCurl but I was always really on the fence. Curls stuff really never seems to nail it for me. It's either too light, too heavy, not enough moisture, or too much moisture and doesn't actually "clean" your scalp. It's just tough when your hair isn't really curly and isn't really wavy either.

But when I went to look at the box, I was actually surprised to see the logo at the bottom saying it was for all curl types- even barely a wave.

So the kit comes with 5 items:

No-Poo Conditioning Cleanser (shampoo)

One Condition (conditioner)

Light Defining Gel

Frizz-Free Volumizing Foam

The DevaTowel

And here are the claims. It's a 3 step process (which is silly, like, all hair care stuff sort of boils down to shampoo, conditioner, and styling products, but whatever), and it's supposed to work no matter what your curl type is.

SO LET'S CHECK THIS OUT.

The No-Poo and One Condition work really well. I won't say I'm a big fan of the sulfate free shampoos (like, the shampoos that don't lather), but this was actually really nice. I felt like my hair was actually clean and it didn't feel gunk-y. I even used it on 3 day old hair just to see if it had the cleaning power and it actually did. I was shocked. And the conditioner felt really nice! It was on the thicker side, slid through my hair nicely and when I rinsed it out, it felt like my hair was noticeably softer.

Now when it came to the styling products I was a little on the fence. Here's the deal- I hate gel on curly hair. I really do. It seems to always get crunchy and create sort of a hot mess- but this actually worked out nicely. It wasn't sticky or gross, it spread through the hair without a problem and it didn't feel like a million pounds. The foam on the other hand- I don't know if this worked out for me so much- just because my hair is very processed and needs some extra love (oils, creams, whatever), but I will say this- the foam is very light and weightless and would be great if my hair wasn't a huge hot mess. I think if I had used my beloved Awapuhi Hydrocream whip from Paul Mitchell instead, it probably would have made this the right combo.

I am a firm believer in the towel makes a huge difference. When my hair was long and amazing and looked like a damn mermaid, I would use old t-shirts to dry my hair to keep my curls looking nice.

Honestly, this towel is a glorified t-shirt. I will say though, it's very absorbent and I felt like it dried my hair WAYYYYY faster than a t-shirt. In fact, I left it on my head too long a couple times and my hair was crazy dry.

SO HERE'S WHA-HA-HAPPENED:

I wrapped my hair in the towel by tying the opposite ends together once I got out of the shower. I put all the products in and sort of scrunched it a bit and then left it the hell alone.

I took a nap with the dog for awhile and read a book and generally had a nice day off.

 Here is is mostly dry. The whole process up until this point was a toss up for me because my hair felt gross. It was dry and straw-like and I was really getting agitated with the whole thing. (plus my nap sort of flattened the back, which was dumb of me).

But then it dried completely and my hair was crazy soft. It was light and fluffy like cottom candy and the curl was 100% stronger than it was just air drying it with my normal products. My curls came back after one round with the DevaCurl stuff! It was ridiculous.

So here's my verdict:

The shampoo and conditioner are awesome. I would definitely go with that (especially since the conditioner also has instructions for how to use it has a leave in). 

As for styling products, I mean, they're ok. DevaCurl has more styling products with different end goals so I might switch to something else they carry- like the styling creams or something. I like that the ones I got were light and weightless, but right now my hair is just too dry and needs more hydration.

DevaCurl also has a really interesting diffuser attachment for your blow dryer as well, which would be really interesting to play with- but for the purposes of this review, I wanted to show how it worked just on its own without help.

So get your curl on, and make your life easier,

-SamanthaK