c/cosmetologists

Heard a client say silicone-based primers are killing long-wear makeup - anyone else split on this?

I was doing a bridal trial yesterday and the bride said she read online that silicone primers break down foundation after 8 hours. I've been using a silicone primer for years and my makeup stays put through 12 hour shifts. But then I thought about it, some of my clients with oily skin do seem to have their makeup slide off faster when I use a silicone base. I've also tried water-based primers on a few girls and the wear time was way longer on them. Is this a real thing or just another internet myth? I'd love to hear what other stylists are seeing on their chairs.

Took me 45 minutes to realize I was using the wrong brush for fine hair

I had a client with super fine hair yesterday and spent way too long trying to get a smooth blowout. Kept grabbing my regular round brush and wondering why the sections kept slipping. After fighting with it for 45 minutes I finally swapped to a smaller ceramic brush and it took 10 minutes. Now I feel dumb for not noticing sooner. Anyone else have a brush they should have switched mid-service?

Debate: Did you go with a salon suite rental or stay at a commission shop?

I worked at a commission shop in Columbus for about 2 years but finally switched to a salon suite rental last month. The freedom is nice but man, the overhead hit me harder than I expected like my rent is $800 a month plus supplies. On the other hand I keep 100% of my service price now instead of 40%. Has anyone else made this jump and regretted it or was it worth it for you?

Had a client walk out mid-cut last Tuesday and it was a relief

Overheard a stylist at Ulta in Portland say something that made me rethink my toner routine

I was standing at the register last week and this stylist behind me told her client that toners with blue or purple pigments actually build up over time, not just fade. She said to picture a glass of water with one drop of blue dye - it looks clear, but after 20 drops it's totally blue. That clicked for me because I've been piling on purple shampoo for months and wondering why my blonde went muddy. Has anyone else noticed their toner products leaving a weird cast after consistent use?

My toner turned a client's hair purple last week

I was at my station in Salon Lofts in Austin and grabbed a bottle that looked like my usual violet toner, but it was actually a direct dye I forgot I had mixed. After 10 minutes under the dryer, her highlights were straight Barney purple and I had to strip it with a color remover twice to get it out. Has anyone else grabbed the wrong bottle in a rush and had to fix a disaster like this?

Bleach burn went bad on a client at 4pm yesterday

I was doing a full head of highlights at my station in Salon Lofts Nashville. Client had box dye from 3 months ago that she didn't tell me about. Her scalp started turning red about 10 min in and I rinsed immediately with cool water and low ph shampoo. Put on a soothing protein treatment for 20 min. She was pissed but I comped the service and gave her a free conditioning treatment card. Now I'm paranoid about every new client. Anyone else deal with hidden box dye surprises?

Shoutout to the cheap shampoo that ruined my color job

Used a drugstore clarifying shampoo from CVS on a client and her $200 balayage turned orange in two washes. Has anyone else had a product totally wreck your work like that?

Pricing based on chair rental vs commission - the math surprised me

I was doing my taxes last week and ran the numbers on chair rental vs commission for the first time in 8 years. A stylist I know takes 70% commission at a fancy salon downtown, but I found out that after she pays for her own color, backbar, and the extra self-employment tax, she actually keeps less per hour than I do renting a chair at my spot for $450 a month. The breakdown shocked me because everyone in my salon keeps telling me commission is the only way to go. Has anyone else actually crunched both numbers for their specific city or situation?

Hot take: I actually hate the 60-second processing time rule for demi-permanent colors

I know everyone swears by the whole 'process for exactly 60 seconds and rinse' thing for demi-permanent glosses, but I found a study in the Journal of Cosmetic Science from 2022 that tested processing times on 50 women in Chicago. Turns out, letting it sit for 5 minutes gave way better shine and color deposit without damaging the hair. I tried it on my last three clients and the results were night and day - smoother finish, less fading after two weeks. Has anyone else experimented with longer processing times?

Blew out my curling iron on a client at 3pm yesterday

I was doing a full head of spiral curls for a bride's trial at the salon in Nashville and the clamp snapped right off mid-roll, so I just switched to flexi rods on the fly and finished the whole thing in 40 minutes instead, has anyone else had a tool fail mid-service and had to jury-rig it with whatever was on your station?

The way new stylists taper necks is driving me crazy

I keep seeing girls out of beauty school doing these harsh, blunt lines at the nape instead of a proper taper. My salon in Portland gets walk-ins from three different schools and I've fixed 12 bad tapers this month alone. Who told yall a straight line across the back of the neck is acceptable? Seriously asking because I want to send them a strongly worded email.

Tried a new bond builder and my toner turned purple on a level 6 base

Mixed in the bond additive straight into my color like I always do, but this one from a different brand reacted with the toner and turned my client's hair purple. Has anyone else had an additive mess with their formula like that?

Vent: Overheard a stylist pushing a $200 clarifying treatment on a teen with damaged hair

I was at a supply shop in Raleigh last week and heard a stylist bragging to her friend about selling a full detox package to a 16-year-old whose hair was already fried from box dye. Has anyone else seen this kind of upselling getting out of hand lately?

Spent 4 hours figuring out why my color was pulling green on a level 8 client

She had a lot of warm undertone from previous box dye and I used an ash base. Should have known better but the lighting in my booth is trash. Anyone else deal with this or do I just need better lights?

Finally seeing progress on my balayage after 3 months

I've been practicing balayage on my sister for the last 3 months and this week the color actually melted right instead of looking like stripes. She said it finally looks like something she'd pay for. Anyone else have a technique that just clicked one day out of nowhere?

My mentor told me to stop using biosilk on every client

Honestly, my first boss swore by biosilk for everything. Tbh, a client came back with buildup so bad I had to clarify her hair 3 times. Has anyone else had a product fail on them that was supposed to be a holy grail?

Thought airbrush makeup was just a gimmick for years... until I did a wedding trial last month

I mean, I've been doing makeup since 2013 and always thought airbrush was just for fancy photoshoots or people who didn't want to learn proper blending. But a bride in Seattle booked me for her wedding back in June and specifically requested airbrush foundation for her whole bridal party. I borrowed my friend's kit and practiced on myself for like 3 nights straight. The coverage was so even and it didn't settle into fine lines at all, even on the mom of the bride who was probably in her late 50s. What really sold me was when the bride was crying happy tears during the ceremony and her makeup didn't budge one bit. Has anyone else had that moment where a technique you dismissed turned out to be surprisingly good?

Switched to sectioning clips instead of butterfly clips for highlights

I used butterfly clips for foils for like 8 years straight. Did a foilayage on a thick-haired client in Austin last Tuesday and kept losing grip on the sections. The butterfly clips kept sliding out and I had to re-part everything twice. A stylist next to me handed me a set of metal sectioning clips and said just try these. Man, they held every section tight and my pattern stayed clean through the whole process. I finished the whole head in under 2 hours instead of my usual 3. Has anyone else made that switch and noticed a difference in speed?

Just realized I was using too much developer in my color formulas

Switched from a 1:2 ratio to 1:1.5 after watching a senior stylist at my salon in Austin nail the same copper shade with way less mess and way more shine, anyone else find they were over-diluting their colors without realizing it?

Client asked for a bob last week, showed me a picture of a pixie cut

I spent 45 minutes explaining the difference and she still said 'just make it like the photo.' Has anyone else dealt with clients mixing up basic haircut terms like that?

Had a client last week who insisted I use a razor comb on her curly hair

I work at a salon in Portland and this woman in her 50s sat down, pointed at her 3C curls, and told me to thin them out with a razor comb. I tried explaining how that can cause breakage and frizz for tight curls, but she got pretty defensive and said her old stylist did it for 10 years. I went ahead and did it her way with a section of hair, let her see the damage in the mirror, and she finally agreed to try shears instead. Does anyone here ever push back on a client's request, or do you just do what they ask to keep the peace?

Tried a razor comb vs texturizing shears on a bob yesterday

The razor comb gave me way more control and a softer finish in half the time. Has anyone else switched to razor combs for short cuts or am I just late to the party?

Used to pile on the hairspray like it was going out of style back in 2013

I remember layering three cans of extra hold on every updo for weddings. Took me getting a complaint from a bride in Dayton about crunchy curls to finally switch. Now I rely on texture sprays and a good setting mist instead. The finish is softer but still lasts through six hours of dancing. What changed your go-to routine for updos?

Overheard a stylist say 'foils are dying out' and it got me thinking

A girl getting her roots done at the chair next to mine asked if balayage was the only option now, and her stylist said foils are basically old news except for blondes under level 7. Has anyone else noticed clients asking for more lived-in looks over full highlights lately?