KL Christoffersen of Cheeky Strut Salon in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is best known for her coined way of highlighting hair, fluid hair-painting, which uses a balayage-esque painting technique while the client is reclined at the edge of a color table.

 

Last year, MODERN sourced a photo of the technique to Christoffersen. We reached out to her for a Q&A, posted the interview online and the rest was history. The article was picked up by Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, InStyle and more, sending Christoffersen, and her Instagram handle, @mermicornhair, into viral internet stardom.

 

Fluid hair-painting was something she dreamed up close to two years ago, and it made for an amazingly Instagram-worthy photo. When posting her work, Christoffersen stresses authenticity.

 

“Share from the parts of your work that bring you joy,” she says. “Don’t get sucked into doing what everyone else is doing. If you see something that piques your interest, try it, share it and give credit to who inspired you.”

Beauty school: Newaygo Career Tech Center (during high school)

Follow: Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat: @mermicornhair; Periscope: mermicorn; YouTube: cheekystrut; Facebook: Klchristoffersen

Instagram: 77k followers

Best known for: Color, fluid hair painting

Most viral post: “When MODERN SALON shared my fluid hair-painting post.”

Favorite apps: Videoshop, Phhhoto, Fyuse, Enlight

Favorite hashtags: #stylistssupportingstylists

Who you follow: “I love watching @phildoeshair, @gina.devine, @kienhoang, @domdomhair, @hairsalonm.”

Passion other than beauty: “I do not cook, but I sure do love to eat, and thankfully, I’m marrying an amazing man who makes magical dishes just for me. Check out @saltchef to see what I’m talking about.”

How social media changed your life: “I’ve been able to have conversations and build on ideas with so many people in our industry whom I never would have been able to before. I love being able to bounce ideas or share my process with other people that are hungry to grow their craft. It’s given me a higher sense of community within our industry.”

Favorite products: My Amazing Blow Dry Secret. “It’s an amazing way to give full body blowouts while cutting out 70% of your drying time.”

Shout out to someone who helped you along the way: “@gina.devine, hands down. That woman is one of the most supportive, talented, inspiring, motivating, encouraging artists out there. She has an eye for the underdog artists in our industry, and she has been so encouraging to me and my work since the very beginning.”

 

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