Salon professionals are faced with challenges on a regular basis. Whether it’s hair, makeup, skin or nails, you, the beauty expert, are put in the position to make or break the experience for the client—and yourself! According to Nick Stenson, it’s all about managing client expectations in the consultation.

What do you do when a client walks in wanting something requiring you to challenge yourself? “This is all too common—real people with real issues,” says Nick Stenson, senior creative director for The Salon By InStyle inside JCPenney. “How you react to these salon problems is what makes you the star and makes you stand out from the competition.”

Stenson has earned his expertise after years working as a salon owner, educator and leading the education team for The Salon By InStyle. “Everyday we hear clients say they can’t have the hair they see on the covers of magazines. It’s our responsibility to make clients feel like a cover model.”

Stenson realized he had his work cut out for him after meeting his models for this session, but he was up for the challenge.

“The consultation will make or break the experience for both of you,” Stenson says. “You have to love working with her as much as she loves working with you. You have to listen before you speak and learn her non-negotiables. Ask yourself, ‘Can I meet these expectations?’ Always have a solution, even if it’s not her original plan.” Stenson points out that these are the obstacles, but the best professionals have solutions. “Be realistic about the end result. If the hair’s integrity will be compromised with her original vision, she will likely prefer healthy hair.”

DUSTY ROSE
Model Larissa is a typical real-salon challenge. She arrived at the studio with over-processed platinum hair with a grown-out undercut and fried lengths. “She thought she would only look good as a blonde,” Stenson, says. “But the goal was to give her something fashionable and healthy.”

Larissa was thrilled with the plan, but after the root applica-tion, expressed concern—a lot of concern. “She could not see through to the end result,” Stenson says. “She thought we were taking her dark brown. It’s hard for a non-professional to understand what goes on during the color process. We have to help her retrain her eye and give her a moment to adjust.”

Stenson points out that blondes are used to having light sitting right next to the skin.

“It’s about adjusting levels of highs and lows and refocus-ing the light.” This is accomplished, in this case, by adding a root shadow and then going back in over the root with a pink hue to add life and a translucent eff ect back to the base. That shade is then added to the lengths, diluted, and alternated with a light peach for a multi-dimensional tone. The goal was to turn the hair into a healthy looking fashionable shade, in this case, a dusty pink, packed with shine and dimension.

For more information and step-by-steps on the other looks, visit our September Digital Edition.

Hair: Nick Stenson assisted by Viktoriya Yeremchuk | Photographer: Roberto Ligresti | Makeup: David Maderich for camerareadycosmetics.comFashion stylist: Rod Novoa | Nails: Narina Chan