
How to Build a Sustainable Beauty Career Without Burning Out
LifeSpa leader Ali Yanez explains why strong mentorship, predictable income, meaningful recognition and the right work environment help beauty professionals build careers that last.
Patrick McIvor's blog on Grammy Hair. Inside, McIvor comments on Florence Welch, Faith Hill, Katy Perry and Natalie La Rose.

With the most guest friendly hair in years, the stars at the Grammys looked soft with volumes of beautiful, sexy, believable hair color that would make any guest happy. Red, brown or blonde, it was the subtle tone on tone whispers throughout the hair surrounded in glass like shine that left many dresses competing for the spot light. This year, haircolor didn't say, “Hello” before the stars did and highlights weren’t waving at us. Instead, it was simple elegance that captured our eye, the same beautiful hair color that inspires our guests everyday. Lets take a look at four of my favorites.
Florence Welch
I love Florence's red because it’s just about perfect for everyone that can be red - it’s red, but not too red or unnaturally red. You could use a demi like Colorance or permanents like Topchic MaxRedsor Nectaya, or even a direct dye color like Elumen. As a colorist, I like having multiple ways to create success, and depending on the guest’s natural color and percentage of gray, there are so many options today. That’s why Florence gets my favorite red.
Faith Hill
Faith is class, elegance and beauty. In the past, she has veered from her signature “country” blonde to something edgier and it just didn't seem to work. This year was different. Instead of a bleach blonde choppy bob, faith went to the dark-side and it worked. It wasn’t lowlights, it was some highlights and a glaze on everything else and it was perfect. Not too light, not too dark, and next to Katy Perry she was still blonde, but at a distance she could be a very sexy brunette. What’s great is it works either way and is beautiful everyday, just like it would be on many guests. If you have a guest that is unsure and doesn't have faith the color would look good, give them Faith and show them how good some depth can make them look.
Katy Perry
I loved how Renato Campora styled Katy Perry’s hair with KMS California products for the Grammys. Her hair shined like glass, yet had texture at the same time, something very hard to do. As a colorist, one way I love to do this is with chemistry, using color to close the cuticle and increase depth, richness and shine. Here’s what you need - a 3.5 pH and ionically charged direct dye in natural tones. It closes the cuticle (3.5pH), deposits further into the cortex (ionic charge) and is available in 25+ intermixable colors from black, browns, blondes and reds to pink, blue, green, even turquoise and clear, and it’s called ELUMEN. When you have the right chemistry, magic happens.
Natalie La Rose
The look of the night goes to Natalie La Rose. When she showed up on the red carpet she owned everything, including Flo Rida. Her hair was reminiscent of Chaka Khan, but the difference is, she wore this hair. It was a subtle color with strong undertones that spoke softly until the light hit her curls just right and then it was fire that just captivated your eye. This again, is where I would go with new technology - first add some Topchic MaxReds balayage highlights to illustrate the curls and then an Elumen RR@all overlay.
This year, the Grammys set the stage by asking the artists to hold themselves to a level of appropriateness. Now I am not a prude, but it was nice to be able to see a variety of artists in a context that the whole family could enjoy. This year, I felt the same about the hair color, there were no extremes or stripy looks (though Kelly Clarkson was a little blorandish), instead there were hair colors everyone in the family loved and wanted, and ultimately that’s how most of us make money, keeping the families in our communities looking beautiful. Let me know whose hair you loved!

LifeSpa leader Ali Yanez explains why strong mentorship, predictable income, meaningful recognition and the right work environment help beauty professionals build careers that last.

Whether a beauty professional chooses a commission salon, booth rental, salon suite or salon ownership, the common thread is having more choices than ever before.

Sport Clips Haircuts will host its inaugural "Level Up Live," a first-of-its-kind virtual event that combines live haircutting education, career inspiration, product knowledge, and employment opportunities for licensed stylists and cosmetology students nationwide.

Orthopedic PT reveals three daily exercises plus ergonomic advice that can help salon professionals avoid the aches and injuries caused by standing, bending and repetitive overhead work.

Four publications for beauty industry professionals to enhance their leadership skills, financial awareness, professional growth, and joy!

Salon suite pioneer Karen Kaminski argues that the next evolution of independent beauty businesses won't be defined by beautiful spaces alone, it will be driven by smarter systems that help professionals spend less time on administrative work and more time serving clients.

At a time when many LGBTQ+ people felt compelled to hide parts of themselves, Carlos Valenzuela found a career in beauty and a community that offered opportunity based on what you could do and how well you could do it.

Whether it's social media, fashion, film, art, or culture, Chaz Dean advises stylists to stay aware of what's inspiring people. Take the elements that make sense for you in these five lessons learned through a life in beauty.

For Jessica Domoney, building a successful career isn't about saying yes to every opportunity, it's about protecting your time, investing in yourself and creating an experience clients won't forget.

MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.

"The mistake people make is treating AI like a vending machine instead of a personal assistant." Digital marketing expert Scott Moon shares how beauty professionals can use AI while staying authentic

Real-world advice on creativity, consultations, color, burnout, business, boundaries, inclusivity, client care, and career growth from educators and industry experts.

Real-world advice on creativity, consultations, color, burnout, business, boundaries, inclusivity, client care, and career growth from educators and industry experts.

Today's clients are hearing more about longevity, biohacking, inflammation, and healthy aging than ever before. This article explores the science and language behind the skin longevity movement, and what it could mean for client consultations, treatment recommendations, and professional credibility.

Licensed to Thrive, Anna Manukyan's all-in-one beauty career and financial masterclass, is being gifted to professionals who enroll in L'Oreal LEVEL Rewards for a limited time.

From breaking free of external validation to creating joy-based goals, discover a more sustainable and fulfilling path to success.

A full day of education for hairstylists and salon pros focused on pricing, personal branding, client experience, social media, and long-term career growth.