Highbrow Hippie Blog

I’m a workaholic to the core. Part nature, part necessity, laziness and doing the bare minimum isn’t in my dna. With a brand currently in a major growth period, I’ve been in grind mode. The downside - my body gets beaten all the way up, and personal time becomes non-existent. As motherhood is the buzzword this week, I may not mother a child, but I sure as hell mother this business, at times sacrificing my physical health.

It FINALLY feels like spring, and that usually means requests for changing up or adjusting your cut and/or color. Evidenced by Julia Roberts' new modern fringe by Serge Normant, whether the change is big or small, it’s always such a great move to switch things up.

With Julia, as with all my redheads, no two appointments are ever the same, and coloring her hair all these years has really taught me the importance of thinking outside of the box with my formulations, and always leaving room for things to unfold organically as I paint, because that’s usually where the magic occurs.As a colorist, redheads keep your formulating skills sharp, as there is always a balance to strike of when (and where) to hold back and practice restraint in the formula, and when to just go for it and add pops of copper, gold, or auburn. Whether soft and romantic, or bright and electric, it takes a special confidence (unless you’re one of the lucky 1 to 2 % born with it) to pull it off.

We talk a lot around here about our favorite hair care products, routines, and rituals. As Black women, weekly hair rituals have been a part of our experience for as far back as we can remember. From at-home hot oil treatments, scalp massages, and hair steaming to protective styling and DIY hair masks, we've seen and done it all. Not only are these routines a way for us to care for our hair but they're an opportunity to slow down and focus on ourselves as well.

22 years ago almost to the day (half of my lifetime!), I started my career in this building as a shampoo (and eventually color) assistant at Frederic Fekkai. My goodness-the life lessons, the knowledge gained, and the blood, sweat, and tears that happened in this building. PRICELESS. It informs my work ethic to this day, and literally changed my life.