How to find the one (the one being your new curly specialist)
Have you been dreaming about the perfect curly hair cutter? The one that will understand what exactly your hair needs? How does one find the right fit? Where oh where are they?!
Meet your perfect match: at Union Beauty, you have five curly specialists to choose from.
Let’s first get down to some basics. Everyone has a hair type, texture, and density. Type refers to the pattern of your individual hairs, often defined as straight, wavy, curly, or coily. Texture refers to the width of the hair strand itself. Your hair could have fine, medium or coarse texture. And lastly, density refers to how many total hairs you have on your head. One could have thin, medium, or thick hair density. Bringing language to our hair is empowering because it leads us on a path toward supportive haircare.
Here’s what’s tricky: Most people have multiple types and textures throughout their hair. Cue the curl specialist! Curly experts evaluate your individual curl pattern and offer advice about the most suitable haircut for your ideal look. They suggest a homecare regiment that supports your scalp, strands, and styling. We think of it as a collaboration, since most curly clients have a wealth of knowledge of products and styling they’ve tried, some with great success, and some more mixed.
We chat with all five of our curly cutting experts at Union Beauty. Each offers a different and unique approach. Read on to find your curly cutting match!
Angela
Angela describes her style as “maximum ease.” Greatly influenced by her apprenticeship under master stylist Antonio Prieto, Angela learned the value of crafting haircuts that suit her individual clients that grow out beautifully. This early training still guides her curly cuts, the end result being styles with weightless structure. As the owner of Union Beauty, Angela is a hair nerd who deeply values education. You can expect an appointment experience which is informative and supportive (and you’ll end up with a kickass haircut).
To begin her curly cut, Angela consults with her clients and looks at how their hair naturally falls. She discusses their goals, home care, and how much time they want to put into styling. Angela’s order of operations varies based on the client. Most commonly, she cuts the hair dry, shampoos with scalp exfoliant, cuts the hair wet, rinses and then performs the “wet set.” Here, she applies a cocktail of R+Co Turntable and Motorcycle and shapes the hair before diffusing. Once the hair is dry, she details the cut to catch any areas that may need to blend better into the overall shape.
With experience cutting all types of hair, Angela is very capable of deploying techniques on curly hair that might be helpful from designing other hair types. Sometimes if a stylist has been trained in a particular curly technique, their shapes are all similar. She can truly customize your look for you, making each cut highly personalized.
Angela prefers for clients to arrive with freshly washed hair (within the last 2-3 days) with their usual styling.
Betina
Betina’s curly haircutting style is best described as shape-driven and structural. With a foundation influenced by Vidal Sassoon, Betina’s cutting is precise. Her most recent influence comes from her training at Rezo Academy which emphasizes a focus on curl variation and cutting according to pattern. Here at Union Beauty, Betina is a stylist favorite for cutting their own hair. Her attention to detail and collaborative energy ensure that you’ll get a cut that you love.
Betina approaches her curly cuts depending on the needs of her clients. For tighter curls, Betina will cut dry, wash, cut wet, diffuse, and then check her work once the hair is dried. If the curl is looser, or wavy, she will start cutting the hair wet which allows for greater control (helpful when trying to achieve more precise looks, such as a bob). For a true curl, Betina will style by applying product to wet hair and finger curling the hair back to its natural state. Then, she will diffuse. However, for hair that is coily or kinky, finger curling will not match the pattern. Instead, she diffuses and gently encourages the hair into shape. Her go-to R+Co pre-curl cream is Surreal and her favorite product hack is using Aircraft as a finisher. Apply into hands, emulsify, and you have yourself a touchable pommade mousse.
What makes Betina’s approach to curly hair unique is that she incorporates all of the techniques she has learned. Her haircuts are not one size fits all. Betina also encourages her clients to see how the cut feels after they wash and wear with their own styling. If the curls fall slightly different after their own styling, she advises her clients to come back for a complimentary adjustment.
Betina prefers her clients to come to the salon with their hair air-dried without any product.
Ebony
Ebony loves creating what feels like a topiary for her curly cuts. She aspires to the precision of barbers in how she approaches her shaping and tapering. Watching Ebony cut curly hair is like witnessing a sculptor– engrossed in her task and looking at all the details.
Primarily, Ebony cuts curly hair dry, but this all depends on how the client wears their hair. If the client styles both curly and straight, she will cut dry and then wet. She’ll apply Sun Catcher Spray and Turntable. After diffusing, Ebony loves On a Cloud Oil which adds shine and moisture to the finished set.
Unlike her colleagues, Ebony prefers that you arrive with how you wear your hair 90% of the time. This guides her consultation and how she ultimately will cut the hair. Ebony encourages her clients to embrace their preferred style. If you love wearing your hair in a ponytail, then she wants to work with that. In addition, sometimes a new style is trending (such as the center part), but this style might not be the best solution for you. Ebony is happy to help guide you to the look that will serve you best. This is where Ebony excels as an educator, teaching clients about curly hair care and maintenance. She explains how the curl pattern changes across the head and offers tools to work with how your hair naturally lays.
Ebony describes her cutting style as 100% personalized. Your hair should look like you. An enhanced you, for ultimate hotness ;)
Jill
Jill’s approach to curly hair is artistic while being infinitely practical. She experiments and then hones in on what works best. She describes her style as in-alignment with her clients’ needs. Exclusively curated and fitting for you with maximum “en-curl-agement.”
Jill’s first question for clients: how do you like to wear your hair? Are you someone who wears your hair curly all the time? Or would you like the option to blow-dry your hair, and wear your cut both curly and straight? This will dictate how Jill approaches her cut.
Jill looks at the tightness of the curl pattern. Tighter curls are more prone to shrinkage; this determines her order of operations. On coily, kinky, and length conscious clients, she cuts dry. Otherwise, Jill typically cuts wet which allows for more control. She will then diffuse and check her work once the hair is dry.
What makes Jill’s approach unique? She has a solid foundation in cutting straight hair which taught her about angles. She applies this attention to detail to curly cuts. Jill loves how every curly head is different which means each curly cut has variation.
To top it all off, Jill is our resident product knowledge scholar. Have a product question? Jill’s got the answer. She knows the ins and outs of the R+Co line and can offer you a product best for your texture, type, and styling needs. One of Jill’s favorites: Velvet Curtain. A fantastic finisher to break the cast and add detail to fine curly hair.
Laurie
