When I Grow Up: Careers in Beauty

Karen Wallace

Independent Hairstylist

Education:

Bossier Parish Community College ∙ John Jay Beauty College

Certification:

Louisiana Board of Cosmetology License

@karenshair

Photo by Cameron Blake

Professional Journey:

Professional journey: Growing up in North Louisiana, most girls I was friends with went into teaching, nursing, or the beauty industry after high school. But I was trying to be different and went to college for ceramics and psychology. Then I started a band and worked in restaurants to pay for school. It was too hard to do it all, so I decided to leave school and focus on music, and then the obvious was to move to New Orleans! After playing music for a few years here, my bandmates and I decided that the next best move for our music career was to relocate to New York City. But before I went, I fell in love, so I ended up only going to NYC for a summer. Instead of bringing my boyfriend, now husband, to NYC, we decided to start a family in New Orleans.

After I had my gorgeous daughter, who will be 10 this summer, I felt it was time to get a more sustainable job for my family instead of working late night hours. I decided to go to beauty school, like a lot of my friends. Unfortunately, that meant stepping away from making music, but hair had always been a passion of mine. I loved cutting my friends’ hair growing up, always cut my own hair, and did everyone’s hair and makeup for my band’s shows.

After a long journey of training, one year of beauty school, one year training at Fifi Mahony’s, and a one-year apprenticeship at Paris Parker, I learned that I picked the best possible career for myself. It turns out over a decade working in the restaurant industry, performing music all those years, the psychology I studied, and the sculpting I learned with ceramics were a perfect recipe for making me a hairstylist.

During the pandemic, I learned a lot about what I wanted out of life, and one thing I really wanted was to work for myself, be my own boss. Terrified but determined, I left Paris Parker and went on my own journey. From there all sorts of doors started opening. I started renting a chair at Factotum Barber. I had always wanted to work in a barber shop, even though I’m not a barber. I started working on movie sets, doing beautiful photo shoots for magazines, doing hair for music videos, travelling to do hair, and teaching classes. A lot of my clients are musicians, so I always get to go to cool shows and festivals. Becoming my own boss allowed me to have the flexibility to work when I wanted and take the kinds of jobs I wanted. It’s been the best decision I ever made.

Necessary Qualifications:

You need to go to beauty school to get your license if you want to do cut or color. You don’t have to get a license if you’re just styling and want to work in film or fashion. And although it’s not a requirement, you have to apprentice, even after going to beauty school. It’s where you really learn how to do hair. Paris Parker was amazing for that. I was so lucky to have been paired with Chris Guidry as my mentor. I still call him for advice and continue to learn from him.

Must-have Skills:

You must be confident, very self-motivated, and humble because it’s a forever journey of learning. You’re never going to be perfect, and trends will always change. You need to have great communication and people skills, and you can’t be arrogant, because doing hair is a collaboration between you and the client—you both want to be happy with the results. Anyone can train to be an excellent stylist, but it’s the connection that you make with your clients that allows you to have a successful career.

Most Challenging:

I am horrible at all the administrative work, the emailing, the ordering products, the schedule. That’s the hardest part about working for yourself. I will feel like I’ve really made it when I can hire an assistant.

Most Fun:

I love making people feel good. I love doing a big ol’ chop and when the client and I are just beaming with how much we both love it! It feels so good. Also, seeing my finished product after insanely long and exhausting hours on sets for film, music videos, or photo shoots is totally exhilarating! The most fun is all the perks, like getting flown out to a cool city or going to cool parties and concerts. Having very talented clients and going to their events is so fun.

Work-life Balance:

When I first started out, I said yes to everything, and I started to burn out. It was making me not enjoy what I love doing. During the pandemic, I realized that my family is most important and decided to never put work before spending time with them again. So I learned to say no. One time, I got asked to do this famous musician’s hair before one of their concerts, but I had plans to take my daughter out that night. I called my husband and told him who the musician was and how cool it was going to be, but he reminded me how excited my daughter was for our date, so I had to call the hot musician back and decline the job. It was totally worth it to spend time with my daughter instead.

Common Misconception:

That hairstylists are crazy! Lol. I guess we kind of are. No, seriously, what a lot of people don’t realize is that doing hair is only half the work. You have to hustle to work. You don’t get paid if you don’t have someone in your chair, so you need to bust your butt to get your clients. That’s the hardest part of the job.

Advice:

You need to love it and play the long game. You’re not going to make good money in the beginning. But when you start making money, you can only go up from there. The beauty industry is a $100 billion industry. You can make as little or as much as you want. You just have to be dedicated. If you’re interested in the beauty world, I say go for it! There’s no better career in the world. It’s physically and mentally hard work, but it really is so fun.

DeQuindra “Dee” Rouzan

CEO & Founder of Faces of Virtue

Education:

University of New Orleans ∙ Webster University ∙ Pat Goins Beauty School

Degrees and Certification:

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration + Master of Business Administration +
Louisiana Board of Cosmetology License

@facesofvirtue

Photo by Josh Brasted

Professional Journey:

Since I was a young girl, I have always loved beauty. I remember spending the summer months in Texas. I admired my cousin and wanted to emulate everything she did. I would sit for hours in the bathroom and watch her and her friends put on makeup to go out on the town! I knew at 12 years old: This is what I want to do! I would watch them and mimic everything they did. My love for beauty came from women I admire—my mom, aunt, and cousin.

I also always had a fascination with hair. My career began with a love of hair, then makeup. When I moved to New Orleans, I scoped out the scene and noticed a hair salon on practically every corner. I realized I needed to do something different. I decided to continue my education at the University of New Orleans, where I received my bachelor’s degree in business administration. I still loved hair and makeup though; that yearning never went away. I would often do hair and makeup for close friends and family. I was still determining which genre of makeup I wanted to focus on. I did EVERYTHING from avant-garde to theatrical. When I traveled to a makeup show in New York, I discovered I wanted to focus on bridal. Through bridal, I realized it was okay to elevate women’s beauty instead of transforming them into someone else. That’s my niche market. My clientele today are women who don’t want transformation; they want elevation into a better version of themselves.

Regrets:

None. Everything I experienced in my past has brought me to where I am today.

Alternative Career:

I probably would have worked in project management, which I’m technically doing now. Lol.

Most Fun:

I love meeting people. I’m an extrovert, so being exposed to many different people is a lot of fun. I also enjoy being part of different genres, like the NFL, NBA, special events, and photo shoots.

Work-life Balance:

Faces of Virtue is my baby. It’s hard for me to turn it off. Faces of Virtue is my brand; the buck stops with me at the end of the day. If I let things fall by the wayside, my brand and name are on the line. Since the pandemic, I’ve been better about creating a work-life balance. Before Covid, it was nonstop, and it was rinse and repeat. Covid made everything stop, and I realized that life is short and that we must cherish our moments. I couldn’t keep working the way I had been working. I was forced to slow down and breathe. Now I can recognize when I am slipping back into pre-Covid work mode. I’ll catch it and stop and take a break.

Common Misconception:

That it’s easy! Everyone thinks they can be a hairstylist or a makeup artist, but they often lack business savvy. It’s more than the artistry; it’s also the business. They need to co-exist.

Advice:

Find a great mentor who is already doing what you want to do. Approach them and ask if they are open to mentoring you. Having someone who can teach you everything that beauty school will not show you is essential. The lack of not having a mentor will cause you to learn everything the hard way. There are several new concepts, tips, and tricks that are outside the cosmetology curriculum.

Learn the ins and outs of the beauty profession and join a group that supports you. Many are out there, and I’m a member of The Powder Group. Our community is the industry’s most connected, supportive, and celebrated pro makeup artist community.

We hope to help you all figure out what you want to be when you grow up. Find out about different career paths from amazingly talented and successful NOLA women in every issue of Geaux Girl! and get inspired.

A big shout-out to Geaux Girl! Teen Advisory Council member Lucy Rhodes for leading the interview with Ms. Dee.