What's Sabrina Carpenter have to do with acidic bonding concentrate?

I'm getting really good at this product knowledge thing and kind of geeking out over the marketing and branding that our favorite brands are coming up with.

Sabrina Carpenter is the new Redken spokesperson and if you're a parent to a daughter, she's on your Vizio at least once a day. Imagine getting the magazines and store ads for your business profession with whole page spreads of her darling little face; I'm telling you, she's everywhere!

My ears started to perk up when my Daughter started asking questions about this new shampoo, the Acidic Bonding Concentrate line. I'm a minimalist when it comes to my hair. Shampoo, Condition, maybe a leave in conditioner if I'm feeling fancy. Kersey wants to try all the things and being that her hair is mostly natural (bleach out the Faceframe for Fun colors) my brain went to static as I processed what she was alluding to. I explained it away that she didn't need that type for her and too much of one thing can cause damage to hair. In this case, I assume it's protein. The common misconception about haircare is if its damaged, load it with protein treatments or bonding agents. Too many brands are failing to balance their marketing with a fair representation of their products and average consumers don't know what they've never been taught. Add moisture to your strength. Too much strength will just break off the hair.

Redken has a great range of products, Allsoft quickly comes to mind, which help to add those oils into the hair strand, filling in the gaps of the roughed up cuticle. Imagine that it imparts the flexibility and the light reflecting properties for a beautiful shine.

That conversation I had with her was weeks ago and it's been replaying in my mind ever since. I didn't want to go into this piece blind so I looked into the Redken product page and FAQ section for my answers. Of course those were all positive. Can be used daily; some prefer to apply the serum once while others layer for more frizz control. So then I compared Google's Gemini response to the following prompt: have there been reports of hair breakage over the use of Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate haircare line?

To summarize, the reviews are overall positive, some user's have reported hair breakage and other problems.

This line is still young and most adverse reactions can happen months or even years later with prolonged use. Just yesterday, a new guest divulged that her hair suffered after a few years of using DevaCurl. She flinched when I pulled out the Olaplex 9 serum! I don't want to vilify these major brands because they are giving us great stuff; and these same issues occur with "natural haircare" lines or small homemade feel brands.

Maybe it's us.

Just as I suspected, AI inferred that not all react the same, dependent on scalp sensitivity, hair type and textures or even allergies; it is very hard to make a product that is one size fits all. Plus, I believe our skin grows to reject products over time. I switch shampoos about every third wash otherwise I develop scalp acne. Sorry if that's TMI but it's time to get real.

The best thing you can do to ensure healthy hair is pay attention to your results. Don't wait six months to change up a routine because you have a whole bottle of shampoo. Still use it, just alternate that liter with another product type. Remember to balance strength with moisture. Proteins with oils. Starches with healthy fats. And yes, some brands put the quinoa in the shampoo!

So, my final take on the Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate?

Benefits include:

Reduction in Breakage

2x Stronger

14x Smoother

pH Balancing

Of course these are dependent upon using the entire line and results were compared to undamaged hair. -There's always a clause.

Try it, some of my clients are in their first 90 day run and they are feeling pretty positive about it. You can quickly build your order using this shopping link below.

https://shop.saloninteractive.com/store/BombshellBeauty/brands/31208

A Beauty Revolution: Where do we go from here?

I can tell you now, the balloon burst in the Summer of 2024. The beauty revolution was happening, you just didn't notice it until the tail end of that weird ass year when clients starting putting their image on the back burner, cancelling their holiday season appointments and if you were lucky, they got back on your books for January. I don't know if it was out of money woes, disinterest or truly people are working themselves sick. I had a few different cases of all these scenarios. I can't blame my salon guests, it's the nature of the economy and these tribulations are really what separate the successful with the non successful in this industry. I smiled, wrote back words of encouragement and told my cancelling clients, "Happy Holidays, I'll see you next year!" I imposed no fees, left no unkind word.

If you have been around since the beginning of Bombshell Beauty, you likely know my story pretty well. I was hell bent on being a salon owner and I finally made the leap when I signed a lease in September 2024. I told a handful of clients that I would be moving but mostly kept it hushed until I found the space and knew when I could open. The furniture shipment was delayed by thirty days, the expenses kept coming in, I needed more storage space and seating for functionality... it was a lot. Thankfully, I have the best team in my Husband and family for putting it all together, throwing money blindly at the cause and turning the dream into reality with every hand assembled station and chair.

The last quarter of 2024 was a doozy, with all the reschedules, cancellations and appointment changes, a less head strong stylist would have thrown in the towel.

Me? Absolutely not.

With a plan in place, 2025 will be the most streamlined my business has ever been. I'm bringing back model calls, where my salon stylists can practice their craft, capture amazing social media and marketing content and hopefully meet new people. The guests get to enjoy the atmosphere, relaxing in a swanky space all while having their hair made over, saving a little bit of money in the process.

I am encouraging Bombshell Beauty stylists to take control of their brands, be the trusted authority in their specialties and create connection with new clients. The look is important, but if you like your stylist, that's icing on the cake. The industry is churning out stylists from hair schools at an alarming rate and the rules and regulations are rapidly changing; so much so that stylists are skeptical of our futures as a state governed board.

There has been so much debate about the pros and cons and I think my favorite one being that eliminating or lowering the requirements to obtain a license eliminates that barrier to entry that a lot of passionate people may face. Income and time being two of the greatest factors.

As an owner looking to hire qualified candidates, I get it! It is incredibly frustrating to hire newly licensed professionals because the difference in studying for the state board test to learning the intricacies of customer service and really applying the skills you spent 1000 hours plus on is like night and day. I am a very intuitive spirit and I know they feel like a fish out of water in these interviews; even worse if they have to demonstrate their technical skills.

My salon is currently interviewing to hire a hairstylist with a clientele and Indeed sent me statistics on my job listings; 65 candidates, and I have successfully hired one stylist. Salon owners and managers get to be choosy in 2025. We are not looking for the top stylist, so don't be in a panic. We are looking for stylists that have a drive to succeed. A no fail mentality and people with an inspiring personality.

Beauty salons are another world all their own and I can't speak for everyone but for Bombshell Beauty, we seem to attract those that need us. The clients that want a color makeover their old stylist was uncomfortable to initiate, or to cut their long flowing hair to their ears. It does go deeper than hair, most of my personal clientele have become confidantes, friends and people that give me really incredible advice.

I absolutely know my mindset plays a huge part in who lands in my chair. Choosing to focus on abundance, give when I have it and it's returned three fold. Usually what I have the most of is life experience and little mosaics are created with it when a client needs me. Divulging their heartbreak, their come-ups and most importantly, the limiting beliefs they may have about themselves. As image makers, hairstylists will have to walk a tight rope in order to balance their career and personal life. Just like tattoo artists, our careers entail opening up and creating relationships with strangers and you have to get real comfortable with someone that is spending 2-4 hours in your chair.

In an effort to make these easily digestible, I encourage a pause here. Some time to reflect with how comfortable you may be with your service professionals. Or how comfortable you are with the idea of creating a whole career of not only building but maintaining a portfolio of enthusiastic guests that essentially help you to create the lifestyle you desire.

If it's truly in you, you'll know.

A Beauty Revolution for 2025!

I figured it wouldn't take long for the backlash to begin around pricing in the beauty industry. Today, stylists are checking one another in social media comment sections with such authority in their opinions, it's almost hard not to get involved. I am one of the crazy ones that seems to look at anything and find a reason to dissent on the views, so here, we, go.

I started cosmetology school young. I didn't even have a driver's license, young. I made huge mistakes, had screaming matches with my peers, threw so much sarcasm at our instructor, I had to apologize out of guilt and shame. I didn't take any of it seriously and completely failed my senior final project. But, I passed that state board test; the written and the practical exam.

In the early 2000's color appointments were 2 hours max. Corrective color was about 3. If you didn't get it by that fourth hour, make another appointment. The prices truly reflected that revolving door policy. It was likely, that client was being double booked with another paying client as well. Thus creating a high stress environment that allowed for the salon and the stylist to earn a living wage. The mental and physical health of the service provider being an after thought in that antiquated business model.

With the introduction of salon suites the model began to shift, allowing the stylist to take the drivers seat on their scheduling, timing and prices. It took some trial and error, juggling their books when beginning but as soon as Covid broke, the entire process hit the breaks and stylists had to rework their booking procedures again. This time, double booking your clients was a no-go, especially in a 42sqft space.

Of course the prices had to increase. Stylists took a hit in their pocket books when they could no longer bring a haircut or a new color retouch in the suite with their first client, thus cutting out 25-50% of their sales. When the world opened back up, we were conditioned for the fallout. Shipping times are delayed, costs are increasing and everyone was so hyper focused on how we could raise our prices, no one stopped to think if they should.

I was one of the lucky ones, I had a good following that waited for me and my Husband was an essential worker so we had an income. After that 9 weeks off, I got back into the swing of things quick, surpassing my sales from previous years and I remember lamenting with a friend about when this balloon was going to burst, that's how mesmerizing that era was. That was 2021.

Inflation was becoming a hot button issue, there was no stimulus in sight, interest rates higher than the hair in Texas... Then the hair trends shifted. Old Money Blonde, Bronde and demi permanent color blending became the big things. A publication, earlier this month, deemed those beautiful, albeit natural, hair trends as the new lived in color look that took hold during the 2008 recession and still has us Millennials in a chokehold. You may call this a balayage or ombre, respectfully. That was the tipping point for me, that the beauty industry recession is here.

So now we have new cosmo students entering the workforce and the prices are the highest they have ever been. There's a huge reason that people aren't mentioning.

The unpaid labor.

The hair trends may seem simple but it's likely each one is met with a color correction component, most all color clients are coming with chemically altered hair and whether going light or dark, fillers and glosses are now a non negotiable. You bring us Jennifer Anniston hair, we have to pull out the big guns to give you those baby lights, the slightly bolder money piece, oh and make sure your greys are covered until your next six week retouch. The cost of products and time are all built in the price, they always have been and they do increase with the cost of our overhead as does every industry in the modernized world, but as the beauty industry shifts; the popup suite rentals, although convenient, really fast tracked the evolution of the salon.

Stylists are now their own CEO, CFO, CMO, Customer Service Center, IT support, Photographer, Videographer, Copywriter...and a dozen other roles in their business. All these things are unseen from the guest experience and misunderstood as a part of the process of business. The prices for just doing your hair are no longer just the cost of goods and services. Hairstylists are politely shouting for fair and live-able wages regardless of their experience. As the weeks passed by, more tidbits came to life and it dawned on me, there is a price point for every budget. If your budget only allows you to box color your hair, it's not the licensed professionals responsibility to accommodate it.

If you are adamant on having a salon pro do your hair, you'll need to research who is in your budget, alter your expectations or even work with your stylist to duplicate expensive looks without the expensive price tag. Hello demi-permanent color glossing!

Over the coming months, I can't wait to see how this next beauty revolution evolves. You bet your sweet ombre I'll keep you updated on new services and trends with plenty of spicy commentary.