Back in the eighties it was all about huge wavy bangs, crunchy spiral perms and the overuse of mouse and Aqua Net. In the nineties, the mullet, known to be business up front and party in the back, seemed to fashion its way into mainstream hair design. While popular hairstyles have come and gone, Carleen has seen it all and done it all—a trademark that has made her one of the most versatile and creative hair stylists in town. We had the opportunity to see her in action at a recent photo shoot where her creativity and subtle talent transformed our subjects into glitzy, glamorous models. Her passion for hair design and desire to listen to what brides want, make her one of the most sought-out hair stylists in town!
How did it all begin?
From the time I was about 7 years old, whenever I had a sleep-over, all I wanted to do was give all my friends a makeover. I knew then, at 7 years old I wanted to be a hairstylist. I had a beauty school teacher that did competition hairstyling and I became really interested in formal styling. She gave me extra training in the art of hair. I graduated from beauty school in 1994, when I was just 18 years old! While working in the salon I noticed that I was the only one doing special occasion hair. My co-workers said I had something they didn’t and they found styling to be too stressful. That’s when I realized that I had a natural talent. I decided to go for it, and joined the Kern County Bridal Association styling hair for their bridal fashion shows!
Is there a certain style of hair for weddings? Is there one style that is more popular than others?
I have noticed a trend where brides are asking for their hair to be half up and half down. It’s kind of like having your beautiful wedding cake and eating it too. The bride gets the formality of having her hair up, but still gets to show off her long hair too. It is a very elegant look.
Do you only style hair for weddings, or do you get a lot of other types of events too?
While I specialize in styling hair for weddings, I have also done Sweet 16 parties, proms, and formals. Sometimes I even get weird photographers like the guys below who want to get their hair all done up before their next photoshoot.
What styles do you recommend to brides? Are there specific styles that they should try to avoid?
Usually brides come in with an idea of how they want their hair styled. I always encourage a trial run before the big day. During the trial run, we discuss what her gown looks like and whether or not she has any accessories to wear in her hair such as a veil or tiara. I do try to discourage brides from wearing their hair down for outdoor weddings on hot Bakersfield days. Also, I don’t recommend the side bangs covering one eye because this look doesn’t work well at the alter when the groom is trying to look into her eyes.
Do you style the whole bridal party by yourself or do you have an assistant?
I do have an assistant who helps me with larger wedding parties. I will always style the bride’s hair from start to finish, but my assistant preps and curls the rest of the wedding party’s hair so that I can put the finishing touches on each one. My assistant rocks, she has been working with me for two years now. I keep bringing her back to help because she is the best, and she always does such a great job that I never have to worry about her making my name look bad.
What’s the biggest bridal party you’ve worked on and how much time did the styling take?
I think the largest wedding party I’ve worked on was a total of fifteen people. It consisted of the bride, the mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, little flowers girls and the rest of the bridal party. I am hesitant to say each style takes me 20-30 minutes because everyone thinks fast equals poor quality, but I can assure you that I am very picky and pay attention to every detail. When my assistant works with me we get the job done a lot faster because we can work on two people at a time.
Do you provide anything in addition to styling?
I also do colors, highlights, cuts, facial waxing, and men’s hair. Plus I work in a full service salon, so we can provide the bride with a manicure, pedicure, tanning, facials and massages if she is interested… these services work out great for a bridal shower gift. We also carry the best names in hair care products, so the bride can maintain her hair at home.
Contact:
Carleen
HairByCarleen.com
661.201.3270
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