We are incredibly happy to announce we have a new team member at the St Kilda salon, Emma. Emma is from Ireland and has been hairdressing for up to 8 years. Emma has been in Australia since December, last year, after travelling through Asia.
In true SM&CO style, we have sat her down to get the goss on who this wonder is, so you can see why we are such huge Emma-fans.
Steph: Hey Emma, welcome! We are so grateful that you chose to come to Australia, in particular (of course!) Melbourne. Was there a specific reason you chose Melbourne.
Emma: Thanks, Steph! I love Melbourne! It’s so full of things to do but can be so chilled, at the same time. The people are amazing, too - everyone has their own style and no one judges.
Steph: There is no place like Melbourne, we love the big-city feel but community vibe! We’re glad you’re enjoying your time here. You’ve been a qualified hairdresser for almost 8 years; What influenced you decision to pursue hairdressing?
Emma: Well, I have loved doing hair since I was very young. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very good - most of my Barbie dolls were bald (RIP!) but fortunately, I have come a long way since then and have bettered my skills hahaha
Steph: Oh, those poor Barbies hahaha… you’ve come a VERY VERY long way! This is one of my favourite questions! If you weren’t a hairdresser, what do you think you would’ve become?
Emma: That is a good question! Possibly an architect, or something along those lines… My dad is a structural engineer and watching him design buildings on his computer fascinated me when I was younger. I love tv shows on building houses like grand designs etc. I actually got accepted to study architectural design in University in Ireland, but I knew my passion was for hair so I decided to decline the offer.
Steph: Oh interesting! Coming into Winter, and change of styles, what is your favourite hair style at the moment?
Emma: Hmm… I think the 90’s-feels coming back in fashion with clothing and hair, so I would have to say a one-length wavy bob or long layered cut, like Rachel in Friends - super popular right now, and I’m here for it!
Steph: I love that look! For our readers, what kind of colouring style would you add to a bob - like a balayage, or full-colour? Jennifer Aniston has the best hair, would she be your hair idol?
Emma: She does have incredible hair, but I would have to say Jennifer Lopez is my hair idol.
Steph: OH yes, I love J-Los hair!! It’s funny how much style repeats itself. What kind of generational style would you like to see come back - or love the idea of?
Emma: I would have to say 60’s/70’s style! I love the volume! A lot of things from the 60's -70’s are appearing in the trends today. I also love just how much effort people used to put into their hair. I feel like the majority of us these days just wear what’s easy, instead of trying new styles.
Steph: Do you spend money on hair, make-up, nails or fashion?
Emma: All of the above, and I’m not sorry
Steph: So last question on this subject before we get into some hair tips etc, if you could have anyone’s hair, whose would it be?
Emma: OOOOO very hard question - there are so many! But in terms of styling, I think I would say Mustafa Avci. For colour, probably Lisa Hart-Walker, she’s so informative and breaks the mould of colour-theory.I love Lisa’s no-nonsense approach to colour theory. The basics are your foundation and you build from there. There’s a lot of new words and techniques in the hair industry now that claim to be new, 9 times out of ten it has been done before, just with a less ‘fancy’ name.
Steph: Very true, she is ultra-modern and I love following her socials, for those reading along, you check out her Insta. What is your number one hair tip?
Emma: I love a good hair tip! Ok - mine would be - don’t choose colour over the health of your hair; if you’re patient, you can have both. The process of going lighter is so different from person to person. But whether it’s two shades lighter or 8 shades lighter the most important thing to consider is the condition of the hair. Also to make sure that during the process the client is following our professional advice by using professional hair care products at home to support the hair on the journey.
Steph: Great tip!!! And bang on for our mantra at SM&CO, especially as we specialise in blonde!
We love that you’ve decided to join us at SM&CO, what is your career goal? And why do you want to work with us?
Emma: My goal is to avoid getting completely comfortable. I want to keep myself on my toes and embrace change in the industry. I don’t really have a career plan, but I’m keeping an open mind. I love the approach you and the team takes to hairdressing. I find that I can put a lot more attention to detail into colour when I’m working one to one which is something that rarely exists in the hairdressing world.
To our wonderful readers, if you’d like to meet Emma and book an appointment with our new mastermind, head to https://stephmeyerandco.com