Carolyn Newman

Director and Founder of Colour and Education Consultancy                                                            

I have loved being a hairdresser from the very first time I walked into a hair salon. I love the fact you have strong communications with your clients, need technical ability, creativity and a sense of fun. Colour can and always will add life to any haircut and brighten up a client’s skin tone and facial features. I love the technical aspect of hair colouring, like being a scientist and being precise like the best baker with accurate measurements and then applying colour like an artist. Hairdressing is such a diverse career, from being a very successful stylist to management, education, session, working in films, owning your own salon and can take you all over the world.

∗ With 25 years at Charles Worthington salon, you have covered roles from salon hairdresser, salon manager, operations educator to color director. Tell me how you worked through it all and your inspiration behind hairdressing and educating?
My philosophy has always been, stay grounded, work really hard and love what you do. Problems are challenges and it is up to you to make your job work for you every day. I loved working with my team at CW and you need to respect them to gain their respect. I was always firm but fair and treated every single team member the same regardless of their role in the salon. I love working with people and they are my inspiration. I was also prepared to do what it takes to succeed in my career and enjoy life to its fullest.

∗ What are your commitments and responsibilities? As an educator, is your education expectations for new color formulas and color techniques continual? Do you integrate color techniques and share color formulas?
My responsibility as an educator is to ensure the student walks away with skills they can immediately action into the salon to support what they do and make their jobs easier and successful, so immediately can earn more money. Techniques and formulas are part of that, but you and they can work with any product company, as a colour technique is purely a pattern on the head. It’s the colours and combinations that makes it natural, visual or dramatic to suit the client’s colour personality.

∗ What ignited the spark in you to start a venture in educating or to make significant changes in an existing business? What has been your proudest moment and biggest accomplishment so far as a Color Expert?
I have been fortunate to travel the globe educating and inspiring hairdressers all over the world, so decided this was why I wanted to set up my own colour and education consultancy. I have many business skills and colour skills from my 38 years as a hairdresser and feel I can offer all round education combining colour and salon/column business support. My proudest moment was doing my first ever colour collection for Charles Worthington’s collection as I felt I had a colour voice that the industry could now see and my biggest accomplishment is becoming the successful colour educator I am today.

I love the fact that people are now experimenting more with colour, however the colourist needs to be very much in control of what colour and techniques are done.

∗ What are the necessity for every hair colorist when working with color in the salon? What is the hardest job for the colorist?
Successful Consultation skills I believe are the most important thing any colourist needs to ensure they confidently can carry out any colour service. Of course they need the skills, and if they don’t know how to do something, either don’t do it in the salon or educate, educate and educate yourself so you can deliver your skills at your highest level. The hardest job is choosing the right colour/s and techniques for every client, not just highlights or balayage etc. Through my 5 step perfect consultation system you decide via facts on what will suit your client and their hair.

∗ As you know there are many color brands in the market, what advice can you share with a salon owner or hairdressers when choosing the right one for them?
There are a lot of brands out there now and many salons are holding more than one as the smaller brands can offer difference. I would say you need to try out a few different ones on models/regular clients and your team need to try it out too and both clients and team need to give their honest feedback to you.  Think about which colour brand works and delivers for you as they all now contain amazing technology. For some owners they want a more ethical or organic colour range, but if that isn’t a priority, listen to your heart and head. The colour brand needs to deliver the colour palettes you want and give you value for money and great education support.

∗ What do you think about the current state of hairdressing and coloring? What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful Colorist/Hairstylist?
Social media has caused the client and consumer to expect they can have any colour without thinking of whether it will suit them and their maintenance plan. I love the fact that people are now experimenting more with colour, however the colourist needs to be very much in control of what colour and techniques are done.
The three top skills are:

• Communication and Consultation
• Sound Technical and Foundation colour skills
• Creativity and Inspiration 

∗ Many courses are available on your website, what helpful tips can you share in choosing the right educational program, and do you offer this internationally as well as locally?
International education is a big part of what I do and all my education is available around the world.
My most popular education is BESPOKE where I tailor-make a training course to come into your salon and train your entire team.  So its personalised for the salon and team’s needs.
For my set courses, you either will want colour business support as a colourist, so perfect consultation and colour your column would suit.
If you want to work on your skills, techniques and creativity, then the colour technical, signature and showstopper would work depending on your experience, but it clearly states who this is for in the individual course information on the website.

∗ Hairdressers’ dreams are to open their own hair salon. How is Salon Consultancy necessary at this stage?
Very necessary, opening and running your own salon can be a lonely and daunting experience as you need to lead and manage your team as well as look after the clients and business. I would always recommend a business coach or consultant to support you.

∗ What advice can you give to hairdressers that want to follow in your footsteps?
If you want to be an educator, you need to be really organized, able to write your own training programs, love presenting to people and understand how to break down a skill to teach not just assume everyone knows how to do it.
You need to be positive and love what you do and be able to think on your feet as sometimes you walk into a room and the situation isn’t what you planned and it is your job to be creative and inspiration to your students every single time.

∗ If you were to create one thing in the hairdressing industry, what would it be?
Faster processing colour with no compromise on performance and colour result– We are already seeing some brands create colours that process quicker, however time is an ongoing issue for consumers and clients so all techniques and colour processes need to be looked at.

∗ Has Dubai been a country of choice of education and training? What are your thoughts on Middle Eastern hair compared to European hair in terms of color?
I have been requested to teach in Dubai many times but unfortunately I have been away travelling other countries. When colouring Middle Eastern hair you need to be mindful of natural warmth and always use a plex product to strengthen when colouring and never over colour. I think the women are stunning and have amazing glossy hair, so that needs to be respected at all times.

∗ How important is lighting in the salon when working with color?
Correct good lighting is very important when working with colour. If there is no natural daylight, have a combination of cool and warm bulbs in your lighting.
Where I colour my clients at www.huntercollective.global  I am lucky as it is on the 2^ndfloor with huge windows so I have a lot of natural daylight which is best for working with colour and seeing the hair correctly at consultation. 

∗ Favourite hair color product?
Schwarzkopf BlondMe range which includes advanced bonding system and is my go to product toolkit for achieving any perfect blonde.

∗ What are your thoughts on social media? How important is it to the business and to your personal media platform? Do you interact on Instagram or Facebook?
Social media is your Marketing and PR tool whatever you do in business, so not just essential but an integral part of your business life.
On Instagram I like to show not only my education work but my personality too.

∗ Who would be your ideal person to style, color or give a complete change, who would it be and why?
Angelina Jolie – I feel her hair could be lightened up just very slightly to be softer on her skin tone but still rich and dark and has been recently styled a bit too old fashioned. She needs soft layers, styled more naturally and colour to suit this look.
However, my ideal person is any client who is looking for advice and to update their colour and style.
A small change from tone or placement or even one or two shades lighter or darker and by offering seasonal change to every client means you always keep it fresh for your clients.

 

Credits;
Images; Carolyn
Hair; Debbie Gee & Mimi Kobayashi
Colour; Carolyn Newman
Makeup; Kentaro Kondo
Photographer; Kai Wan
Interview; Romy