Life Behind The Chair

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Ms. Mary Bleach Retouch pt3

Back in the salon feels so nice after spending the last 2 months preparing for state board. It feels like normal again, and I took that for granted. I use to complain my feet hurt from standing for so long, or that I did not wanna wrap another perm. But now, I would much rather do that than another 100 question test everyday and piles of notes to highlight and study.

Today was great because my regular bleach retouch client came in. I know I always talk about her, but she is worthy of being praised. She is the absolute sweetest lady ever, she is always spreading kind words and encouraging us to be the best versions of ourselves as we can. She even told me that as much as she loves coming and getting her hair done, she mostly does it for us and wanting to talk to us and see us. She told me that today was her 5 year anniversary of coming to LTC to get her hair done, and she comes every single month. Unfortunately, my senior class graduates in less then a month so she will be passed on to someone else. This made me extremely sad knowing I wont be able to do her hair again, so I made sure to do my very best. People like her are the reason I love what I do, and I hope moving forward I can have the same impact on others as she has on me.

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Officially Licensed!!!

I PASSED!! I AM OFFICALLY A LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST!!

It has been such a journey and the journey has just begun! I have put blood (literally, from cutting myself with shears), sweat and tears (many MANY tears) into getting this licenses and here it finally is!! It is crazy to think that I got this before I even graduated high school. Blessed is an understatement. However, good things come to those who work hard, so this is just another reason we have to go work hard, take risks and never give up.

last year I tried to drop out of Cosmetology and my teacher called me over the phone and told me not to give up. She said the rewarding feeling that I will get from passing is so worth it. She said if I gave up I would look back and regret it. And boy, was she right. I am so excited and so joyful to have accomplished this. To know that I can go out and get a job at a hair salon TODAY, and start making a my dream goal come true is incredible! I still have SO much to learn, I mean I truly only know the basics, so I am so excited to see where this takes me!!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

State Board Theory Exam!

Today was the big day! THE. BIG. DAY. I went in at 10am to take my final exam for cosmetology. I was so nervous...I wanted to throw up sitting in that waiting room. There was a guy who walked out of a testing room and had failed his exam for real-estate for the 2nd time...by ONE POINT. That only made me more nervous.

Last night I studied for 3 hours at home, and then I went to the gym, walked on the treadmill and listened to straight cosmetology slideshows for 2 hours. I want to be able to say that I did everything I possibly could have to be ready.

The test itself was not too terrible, I finished it within 45 minutes. However, unfortunately I won't find out my score until tomorrow at the earliest. I can pass with a 75%, so that is what I'm hoping for! Hair school has been such a journey, with highs and lows. I am so grateful for the opportunity, so I want to end strong with this license!! Finger crossed I passed!!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Curly Hair Cut

Today was a working Wednesday, which meant we were in the salon lab, rather then just in the classroom taking state board mock tests! One of my friends came in and asked me to give her a trim because she had not gotten one in forever. Of course I was more then glad to, however, I was nervous because she has pretty curly hair.

A fun fact is, wet curly hair will shrink about 50% when its dry. So if I cut it wet and then go and dry it, it will look a lot shorter then it did when I cut it. So basically, I was super nervous because I did not want to cut it too short, or uneven because of the different curl patterns in her hair. One of the things I wish we had more practice on is cutting curly hair.

But, long story short, it went really smooth and she really liked it! Her hair looked healthy and beautiful and it was so good to catch up and talk to her in general! Days like today give me motivation to pass my theory state board test!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Bleach Retouch Pt2

I had Ms. Mary, the same lady as month, come in for the same bleach retouch service as last time! She is one of my favorite clients that I have and I really am so happy that I had her. She not only brings a light in the salon, but she is so inspiring. When I finish doing her hair I feel like I learn how to better myself and how I want to live my life!

The actually service itself went really smoothly. I felt confident in my work and knew what I was doing! I think I got it done faster then I did last time and it all turned out even and the same color throughout. My teacher was not there, so we had a sub and the sub said, "Kennedy, I would let you do a bleach retouch on my hair, I'm about due!" That helped boost my confidence so much and got me really excited!

Sometimes having to study everyday for my theory test has me questioning if I really like doing hair that much. However, as soon as I step into the salon and do a client, it reminds me of how much I love it!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Theory Time

Next up...I have to study for my theory test! This is the last state board exam I have to do to be able to get my license! It is a 115 question test, and I have to make a 75% or higher. This might not seem that bad... but the thing is, its not just common sense knowledge about how to cut hair or the procedures for a facial. It is about the science of the hair and skin, the muscles and bones of the face and body. It consists of questions about electricity and chemistry. You have to be able to know the skin diseases and infections. All things that you don't necessarily obtain and learn when you are physically doing procedures.

I am definitely struggling and stressing out about it, because its a plain and simple pass or fail. On top of that, the preparation my teacher makes us do it close to impossible. We get 25 pages a day, a 50 question practice test and a word "fill in the blank" sheet. We have one night to complete it, we take a real 25 question test the next day, one that goes into the grade book. Then we repeat and do the same thing everyday for a month. My brain gets fried. I get overwhelmed. I have a hard time balancing all of it with my work schedule and family and friends social life.

I have to tell myself to lock in, after 3 weeks from now it will all be done. If anyone has any advice on how to balance this, or the best way to approach this... please let me know!!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

STATE BOARD EXAM

Yesterday was the big day. All of the long hours of work, staying after school, participating in our state board mocks, and all of the fun activities I missed with friends because I was preparing for this moment.

Our 5 hours long, hands on exam. I was so nervous. They told us to be there at 7:15am but I was there at 6:45am. I was shaking, nervous and all the above. We walked in and immediately got yelled at for being loud. We got in trouble for using their hand sanitizer and not our own. I was freaking out, like not a good first impression to the exam proctors. But the exam started and it was go time.

It felt like sharks and Minnows, and I was the Minnow. Every move I made was being watched by the exam proctors and the three cameras that were set up at every station. However, I locked in and focused.

After the 5 hours passed we had to pack up and leave without saying a word, and without knowing the results. When I tell you I was nervous all day yesterday, I was physically pacing back and forth waiting for an email with results.

I woke up this morning with an email from then saying I passed the exam with a 94!!! I was so happy and joyful I had tears of joy at 7am...and I am NOT a morning person. But, it just goes to show that hard work pays off and if you put your mind to it and don't let anyone get in your way, anything is possible. Never give up or quit when things get hard.

[weeklyblogmustreads]

State Board Mock

Today was a super busy, hectic and long day. I take my practical state board test in less then one week. It is a 5 hour long test, with hands on tasks that are timed and graded. I have been preparing for the past couple of months, building up some confidence. But today, we did a mock. We ran through the whole test from start to end, doing all of the procedures and it was intense. There was 20 of us in a small room, all trying to work around each other. I am so glad i'm getting to go take the test so early in march, but it gets my nerves high.

If anyone has any words of advise or tips and tricks please let me know! Anything will help! My teacher has done an amazing job making sure we ace the test...but all words of wisdom help!

I will be back next week to let you guys know how it goes! Wish me luck!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Mobile Salon!

With all the good things that come from learning the trade of doing hair, one extra bonus is that you can do this job from everywhere! For example, my whole family knows that I am still learning, but you can only learn so much in a classroom and with mannequins. I always tell my friends and family I would love to do their hair, as long they don't mind it taking a little longer and no guarantee its perfect. Well, my family is the best and always lets me!

This weekend my aunt and uncle reached out and asked if I could cut their hair before they left for vacation... so of course I said yes!

My uncle's hair is simple so I used clippers, and it turned out good! My aunt has layers and asked me so trim them up, which I was a little nervous at first, but I think they turned out good! I had done then before on mannequins and my younger sisters hair, but layers is not something I am 100% confident in yet. However, she said she loved them, and the next time she needs a trim she will let me do them again! Practice makes perfect and I am blessed to have these opportunities where I can try new things or practice the skills I am hesitant on!

There are ways to fix color if the client does not like them, but once you cut hair, its gone and there is no going back! But, being able to go to my friends and families houses to cut hair is such an amazing oppertunity!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

All Over Bleach!

Today did not follow the plan, but when does it ever? I think that makes the salon life more interesting because everyday is different, there truly is not a set in stone schedule. I walked into class today prepared to practice the state board hair cut (which we have been doing all week), but to my surprise, my teacher approached me and asked for a favor. A lady needed her hair done and the girl who was suppose to do it, didn't show up today. No pressure right?!

I told my teacher I didn't mind at all, even though this would be my first time doing a service like this. Long story short, I learned so much about this lady, she was the kindest, most genuine person I had ever met. She was patient with me, and inspired me. Not only did I learn a new procedure, I also learned "It takes more muscles to frown the smile, its not hard to be nice, especially because you never know what someone is going through." This lady was a reminder of how I want to live my life everyday.

I would say today was a good, successful day in more then just one way!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Extensions!!

Today was such an exciting day!! I was able to get in contact with my hair lady and asked her if she would mind if I came in and job shadowed her in the salon. She told me I could and today she was doing hair extensions on a client...which meant I was able to watch!

For all the hair people out there, we know hair extensions cost a lot of money and is a huge service. In cosmetology school (at least where I attend), its not in the standard to teach extensions, so they don't. You have to go and pay a couple thousand dollars to learn them. However today, I got to learn. Granted, i'm not certified for it, obviously, but getting to watch it and see how she did them was so cool. It was so tedious, yet so interesting to me.

If I ever start to lose the spark of doing hair, that was a great reminder that there is so much creativeness, challenging, but fun things I could do. Not to mention, bring in a lot of money.

Anyways, the transformation from start to end was incredible and it definitely pushes me to want to learn how to do them, and offer it to people out there!!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

7 Hour Work Day!

In a 7 hour work day, something is bound to go wrong, even just a little bit. Well... that in fact happened to me today. I was doing highlights on a client and everything was going very smooth. Her hair turned out gorgeous, like the picture she had showed me. It was not until I got home when I saw the text she had sent me. Apparently in the process, some bleach had got on her hoodie. But it almost looked like a water stain. The more I got to thinking, the more I was curious if it was actually bleach or if it was the liquid toner I used. I told her to wash it and let me know if it comes off...but now I will be more aware of those kinds of things, and try to prevent it from happening in the future.

Also to spice up my day... 3 boys walked in and asked for facials. That was a laugh I needed, because I have never seen people so excited about getting a facial. Me and my 2 friends working on them convinced them to get there eyebrows waxed as well because "what lady doesn't like a cleaned up man". That sold them.

I would say my day was a success and was very fun. The more I think about it, the more I am considering making this my everyday life after high school.

[weeklyblogmustreads]

State Board Prep!!

Two years ago I started off Cosmetology not even knowing how to braid hair, much less cut and color hair. My teacher would have to spend extra time with me because I was like a lost puppy without her. But now, I am confident, I am prepared, and feel like I can do so much more than I could have imagined.

I say all this because the time has come where I get ready to take my test to get my license. It is a four hour long practical test and a 115 question theory test. Two years ago, I did not even think I would make it far enough in the program, but now here I am about to take it.

I was able to get all my paper work completed and turned in, and now I am just waiting for it to get approved! These next couple of weeks my class is non stop doing drills, and tests to prepare us for the state board test. There are some days that I walk into class and I have the mindset of "I don't want to be here" and "this is so miserable" but I have to remember I am so close to the finish line.

If any of you guys are ever in this position and need someone to talk to, I am here! It can be so stressful and some people may not understand but I can! Im always looking for a study buddy or someone to practice timed perms or foils with!

To all my cosmobuddies... WE GOT THIS!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Some Salon Time Management

Sometimes I get distracted talking when I'm supposed to be working on a task. I say sometimes, but it happens more frequently than I would like. Today, that happened. One of my friends scheduled a speciality facial appointment at one o'clock, which I had no problem with. That was until my friends asked if I could squeeze him in for a haircut at 12:30.

See, normally that would be no problem, however today was one of my chatter box days. My client came in and we were catching up about all the things, and the more I was talking the slower I was working. Now, don't get me wrong, the cut ended up looking pretty good, but by the time I finished I realized my facial client had been waiting on me for 5 minutes. That might not seem like a long time, but in the salon life, "time is money".

Also, I had not had time to set up the facial bed. I felt so bad I had lost track of time, but I was so thankful that my amazing client was so patient with me and told me she was in no rush. But, days like today are good reminders that I need to be better at managing my time. If the rolls were reversed and my appointment was being pushed back I would not have liked that.

Good reminder but I have accepted that this is a weakness of mine, but one that I will work on!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Highlights Pt2!

Wow! Today was something I was not ready for!

I walked into class, and I had not booked any clients on purpose. I was tired, I needed to catch up on some work, I felt stressed because I was behind on a couple assignments and decided I should take a catch up day.

But, that was not what ended up happening. My friend approaches me and said she accidentally double booked and asked if I could take her blonding client...and I said "Yes, of course!"

When she walked through the doors, her hair was down to her bottom, thick, beautiful hair. However, I was kind of freaking out because she had SO MUCH HAIR and I was on a time limit.

Thankfully, my bestie saved me and said she would help out, so we ended up getting it done. The girl was very happy with the results and I was too.

I learned that not everyday is going to go accordingly, but that is okay! I ended up having a great time, I loved meeting someone new, and I left the salon feeling accomplished!

[weeklyblogmustreads]

Hair Time!

Hi! My name is Kennedy and I am a current cosmetology student! Over the next couple of weeks I will be taking you through the process of my client works and my state board preparation!

Today, my friend came in and asked for highlights. She told me she has "blond blindess" and she never felt like she was never blond enough. I told her, "Girl don't you even worry," and I went right to work. I was a little nervous because I was still learning new skills everyday. However, she was my friend and was super patient with me! I attempted giving her money pieces in her hair, which framed her face. Even though it was my first time, they looked really good!

I would say today was a success. Everyday I take on a new challenge, and today was blonding...who knows what tomorrow will bring!