SLUMBERPARTY MAGAZINE

vol 1

When I got out of beauty school, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was 30 years old. I had worked plenty of jobs. I had a salary and health insurance before I got into this!! I figured I’d land exactly where I wanted to, but it ended up being much more complicated than I could’ve anticipated.

I threw myself into assisting, and questioned every choice I ever made. A lot of days, I felt horrible about myself. Like a little worm in great big world of people who were so much better than me. Who had more money, more connections, were better dressed and more sophisticated. I had to remind myself I had other skills and valuable qualities outside of doing hair. I was a whole person even when I made mistakes. I wore about a hundred different hats as an assistant. Inventory, scheduling, content creation, editing, cleaning, keeping track of formulas, coffee runs, ordering hair, prepping hair, staying tapped in to all the goings-on of the salon, and trying my best to connect to every person in the chair. To say I dropped the ball every now and then would be an understatement, but at the same time, I could see I was learning so much. Even when it didn’t feel like it, I was getting better. And I LOVE doing hair. I love the real time transformation, being surrounded by beauty and inspiration, being a part of so many special life moments.

It was easy to forget when I was in the thick of it though. Being an assistant is theoretically - not that hard - but for me, it was. I felt late to the game. I never wanted to disappoint my bosses, and sometimes I’d be so scared of the job, that I’d mess up over and over because my brain couldn’t tell the difference between going to battle and doing a blowout. I’d had difficult jobs before, but none had ever felt so personal. Like my work, good or bad, was a direct reflection of how good or bad I was as a person. I was scared to mess up, and scared to have honest conversations about how to get better. I learned I am not a visual learner, and I have to do something repeatedly for it to stick, which can feel really embarrassing when you’re just getting started. 

I found myself endlessly scrolling through foiling techniques and color formula combos, hoping things would click. Eventually, I started to realize that I didn’t really need to keep watching. I needed to really do it. I wanted space to work out the kinks. To fully understand the why with my own hands and eyes. I wanted to explore the hair things I was inspired by, and I wanted to do it alongside stylists that were in the same position I was. I wanted to talk about why things worked, or didn’t. I wanted to hear other stylists stories, because I knew there were probably so many people feeling the way I was, I just didn’t know how to find them. 

That feeling of wanting to try things, and practice, and be in community with other stylists didn’t go away once I stopped assisting either. If anything, I wanted it even more. I think a lot of times, in the early stages of a career, it’s like we’re waiting for permission. Waiting for someone to be like, “You can do this. You’re ready.” And I think it’s totally okay if that permission comes in the form of encouragement from your peers. I’ve had amazing mentors and worked with incredible stylists, but it hits different coming from someone who’s experiencing the same kind of things you are in that moment. 
That’s when Slumberparty really started to take shape -when I started talking about it with other stylists who were assisting or just recently out of it. We talked about how helpful it would’ve been to have had community through school too - people to reassure you that you’re gonna get through it, and it’s totally worth it! To remind each other why we got into this and how fun it can be. 

My dream for Slumberparty is that it can be the support group stylists need in the early days. When you’re wondering what you’re even supposed to be learning in beauty school, or when you’re working a 12 hour assistant shift for minimum wage. When you’ve just finished an incredible color correction, or finally perfected a beautiful bob. Whether you’re burnt out, or overflowing with joy, I hope Slumberparty can be the place where we give each other energy and encouragement. Where we can ask honest questions and figure things out together. Where we can play, and learn, and grow, and discover. It sounds so cheesy, but it’s true. I can’t wait to see what it can become.