Editorial work in progress...

This past couple of months I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing

top models and wardrobe stylist that have inspired me greatly.
I don't even know how things come together sometimes, but they do.

Collaborations like I've said before, are a great part of my career and collaborations are the best!
Here is a little something about collaborating that I have found out :

1. It only works if you find value in the work the other person is providing.

2. It usually never pays but it builds all the relationships you will ever need.
I HATE when people complain about free collabs, like really? i think I've mentioned before, we are all trying to make it can you relax? 

3. It expands the creative vision. Get real, we are not all geniuses, the more people that
you can share an idea with, the more they will expand it and turn it into
something great!

 

Anyway...here is a few of the snapshots and behind the scenes of who i have been collaborating with

Happy Monday!

#inspirebeforeyouexpire

Photo credit :

@jujujujujuhuang

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@fomo.sexual

A quick note: all the social media that makes me dizzy.

Are we talking about innovation or what?

Lately I feel i can't find a way to share my art. I cannot find a way to stand out and create new content without my thoughts being somewhat manipulated by the everyday media,social media. 

As a hairdresser it sucks, because I've had days where i want to just shout out loud where are my people at?! 

Where is the cool kids club i wanted to be part of? Where are the power thinkers and non settling trend setting individuals?  Why are you trying to compete with my art if you have a degree in accounting and you don't even know what joy division is? Like where are this people getting inspiration from?  How do you want to critique my art if you don't even understand the mod culture and how it takes you back in time to what changed our haircutting industry? like all this questions are filling my mind and make me feel a little bit of an outsider, because I don't understand.
 It makes me think of a time in college when they separated us into "schools" and somehow I ended up in the Health Sciences and Human services, because i wanted to be a Nutriologist. I remember being in an auditorium and wanting to sit with the arts and humanities kids so bad. I couldn't relate to anyone around so i walked to my counselor the next day and said "I'm changing majors" she said " to what?" I said "anything in the arts and humanities branch of this building" which I'm glad i did,
because i met most of my life long friends.
It might be a bit of my social anxiety but also i feel it has to do a lot with what our industry is celebrating and applauding that has me feeling like 18 yr old me except my counselor is a therapist that charges a lot to agree with me. 

photo :@losthairdressers

When I think of art I think odd characters and misunderstood beings portraying feelings via different kinds of Media. When I thought hairdressing, I thought it would be a combination of human emotion and interaction where the artist and the audience would belong. That was my motor to be in this business, to sync with all those characters that just wanted to create. Now I realize that there is room for not just artists like me but money driven squares that end up somehow applauded for having a narrow mindset and contaminating the art with new ways to kiss ass, we call that revolutionizing our industry? 

Its a weird feeling but I got to thinking when I saw this Instagram called @hairstudy that showcases that Raw art and that vibe is what I look for. 

photo: @hairstudy

I don't know if I'd ever be content just seeing my work on a glossy magazine or having expensive cocktails with yet another brand ambassador of a great beauty brand. I want to say yes I'd be content buying a Chanel bag and getting 50k followers to swoon over my best work turned into an ad  but that would probably never give me the comfort. The comfort of talking with my client about Brit rock and how I made my salon playlist. it would never give me as much comfort as nerding out over which iconic haircut made it to an album cover or  the comfort of playing dress up with wigs and friends that I will never turn into shoots because I will probably never consider it art for the world to see.

photo : @losthairdressers

All I can say is that tribe of hairdressers should not be in the dark, all those unapologetic leather jackets and incredible unusual taste should be applauded too. I am almost too dizzy to scroll through another unicorn braid, too tired to see another ombré or one more undercut. Im over the expensive collections in magazines with no backstory, no heart just some controlled and collected styling. 

If we really want to move our industry forward  We can do better than that.  We need to dig hard enough and focus on new trends and diversity of style not who can do one trend better than the next and overflow the mind with just an endless scroll of pretty braided hair. #overit

New projects

hi all !

first of all i want to say THANK you for keeping up with me

either via instagram, snapchat or Facebook this past couple of months.

I have gone in a new journey, an adventure! 

I have decided to venture out and open up my own studio this new 2016 

this new adventure has a name and its called VINYL BEAUTY STUDIO

For those who know me , know that i have been in the fashion and beauty industry

since maybe 10 years ago. From either creating marketing campaigns for 

clothing stores i worked at, to doing hair for shoots for local magazines while in college. 

I had no idea this was were my path was going to take me, but the more

involved i became with studio work , the more clear it became to me.

I needed to have an outlet, since before moving to Austin I knew i was going to be self employed

not in an egotistical, "I'm better than you" type of way. It was more because of the past 8 years, having been in management, marketing and design so actively that i knew all that knowledge and creativity would go to waste limiting my self to doing haircuts all day. 

Some of you may remember all my attempts at being independent while still having a job for example, when THE TULLE ROOM was born. An online clothing store where i created from scratch website, marketing and above all handmade accessories. This store was my first child per say and it taught me SO much it also allowed me so many tiny victories, like when i got invited to go sell my jewelry in NYC. 

Then i trasition into a lot more writing, blogging and being sponsored by different brands and collaborating with online magazines. 

Now i can do a combination of everything i love and have been doing for the past 10 years!

This is why sometimes i get a bit irritated when people comment on "wanting" or pursuing "fast success" 10 years in the making is what I'm currently living so i don't consider it fast i consider it a project of life in the making. 

This universe has all this ways of showing you the way. 

Never silence your inner voice that is God and your destiny speaking to you!

For the first time in my life i am not rushing to see whats next in life, i am actually enjoying being alive in this moment !!

For anyone that wonders how to find me or what I'm about please follow my instagram and check out the vinyl beauty studio website if you need to make a hair appointment. 

CHEERS to the FUTURE  

love

Cynthia 

Inspiration Monday : Jon Reyman

This monday morning i was watching this video with top stylist and  it was absolutely everything i needed to hear.

"MOVE mountains to be HAPPY" 

One of my favorite interactive speeches I have heard in a while because he sees our industry the way it is. Not sugar coated and with the emphasis that if you are happy doing what you love , money will follow.

When it comes to choosing your tribe, be surrounded with people that will want to grow you and serve a purpose in your life. Wether is an employer, a friend, a coworker in jon reymans words 

" If you are not NICE, go away" 

HAPPY MONDAY !

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ENJOY

Friday Adventures : Behind the Scenes.

As an artist I always enjoy behind the scenes photos, some might believe they are pointless 

however, to me , behind the scenes inspire me. 

They might be more geared towards industry interest but actually a lot of my clients enjoy looking at what their hairdresser is up to when not behind the chair. 

This are some pics of this past collaboration with Ethan, Nina, Cy also the peeps at NO COMMENT magazine and FOUND from Austin,Tx

Can't wait to see the final work .....stay tuned!

Saturday Inspiration: GOOD VIBES SASSY CLUB

In the creative world there is so much competition, we all want to be the best at what we do and sometimes that creates this anxiety and friction within our industry. 

We often forget our focus is working on other people, lifting them up and making others feel good. 

I often come across stylist that are self absorbed and making everything about themselves, which is the most annoying thing ever.

Our industry is polluted with a lot of hairdressers that think this way, some students even come out of beauty school with this inflated egos and this hostile attitude. Its just a pollution of negativity and overall bad vibes. 

Since I know a lot of new cosmetologist are in tune with me, I just wanted to mention this, I mean nothing wrong if you want to be mean or you just suffer from resting bitch face. However I do want to touch base on the fact that the experience we have with our career we make for ourselves. 

 As you have come to realize I am a child at heart which helps my creativity but sometimes makes me way too receptive, to the point of  making me picture who I'm up against as this monsters of the underworld. ha! Thankful I've developed some tactics to navigate around. 

Aside from each others point of view ,dealing with people, reading between the lines and figuring people out .....

I have learned 3 main things which are harsh realities but have helped me navigate this PRO world with a more open mind, save a ton on heartaches and disappointments:

1. ITS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU

We came to the industry to care for others and fulfill our creative dreams.

2.Talent is not always a one way ticket

You might thing you have the talent and your boss really will pick someone with tenure, just because thats how the world works i guess.Don't take it personal. However, Make sure your talent is GREAT eventually it will matter. Don't sweat it. NEEEXT!

3. Have a mission statement for what you stand for

When tricky situaions are presented and you debate wether you want to be part of a project or not. Make a mission statement for what you stand for. For example I heard  Sherri Jesse (editorial stylist) say hers is: "Do pretty hair and be nice to people" If at the end of the day you accomplished your mission...it was all worth it. Trust me it will help you make decisions and save you a ton of trouble. 

4. Be part of the solution

If you sit around trying to pick a club to belong to, make sure its not the one that is tearing people apart. Set your standard HIGH to be with people that fit your criteria. ITS OKAY to be picky in this, good people need to stick together. There is more of us and we can change dark vibes in our industry.

Be part of the solution, uplift free thinkers, creatives and hungry hearts. 

HAPPY SATURDAY!

Thoughts? Comments? 

reach out and touch me!

ROOKIE2ROOKIE : Where do I start? Part 1

In the past couple of days i have been receiving questions via social media about my path so far, 

my career and how i have managed to get things done. 

In this section called "ROOKIE2ROOKIE" i want to touch base on the questions you have about anything and everything. It is called rookie to rookie because sharing with you my thoughts and journey doesn't make me an expert, however in the road to discovery i will be glad to help someone along the way. 

I got the opportunity to be part of a panel with PBA and BEACON  during NAHA and beauty week last week, it was amazing! I got to meet incredible beauty people and students on the road to success. It was very inspiring and since then as most of you promised...my email has been flooding with love mail but, also tons of questions about my career.

I've split up the content in two parts so I can answer the questions as I go along. 

Starting with the first question i get a lot...

"How do i get to do what you are doing? How did you get there?" 

I believe rather than wondering how to walk in someone else's shoes you REALLY need to ask

What is my passion? and  WHERE do i start?

It often hear i want to be LIKE so and so.... or i would like to OWN a salon like THIS ONE. 

if you think about it, that i a lot of pressure on yourself because you are building a path based on someone else's life not your own. 

You can put a lot of pressure on yourself because your path MAY NOT necessarily unfold like the person next to you. 

There is a lot of beauty in finding passion for what you believe in and making your path as you walk along.You might think you want to be an educator but your passion is photo styling..then maybe education isn't your main focus and its okay , pursue what makes your heart sing. 

The best way to start is to plan for short term goals and really great ones so you can work on attaining those first, this is the best way to find out what you are passionate about. I first thought all i wanted was to have my own salon, but the minute i explored taking clases, working for someone that teaches me etc my mind set changed. I wouldn't have known if i didn't put myself in a situation of exploring and learning.

Paul Mitchell School  student Hair Show 2011

WHERE DO I START? 

 lets start from the beginning. Start where you are right now.   if you are still in school: SHOW UP, BE PRESENT, GO THE EXTRA MILE and TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. 

 The moment you start school your career starts, you start building your brand and letting people know what you are about. 

I personally always did that extra activity, extra time, stayed late, took that really challenging color correction.. all the things other people didn't want to do. That built my brand as a student. 

It all starts where you are, the path might seem blurry and the road a little tricky but when you focus on the task at hand and do it right, it will take you to better places in the future. Don't take your school time for granted. Enjoy the place where you are because it is shaping you to become great at your craft. 

Hope this helps answer some questions and helps give you some relief if you are in this cosmo school frenzy every over achieving hair dresser sure goes through. 

We are all walking this path, might as well walk together and keep each other inspired. 

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