Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Carver
Hi Laura, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out not really having a direction for my life out of high school, so I decided to go to college. Much like most of my peers. I attended Utah State for a semester, during which I would be asked by my roommates and friends to do their hair, makeup, etc. before we’d go to out to all different kinds of college parties.
I slowly became less and less interested in school, and more interested in cosmetology. One day, I called my mom and told her that I wanted to come home after finals and find a cosmetology apprenticeship program instead of going back to school. My mom was really excited, she always thought I’d end up doing hair.
I started my apprenticeship in January 2018 and finished the 2500 hour program in January 2020. I then went on to assist a well-established stylist for several months before deciding to find my own space to become an independent hairstylist.
In the summer of 2020 I found Crazy Beautiful Salon, along with some amazing stylists who quickly became great friends. I stayed there until nearly the end of 2024. I’m now in the process of joining a previous coworker in a new salon space, which I’m really excited for!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I won’t lie, the road was pretty rough for me. There’s so many factors that go into doing hair, and every head is so different. It takes a long time to perfect your craft and feel confident in the hair you put out. I think for a lot of great stylists, their talent comes naturally. For me, I had to study and practice for a long time before different concepts clicked. I understood color theory pretty quickly, but things like cutting and foil placement took more time. (And I’m still learning!)
One of the most difficult things about doing hair is that you’re not the greatest when you’re first learning. And the hair you’re having to learn on belongs to someone. As an apprentice, I dealt with a lot of anxiety worrying about clients and if they’d like their hair. I would get the worst feeling if I had made a mistake or the color wasn’t turning out how they wanted. I had to learn how to be more than fully competent at my job, and learn how to deal with situations when a client wasn’t happy.
I think something a lot of people who pursue beauty industry jobs aren’t always fully aware of is that you don’t make much of an income when you’re starting out. It takes several years to build a clientele base, which I was aware of, but it was still extremely difficult for those first couple of years when your confidence isn’t at 100%.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a stylist, I focus most of my time on hair color and cuts. I specialize in blonding, more specifically, what’s called “lived-in” blondes. I used to see pictures of lived-in hair as an apprentice, and I was amazed. I had no clue how they were able to get the hair so well blended, so I made it my mission to be able to put out hair like that. I also am huge on the health of the hair itself, I’ve spent a lot of time studying the science of hair bonds, proteins, pH, etc. in order to keep the hair I do in tip-top shape!
Although I specialize in blondes, I would say I’m most known for my blowouts. During my apprenticeship, I found that focusing my time on specific parts of hair helped me retain the information much better. One of the first things I prioritized was blowouts. It may sound weird, but I love round brushing hair and getting to see a beautiful style along with my client’s new color/cut, and they love it too! I feel like this is what sets me apart from other stylists, most don’t enjoy round brushing hair because we do it so often.
I am most proud of my work when I can see it bring joy to my clients. I’ve given haircuts to cancer survivors who’ve been in tears after because they’re so excited to feel beautiful again with their growing hair after losing it to chemo. I’ve helped high schoolers fix their diy hair projects and seen them in the happiest disbelief when they see the pictures we took. Those are the moments that I find the most fulfillment in my work as a hair artist.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
My parents like to say that I came out exactly how I am now, a firecracker. As a child, I was so sassy and no one was going to tell me what I could or couldn’t do. I loved being with friends and family. I grew up with 3 brothers, which I hated when I was little. I wanted a sister to play dress up with, paint nails, do our makeup, stuff that didn’t interest my brothers. Now though, I’m SO grateful for my brothers. They’re so selfless, helpful, kind, they taught me a lot. Growing up with them gave me a thick skin and an ability to handle things on my own, which I’m forever grateful for.
But that didn’t stop me from taking baby steps towards my hair career. I would spend hours watching YouTube videos of how to curl my hair a certain way or how to do different buns and stuff. I’d do that with makeup too. My mom would always bring up cosmetology as a career path she thought I’d enjoy. Mom’s always know!
Pricing:
- Blonding starts at $125
- Wash & style $35
- Level 1 cut (no wash) $35
- Level 2 cut $55
- All over color starts at $105
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lalacosmetology.com
- Instagram: lalacosmetology
