What can a new do...do?

Me with my old do.

When I moved to NYC in 2008 I had no idea the amount of pressure I would put myself under to break through in the beauty industry.  I have always had high hopes of making it in "The Big Apple" and many obstacles have come my way to try and keep me from reaching my full potential and most of these obstacles were self inflicted.  The biggest mistake I made was trying to blend in which is super easy but not my style.  When you are used to standing out in the crowd and are then moved somewhere where you don't stand out at all it can lead to some serious sad face time =(.  I found that out for sure.

Me with my new do!!!

So what did I do?  I got a wicked new haircut and color.  I can't believe that it took me so long to realize that while I thought the best thing for me to do would be to blend in, what I really was yearning for was the ability to stand out and be noticed.  Now this post wasn't meant to shine just on me.  There are many girls and boys out there who like to stand out more than others and for some it can seem drastic.  I love when clients come in and say to me that they want something daring but to me daring is drastic, over the top, look at me, and WOW.  Some people actually look better with an edgier hairstyle but they just don't have the courage to be noticed more often.  Some people look horrible with a dramatic do but have so much guts that they answer to no one and wear it anyway and that in itself makes it fabulous.

The other side of my new do.

I know you are asking "What is your freaking point Raven?".  Well...here it is:  If you are in a slump, not excited to do your hair, or you just feel like you are invisible, do something about your do!!!  I have been fighting depression for a few years now and I can not tell you the effect that changing my look has had.  All i needed was a look that made me feel special and that is exactly why I am a hairstylist to begin with.  There is nothing more rewarding than giving someone a look that gives them the confidence that they need to go through their day and feel special.  I am just happy that I finally decided to let someone do that for me.

Photoshoot : Nikki Giovanni

I have had the opportunity to work with model Nikki Giovanni on many occasions.  This Long Island girl keeps me laughing and having a blast no matter where we are shooting.  I tell her all the time that I was born to paint her face because she has that kind of look that I love!  I have had the pleasure of working with photographer Kenneth Paul and have joined forces with him as his lead hair and makeup artist as well as his creative assistant and photo editor.  Together we have worked with Miss Giovanni and she has become one of our go to girls because the three of us “make magic” happen. 

Nikki has worked on projects with MTV, VH1, FHM, and Maxim as well as music videos for some of the hottest acts today.  She has many things coming up in her future and I am proud to have helped her reach for the stars.  Below is some of our work together.

		Nikki Giovanni VIEW SLIDE SHOW

Photoshoot : Natalie Dré

I recently had the opportunity through Kenneth Paul Media Productions to work hair and makeup on a photo shoot for a model named Natalie Dré.  Her beauty is classic and she was effortless in front of the camera like a true professional and I was blown away to learn that she had only been modeling for a short period of time. One of the shots was picked from many to be featured on The Cat's Meow Magazine's website. Here is the final outcome. Hope you like =) make sure you check out Natalie's Facebook page.

		Natalie Dré VIEW SLIDE SHOW

primped & painted Returning in February

Happy New Year Primpers!!!

You may have noticed that there have not been any posts in a while and that is because I am working on some very big things for 2013.  I moved to a salon in Manhattan called Hair and the City and I am also working of some fabulous photography with Kenneth Paul of kennethpaulmedia.com and I couldn't be happier.

Stay tuned in February for the return of primped & painted.

Behind The Scenes : Nikki Giovanni Photoshoot