The Heart of an Artist
Mel didn’t know she wanted to be a hairstylist. At first, she wanted to be a graphic designer. In high school, she took as many computer classes as possible. Meanwhile, she always had fabulous hair and ensured her friend’s hair looked great. Finally, her dad took notice and told her to look into hair as a profession. These days, Mel is a top-tier stylist, educator, mentor, stage artist, and, frankly, terrible with computers.
A Prism in the Rough
When Mel first got to hair school, it was difficult for her. While she did her friend’s hair for graduations and proms, she could not do her own. Mel had a very strict mom. As a result, she didn’t color her hair (or even toes) until she was 18! So, now surrounded by peers with years of practice, she felt behind.
Never a Quitter
Mel hated hair school. Perms weren’t her thing, cutting didn’t interest her, and she wasn’t down for up-dos. Finally, after about a month, she wanted to quit. But Mel never quits. She worked insanely hard to suffer through perms, build the dexterity for cuts, and even do up-dos. Color, though, color spoke to her. And her teacher saw that and pushed her towards it.
Rainbow Sparkle Unicorn
For 15 years, Mel did regular base color and root touch-ups. She loved it then and still does, but when Instagram blew up, she saw an opportunity to rebrand herself. It’s all come full circle because one of Mel’s main claims to fame is color theory and her limitless unicorn transformations.
A Note from the Author
It’s been a treat to see Mel grow over the years. She started amazingly, but the polish and refinement over time are truly impressive. Every rainbow/unicorn/fashion color that comes out of her is top-tier and awe-inspiring.
Jumping in with Joico
Mel always wanted to join Joico. She loves their color. While working in Cali, Mel worked with a Joico Educator. This educator told Mel it’s hard to get in with Joico, and she probably wouldn’t cut it. Bad advice. With a year, Vegas, and a little bit of Instagram fame, Joico came to the salon to find Mel. They asked her to be an educator.
Movin On Up!
Mel has climbed the Joico ranks fast. She is currently a junior guest artist who tests new products, takes over Instagram, and performs on stages all over the country. Mel’s work is the face (well, hair) of the Joico Color Intensity line to some higher-ups in the company.
Mama Mel and the Next Generation
If you have made it this far, you know Mel has accomplished a lot and is still barreling down the road of glory. But, perhaps the most glorious of her accomplishments is the profound impact she has had on her assistants (or, as she calls them, her babies.)
Tough Love
Mel doesn’t mess around. She is tough on her assistants, and they have to be tough to survive to assist her. But, in the end, they are the next generation of THS stylists. And every one of them has turned out incredibly talented, well-balanced, and eternally bonded with gratitude towards Mel.
Vampires, Cats, and Wine
Most of Mel’s life is all about hair. But, when not doing hair, Mel is drinking wine, watching Vampire Diaries for the umpteenth time, or trying to convince Rick, the love of her life, to adopt another cat. Her ultimate goal is to have 1 million cats in the house, but as of this writing, Rick is holding strong at two.