Express Services - The Look Good, Feel Good Industry

Blowout bar industry veteran MariLynne Cosmillo from Cherry Blow Dry Bar’s styled them all – from Chrissy Teigen over Blake Lively to Kate Upton. Now she shares exclusively some insights on how and why express beauty services are widely demanded and how trying a new tool can really change your entire look!

1) What attracted you to the hair industry? I owe the start of my career to my childhood friends’ salon-owner parents. My inspiration for getting into this business was watching them work their magic. What’s so great about this industry is how you can work in so many areas of the business from teaching to platform work, product development, management and more. I’ve never settled if I wasn’t growing, so I’ve really enjoyed the adventure of exploring and learning each facet. 

2) Who are your celebrity hair icons and why? Julia Roberts has always been my hair icon—she has such an incredible mane! Flipped, diffused, brushed out romantic waves – she can do no wrong, and her color always looks flawless. I also admire Chrissy Teigen as a hair icon as her looks are always current, relatable and fashionable, and has a great team of stylists showing off her versatility from extensions to top-knots and textured cuts.

3) What changes have you seen in the industry throughout your career?  Ten years ago most of the country had no idea what a blowout was. Now there is a whole industry created around the perfect blowout, resulting in more career opportunities for hair stylists and more business opportunities for entrepreneurs.  Stylists who used to need years of ‘dues’ before being granted their own chair now have the ability to start their careers the moment they graduate, and some even sooner, thanks to the blowout bar industry. Many salon owners nowadays aren’t veteran hair stylists but women who love the service and want to bring it into their communities, which used to be unheard of. 

4)    Why do you think the express beauty service category has really taken off? Women everywhere are looking for more express services besides just nails today. Why not hair? Why not makeup, extensions, treatments? As a look-good, feel-good industry, we’re all simply figuring out how to offer women what they want at an affordable price point. At Cherry Blow Dry Bar, we believe our membership model gives women that accessibility and convenience. I see this as yet another opportunity for our industry, and I predict we’ll be seeing many more membership offerings over the next few years.

5) Describe the perfect blowout. Once you know the art and amount of work that goes into shaping the hair properly, there is something very satisfying about those perfectly smooth strands. The perfect blowout is light – it follows the flow of the head, is full of body, touchable and each piece consistent with the next. It could be wavy, bouncy or straight, but it’s meticulously styled to look so naturally flawless.

6) What advice do you give clients who are looking for a change?  Don’t jump to chop it – choose to put the effort into changing how you style it. Try a new tool, like a curling iron or a different sized barrel, change your finishing products, and experiment with some tips from your stylist!

7) What are the top trends you predict for fall? Although I believe that bouncy, big-barreled curls aren’t going anywhere, I see straighter, smoother looks coming this fall. I believe the side part is making a comeback in a big way to allow more volume on the crown. Lastly, shorter hair! Shoulder-length is trending, and there is no better time than the fall to get rid of those sun-dried ends for a fresh look.

By Alissa Zarrabi

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