Today we’d like to introduce you to Noelle DeGrenier.
Noelle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As crazy as it sounds, it really all started when I was pretty young and my older sister was amazing at cornrows (let’s keep in mind this was the late 90’s early 2000’s and cornrow headbands were huge). I automatically assumed she would be the hairdresser in the family and I was SUPER jealous, that was probably the first point in my life I realized what I was meant to do. Lucky for me she actually had no interest and now I have a great big clientele of family!
In high school, I was told hairdressers “made no money” so I decided to go to college and see what else was out there. I was a terrible student and not interested at all, I ended up skipping a lot of classes and failing almost all of them. On the day my mom wanted to see my final grades, I was freaking out and finally got the courage to show her. The second she saw the screen, I shouted: “I WANT TO GO TO TONI & GUY.” I was absolutely terrified of how she was going to react and to my surprise, she thought it was a great idea. Since that day, she has been my absolute #1 supporter and client.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve been really lucky in life but recently it threw me with a little curve ball. For a little over two years, I was working in a salon I loved, with people I loved and a clientele I absolutely adored. Recently, they had decided to change color lines for great reasons and I was excited about the change! The very second I started using it I had a horrible reaction.
I ended up in the ER a few times, met with multiple specialists, got MRI’s, CTs, injections in my head, and my personal favorite – a spinal tap. All of which was to figure out what could be wrong with me, but all roads continued to lead back to the new color line. I desperately tried sucking it up and going back to work but my reaction only seemed to get worse, I was so discouraged.
After almost two months of being too sick that I could barely leave my bed, my mom asked me what else I might want to do for a career in the case that I couldn’t be a stylist anymore. The thought almost destroyed me, I never wanted something more than this career especially after all of this. I eventually left the salon and ultimately got better.
I was heartbroken to leave my friends, who felt like family but I truly realized what I’m meant to do and absolutely believe everything happens for a reason. I’m at an amazing salon now and I’m so lucky, I get to continue doing what I love!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Loft Salon south – what should we know?
I work at The Loft Salon South by Michael Albor! My boss, Michael, is an inspiration in this industry and has made an amazing name for himself. I’m so grateful I have the opportunity to learn from someone like him because the industry is ever-changing, there’s always something to learn and he is the best of the best to learn from.
Color is my absolute passion but I also believe the cut ties everything together. My specialty is definitely bright blondes, balayage, and dimensional brunettes. I’m currently a huge fan of the baby lighting craze. The super rooty balayage was everywhere for a while but I’m loving breaking that root up just slightly so you don’t feel like you’re just getting plain highlights but you also still have depth at your root with those brighter ends.
I love dimension in the hair, without it you won’t see how bright your blonde is or the depth of your beautiful new color. Another huge passion of mine is the lived-in hair trend, the messy choppy beach hair definitely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and I’m 100% here for it.
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
The hair industry is constantly changing and evolving. I believe we’re starting to phase out the harsh rooted balayage, kind of how the ombrés slowly went away. I absolutely don’t think the ‘grown out’ ‘lived in’ or ‘beachy’ hair is going anywhere though, who doesn’t love low maintenance hair?
Also, the choppy lob and messy mid-length cuts are so popular but I think the super long 70’s Cher hair is absolutely going to have a big moment (which I can’t wait for). I also just really can’t wait to see what the industry looks like in 10 years, thinking back to 2008 I feel like it’s changed entirely and that’s amazing to me.
I really do believe social media has played a huge role in elevating the beauty industry. It keeps stylists on their toes and eager to learn but also share their skills as well, it’s like one big community it’s pretty awesome to be a part of.
Pricing:
- Balayage 150
- Partial foil 90
- Haircut 50
Contact Info:
- Address: 6 Grove Street Norwell MA 02061
- Website: theloftsalonboston.com
- Phone: 7818788488
- Instagram: Noelle_degrenier
- Facebook: Noellecdegrenier
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
