Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Armour.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started young; first coloring my barbies’ hairs with paints, all different colors; even applying roots to make them look more realistic. I experimented A LOT on my own hair, then in middle school, I moved onto charging my friends ten dollars to apply their box dye for them. From probably the ages of 14 to 20, I was the only one who would cut & color my own hair. I didn’t trust anyone else. (Obviously… there were many awful haircuts in those beginning years.)
In high school, I was interning at House of Compassion, a center for homeless people living with AIDS/HIV; it was there I started doing blowouts and cuts on more than myself or my friends. It taught me to really have focus because you want to give something special to these people who are struggling so hard; you don’t want to make a mistake.
Finally, after graduating, I decided to enroll in hair school at Toni and Guy; my first school project, being based on my brand “mermaid hair” which is where I started to find my voice in “color.” Meanwhile, I started obtaining clients doing hair out of my mom’s house, outside of school. I would cut & color them in the kitchen and wash them out in the bathtub!
I completed hair school and got hired pretty fast in my career! I started at Sunny and Shears/United Ink Tattoos. There, I was able to start building a clientele and create hair magic. I had/have many clients who would give me creative freedom which I’m so appreciative of. Now, I’m booked up doing fantasy hair; always trying something new with color; giving people the mermaid hair of their dreams!
Has it been a smooth road?
It was definitely rocky at first! Hair school was pretty tough for me, I had a lot of anxiety over the pressure to perform around a lot of people who were competitive. I almost didn’t graduate because I lost so many hours due to being so anxious. Thankfully I had the help of my best friend hounding my ass to push through. I loved the education though. It helped me to rise above my anxiety; to simply focus on being the best I can be for my salon and its clients while maintaining my own unique voice and exploration.
I would say to women of all ages: always stay true to yourself and don’t give up. It’s hard sometimes not to get trapped inside your own head when something doesn’t come out the way you want it to (especially with box dye color corrections!). But that’s how you can make yourself better, learn from your mistakes; think about what you can do better rather than what you did wrong. If a salon doesn’t feel right, find one that does; there are plenty out there. Find people who root for you and are proud of your accomplishments. There is a lot of jealousy in this industry, don’t let it get to you!
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I really started by doing “mermaid hair” but I am branching out and exploring other color combinations as they meet what the client is trying to express! I try to follow in the footsteps of other trailblazers who have taken hair styling to an art form; I wouldn’t say “high fashion” but I am interested in hair and color as a medium of fleeting expression. I believe this is what sets me apart. I am constantly creating new looks and experimenting with color; I don’t like to get comfortable nor complacent. I love playing around with metallics, neons, pastels, and vivids. Even when I’m on vacation, I find myself itching to get back behind the chair. I’ll go to botanical gardens and take pictures of flowers I can later use as hair inspiration.
When a new client comes to me and tells me to do whatever I want I feel so honored by their trust in me. At the end of an appointment, when my client says it’s exactly what she wanted and can’t stop talking about how much they love their hair; its enough of a boost to fill my heart all week.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
My mother and my grandmother have been my biggest inspirations. Starting with my mom, she is one of the most hardworking and strongest women I know. She’s built everything she’s had from the bottom up despite all the obstacles in her way; it motivates me to keep going no matter what. My grandmother, on the other hand, always instilled in me to be creative. From the time, I was little she called me an artist, constantly getting me into new creative outlets; from painting to colored pencils to paper mache to cooking, really anything we could get our hands on. We would always be doing some kind of awesome crazy project together.
Contact Info:
- Email: hairbymermzs@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/hairbymermzs
Image Credit:
All taken by me, thank you to Dayna, Dani, Myra, Aryan, Morgan & Kate
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