Cosmetology has been Samantha Reid’s priority for as long as she can remember. She pursued relevant courses assiduously at school and eventually opened her own salon. Though this was a long journey for Reid, she can proudly say that it paid off 10 years ago with the opening of Samantha’s Beauty ‘n Attitude salon. With business continuously thriving, the self-professed nail art guru has now set her eyes on opening another salon in the near future. She is quick to add that her love for her job has little to do with material benefits — as she is more satisfied with her customer’s appreciation of her handiwork. “I take pride in what I do. I believe it is important that you love your profession because it will always reflect in the work that you produce,” Reid explained. Here is what happened when the Under the Dryer team and bartenders from J Wray & Nephew — who prepared zesty ‘Mangotini’ cocktails for clients — stopped by.

Clients: Denise Cunningham, Jhenel Dixon, Olivia Wilson, Rosemarie Dawkins, Kera Blake-Oats and Roshell Fearon.

Lasting Results

Denise Cunningham, student

Styled by: Raephia Johnson

“I have been a client of the salon for about six years,” says Denise. She uses her salon visits not only to get her hair done but also to have a signature acrylic design by Samantha. “I love the service I receive here. The results last long and it’s worth the cost. Plus, if you don’t like something you can change it without the staff creating a fuss — they aim to please,” she explains. Denise is a huge fan of hair extensions so she added straight extensions during her visit.

Steps:

* Cornrow the hair to prep for hair extensions.

* Sew in extensions on the cornrows.

* Apply King’s Professional beeswax to the hair.

* Use a ceramic flat iron to style each row of the hair.

* Cut the front of the hair to get side-swept bangs and trim hair ends.

* Bevel the bangs using a curling iron.

* Finish the look by misting the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil nourishing sheen spray.

Procedure for nails:

Denise had her nail beds refilled with an acrylic overlay. The nails were then airbrushed with a colourful design. A top coat of clear nail polish was finally added for sheen and to give the nails a more finished look.

Denise’s take:

“I am elated as always!”

Curly Ponytail

Jhenel Dixon, sales representative

Presentation is key when you have to work directly with customers. Jhenel therefore makes upkeep a priority. She visits the salon as often as she can to ensure that her hair and nails are always in tip-top shape. However, because of her preference for conservative hairstyles, the salon ensures that she always leaves looking modest.

Steps:

* Use a comb to untangle the hair.

* Use a paddle brush to assist you in putting the hair neatly in one. Leave a portion of the front of the hair out.

* Lightly apply Let’s Jam! shining and conditioning gel – regular hold, to keep hair in place.

* Add hair extensions to the hair by wrapping it around the bun and pinning it in place with bobby pins. This creates a long, wavy ponytail.

* Segment the ponytail.

* Wrap each segment using your fingers, to create stylish curls.

* Pin each curled hair segment in place using bobby pins.

* Use a ceramic flat iron to curl the front of the hair.

* Mist the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil nourishing sheen spray.

Jhenel’s take:

“It’s nice! I feel great.”

Conservative Styling

Olivia Wilson, student

This is Olivia’s first time at the salon and with her school’s re-opening only days away she knew it would be the perfect opportunity to get a new hairdo. When asked what she thought of the salon thus far, her initial response was a huge smile. “I am really impressed with the service I received,” she finally says. Olivia admits she loves experimenting with new looks during the holidays, but a conservative yet stylish bun is ideal for school.

Steps:

* Use DP Dixie peach conditioning shampoo and Motions moisture plus conditioner to cleanse and moisturise the hair.

* Use a handheld blow dryer to completely dry the hair.

* Create a flat twist design to the front of the hair using hair gel and rubber bands to keep it in place.

* Place the rest of the hair in a neat bun.

* Create a single braid using half a pack of hair extensions.

* Wrap this hair around the bun and pin it in place neatly with bobby pins.

* Finish the look by misting the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil nourishing sheen spray.

Olivia’s take:

“I like my hair!”

Curls Galore

Rosemarie Dawkins, sales clerk

Rosemarie has been a client of the salon for about five months. Normally she gets her hair styled straight. However, today she decides to get a curly do. Stylist Patrice McNeil gets to work executing her client’s request for a new look.

Steps:

* The length of your hair should first be considered before doing this hairstyle. If your hair is short, add hair extensions to different segments of the hair using the bonding method.

* Mist the hair with Flex Light and Free spritz extreme hold by Revlon before applying heat.

* Use curling iron to create spiral-like curls.

* Use your fingers to contour the curls.

* Finish the look by lightly misting the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil nourishing sheen spray.

Rosemarie’s take:

“I really like my hair this way. I think I may try it again soon.”

Pixie Perfect

Kera Blake-Oats, nursing assistant

This is Kera’s first visit to the salon. In fact, she only stopped by to pick up a friend who was getting her hair styled. She was so impressed by the work she saw being done that she decided to get her hair done as well, rather than sit idly and wait. “I have no complaints, everything is great so far!” she exclaims.

Steps:

* Process the hair by applying Optimum Multi-Mineral Reduced pH Creme Relaxer as directed on the package.

* Rinse product completely from the hair.

* Shampoo the hair with Optimum neutralising shampoo.

* Apply Motions neutralising conditioner to moisturise and further balance the hair’s pH level.

* Rinse the product from the hair then flat-wrap the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil wrap set mousse.

* Sit under the dryer for about 30 minutes or until the hair is completely dry.

* Brush the hair with a paddle brush.

* Lightly apply King’s Professional beeswax to segments of the hair, then style using a curling iron.

* Use a wide-tooth comb to style the hair.

* Finish the look by lightly misting the hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil nourishing sheen spray.

Kera’s take:

“It’s perfect!”

Airbrushed Finish

Rochell Fearon, cashier

Rochell has been getting her nails done at the salon for about five years. When asked why, she responds, “It’s simple really: Samantha is the best at what she does. My nails tend to last for at least a month before they need to be redone. Coming here is worthwhile.” She decides to get an airbrushed design with an acrylic spider design on one nail for a more unusual finish.

Rochell’s take:

“I love it! It’s so pretty.”