5 Signs You are Having the Best PBA Beauty Week Ever…
The first person you see upon entering Mandalay Bay is Mark Cuban giving a keynote address…
Photo by Annie Lerwill
We were already excited to see Mark Cuban because he is an investor in our pal Megan Gage’s company, Hot Tot Haircare (if your Hair Babies aren’t using Hot Tot they are missing out). Then he turned out to be the coolest most amazing guy, ever. We were taking down notes so furiously it is amazing our iPhones didn’t explode. Not to worry Nerds… we will share all of Mark’s wisdom with you!
Photo by Annie Lerwill
You accidentally happen upon Number 4 Hair Care’s Glam Squad Suite…
If you ever have the good fortune to pass a banner with the Number 4 High Performance Hair Care logo on it, it is advised you stop dead in your tracks because magic is occurring somewhere close. I got some insider information that Steve Elias and Heath Bryant-Huppert, 2014 NAHA Makeup Artist Winner, were going to be in the Glam Squad Suite getting the Number 4 model ready for the NAHA Red Carpet Reception.
So I showed up in a top knot and yoga pants 20 minutes before my next event with pouty eyes and and prayer. When that didn’t work I threatened to hold Steve hostage and miraculously the curling iron and mason pearson brush appeared.. Weird..
After convincing him to toss some curls in my hair before I threw a dress on, I contemplated stealing the entire line of Number 4. Somehow I felt like it might be noticeable if I wandered out of the room with my arms full of bottles. Karma comes back to well behaved Nerds because the very next morning the awesome team at Number 4 bestowed me with Hydrating line… let this be a lesson to Nerds everywhere. 1. Let’s not get crazy with illegalities AND 2. the humans behind Number 4 are kinda INCREDIBLE.
Eden Sassoon unveils The Thirst Project to the beauty industry…
Eden Sassoon, our ultimate girl crush, hosted a private party to officially present The Thirst Project to professional beauty. As she spoke of her father and her chance meeting with Seth Maxwell, the founder of The Thirst Project, things became very emotional. This is a cause we as an industry can rally around and truly make a difference in ending.
Read about The Thirst Project here.
“My father (Vidal Sassoon) believed if the hairdressing community came together as one, they could create miracles. He did what he did with a pure heart and was the poetry for change. Water is a vital part of most hairdressing services and a key component in the shampoos and conditioners we sell, and I realized hairdressers today could get together and build some wells if they were aware of this issue. Imagine what we could accomplish if we could get cosmetology students and stylists around the country to donate just a dollar, or by informing our clients and asking them to contribute a small donation to the cause. We can make a change, and as my dad would say, ‘Let’s get on with it.’’” – Eden Sassoon
As we gathered around Seth and Eden with our friends, The Hair Nerds mission became clear. We want to involve the cosmetology schools in this incredible organization because we know that when you give Cosmo Babies a cause, they will show up and fight. No other group is more passionate in our industry.
Jake Thompson goes “rogue”…
The Red Carpet Reception is always an amazing time, but this year Jake Thompson went rogue and surprised us all by recreating his nominated model and bringing her with him. It is this kind of forward thinking that makes Jake a true visionary and why were weren’t surprised he took home a 25th anniversary NAHA trophy in the Avant Garde category.
The Beacon Open-Mic Panel looks like this…
Rodrick Samuels, Phillip Wilson, Mary Wilson, Nicholas French, Michael Baker, Stephen J. Gomez, Jake Thompson, Andrew Carruthers, Bonnie Conte, Dayna Cakebread, Carley Throgmorton, Chrystofer Benson, Todd A. Kane, Lauren Moser, and Amy Freudenberg all sat on the Beacon Open- Mic Panel. Beacon Students were able to submit questions to ask these industry power players directly.
We are huge fans of the Beacon program and encourage all Cosmo students to enter each year. How could we not love a program that quite literally invites all of our favorite hairdressers and puts them on display for us to stalk?