Russell L. George Blog: Oway Stylist Spotlight: Jenn Kidd

Through our social media forums, Simply Organic Beauty strives to create a community of Holistic Hair Stylists who can share their passion, experience, and endless creativity.

Once a month we put the spotlight on one of our community members and let them share their passion with you.

Our July 2016 Organic Way Hair Colorist is Jenn Kidd! She’s a Hair Stylist at Apotheclaire Salon in Akron, Ohio – where they take an eco-responsible approach to hair, beauty and personal care. Learn more about Jenn in our exclusive interview with her below!

Get to know Jenn!

How did you become interested in becoming an organic hair colorist?

Quite simply, I became sick.

I developed serious allergies in the salon that were escalating into other symptoms. After years of trying everything, including using steroids on my hands every night and covering them with gloves, I knew it was time to make some changes. Because of the severity of my sensitivities, I knew my only two options were to find a space where I was in complete control of what was being used or to quit doing hair.

That is how Apotheclaire came to be and that is how I discovered Oway. I was immediately drawn to Oway because of the packaging, let’s be honest – it’s fantastic. I did lots of due diligence and research and testing of other “organic hair color” lines. None of them fit what we were looking for like Oway did.

On a side note – I used to have to take a prescription antihistamine on a daily basis to be able to work. I have not had to take one since making the switch!

You have posted some beautiful balayage work. Do you have any tips or tricks for using Hbleach when lightening? Do you have some “go to” Hcolor formulas for when your toning?

Thank you! I am crazy about hbleach. I love the consistency of it and how soft in both color and feel the results are. I am a cautious bleacher and I refuse to compromise anyone’s hair, ever. Using hbleach allows me to push the lightening process a little bit further without the need of any -plex products, knowing how gentle the process is.

When doing balayage, I always like to keep a dry tint brush on my tray and use it at an angle to diffuse and blend any strong lines. This gives extra control and adds extra detailing.

I’m not finding toners as necessary for correcting as much as I am loving the way they can enhance. I have always loved a warm / cool balance with hair color and the .31 series provides perfect tone for that dimension!

Oway has an extensive retail line. Can you tell us your top three picks?

Glamshine Cloud– I spray it on my hands to put in the hair and it gives me extra control over placement.
Flux Potion – That is our swiss army knife of products at the shop.
Scuplting Mist – We do not use aerosols in the shop. So thankful for this non-aerosol gem

Do you have any predictions for 2016 Fall Trends in hair color and hair style?

Always! I think that people are looking for new ways to change up their look with ease. Playing with texture will be huge coming into the fall, on both short and long hair. There are a million ways to get great texture without using heat tools and I love sharing them with clients.

Long hair? Sleep in a braid or twist hair into a bun before going to sleep. Wake up and shake it out. Throw some boho pomade in there and voila! Playing with an extreme side part or adding in vintage accessories are also a fun way to change it up.

I believe color is going to start shying away from all of the bold, direct dyes and steer more towards emulating nature. More gingers, softer blondes and dimensional browns with both warm and cool tones combined. Warm for the winter and cool in the summer!

As a member of our Oway Holistic Hair Stylist Forum Group on Facebook, can you tell us how it has helped or benefited you with your craft?

It has been a great tool to help myself and my co-stylist learn the line. I love that we have such a valuable real-life, in-salon resource to look at and learn from. I’ve been doing this for ten years and switching color lines was intimidating, no matter how well I knew color. I called Rebecca Gregory one day when I was especially freaking out and she talked me through it. The Facebook group and technical support offered by Simply Organic has been priceless. We look at it and are inspired by everyone’s work on a daily basis!

How does your personal style influence your work on clients?

I wear what I want without ever giving a thought to what others will think of my style, because I like it. I truly believe that if you feel great, you can pull anything off with your look. I am not a fan of the “if you’re this size you can’t have short hair” or “if you’re this age you can’t have long hair” rules that some people believe. I hope that I can inspire people to be a little more carefree and wear whatever makes them feel their best!