Not a hair out of place
THEY say a woman’s hair is her crowning glory and more so when a person’s hair is the first thing Bibian Leong notices. Trained under her mentor, David Shaw, the 26-year-old has been a hairstylist for seven years starting out as his assistant and now his business partner.
But getting to where she is today took some effort. When Leong told her parents she wanted to be a hairstylist, they didn’t agree with her decision. Her parents thought that she will be stuck in a salon, so she pursued a makeup course instead. Leong then persuaded her mother to let her do a course on hair which she agreed.
Hairdressing and hairstyling brings different meanings to her where hairdressers mainly do cuts which she doesn’t do at all because she doesn’t have the time. She is always following her mentor for photo shoots that she doesn’t have the time to take a course on it and hence only does hair styling.
“I never stopped learning and that is what I believe makes me special. Everything in the industry is being modernised and is changing; that is why I can never stop learning. I look at photo shoots from other countries and research runway shows online; that is how I keep up-to-date,” she said.
TIPS & TRICKS
Leong said the most popular hairstyle today is effortless hair; hair that looks like it was not blown and undone, compared to the big hairs in the 80s or 90s.
“It’s pretty hard (to achieve effortless hair). I always apply a sea salt water product and blow the hair until it is dry; and what you get is beachy waves. This look is always best with light hair as you can see the texture much more. For dark hair, a straight or blunt cut is perfect. Many international stylists go for dark hair to show off their cuts,” she said.
Leong revealed that she personally doesn’t take care of her hair and isn’t pressured to do her hair as long as she is known for her skills and not for looking good. But her advice on hair care is to use a hair mask once a week and to never bleach your hair.
“I never liked people bleaching their hair; it only kills your hair. I did it before and regretted it. Your hair won’t feel like it is your hair anymore when you wash it and it breaks off easily,” she said.
Another fact she revealed is that washing your hair without shampoo doesn’t work. Your scalp will still produce oil and you will end up with waxy textured hair.
“I wash my hair every day and I use baby shampoo.
There are no chemicals in it and it is good for the scalp. If you want soft hair, just use a conditioner. I would say shampoo, conditioner and hair mask are essential. I am currently using a hair mask from Shiseido and for conditioner, I always go for Sachajuan,” she said.
MOTIVATED BY PASSION
There is a demand for hairstylists because almost 80% of people in the industry can do make-up and not hair but Leong said to be selfish, she feels there are enough hairstylists. But in actual fact, there aren’t enough because she has hectic schedules and don’t get a lot of rest.
For those wanting to be a hairstylist, her advice is “don’t quit”. She had many hairstylists who joined her when she was hiring some time ago but they quit so easily.
“It used to be tough for me as well, but it is my work and passion so I got used to it and I never quit. My mother is my motivation. She is the reason I get up every morning.
“The best thing about my job is I get to meet a lot of new people; my network is huge. The worst is the schedule; I cannot have vacations. But vacations are a must at least once a year otherwise I might go crazy,” she quipped.
TRIVIA
IF NOT A HAIRSTYLIST, SHE WOULD BE A: Bartender
GO-TO MAKE-UP: Bold lips and strong eyebrows
DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A: Tomboy
FAVOURITE ALBUM: Ardipithecus by Willow
PLACES SHE WOULD LOVE TO GO: Rio, Greece and Iceland