Trendy with Kim Allison

Welcome to Salon Stories, Trendy Tribe! The internet is in a full-blown debate over independent stylists vs. corporate salons, and as a hairdresser of 29 years, I had to sound off. From the “Instagram stylist” label to Ulta, Sephora, and JCPenney vs. your independent stylist, I’m talking salon pricing, silk press prices, commission splits, salon overhead, and why clients really pay for the person, not the building. Whether you’re an independent hairstylist, a salon owner, a booth renter, or a client wondering why prices vary so much, I’m giving you the real tea on both sides of the chair, because two things can be true at the same time. Hit that subscribe button and the notification bell if you’re watching on YouTube, and rate and review if you’re listening on your podcast app. It helps more people find me!🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.#hairstylist #independentstylist #salonowner #behindthechair #hairdresser TIME STAMPS:00:00 Instagram Stylist vs. Independent Stylist02:34 Starting at a Corporate Salon (Tony & Guy)11:35 Commission Splits, Overhead & Pricing

Welcome back, Trendy Tribe! Today I’m sitting down with hairdresser Erika Starr, the woman I trust with my hair’s life (she cut me back into my pixie, and I love it). With more than ten years behind the chair in Atlanta and now Phoenix, Erika does it all, from pixie cuts and silk presses to color, braids, and natural hair. We’re talking her journey, old school vs. new school hairstyling, and what’s really going on with the internet’s hot takes on Black hairdressers: late, unprofessional, expensive, too many rules. What do we need to hear, and what’s just noise? Stay till the end for a fun round of questions, because nobody leaves here without playing one of my games. If you’re watching on YouTube, hit subscribe and the notification bell, and rate and review wherever you stream so more people can find the show!✨ Erika Starr – Hairstylist, Salon Professional, & Owner of Erika Starr Hair StudioBased in Phoenix, AZSocials: @erikastarrhair🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.TIME STAMPS:00:00 Intro: meet Erika Starr03:16 How hair found her: Atlanta and beauty school07:31 Moving to Arizona and building a clientele11:00 Specialist vs. all-rounder stylists16:34 The internet vs. Black hairdressers: late, pricey, rude?25:25 What makes a hair service “luxury”? Pricing talk34:53 Clients, shampoos, and licensing48:38 Old school vs. new school hairstyling59:08 Rapid-fire game segment1:06:06 Where to find Erika

Welcome back, Trendy Tribe! Hairdressers, this one’s for you! We’re diving into two folders today, salon stories and beauty culture, to talk fall hair trends 2026 and what your clients will be bringing in for inspiration. From pixie cuts and French bobs to shaggy layers and face-framing, we’re officially in our soft era, and I’m sharing the haircuts, styling techniques, and skills you’ll want to sharpen so your book stays full all season. Stylists, clients, and hair lovers alike, you won’t want to miss it. Hit that subscribe button if you’re watching on YouTube, and rate and review wherever you stream! And mark your calendar, because on Wednesday I’m sitting down with Erika Starr for an interview you do NOT want to miss. Thank you so much for being here, I appreciate every single one of you! - Kim🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.TIME STAMPS:0:00 Welcome to the soft era: fall hair trends 20262:45 Pixie cuts: the icons and what’s coming back6:00 Soft bobs: French bob, flips, and side parts9:15 Shaggy soft layers and face-framing12:25 Brunette hair trends for fall

Welcome back to the red folder, Trendy Tribe! This week’s showerhead filter deep dive has a follow-up. I took the hard water test, and the results made my decision for me. Here’s what I’m doing about hard water, calcium and magnesium buildup, and my hair and skin, and which shower filter I’m still buying. Hit that subscribe button if you’re watching on YouTube, and rate and review wherever you stream!NSF website: https://www.info.nsf.org🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.#ShowerFilter #HardWater #BeautyPodcast #SkincareTips #TrendyWithKimAllison

Welcome back to the red folder, Trendy Tribe! We’re continuing our shower filter series, and I thought we’d finally get to go shopping, but first we’re digging into the six showerheads featured in NewBeauty, from a $49 budget pick to a $599 red light splurge. I’m unpacking what’s actually backed by independent NSF/ANSI 177 testing, what’s just marketing, and why a shower filter can’t fix hard water, plus the three questions I’m emailing every brand before I spend a dime. Whether you’re after a chlorine-reducing showerhead for healthier hair and skin, a filter for scalp care, or just a pretty one for your bathroom, you’ll learn how to check the NSF database yourself and what to ask for before you buy. I’ll update you on who responds! Hit that subscribe button if you’re watching on YouTube, and rate and review wherever you stream! — KimNSF website: https://www.info.nsf.org🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.TIME STAMPS:00:00 Intro: testing your water and where we left off01:59 How to use the NSF database to verify filter claims03:27 The six NewBeauty showerheads, from $49 to $59920:15 Scorecard, takeaways, and why a filter can’t fix hard water#ShowerFilter #HardWater #BeautyPodcast #SkincareTips #TrendyWithKimAllison

Welcome back to the red folder, Trendy Tribe! After spotting an article in NewBeauty about six different filtered showerheads, all claiming to do different things, I had questions, and before we spend our hard-earned money, shouldn’t we know what’s actually in our water? Today I’m unpacking chlorine, chloramine, hard water, calcium, magnesium, and metals like copper, plus soap scum and mineral buildup, what pools, oceans, lakes, and rivers do to our hair, why metal buildup matters when coloring or lightening, and when professional metal detox treatments make sense. You’ll also learn how to find your local water-quality report and check your water hardness, along with a few hairdresser-approved tips for protecting your hair before and after swimming. Then join me this Wednesday as we look at filtered showerheads and whether they’re worth your money! Hit that subscribe button if you are watching on YouTube, and rate and review wherever you stream! — KimProducts Mentioned in This Episode:Virtue Scalp Remedy Shampoo: https://www.virtuelabs.com/scalp-remedy-shampoo-cfg.htmlWater Hardness Test Strips, 150 Tests: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DYF22VX1🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.00:00 - Intro: What's Really Coming Out of Your Faucet?05:07 - Hard Water, Minerals, and the Truth About Soap Scum10:06 - Sulfates, Surfactants, and What "Sulfate-Free" Actually Means14:00 - EDTA and Clarifying vs. Chelating Shampoos18:16 - Salon Metal Detox Treatments and Copper Buildup22:50 - Swimming Pools, Chlorine, and the Real Cause of Green Hair27:00 - Ocean Water, Natural Sources, and Bottled Water Rinses31:36 - Skin Barriers, Absorption, and Checking Your Water Hardness#HardWater #ShowerFilters #HairCare #HairScience #BeautyCulture #TrendyWithKimAllison

Welcome back to Trendy with Kim Allison, you guys! Today I am sitting down with my longtime client turned fellow hairdresser, Leesha Wynn, to talk about her incredible story of starting over and pivoting into cosmetology at 50. We are getting into everything from her early days sitting in my chair with that iconic pixie cut to transitioning out of corporate, navigating beauty school, and building a thriving salon suite business on her own terms. It is never too late to reinvent yourself and build a career you truly love! Hit that subscribe button if you are watching on YouTube, and please rate and review wherever you stream podcasts!— Kim✨ Leesha Wynn – Hairstylist, Salon Professional, & Owner of Shearly Superb SalonBased in Columbia, SCIG: @shearlysuperbWebsite: www.shearlysuperb.com🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.TIME STAMPS:00:00 - Reuniting 25 Years Later06:52 - Starting Beauty School at 5012:17 - Living the Envisioned Life & Salon Vibe17:18 - Color vs. Cutting & Mastered Skills20:35 - Corporate to Suite Life: Carving Your Path39:13 - Being Both the Client and the Stylist51:05 - Hairdressing as the Ultimate Retirement Career58:37 - Game Time!

Welcome to the yellow folder for a brand new salon stories episode! Today we are challenging the arbitrary timelines society puts on our careers and retirement. If you have ever felt too old to start something new, I am here to remind you that it is never too late to be a beginner. Plus, wait until you hear my conversation this Wednesday with Lisa, who jumped into hairdressing at 50!Hit that subscribe button and leave a review to support the show.— Kim🛍️ Shop Virtue Labs through my link:https://www.virtuelabs.com/en/stylist/Kim-Allison✅ Subscribe for more conversations with the voices reshaping the beauty industry.Click Here For More Info: https://linktr.ee/TrendywithKimAllison– Listen on Spotify, Apple, and all podcast platforms.– Follow @trendywkimallison on Instagram and TikTok.TIME STAMPS:00:00 - Starting Late01:42 - Age Timelines06:37 - Starting Over at 50