I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Reagan, a super RAD girl (she is one of the few people I know where the word rad truly goes with them) and insanely talented hair stylist. I met Reagan when we first moved to New York because we photographed her, her husband Jake, and their precious little girl Piper Jane for Reader’s Digest. We instantly became friends with them, and I soon learned that she works at a salon in the West Village (she gave me the best cut ever yesterday!) and has a blog all about hair that is so much fun!

I have been thinking of ways to keep my blog fresh and engaging so I’ve decided to start asking people who I admire or who have an interesting job or talent, five simple questions. And then I will share their answers with all of you. Reagan was kind enough to be my first interview! Hope you enjoy today’s “five” and check out her blog, Hairdresser On Fire!

1. I am clueless when it comes to hairstylist tipping etiquette! Please enlighten me! What is the proper/fair thing to do?

I generally get about 20% or a little more for a tip. Your stylist is either renting their chair from their salon for a high weekly/daily rate, getting paid a salary and not making anything from the cost of the haircut, or only getting paid a percentage of each haircut. People in the third category are most common in big cities. The take home commission for the stylist in a big city is usually only about 30%-40%, so that 20% tip is almost doubling their pay! Tipping well is a great way to show your stylist you are happy with them and it ends up being a major portion of our pay!

2. What are a few of your favorite hair products that you could pick up at the drugstore?

I don’t actually use all that many drugstore products, I definitely think the expensive stuff is worth the splurge! But there are a few that I really love and have in my product cupboard at all times.
- Pssst dry shampoo. This stuff is amazing! Spray it on your oily roots to keep your hair looking clean a few days longer.
- Batiste dry shampoo. I honestly rotate between both this and Psst. Batiste is a little more heavy duty.
- Garnier Wonder Waves. It’s a light beach spray. Spray it on wet hair, twist hair into a few big sections and air dry for a cute girl on the beach look.
- Aussie Shampoos and Conditioners. Their shampoos are gentle and their conditioners are rich.

3. What are a few of your fave products that are totally worth a splurge?

This list could probably go on for an eternity! I’ll try to just give you my essentials…
- Redken Outshine. This is my favorite smoothing cream of all time! My ends get very dry, Outshine moisturizes like it’s its job.
- Oribe Dry texturizing spray. This product smells better than anything in the world, it creates texture and volume and can make the most fine/straight hair hold curl all day.
- Sachajuan Medium hold hair mousse. I use mousse on almost everyone. If you are blow drying it in with a brush, you wont get any of that crunchiness, even if you are using handfuls of it! Mousse is nearly weightless, so it is really the best product for root lift!
- Je Veux hair oil. My dry ends drink Je Veux! This is a great product to use on your ends before blow drying. It protects damaged or color treated hair from further damage. It is a great moisturizer and makes your hair feel soft and look shiny!
- Sachajuan Ocean Mist. Your hair feels like you’ve been at the beach! It’s the best there is.

4. I have a friend who dreads hair appointments because she hates the pressure of needing to chat with the stylist. She wants her visit to be total relaxation time. What is a nice way for someone to say to you, “I’m here to relax and not to talk” and would it offend you if someone asked that?

This is something I think about a lot. I always wonder if my clients want to talk or want to relax. I generally ask one or two questions in the beginning, and based on if their answer is detailed or just a “yes” or “no” answer, I can decide from there if they want to be chatty or not. It’s hard because I’m such a talker! My thoughts are that when you sit down, you can say “I’ve had a busy/stressful week, sorry if I’m quiet!”, or something like that. I think the very best thing to do is bring a magazine, book or your phone and say “You dont mind if I read my mag/book/catch up on some emails, do you?”. I would never be offended by that.

5. Are there any vitamins or foods that help with hair growth and shine?

I’m not an expert on this area, but I know that healthy fats are great for your hair. Salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc. They are great for skin, nails and hair! As for vitamins, I do know that Folic acid makes your hair grow quickly, and I’ve also heard that fish oil is helpful with moisture and shine. Keep in mind that the hair at the ends won’t be affected by any vitamins because it’s already grown! The hair that is starting to grow at the time you take the vitamins is what will be affected, so it may take a few months to notice any improvement!

Thanks so much to Reagan for giving us all some insight into the world of hair. If anyone has any suggestions on people to interview or if there are areas you might be interested in hearing another “five” on, I would love to hear!