CAITLYN MEYER
Can you tell us a little more about you and your styling background?
I’ve been a part of the beauty industry for 15 years, and an independent artist for 9 years. I began as an apprentice in a hair salon, and working part time as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics. I realized during my apprenticeship that the salon environment just wasn’t for me, and decided to focus on my career with MAC, where I went on to become part of management, as well as a member of the area’s first Impact Team, and assisted in artist training and development. Since going completely freelance, I’ve serviced hundreds of brides and several celebrity clients, including Eva Longoria and Jamie Lynn Sigler, and my work has been featured in publications such as Style Me Pretty, Magnolia Rouge, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In the last year, I branched out into education, and over quarantine, hosted live virtual seminars for Mane Addicts and Beyond the Ponytail on instagram 🙂
What bridal trends are you loving right now?
For hair, I’ve been loving very intentional yet effortless looking styles that wear and age well – clean, polished texture with lots of loose, romantic pieces.
What new trends can we look forward to?
I feel like we’ll continue to see more modernized takes on classic styles – French twist, Hollywood Glam waves etc. Pearls and florals are also having a major moment right now, and I personally hope that continues.
How do you stay inspired?
Instagram! The internet is so vast, you can find tutorials for anything, and I pull so much inspiration from watching other people work. I also get really deep into Pinterest, creating mood boards full of beauty looks I want to recreate, as well as architecture, poetry, nature, and art that also embody the vibe I’m going for.
What advice would you give to a bridal hairstylist just getting started?
Get a website, don’t focus on what others are doing or the opportunities they’re getting, and say yes to everything until you learn how to say no. Developing your brand and finding your voice as an artist takes time, so be patient, and be kind to yourself as well as others – this profession doesn’t come with a handbook (yet), you’re going to face situations you never have before, and your community is an invaluable resource.
Best advice to a bride regarding her hairstyle?
Put together a mood board, be realistic, and most importantly, trust your stylist. You hired them for a reason. I always tell my clients to create a Pinterest board, and just start saving everything that catches their eye. It’s not their job to know exactly what they want, it’s my job to translate that for them, and more often than not, their vision comes together pretty clearly, even when they think they don’t have one. At the preview, we discuss their hair length, color, and volume, how it relates or differs from their inspiration, and what their options are. I feel like it helps manage expectation, and builds up that layer of trust.
What is the one product/tool you can not live without?
AG Dry Wax, Kenra 25 Hairspray, and my GHD flat iron – too hard to choose just one!
Best advice you have ever been given in the hair industry?
“No one will know your worth until you tell them.” I have to remind myself of this from time to time, when I get in my head about my work and/or my rates, but it’s one of the most valuable things anyone has ever said to me. As artists, we have to decide what our time is worth, and anyone who doesn’t want to pay for it can save their money.
What do you love to do outside of work?
Travel! I love to stroll the streets of new places – taking photos of unique facades, roaming the aisles of antique stores, and sampling all of the local vegan cuisine I can find.
Guilty pleasures?
Teen dramas and British reality shows