Discover Your Ideal Hairstyle with Kat Soriano

Style Tips| The Closet Edit Podcast| The Closet Edit Podcast

October 11, 2024•7 min read

Have you been rocking the same hairstyle for years and want to discover your ideal hairstyle? Or have you recently had a bad color experience where you spent all those hours sitting in the stylist's chair only to feel like your hair didn't turn out right?

I want to share the importance of finding a good stylist and how to do it. I want to save you time, hassle, and not-so-great experiences so you can find someone you connect with and care about your hair goals.

I'm so excited to introduce you to Kat. She's a hairstylist full of knowledge and zest. You can find Kat working full-time behind the chair of Salon 8 in Bellevue, Washington. She is a color director, mentor, and international educator for ÄZ Craft Luxury Haircare.

Kat's love of hair started as a kid, braiding friends' hair or cutting and coloring her Barbie's hair…. It was only natural for her to turn it into a job.

16 years in the hair industry, she still finds a deeper love and passion for it every day. Having trained with industry icons like Graham Breakwell, Stephen Moody & Victoria Thurman Hall, she has grown her techniques. She thrives towards consistently delivering the highest quality work.

"I don't copy and paste" is her motto, as she believes in enhancing, tailoring & creating the perfect look for your skin tone, bone structure, and lifestyle. "A perfectly tailored suit is always better than a suit off the rack, so why wouldn't you believe the same for an accessory you never take off, like your hair?" she says.

If you've been struggling with your hair or feel like you need a hair makeover, this blog gives you all the information you need.

Our conversation topics include:

What's the difference between a junior hairstylist and a master stylist? How do you decide what's best for you?
The best way to use your hair inspiration boards.
Why your face shape, body, and age are important factors in how you color and cut your hair.
And so much more!

Let's get into it!

Kat, thank you for spending time with me today! I have to start with your Instagram. Tell me how you came up with your content topic on hot girl-serving hair goals and hot girl tips. It totally fits you, and I'm intrigued.

The hot girl tips started as a joke when I was on vacation. You get all these fantastic photos, and I was living my best "influencer" life. I wanted to self-proclaim myself as a hot girl because there's always someone to rain on your parade and say, "Who said you were a hot girl?" I did, boo!
The tips started with cool photos with quotes. Why not use this opportunity, platform, and resources to share the tiny things that can help clients, stylists, and future stylists? My goal is to make other stylists the best they can be.

How do you know you've had a bad haircut or color?

It's subjective, and it comes down to the experience. Someone could have a great haircut but a crappy experience, which translates to the haircut. The blow dryer was too hot, the hairstylist wasn't friendly, or I hated how they shampooed my hair. Another thing comes down to the expectation that needs to be clarified in your consultation. Bad haircuts happen in the consultation, so the expectation wasn't clear enough. Or the promised results weren't achievable, but your stylist didn't have the confidence to tell you.

Why do stylists always ask clients what they want when they don't know?! A pet peeve of mine, and I've been searching for stylists that work as you do at Salon 8.

What differentiates Salon 8 is we're all about tailoring to your bone structure, skin tone, and lifestyle. One thing I talk about consistently is the consultation! A consultation, particularly if you're a hairdresser, should be the same as a first date. What I mean by that is you are coming in and sharing and getting to know each other. We have to listen and ask the right questions.

You, as the client, don't know what you don't know. One of the most detrimental things is thinking that you know more than you do as a client. For example, with Pinterest and Instagram, you have people coming in saying I want a balayage. But do you know what a balayage is? Can the canvas for the balayage be the perfect technique for you?

When a client sits in my chair, and a client asks for a balayage, I ask what do you want to see? Because the technique is my job, the overall effect of what you want to see is mine. You need to see it and love it.

The second thing that differentiates us is that we're artists and are here to customize. We're here to emphasize the best you. Why would you want to look like someone else? There's something to suit you so much better.

That's why I say it's like dating. I've had the same clients for years. There should be trust and a combination of what is best for you. When you sit in my chair, you know I always have your best interest.

What is the difference between a junior stylist and a master? How do you choose the best one for you?

Again, choosing the best hairstylist is like a first date. You have to be able to schedule a consultation with the hairstylist, look at their work, and figure out if they're the right vibe for you.

I'm a Senior Stylist Color Director, Master Color Expert, Plus International Educator. That sounds insane, right? Naturally, you'll think it doesn't matter what you bring to me, I'm going to drop my comb on your head, and you'll get exactly what you want in two hours. That's not always the case because there's a scientific element behind it. But what I know can educate me and help you be educated on why I say no to certain styles you show me.

That being said, titles throughout the salon industry can be a free-for-all. There are a lot of businesses out there that are based solely on their sales. Some of these bigger corporate companies say to stylists, "Congratulations! This is how many sales you made, and you're now in the next tier." That doesn't necessarily mean you are equipped for that; it just means you can make money.

So what does the title mean? Sometimes it doesn't mean anything. Your best bet will be looking at their work (if they don't have a bunch of Instagram photos, then it could mean they're too busy to upload! Take it as a compliment). I can't take many photos because we don't have time.

Second, you want to book a free consultation and chat with them. See if they're hearing you. See what they're asking you. If someone says yes, that is doable within 3 minutes of your consultation. You should be concerned! At the end of that consultation, you should walk away not only so excited but knowing what to expect.

In style, I, of course, take a client's body type, personality, and lifestyle to help a client find the right pieces. How do you work with clients to find a great haircut and color?

The trust and comfort of the client. Will I always give you the maximum recommendation? Yes, I could give you the perfect haircut and color designed for you, but if you're not ready to change and see yourself differently, it will never be right for you. As a stylist, we not only have to design that way, but we also have to be intentional and mindful and customize those things and where they're ready. We're not ready yet, but let's take baby steps to get there.

To give you a quick update, I got my consultation with Kat because my wedding is coming up. Oh my goodness, loved the honesty about my current hair and how she evaluated my Pinterest board of hair colors and styles. I learned my hair is too light for my skin and is washing me out, and it needs to be a cooler color. Also, I need some layers to frame my face to my bone structure because where my hair is right now is weighing me down.

Want to find out how my hair turns out next month? Subscribe to my podcast and YouTube channel, and I'll have Kat come for a part 2 episode!

Continue building a life and style that truly reflect you!