Celebrity hairstylist and social media star Larisa Love is a young, effervescent industry force that teaches the techniques she creates on stages across the globe in front of thousands of stylists and salon professionals to help them build the career they want — with a little more love.
As an Educator, Hairdresser, Artist, Mentor, Salon Owner, and Brand Ambassador for Joico – Larisa encourages fellow hairdressers to follow their passion and constantly seek fresh inspiration. Larisa is the proud owner of Larisa Love Salon in Studio City, CA. We sat down with Larisa at her salon and we’re excited to share our inside personal interview with you! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
1. What excites you the most right now about this industry?
“I guess really not knowing what’s going to be trending, because everything is sort of a question mark. Everyone can go in their own direction. No one needs anyone anymore. Everyone is their own boss. So it’s either going to be more unity or more competition. I think we all need that little bit of competition to push us. But unity is also amazing because I think that we should all be helping each other.“
2. What would you say was the last major goal that you accomplished?
“Winning an award – the 2019 Professional Educator of the Year. So that was really cool. I hadn’t even realized that is was a goal of mine until I won. It’s important to be recognized if you work for something really hard.“
3. What would you say is the most useful skill you’ve ever learned?
“I think understanding your client and who they are. A lot of clients come in and say they want something, but they don’t even know if they can have it, because of their career or work, all that. So it’s all about understanding their lifestyle and creating that look for their lifestyle while still accomplishing the look that they want. Reading your client: consultation is key to beginning that trust with your client and if you don’t have great communication skills for understanding, then the appointment is going to go sour.“
4. What is the weirdest habit you have as a hairstylist?
“I think it’s not so much a habit, but just something that people don’t know about me. And that is that I hate hair that is not on the head. It will make me cringe. It disgusts me if it’s not on the head. If it’s around my food, I lose all appetite. It’s weird because I’m a hairdresser, but I’ve had this problem my whole life.“
5. What have you been wanting to do for a long time but haven’t done yet?
“Well, my goal is to own three studios. I have a salon here, and I’d like to have a studio in New York, and London. I’m going to start working towards New York, but I haven’t started working towards London. So that’s a goal. No salons, studios.“
6. What three events have made you who you are today?
“Starting to educate and teach, because I always thought I never wanted to, but now I travel the world doing just that. Becoming Brand Ambassador for Joico, it’s a really incredible company to be the face of. And opening up a salon: I learned a lot about who I am as, not only a person, but as a boss/mentor.“
7. When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?
“A glass of wine! (Laughs) That’s really true. But self-reflection. I have a lot of days where I’m saying “What am I doing? I want to give up? This is just too much, too stressful. I want to start over.” So then I self-reflect on how much I’ve accomplished and that just brings me back to being grateful and thankful for everything that has happened. And then I have a glass of wine! (Laughs)“
8. When you think about your team or people you know, what signs indicate to you that they will go on to be successful?
“It’s not about talent, because talent can be taught. It’s about determination. You can definitely see when someone goes above and beyond or if they’re just doing the minimum. If someone is just doing the minimum, getting through the day, not really going the extra mile… it’s not that they won’t be great artists, but they just won’t achieve what someone else will.“
9. What recommendations do you have for success on Instagram and social media?
“Being authentic. I think there are a lot of sell-outs on social media where they do ads. “This product is amazing…” – but that’s just an ad. Just be authentic. Be yourself. Have that personality that is yours, because that’s the only thing that’s going to make you stand out from the rest. I’m not a better hairdresser than others out there, but the difference is that I’m real and I keep it real. So be authentic.“
10. Name a product that you love.
“I love Joico’s Lumishine color line, because it’s very easy to understand. It’s letters, it’s not numbers. And it’s a pre-blended color, so you have all the primary colors in it. You don’t even need to fill in the color. It will do exactly what it needs to do about all these adjustments. It’s a great color line.“
