The Future is Now: Confessions of A Cosmetology Student

The Future is Now - Student Voices on Beauty Launchpad

>There comes a point during your time in school where gradation seems like it is nowhere in sight and one becomes exhausted with mundane daily tasks. Most people call this feeling senioritis … I had a bad case of it. The days seemed longer, the weeks never ended, and I felt as though I was lacking inspiration and creativity.

At the peak of my senioritis, my passion in the industry was revitalized at the Millennium Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. My school, Penrose Academy, had the privilege to be involved in the conference through organizing a five minute show for its attendees. The show was amazing!

We spent weeks preparing our costumes and hair designs, but the reality of what we were preparing for did not sink in until the day of dress rehearsals. During rehearsals, we were all scrambling to complete our looks and make any final changes before Robert Cromeans addressed us. Mr. Cromeans entered the room with a fork as an earring, a spoon as a ring, and  the biggest hat I’ve seen in a while -we were all intrigued. He delivered calming words of wisdom and proved himself to be nothing short of an inspiration (and a comedian) the entire weekend. Cromeans directed our models through the dress rehearsal and the show brought tears to many of the students.
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After the show, we were given the opportunity to stay for education taught by Cromeans, Matt Beck, and Martino Cartier.

ead shape and how you can use the rounds of the head to ensure you do not build weight within the hair design where it is not necessary. His class inspired me to think of my haircuts in a different way which will give my clients a better experience. The second day of education, Beck’s class was more business focused. He introduced us to his salon, Salon Gratitude, and the models that he uses to recruit and retain guests. [pagebreak]

his quick process that did not include teasing or feathering. The ombre technique was definitely implemented the day that I got back on the salon floor. The second day of education, Cartier inspired us all to be more active in our career’s and to always go the extra mile using his “Pigeon” and “Eagle” analogy. [pagebreak]


ove to compete and typically I have to complete a haircut and style in a short amount of time. He was able to complete six different looks in a short time using different techniques that I would love to utilize at my next competition.

I suggest that if you are feeling like you’re stuck in a rut like I was, attend a hair show or conference. The conference revitalized my love for the industry…but I’m still counting down the days until graduation. -Samantha Childs

[Images courtesy of Samantha Childs]

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