Hair Art By Dominique wants you to take care of your natural hair under your installs
Hair Art By Dominique, a.k.a. Dominique Evans, is a big name in the hair world, and she’s currently launching a new 24 product hair line and a wig line this week.
Join Galore Beauty for exclusive convos, content and more.
We sat down with this Atlanta hair guru to find out how she got her start in the beauty industry and why she feels natural hair is just as important as your hair extension installs.
What’s your background and how would you describe what you do? Tell us your story.
I was born in Chicago, raised In Milwaukee, and I’m now living in Atlanta. I’ve been doing hair since I was a little girl. Honestly, I knew it was my passion at about 7 years old. I am now a traveling hair stylist and educator.
I change lives through consistent encouragement, motivational speaking, and overall empowerment. My goal is that when people step out of my chair, they feel like they are their best self. I could have never imagined that I would have the impact I do now when I was 7, and I do not take for granted the position I am in.
Overall I struggled a lot, and I had to persevere through the ups and downs of the industry. I rose and I fell, but through it all I stayed true to my craft. HairArtByDominique is an experience, not just a hair appointment. It’s influential styling the HairArt way.
What were you doing before and how did you get to where you are now?
At the age of 22, I graduated from cosmetology school. It was hard for me. I barely made ends meet working at a salon, because I didn’t have a consistent clientele. I was forced to pick up a second job at Kohl’s corporate call center for a few years. After being fired, I knew I had to go after my dreams.
I put all my energy into hair and developing my own style. I was determined to perfect my craft, and I promised myself that I wasn’t going to be an “amateur” hairstylist. I wanted to be great. I wanted to be different than anything I had ever seen and I wanted to use my craft to change lives all over the world. I’m known all over the world not just from my skills, but for building women’s self-esteem, inside and out.
Motivating them and encouraging them to be the best they can at everything they do, and look good while doing it. I got to where I am now, with hard work and dedication, and many sleepless nights. I struggled like most entrepreneurs, and there were days I woke up with a negative balance in my account, but I always saw the bigger picture. I didn’t give up. I pushed myself! And one day, I finally found the light at the end of the tunnel.
READ ALSO: The truth about where hair extensions come from and if you’re getting your money’s worth
How did you go from having a negative account balance and struggling to make ends meet to being successful, what moment in your career change that?
The more that I stayed focused and put all my energy into my craft the better things got. I stayed consistent and in my heart I knew I would see the fruits of my labor come into fruition. Eventually, that one client a day turned, into 6 clients a day or more. I always said I didn’t want to go and ask celebrities if I could do their hair, instead I wanted them to see my work and contact me.
I figured once that happens, I know I’m doing something right. Soon enough, I picked up a celebrity gospel artist Tasha Cobbs, and from that point, it seemed there was a wide array of celebrities. At that point, I knew my life was changing. As a result of the influx in support, my account balance grew greater than I could have ever imagined.
Tell us about your new hair care launch. How did this line come about, and what makes your products different from products already being sold?
I’ve always had a love for natural hair. I would walk into stores as a young girl and envision my hair care products on the shelves. As I grew in the industry, I realized that most stylists don’t cater to healthy natural hair when they deal with installing extensions. It has always been important that I treat the “natural hair” that lies underneath each and every install.
Installs have the ability to serve as a protective style, and therefore they should grow your hair. However, this requires the proper hair care treatment, which is the responsibility of the stylist. My hair care line is called Habd Hair Care. It’s made for all types of hair and is very extension friendly.
I have an Extreme Growth System, a Moisturizer and Hydrating System, a Dry and Itchy Scalp System, and a Natural Hair System. On top of those 4 systems, I have a whole line of styling essentials that are great for your hair and easy to use for stylists.
All together there are 24 products that will be released on the day of my launch, which is May 5, 2018. I’ve been working on this line for over a year and a half, and I am so excited to finally make it available to the public.
Tell us about the wigs you will also be releasing the same day!
Throughout my years of being a hairstylist, I worked with all different types of hair. Everyone’s hair and scalp is different, and I wanted to make sure I catered to every hair type. The wigs will be a variety of different cuts, colors, and styles.
This way, you can treat your natural hair with my products without having to sacrifice your style during the process. Now, you can really have the whole HairArt Experience at your fingertips.
Why did you decide to start teaching and taking hair tours?
Honestly, I wanted to change the world. God has given me a special gift. And at this point in my career, I realized it was time to give back. I knew that I had a wealth of knowledge and experience that could be valuable to my fellow aspiring stylists.
Plus, with dealing with my own self esteem issues, dealing with other women around the country has help me get through it. I’m changing lives one head at a time.
READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about micro-link hair extensions
Tell us about a difficult time in your life that you overcame and explain how you did so.
People wouldn’t know when I left my hometown, Milwaukee, a few years ago, I was making a lot of money there. I built a strong clientele and also a name for myself there. However, when I moved to Atlanta, I started over completely.
I struggled for a year and a half. I slept on the floor, and I didn’t have any furniture except in my son’s room. I was barely making ends meet, and people who knew me told me I should go back home. But I knew there were greater things in store.
At one point, it was either get furniture, or plan my tour. There were days I wouldn’t eat, but I made sure my son did and I never let him know how bad the struggle was. I sacrificed, and I didn’t give up.
However, through it all I realized that if I could wake up broke and still love what I do, it’s for me to do it. I pushed myself daily and God never left my side. I stayed hopeful, prayed through my process, and never let my dreams die.
What is something about you that people can’t read about online? Something you don’t share with most?
I’m really private when it comes to my family. How I struggled to get where I’m at. People always see the “good” on social media platforms, but they rarely see the work that you put in behind closed doors. I have never put it out there what it took to get where I am, and honestly I think it’s better that way.
It allowed me to stay humble and to find solace in God and my spirituality. We live in a digital age where people are just waiting to see you crumble. And while I accepted my struggles, I also acknowledged that social media wasn’t going to fix them. Honestly, people only see what’s on Instagram so they think I’m already there, and that in itself kept me motivated.
What do you want our readers to learn from this interview?
I want my viewers to understand the importance of never giving up on your dream. Find your purpose in life, and go for it without no limitations. Stay humble and above all never stop believing.
