Stylist Spotlight on Makayla Johnson

Rising star and Salon U sweetheart, Makayla Johnson is about as magical as they come. She became a member of the team just last year, but has already proven herself to be a huge asset – plus, she’s precious, so…

We sat down with Makayla to chat about what inspires her, and her favorite part about being an A+ hairstylist.

Makayla's Favorite Hair Services:

I really love doing blowouts. It's probably my favorite thing to do. I love seeing the end result of any service, and I think that a good blowout makes all the difference. You can have beautiful color and a great cut, and a blowout is really a way to bring it all together and show off your hair! I also really love the flexibility of balayage. It's very free form, and allows me to be more artistic, while also thinking strategically about color placement. Balayage is something that can be customized for each client, so color placement is done specifically for U! Finishing a style with a makeup service is also super fun to me. I like to do full makeovers, but it's also great to teach makeup to clients. I offer step by step guides, and work with my clients to choose makeup shades and products that are complementary.

All in all, I just love to witness the transformation. I see clients come in feeling so... blah. They are discouraged about their look, they're unhappy with their hair, or maybe they're just bored? At the end of the service, it's a complete 180. They are thrilled, they feel reenergized, and most importantly, they are happy. That's what it's all about.

Makayla’s Favorite Aveda Products:

The Be Curly Curl Enhancer intensifies my curls without making the texture feel crunchy. It holds all day, too! To use it, I get my hair about 60 % dry, usually towel drying is enough, but sometimes I’ll knock the water out with a dryer. I use about a quarter-sized amount, rub it through my hands, flip my hair upside down, and scrunch, scrunch, scrunch! I’ll let it air dry from here, or use a diffuser if I want more volume and curls.

Smooth Infusion Naturally Straight is another great one, but provides a completely different result. I use this when I want a smooth, sleek look, with lots of shine and great hold all day. To use, I towel dry, and rub about a quarter-sized amount from mid-shaft to ends. Whatever is leftover on my hands, I'll run through the top of my hair, but definitely don't overdo it here! Then, I'll blow-dry with a paddle brush or large round brush with a nozzle on the dryer to really get it smooth.

We blondes are prone to getting brassy (and sassy), so Blue Malva Shampoo and Conditioner are lifesavers! I'll shampoo as I normally do, and if I really want an ashy result, I'll leave the conditioner in for a while - sometimes five minutes, sometimes fifteen!

I use Air Control Hairspray to finish off every blowout and to set any heat styling. It's a great, lightweight option for every day, and it still allows for lots of movement.