Kim talks to Tom Smith colourist and hairdresser to the STARS
I first met the lovely Tom Smith on a photo-shoot for Louise Redknapp. Such a natural talent!
With over 15 years of experience in the beauty industry Tom splits his time between looking after a high profile hairdressing clientele and working with brands to develop haircare products and educational content for sales teams, consumers, hairdressers and other educators.
He works regularly with the international press providing commentary on hair trends, product launches and beauty industry current affairs.
He can be found showing us mere mortals fabulous hair tips on Instagam @tomsmithhd. Do check him out!
What made you get into hairdressing?
I am drawn to beauty and cohesion and love the ability to mould and form the hair to create shape, balance and colour for my clients. I love working with people and am tuned into people’s energy – I take great pleasure in helping people develop their best selves and feel happier and more confident in their lives. Which having a new haircut and colour can do, it makes us feel good as well as look our best.
Do you think how we look effects how we feel?
Without a doubt, when we feel happy with our appearance we are more confident in the world. If we feel good and authentic in ourselves we connect with others more easily and connection makes us happier. It’s not about looking a certain way, it’s about feeling what we portray on the outside connects truly to how we feel on the inside and it’s that synergy that allows us to be our true selves in the world. If we aren’t being our true selves it makes it difficult to form true connections with others.
I know you have lots of celebrities come to see you, I know they must really trust you, how do they differ from normal everyday clients or do you think trust runs through all your clients?
Trust is an essential part of any hairstylist/client relationship. Letting someone touch you and change the way you look is an extremely intimate thing. Trust takes time to be built and a good hairstylist knows how important it is to respect it. When it comes to working with a celebrity that trust is arguably more key in many respects because you are being given access to them without the buffer of their public image. Because often their image is also their currency, image has a greater value to them and therefore it becomes about more than just trusting us with their hair but also their personal information and private lives.
What hair ranges have you helped develop and what drove this?
I was part of the team that launched Olaplex to the UK market in 2015 and I knew at the time how pivotal this launch would be. This gave me experience in product development, education, writing, delivery and interactions with the press. In recent years I have worked with Evo to conceptualise, develop and launch Hueverse, professional hair colour which is an extremely sophisticated and kind to the hair being Ammonia, PPD and Resorcinol free. I am extremely passionate about product development and finding the perfect balance between science and nature. I believe in results driven formulas that respect people and the planet.
What’s next for you?
I continue to take clients at Billi Currie, in Marylebone. I love my time behind the chair and place great value in working with my clients to develop their haircare plan throughout the seasons. I think my work with clients is possibly my most valuable because of the element of human connection and the one-on-one nature of the work. I am currently launching Hueverse globally to the professional hairdressing market and working heavily with the press to discuss the evolution of hair trends. I love this work because it connects me to the rest of the world end drives me creatively. I am deeply passionate about product innovations and I will continue working behind the scenes on this and I’m excited to share more as things progress.
How has working in a salon made you a good team player?
I have worked at Billi Currie in Marylebone, London for over 10 years now, and have learnt first hand the importance of having a strong team around you. A successful salon is about the strength of the team and the ability to support one another not just on a daily basis but also throughout the year on various other projects. I feel very fortunate to have such a strong base in London and I am very proud of the team that Billi, Debbie (the owners) and myself have grown over the years.
What are hair trends for 2022 look like or do you think we should not always follow trends but go with what suits us?
Trends will always be of interest to the public because they are constantly moving and drive us forward creatively. That being said I think the best trends come from within and getting to know your own personal style and working with a hairstylist that can help you interpret and develop is the most valuable of all. Celebrity or fashion trends can be a great way of finding inspiration or getting new ideas but the work I do with my clients always centers around them as an individual and how to celebrate their uniqueness. When it comes to what suits us it’s an interesting discussion. People are always interested in what suits them naturally but I think what is equally as important is what complements their personality and their lifestyle. Sometimes what colour science tells us suits a person’s complexion or eye colour also needs to be combined with a design that suits their personality and the image they want to put out the world. This is where the magic happens - when we combine what makes us look our best selves with those creative details that show our individuality to the world.
Tom Smith can be contacted for appointments at www.billicurrie.com