My RI Life: Expert Hairstylist And Entrepreneur Melanie Mello
Melanie Mello is an in-demand hairstylist, hair color expert, and co-owner of the extremely popular WIL.O Hair Design in Pawtuxet Village, Cranston, RI. I love her style and her straight forward, no nonsense approach to just about everything. Read on to find out more about her fantastic 'RI Life'.
Food And Restaurants
My favorite restaurant is Matunuck Oyster Bar. Great staff, food and scenery. The key lime pops are amazing. They are frozen key lime squares dipped in white chocolate. Need I say more?
The best brunch is Ocean House in Westerly. The best I've ever had anywhere and I travel a lot. It's gorgeous inside and out and I always feel like a superstar. Lol.
Beauty And Skincare
The mission of Beautycounter is to get safe products into the hands of everybody. They are safe and perform wonderfully. Their Enlightening Treatment Pads are a favorite. They exfoliate and brighten the skin. The Anytime Eye Cream is great because you can apply it whenever you feel the need. It's soothing to the eye area. I carry it with me at all times. They also have a new blush called Pinch. It's a stick that can be used as a lip color as well. Love multitasking! And I have always had a problem with nude lip color, but theirs is the bomb ... ❤️
*Beautycounter products are free of harmful chemicals and toxins and have also been recommended by countless other beauty and lifestyle blogs, including Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.com.
All About Hair
Now, let's talk hair. A new client comes in with a sense of trepidation and hope. It's a cautious getting to know you kinda thing. After all, they are meeting someone new (me) who will be using a sharp instrument to alter their appearance. Not too dangerous...I'm very clear about what can or cannot be done. I've learned this from experience. If you promise something and (then) find out the client really did have highlights under that black box color, you will be in trouble and fixing damaged hair for months.
The best thing about my job is a happy client who tells her friends. That's how we build our business...Technology is a wonderful thing too. I'm always taking classes and researching the latest color formulas and brands. We actually have a high speed color by Schwarzkopf now that processes in 10 minutes. Love this!
Should I get bangs? That's the most common question from clients. I have clip-in bangs by HairUWear and sometimes will just play with them to see if a client's going to like bangs, really wants to commit. By using those, I have prevented a lot of bang mishaps. Also, it takes awhile to grow bangs out and some women just don't look good with a bobby pin on the side of their head during that awkward growing out phase.
To book a hair appointment with Melanie, or to find out more about Beautycounter, click here.
Photo Credits: Ocean House photo by Ashley Farney. WIL.O salon photos by Richmond Jeffrey. Beauty Counter photos via Google Images. Matunuck Oyster Bar photos courtesy of YELP. All other photos courtesy of Melanie Mello.