I didn’t think a reality television show could get more entertaining than our beloved Jersey Shore and the craziness that is Snooki, but alas, there is a rival. And while it may not be the most original of ideas to bash the same state and its inhabitants over and over again, I still find myself mesmerized by Jerseylicious (the title alone speaks volumes). This Style Network show follows the hair stylists and makeup artists of a New Jersey salon. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I actually know the types of people portrayed on this show or if it’s actually hysterical, but just like a typical train wreck of a reality show, I can’t look away.

On last night’s episode of Jerseylicious, the Gatsby Salon was buzzing over the possibility of being featured in a New Jersey magazine. A “secret shopper” type of customer would be from the magazine and size up the salon for their professionalism and overall success as an upscale salon. Of course the customer that was the mystery writer turned out to be the one that was around for a crazy time in the salon. And Gatsby has been named a finalist.

What reality television show would be complete without drama? This episode’s drama included a fight that ensued between a hair stylist (Tracy) and an aspiring makeup artist (Olivia). It was Tracy’s birthday and she was having a safari-themed party at her apartment. She decided to invite the entire Gatsby staff – except for Olivia. To retaliate, Olivia decided to throw her own jungle-themed party at the same time as Tracy’s. You can only imagine the drama, which involved a screaming match in the parking lot and a lot of smack-talking.

The lines that came out of their mouths were pretty hysterical. Some of these included:

“She likes to copy everything of mine: my hair, my nails, and even my cell phone covers. She’s like a Chinatown knockoff.” – Tracy in reference to Olivia
“It was like the Civil War. I felt like the Mason-Dixon line!” – Anthony (the only male hair stylist on the show) in reference to his meddling between Tracy and Olivia

The worst character was Alexa, the head makeup artist. She refers to herself as a “Glam Fairy” who trains others to get their wings. It was like she was living in lala land, but was actually really mean to everyone. I think that it’s good for makeup artists and hair stylists to come up with a philosophy to live by in order to beautify others, but Alexa used bad puns and references constantly throughout the show. And she’s not a nice person either.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the stereotypes portrayed in the show. Of course we have the big hair, crazy nails, fake tans, and crazy outfits. And let’s not forget about the accents (although I have been made fun of a time or two for my New York accent). If you haven’t seen Jerseylicious yet, the picture you have in your mind is probably correct. Check it out yourself for a fun salon experience and some mindless entertainment!

-Amanda Fornecker

As a young child, Kristin DeSimone always jumped at the chance to style the hair of her family and friends. She delighted at practicing her latest creations on her dolls in the fourth grade. So when she thought seriously about what she wanted to do with her life, Kristin knew just where to look: cosmetology school. With a cosmetology program, practice in school, and real-world experience, Kristin has come along way to the successful hair stylist she is today, based in Staten Island, NY. And she wouldn’t trade it for a thing.

What’s your educational background?
I graduated from the Aveda Institute NYC in Soho in 2004. I also took classes with Wella Professionals and L’Oreal Professionals.

How did you decide to go to beauty school?
Hair has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I was little, I always wanted to do everyone’s hair. And when it came time to pick a career, it was only logical that I had already found my calling – I just needed to go about finding the right school.

How did you get your start?
After beauty school, I was working in an upscale salon in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, which was also an Aveda concept salon. I was working five days a week, anywhere from 8 – 12 hours a day, rotating among 13 stylists. I had classes on Tuesday nights with one of our master stylists who worked with us to master our craft. I brought in models, friends, family, and people off the street and completed services at reduced prices to get my name out there. That is how I started to build my clientele.

Is your career what you expected it to be like? How so?
It’s everything and more. Being able to wake up every morning and make people feel good about themselves is very rewarding. It’s also an amazing feeling to enjoy my passion every day. It’s not work; it’s fun!

What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to take more classes and always keep up with my learning. This is an ever-evolving business and I want to be sure that I’m on top of the latest hair styling trends and products. Working in a Manhattan salon is my next step. And, eventually, I would also like to be an educator in a cosmetology school so that I can share my experiences and craft with people who are just as passionate as me.

Tell us one of your hair styling secrets.
It’s simple, yet important – I always do a cool rinse at the end of washing my hair. It helps take away frizz and fly always and brings out the natural shine in your hair.

What’s the best part of your job?
I love being able to use my creativity daily with my clients. I love meeting new people. And I love making people feel good about themselves. Each day is a new adventure.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?
It’s often hard to please everyone because you are constantly faced with different personalities. This is why consultations are very important. You really get a sense of what someone is looking for and you then do your best to please them.

What’s your advice to aspiring hair stylists?
Never give up; never stop learning; never think you know it all. Be creative, get inspired, be unique, and rock the hair world!

-Amanda Fornecker

New York City is one of the best places to get a mani/pedi. On almost every street corner, you’ll find an opportunity to get a good deal on the pair and feel extremely pampered. This is not the case in many other cities. And I wonder why that is.

Since moving down to Washington, DC, it has been impossible for me to find a good place to get a mani/pedi. I ran into a mall one day to get just a quick manicure and $20+ later, I was broke and unhappy with the way it even turned out. I did not feel pampered and I felt as if my nail tech was rushing through my manicure. And for 20 bucks, I expect a rather exceptional job.

As I sat with my nails drying and not looking the best they’ve ever looked, I wondered why manicures are so expensive in other cities. Is it just that I’m a spoiled New Yorker who expects that the differences in other cities should be only within pizza, bagels, and accents? Or were these nail technicians trained differently? I don’t believe it’s the latter, as nail technician training has accreditation for a reason. Is it just that I was unlucky with the girl that did my manicure? Could be. But I think proper training is key.

In Top 10 Reasons to Go to Nail School, we share with you some ideas to get you thinking about a career as a nail tech. Some people just naturally have the talent to do nails, while others are really ambitious and know that they’d be good and happy at a nail tech job. No matter what your reason, if you’re interested in a nail tech career, I’d strongly urge you to look into one. After all, you can always come down to DC and open your very own salon with reasonable manicures and fabulous nail techs. I’d certainly be a patron! Until then, I’ll have to wait until I get to NY for a great mani/pedi.

-Amanda Fornecker

One of the best ways to understand a career is to get in and experience it yourself. But in order to know if you want to even try your hand at something, you may find it helpful to hear stories about those that have been there and done that before you. I really do believe that reading a person’s story and journey to where they are today is truly inspirational. Many people take straight-and-narrow paths, while others have a bit more of a windy Yellow Brick Road experience. And that’s what makes these stories interesting.

The “Work It” section of SpaBeautySchools is a great place to find stories of those that have stories as to how they achieved success in their professional lives. Here, we have stories of an artistic colorist who is a master in his own trade, makeup artists who have been involved in special effects, and others. These are just some of the inspiring stories within our grand scope of concentrations on our site. But it makes sense to do your homework and read up on a potential new career possibility. And remember that career changes are possible and very popular these days. Though it may seem daunting to start from square one, once you get started on a new career, the time will fly by and you’ll get into your new life’s calling sooner than you think.

Research is key! Good luck in your search!

-Amanda Fornecker