Mae there always be salon love...
Amanda Mae Foster lives in Nashville Tennessee with her husband Brad, three dogs, two cats and three chickens. Amanda has her own blog (which we love and is definitely worth following!) and is an Organic Colour Systems Stylist who has recently opened up her own salon. Her new space is stunning so we wanted to delve more into Amanda’s inspirations and the journey to opening her own salon.
What led you to live a cleaner, greener lifestyle both at home and work? How did you come across Organic Colour Systems?
My parents used to take us to integrated Doctors as a kid and always practised a more non-toxic lifestyle. I moved to Nashville to work with Organic Colour Systems and 4 months after moving, I was diagnosed with lymphoma. My oncologist told me I would have to quit my job because I could not be around chemicals whilst going through treatment. Organic Colour Systems saved my life and my career, so I love being able to encourage other stylist to make the switch to healthier salon products.
How do you try to be as green and eco-friendly as possible both at home and work?
Our salon is a certified Green Circle Salon. Green Circle Salons provide the world’s first and North America’s only, sustainable salon solution to recover and re-purpose beauty waste to help keep people and the planet beautiful. It’s really important for us to recycle as much as we possibly can to keep harmful waste out of our landfills. We also use all non toxic/green cleaning products. At home, we recycle as much as we possibly can and use reusable cloths instead of paper towels.
Congratulations on your new salon venture, it is so very exciting! Tell us more about your new salon…
Thank you! I knew early on in my career that I wanted to own my own salon one day. After finishing treatment I began searching for my next business move. The perfect opportunity presented itself and I couldn’t turn it down. After 10 months of designing and building out the space, the salon is in full swing! It’s been so fun seeing everything unfold.
You have some great advice on décor, what are your top tips for salon décor and what was the inspiration behind your new salon look?
I pull a lot of inspiration from vintage mid-century styles. I wanted to create an open, airy salon environment. Keeping lines clean with soft pops of colour. My goal is for clients to feel happy and welcome as soon as they enter the salon.
We can see that you are an animal lover! Are you a dog friendly salon and do you think choosing cruelty free products is just as important as organic and natural?
My husband and I have 3 dogs, 3 cats and 4 chickens. Being cruelty free is super important to me, as well as being as organic as possible. To me, it all runs together. If it were legal to have animals at the salon in the state of Tennessee we would definitely have a salon dog but unfortunately it’s a health code violation.
You use Organic Colour Systems in your salon and we LOVE your stunning creations. You do a lot of work with No Limits, what are your top tips for working with these colours and do you have a favourite one?
My tips for using No Limits are just knowing your canvas. Knowing your underlying pigment and clients desired tone. Always testing the colour out on a clean white towel before applying to see the tonality of the colour. My favourites are creating different shades of pinks, and purples. I also love applying No Limits to my brunettes at the bowl for a little extra sparkle!
What is your favourite Organic Colour Systems product or formula?
My favourite product right now is the Status Quo Leave-In Conditioner. It smells amazing and conditions/protects my clients hair. Most of my clients are blondes so my go to formula for a glossy icy/neutral blonde is 1 1/2 11HS, 1/4 11HN and 1/4 Silver Concentrate.
What is your favourite type of client and why?
Blondes and fashion colours are my favourite. I love the excitement of working with blondes. Not ever knowing how the colour is going to react and finding ways to combat the lifting process and toning out unwanted tones. It’s always different and always exciting.
Your blog is incredible and we can see it is a huge passion of yours. How does having a blog impact you and do you think it brings you closer to your clients?
I think it helps bring my clients and I closer together. They love being able to see my home and salon life intertwine. It’s fun to be able to feature my clients on my blog as well.
Do you have a motto in life?
How do you relax after a day in the salon?
I like snuggling up with my pups and Netflix. I always need time to unwind and decompress after a long day at the salon.
If you had one piece of advice for a salon owner or stylist looking to opt for a cleaner and greener way of life what would it be?
DO IT!! It’s so much fun learning this colour line and being a part of a healthy salon movement! It’s healthier for you and the clients!
