Lovelyish

You know what is great? Introducing Lovelyish’s brand new beauty and fashion editor, Kackie Condatore. Expect her to bring the gorgeous and not-so-gorgeous things you need to know in that realm from now on. Pretty great. Now let’s talk about other things that matter in the point of view of Kackie.

Q: You’re a hairstylist. Tell us about the most amazing transition you’ve spun on someone’s coif.

Well, right when I moved to Austin, where we *cringe* “keep it weird,” I had a nice 27 year old fellow named Donald in my chair. He asked me to make him look like Hunter S. Thompson. Not for a role or a job — he was a pharmacy tech… one with a full head of hair I might add — but he insisted that I carve a male-pattern horseshoe in his head. There are a lot of big changes people make all the time with color and cut, following trends, but I had to hand it to the guy. He didn’t give a crap what anyone thought. I’ll never forget him.

I’m pretty sure being a teenager in the early aughts was a beauty mistake in and of itself. I went to cosmetology school at age 17 (that’s young), and having color and scissors and amateur hairdressers around me every day was a perfect storm for a lot of beauty errors. My favorite one, and one I happen to have a visual aid for (yay!) was the time I thought I needed baby bangs. Behold:

Thank goodness for my shameless and lengthy self-photog phase. “Camera? What camera?” Recovery involved patience. I just had to let it grow. I’ve been through some pretty harrowing hair episodes. Maybe I’ll do a post about it sometime.

Q: What are some of your wardrobe staples?

Confidence. No, I’m not trying to be deep. I’ve never seen an outfit that worked on someone who didn’t feel comfortable in it, but I’ve seen absurd things look awesome on the right person. Aside from that, I’m obsessed with my black skinny jeans, my J. Crew boy shirt (which I’m wearing right now), and my ridiculous collection of ballet flats. And my Warby Parker glasses… I get so many compliments on them, I have to give WP props.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing clothing item living in your closet?

I have my Chuck Taylors from high school, which isn’t in itself embarrassing. I can’t part with them. They are threadbare and have marker and pen all over them, they’re awful looking. Worn-in is one thing, professing your love for Good Charlotte on your shoes is something entirely different. If you’d seen my pink hair and AFI bangs it would have made more sense.

I do “pretty hair” all the time. Long layers and sweeping bangs, things that are flattering and easy to wear. I’m inspired by silhouettes that challenge the status quo. Shannyn Sossamon’s ugly-pretty “mauled by a bear” cuts as my hairdresser friends say, Emma Watson’s effortless pixie, Mia Farrow’s gratuitously fashion-forward crop by Vidal Sassoon for Rosemary’s Baby, and beauty queen Anya Ayoung-Chee’s (Project Runway) alt-femme pinstripe buzz job are all the things that keep me excited about hair. I think hairdressers can easily lose sight of what they’re really doing. It’s not just a job, it’s an interview, a commissioned project, and a practically immediate result. It’s art, not just a business.