Beauty supply stores are specialty retailers that sell cosmetics, hair-care products and beauty tools primarily to salons, licensed professionals and consumers.
Beauty supply stores might look overwhelming—but they're actually hiding a collection of products that will transform the way you style your hair. I asked top hairstylists for the eight things you need—and won't find anywhere else:
Things That You Should Always Buy at a Beauty Supply Store
- The Best Hair Pins - No, not all hair pins are created equal. If you want every updo to stay up, grab a variety of sizes and styles. Hairstylist Mark Townsend swears by Diane Hair Pins for supporting updos. And hairstylist Adir Abergel won't send a girl down the red carpet without Gloria Haarpfeil Wig Pins. "They hold up the heaviest hair," he says.
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Clean Spoolies. You thought they were just for lashes? How quaint. Townsend sprays his with hairspray to clean up very fine edges and flyaways on delicate styles. With more stubborn pieces, he uses the same approach with a boar-bristle toothbrush (yes, also found at beauty supply stores).
- Bungee cords. "These stores sell every kind of clip and ponytail holder you can think of," Jimmy Paul says. But several pros favor Ricky's Bungee Cord—an elastic cord with metal hooks that clasp into the hair and don't budge, "which is perfect when you want to do a neat, tight ponytail or wrap a section of hair around the base," says Paul. as a favorite. (Other stores carry other varieties.)
- Steam Rollers Townsend discovered these when he broke his finger and couldn't wield a round brush—now they're one of his favorite tools. To get the best results, shake off the water first and roll your hair around them vertically for gorgeous waves.
- Duckbill Clips. Set your blowout with these and you'll never have to worry about droopy waves again, says hairstylist Matt Fugate.
- Raw Hair Oils Townsend picks up jojoba and keratin oils for his clients who want deep, natural conditioners. Just be wary of keratin oil. "It can stain blonde hair," says Townsend.
- Better Combs. The combs at beauty supply stores are better quality and beautifully designed, says hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins. If you choose one, make it a rat-tail comb for backcombing, parting, and finishing a style, says Hawkins.
- Skinny brushes. Even the no-name brushes at these shops call for experimentation: Crawford has a one-inch, boar-bristle, round brush that he recommends for home blowouts. (The more common, larger-barrel versions can be unwieldy and cause tangling.) "I hold it right at the root, blast it with the dryer, and then slowly pull it down the hair shaft to smooth and straighten," he says.
How to Get the Best Service at a Beauty Supply Store
Lean on the salespeople. "Don't be afraid to ask for help, It's better to ask the beauty-supply guy one too many questions than to fry your hair with the wrong product." And don't worry if the clerk doesn't look like a beauty expert (or have two hairs on his head). Hairstylist Nunzio Saviano says, "The people who work at these places tend to be very knowledgeable about how to use what they're selling." At some beauty-supply stores, the salespeople even double as repairmen. You can get a blow-dryer fixed and buy replacement parts such as nozzles. "The guy at Ray is amazing. If my dryer breaks, he services it. The whole reason I became a hairdresser is because I'm not good at math, I can't do electricity. How would I ever fix my own blow-dryer?"Do due diligence. The goods at beauty-supply stores don't move quite as quickly as, say, the Kate Moss line for Topshop. "These places probably don't have the cosmetics suppliers' reps coming in all the time to rotate the stock every few weeks," says makeup artist Maria Verel. "I've seen some stuff sit in stores for years." Check to see if there's an expiration date stamped on the package and remember that the sun ages people and products. "Is the box in a window? In direct sunlight? If so, don't buy it," Verel says.
Color carefully. Tempted by the floor-to-ceiling shelves of salon hair color? Resist: "These places stock professional-strength color, and the instructions are not explained in as much detail as those for home kits. You can really damage your hair if you don't know what you're doing," White says.
Dig deep. Each store, even within the same chain, carries slightly different merchandise, so you never know what's going to turn up. "You really have to treat it like a T.J. Maxx and go in with low expectations, ready to dig," makekup artist Mally Roncal says, "And when you see something you like, buy it because it might not be there when you come back." Give yourself some time to browse and wander the aisles aimlessly—preferably leaving your eye-rolling, harrumphing boyfriend at home.
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