L&rsquo;Officiel Philippines speaks with L&rsquo;Oreal Professionnel expert Min Kim on all things hair.&nbsp;

Last July 25, L&rsquo;Oreal Professionnel&rsquo;s Manila Hair Show 2023 took place at Okada Manila. Celebrating the latest hair innovations and trends of today, hundreds of Filipino hair professionals all over the country have come together to take their expertise to the next level with the help of insightful programs and demonstrations from L&rsquo;Oreal Professionnel&rsquo;s hair experts.&nbsp;
One of the mentors who showcased their artistic prowess and knowledge in hair styling and care is L&rsquo;Oreal Professionnel&rsquo;s Global Ambassador Min Kim. Based in New York City, Kim is a world-renowned master colorist and certified French balayage educator who has handled plenty of A-list celebrity clients and hosted various masterclass episodes about hair trends and coloring on Run Le Hair Show, L&rsquo;Oreal Professionnel&rsquo;s exclusive web series.&nbsp;
We sat down with Kim for an exclusive chat to learn about her journey to success in the beauty industry, her signature hair looks and techniques, and what it's like to work with L&rsquo;Oreal Professionnel as their global ambassador.

This is your first time in the Philippines. Apart from all of the hair stylists that consider you as a celebrity, I'm sure a lot of Filipino readers of L&rsquo;Officiel and beauty enthusiasts would love to know more about who you are. Could you take us back when you got started into hair styling?

I spent my 20s chasing love and living all over the world having a crazy life. So when I came back to New York, I had to think about what it was that I really enjoyed. And you know it's like before I even left the States, I went to college and I wanted to be a doctor. Then I realized very quickly that I didn't want to be in school forever so I shifted and I ended up moving to Miami. I met someone there and then I ended up kind of living all over so when that finally ended, I went back to New York and I really thought about how beauty and fashion have always been the things that I've been naturally drawn to. And even as a kid, my mom always just said to me, &ldquo;It's not a fashion show. It doesn't matter what you wear. You don't have to wake up so early to do your makeup.&rdquo; But I was always the girl that was grading everyone's hair in school, doing my friend's makeup. So when I thought about what it was that I really wanted to do, it was hair. It was like the most natural, natural thing. And then I have my background, painting and sketching. It&rsquo;s very intuitive, so it just kind of was a perfect combination where the science part of my head with the artistic background really works together to make this feel very intuitive and natural to me.&nbsp;

So, around how old did you start with hair?&nbsp;

I went to beauty school when I was 26. So, again, I think that having been through so much in my early twenties and making so many mistakes, when I went to beauty school, when I started assisting, I mean, I went and got promoted in eight months, it was very fast. And it's now we have assistants that have been in our program for three, four years. But they don't understand that it's really up to you as an individual to control your destiny. So I knew I wanted to learn, so anytime I had downtime, I was doing dollyhuts, I was doing models. And I'm always looking. I had a boyfriend who made super bowl collections. So when we watched television, he was always looking at the production aspect, whereas I was looking at the hair, the makeup. So we watched things very differently. So I think it just naturally was a fit that made sense. And at the end of the day, it's like I truly love what I do. Yeah. So when I speak about it and the things that I work with and talk about, I really believe in.&nbsp;

You've been a global ambassador for L'Oreal for six years but I think even longer as a US ambassador. As a hairstylist, what made you commit to one brand in terms of being an ambassador for?

I mean naturally, I think that because of the science side of my brain, I always appreciated the innovation, the technology, and the research that I knew was associated with it. I also love luxury looks and the finer things. So, knowing that I'm working with a quality product and the support of the brand behind education. And I think that's a thing, It's like a lot of times people don't know but they don't know they're scared of. So whenever I talk with an audience or teach people or even my clients, I just want them to understand why. And then once they understand why, then there's more of a trust. And then that trust is really what allows you to have the experience and the opportunity to share something with someone to grow themselves.

But why was L'Oreal in particular appealing to you as a brand?&nbsp;

I mean, I've worked in a L'Oreal professional salon, and then the education and my mentor, actually, who is now a very good friend, was also filling with the brand. So I think just the education that always lined up with the brand is something that I was drawn to, and also the fact that it's the largest beauty brand in the world, and that it's a Parisian company, are just things that I naturally felt drawn to.

In your Instagram, you have a hashtag called &ldquo;Beach Glow Hair&rdquo;. Would you say that that's your signature look and could you tell us more about it?&nbsp;

So beach glow hair totally is what I grew up with. I rode my bike to the beach every summer. I was at the beach from 9 to 6 PM at least. My first job was as a beach nanny when I was 13 years old, watching a little kid. So I've always been fascinated by children's hair, surfers and it's something where that's just my aesthetic. I don't really love high contrast, stripey, unnatural things. So for someone like myself where I've seen a lot of bad hair, so it&rsquo;s really about enhancing someone's natural beauty. So the beach glow hair is really more of that luxury version of highlights in hair color. And then also from a styling perspective, lazy hot girl hair is something that I'm really about, and I think it's about embracing your natural texture. And learning how to just do a few pieces. Like for me, my hair is air dry. I have the Vitamino Color 10-in-1 Spray in my hair. And then I blew out my fringe just so I have a little bit of bend. And this is how I do my hair normally every day. So I think it's something where women want to be able to look good, but also don't wanna spend hours.And I mean, we have some clients that wash their hair maybe once or twice a week and it's not good for the scalp. So if you can embrace a look or a style that works with your natural texture, I think that's just much more realistic and a modern approach to hair. So I think that's why the products that we have available and the tools really make it possible to do the lazy hot girl hair.&nbsp;

I actually love how this message is coming across because I'm sure a lot of people from L'Oreal Philippines have already told you that Filipinos, for the longest time, we have been obsessed with straightening our hair. And someone like you to champion embracing the natural textures of hair is really so important, especially because you're also an Asian woman. So thank you so much for that.

But you know, it's such a battle. I mean, even the humidity, even if you spend so much time doing your hair, the second you step out, you have a drop of sweat, it's gonna start shifting. So you don't end up, you might start one way, but the way you finish is with your hair back, right? I mean, even when I get back to the hotel room, the first thing I do is whoop, everything comes off. But at least when I'm walking around, if it gets humid, and here's the other thing too, like when it rains, I don't care. I see some people that are like, bags on their head, two umbrellas, like, I'll put a hat on, but at least I know. And again too, that's why I think having the proper understanding of hair texture, how to remove weight and really allow the naturalness to pop out, because for the longest time I thought I had dead straight hair because my hair was so heavy. And then once I started having weight removed and then using the right products, and literally when I do my hair, I just do this and this and then this is how it drives. It's easy but it's still polished and modern and like it's not unkempt. But it really does kind of fit my personality which is lazy hot girl hair.&nbsp;

Speaking of textures and tools, how is it like traveling around the world to teach other hair stylists tools and techniques and all of these things?

I'm a single working mom so everything I do is ultimately to take care of my child which means that the more I learn, the more I want to share. And at the end of the day, it's really about empowering women through beauty. Having an experience in the salon, it's not just a haircut or color. Having an experience with someone that can share information with you, exchange stories and ideas, while also getting professional feedback I think is very valuable. And I think a lot of hairdressers, what I'm experiencing as I've worked around the world, are really shy about asking for things and also talking about money. And we, as hairdressers, typically are not the best business people. So that's why I really talk about how to create an experience, making sure you're charging for everything that you're doing, all the products that you're using, because it's a collaboration, right? So I always say to my clients, help me help you. Because if I do all of this color work and you're not taking home the products to help support the color, or to help you maintain the style that I'm sharing and teaching you, then it's never gonna work. Right? So you can't go on Amazon and buy whatever you think is right, because it's on sale, because it might not be the best product for your hair. So it's really about having an open conversation. And I think encouraging people to really believe that what we're doing in beauty is something that is really going to help people walk and feel good. And at the end of the day, it's a way to have hairdressers create better lives for themselves and their family.&nbsp;

You said that when you're not busy, you attend to 14 to 16 clients a day. Is it hard shifting hats from hair stylist and colorist to teacher?&nbsp;

No, I think naturally I'm always sharing information and one of my favorite things about what I do is connect to people. So I could easily have on a busy day, four people sitting in a row, but I'll know that Mary has some issue going on with her husband and maybe Joanna is a therapist, and I'm like, &ldquo;Oh you guys might want to chat.&rdquo; Or I know that Melissa just moved to town and Danielle is also a single mom and they were actually getting along. And I mean, I literally introduced, &ldquo;Hey, Danielle, this is Melissa, oh, blah, blah, blah. Melissa was actually my first model. I've been doing her hair for 19 years.&rdquo; &ldquo;Oh my God, Danielle, I've been coming to Min for 17 years.&rdquo; Before I know it, I'm doing videos of them together. They're going to lunch after and now they're booking appointments together. So I think the connection aspect is something that people have really been missing after the pandemic. So one of my favorite things is how to connect with people so that when they come to see me, it's not just for hair. And it's funny because the other stylists in my salon are like, &ldquo;You guys are the party section.&rdquo; So we're laughing, we're having fun, but I don't want the hair appointment to be something where they don't look forward to it. I want them to come and be like, &ldquo;Oh my god, I get to see Min today, I'm so excited&rdquo;. I even have a client who's a therapist. When she's feeling down, she tells her, &ldquo;Go see Min.&rdquo; I'm not even joking. But it's also because she knows that the people that are in my chair are all like-minded, right? They're all successful, busy women. So we understand each other and how busy we are. So just to be in a room, we'll have conversations and they'll have wine. It's basically like a good time. So I think it's shifting that mindset about it being something that's not a fun experience to making it something where it's a part of their life that they look forward to.

Because it's your first time in the Philippines, how has it been so far working with Filipino hair stylists?

Everyone has been so kind, especially coming from New York, where it's a little bit rougher, a little bit grittier. So everyone's just been so kind and helpful and willing to learn. I think that the fact that the way I work is so different, it's also like a much faster pace. So they understand that there is a process and a reason for everything. I'm so happy to share my experience because if they can walk away with ways to work faster and to be able to make more money, then I'm satisfied.&nbsp;

Let's talk about last night's show. How was it organizing the show?&nbsp;&nbsp;

It was amazing. I didn't realize that this was going to be the largest event in the Philippines I've ever had. So to be part of a historical event is something I'm super proud of. I consider myself a unicorn because I've worked with so many different experiences, whether it's on a shoot, or an event. I'm one of the hosts of a show that we were doing during the pandemic called Run Le Hair Show on YouTube. So there's just so many things where I understand lighting, production, timing, pushing the girls out, color, the way I work in the salon, doing multiple people. So I'm able to stop and multitask. I think that's something as women we do naturally. So it was something that I was just having a ball. It's kind of sad that today's gonna be the last day. But yeah, it's been a really memorable experience and everyone's been super kind and willing to listen to the feedback based on my experience. So I think that's also important is that as much as they learn from me, I learn from them as well so it's a mutually beneficial experience.&nbsp;

One of the key products that L'Oreal is highlighting now is INOA and I'm sure you've had your chance to use it several times. I think that was your last demo just earlier. Could you tell us more about it and why you love using it?&nbsp;

From a business perspective, even with clients, I take care of business first and then we go have the fun. But it's a premium product that I can charge more for. So the appeal I think to the different stories, the younger generation is that it's vegan and it's also ammonia free. So you get the permanent coverage and also, I always listen for keywords. So when someone's talking about how the hair is dull and lacking shine, how it doesn't have that life. This gives you a taste of color, which is really super shiny, and then also gives you so much control as far as what type of coverage that you want based on so many different shades. So even on myself, I was in denial that I needed permanent color. So when I shifted to permanent color, it was my first choice. It's a really great option. And also the shine, I think like with hair you want to have multi-reflex shine in life and it's something that I'm able to achieve easily. And it's also very personal so you can manipulate it to do whatever you want.&nbsp;

With more than 10 years working with L'Oreal, what has been your most memorable experience with L'Oreal so far?

I think having the experience of seeing the impact that education has in transforming someone's mindset. And I think the mindset is what needs to shift in order to be a better hairdresser and even a better person. So really, I talk about not being afraid to ask for things, which is why talking about money is not a bad thing, but also learning to be a better listener. I think a lot of people talk to be heard instead of listening. So when we listen to our clients and to what the audience needs, which is reading the room, then you're really able to have a more impactful experience. So I think my favorite thing is just being able to touch so many lives and hopefully give them something that they can take away even if it's one thing, whether it's business or professional or personal, one thing that they can take back to help improve their lives. Because for me, working with the brand, I've had tons of training and opportunities where the things that I learned professionally cross over and I apply that to my life personally. So I think that it has really helped me to be a better person and a mother and a friend. And it's the thing, you know, understanding why, not just with the products, but understanding why someone's behaving that way. Maybe someone&rsquo;s having a bad day so you just have to be sensitive and understand that there's more to everything than what you see and to really be more thoughtful about that and to not be afraid to ask for things. Because I think especially as women and Asians in particular, we are taught not to say anything. We are taught not to ask for things. So I think giving people the courage and the power to use their voice to really help others and then to help yourself is something that I'm really proud to be able to be in the position of sharing.&nbsp;

Reimagine the Future of Hair with Celebrity Hair Artist Min Kim

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