Nikoleta is an accomplished internationally award hair stylists. She is a professional hairdresser and the owner of Bangs & Whiskers in Caringbah.
As a young 16-year-old, she gained her education and experience in Athens, Greece, continuing to train in the art of colour by L’Oreal and Wella. Since 1975 she has been transforming the way women and men see themselves and feel, throughout this mode of artistry. Not only has she been given a plethora of opportunities to showcase her abilities and creative flair, but her talent took her all over Europe appearing in hair competitions and demonstrations to thousands. Seeing the world enabled her to meet other beauty industry specialists in fashion and makeup, bolstering her skills in styling.
Her 43 years of experience included international accolades and hundreds of juniors, and what stands out is she continues to have passion for all things hair.
"While most of us don't have the budget to have a stylist on standby, we can all afford the right mindset in how we see our individual beauty." The epiphany:
doing the things that make us feel better about ourselves, the way we speak, think, look and act directly impacts our self-esteem. These are the elements of the beauty we create on the inside that ultimately shines outwardly, on the rest of the world.
Before she came to Australia 20 years ago, Nikoleta’s experience on the exhibition stage had built her confidence in sharing her expertise. These events saw her supervising up to 10 other hairdressers working furiously in front of hundreds of delegates waiting to be inspired by the newest trends and latest colours. This creative process was not only building her mentee’s confidence but opened her eyes to her own unlimited potential.
CONNECTION
Without hesitation, she embraced these experiences and adapted her skills to develop important connections with her clients by taking the opportunity to extend her friendship to them, and in turn, developed a loyal customer base.
She is a stylist wearing many hats, and like others in her profession, she is an active listener, waiting for you to share the clues, cues and comments that confirm you already know what they want. And she knows it is her job to draw that information out. "Sometimes I have to get really creative with my approach as people need something a bit different to make them feel comfortable." Says Nikoleta.
Without judgement, she is often a sounding board to her client and has an insight into the worlds where her customers live. That’s an interesting thought on its own, but their conversations share a perspective to help Nikoletta understand what her clients want.
So, want do they want?
Well, because hair is such a personal expression, a physical characteristic of personality, the styles of hair you can choose from often become overwhelming and daunting. Despite its functional purposes of insulating against the cold, your hair serves the purpose of personal human authenticity, recognition and attraction in our life’s cycle. In many cultures, the style of your hair is a statement.
Whether it is rebelling against social norms, braided, coloured, teased or adorned, it not only reflects the fashions of the day but the values of an era.
With so many things to consider, placing your trust into someone else with respect to the way you look takes courage.
At Bangs & Whiskers, Nikoletta can add an edge to any look that suits any face shape, with the aim of creating a style that is fairly easy to maintain and doesn’t require much of a commitment.
Let’s be honest, not a lot of us change our hairstyles like we change our underwear, so a style that accommodates our day to day makes life a hell of a lot easier.
It all begins with a conversation. "Sometimes I don’t need to explain, I just need to listen." Says Nikoleta.
Creating looks that wow!
Whether you are going to work or going out, recreating that ‘just walked out of a hair salon’ style shouldn’t be stressful. Knowing your hair is always ready to go gives you more time for the things that matter. And that is the confidence that Nikoleta tries to instil.
Whilst she has clients that completely trust her ability to make them feel re-energised with a dramatic change, her approach to the basics of hair care form part of the education she entwines during your appointment.
- Just by trimming a few inches off your locks is an easy fix and can take years off your appearance - revitalising your look.
- Sometimes dying your hair too dark is a sure-fire way to accentuate lines and dark spots—the very things we all try to hide as we age. Framing your face with a warmer shade brightens up your colouring and better hides the signs of ageing.
- Too much washing will rob your hair and your scalp of its much-needed natural oils, leaving your follicles brittle and lifeless. The average head only requires a shampooing two to three times a week.
- Nikoleta believes that deep conditioning treatments and weightless oils will definitely help keep your hair healthy, and offers in-house TLC treatments for ageing hair or hormonal hair changes.
- Often a style just needs the repositioning of your part. The perfectly situated part for a youthful appearance is slightly off-centre. Venturing to the other side is a simple trick to shake up your look.
- A tightly pulled back style dramatically highlights your face—and every line, blemish, errant facial hair, and dark shadow on it. This doesn't mean you can't put your hair up anymore. It simply means that you should opt for looser looks with tendrils that fall along your face.
CELEBRATING THE WINS
Nikoleta celebrates every win her clients express, from the lighter shades of a colour to the complete transformation.
"I enjoy seeing the look on their face after I have helped them see the person they want to be. Sometimes it’s a whole new person. Confident and engaged back into their life. When you start, you have to understand why they come, and although we are selling something, we are selling the beauty they want. They come to me because they want to feel better and beautiful. It’s not just a haircut." Says Nikoleta.
You can contact Nikoleta and her team via their Facebook Page, or you can give them a call on 02 8519 4136.