MJ: Cutting and styling her way to success

MJ working with her client to achieve the perfect cut

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I love my hairstylist. There is something about these people that you begin to trust them not just with caring for your hair but also with other things. 

In the years that I spent as TV host in Cagayan de Oro I was close to my hairstylist Carla Salvana (of Carla 2000) who maintained my hair six times a week, helping me look good on screen for  many years.  

Now that I'm in the US or specifically North Carolina, I had to find someone to replace Carla and after several weeks I think I found one already.

She is Mary Jane Maturan, born and raised in Davao City, Philippines. She is making a name in Charlotte that even the president of the Filipino American Association Community of the Carolinas ( FACC) Malette Aquino is a regular customer along with many others. 

Mary Jane who by the way goes by the name MJ told me that there is no such secret in hair cutting or doing hair for that matter. “Just my work and passion,” MJ said. And I really do love what she's done with my hair.

MJ posing with her client Genevieve Cordery, Miss Asia of Carolina 2011

Hard work
She explained to me that there are a few things that are very important to hairstylists. This include customizing the cut which means studying the shape and status of clients. 

She didn’t explain what status meant but I guess she refers to the customer's lifestyle. MJ explains that she focuses on three foundations of hairstyling "the technique” "the texture"  and the customer's individuality. 

MJ said these three must go together to achieve what she considers the perfect hair cut for the customer. MJ told me about how she became a hairdresser which wasn't easy. 

She started as a junior hairstylist which entails working like a helper in the beauty salon doing the shampoo, blow drying and cleaning up afterwards.

“It was hard work. But it was fun and exciting,” she said .She said she learned a lot, including the value of hygiene and sanitation in her work. MJ graduated from the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute in Manila, Philippines. 

Passion
Ten years into her job in the US and the rest is history. “Customizing my creation to suit my client's shape, on most up-to-date looks. I'm deeply passionate about my work, especially on cuts and color,” MJ said.

In her 10 years of working in her own salon, MJ continues to perfect her skills with every client she works on so she can build a name for herself among those in her industry.

“Loving your work with passion and dedication is my greatest asset in my career while also helping others succeed are my goals in life,” MJ said. 

Her words remind me of my friend Carla back home in Cagayan de Oro. They both had a sense of humor and an unlimited supply of charm that endears them to their customers.  

I still have so many things to tell you about MJ in the next blog. But for now, check her out at her website www.maryjanehairstudio@gmail.com. (All photos taken from her website at www.maryjanestudio.com). 

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis)