Celebrity Hairstylist Chris Appleton's Best Career Moments
The Rise of Chris Appleton, the Man Behind Kim Kardashian and J Lo's Best Hair Looks
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One thing that's remained a constant in Appleton's career is his ability to stay true to his core mission: to make someone feel something through the power of hair. Sometimes that's through partnerships like with Colour Wow or Tangle Teezer, but he says he'll never peddle something he can't truly stand behind. ("I don't believe in jumping around from brand to brand just because I'm being paid to do it," he said. "I believe in authenticity in everything that I do, and I'm loyal to the stuff I like.")
Other times, it's through the insatiable quest of "what's next" — what he describes as his biggest driver. "Every time I've achieved something, I look toward the next challenge, and I still do that to this today. First my goal was to qualify. Once I qualified, I wanted the top prize. Once I got the top prize, I wanted to do fashion week, so then I did my first show, and then after that I wanted to be the best in hair colour. So I got a colour degree for hair colouring. I never stopped. I still won't. I don't think you should ever stop just because you've had a bit of success."
Success. It's something Appleton says he'll never stop reaching for, but perhaps starting now or in the future, it'll look a little different. He throws around the idea of education; giving back to the hair industry he loves so much through Masterclass sessions or YouTube tutorials.
"Everyone has been through so much lately. I just want to reach middle America and motivate people to try or create new looks. It's about so much more than being a hairdresser. I would like to be known as someone who creates iconic looks, but more than that, someone who's made people feel beautiful. It doesn't matter if it's Mrs. Jones who comes every week for a weekly blow dry or if it's J Lo — when you make someone look good and feel great, that's when the magic happens."