The client came in as a model with a shag haircut, and I'll admit, I was a bit intimidated by the challenge of transforming it. She shared a few reference photos but ultimately trusted me with the creative direction.

I began by working on the face frame and fringe, using a technique I love: twisting the pieces as I razor them to create a fanned-out texture. This effect is especially visible in the middle of her fringe. I used my Feather Styling Razor to carve soft, petal-like shapes along both sides of her hairline, and then I began working through the sides and back, blending everything together.

She was open to losing some length, but I didn't want the final result to feel too "mullet-ish," so I focused on shaping the front first before cutting the length. Once the front was carved out, I used an up-and-down motion with the razor to feather out the ends for a softer, more blended look.

I was genuinely surprised at how her natural texture came to life - I didn't expect it to pop as much as it did! The razor really helped bring out those beautiful, natural waves. The final look was styled entirely by hand, with a few clips to emphasize the shape of the fringe and I flipped out some of her ends with a pomade to give it a fun flair. I finished by diffusing her hair with some sea salt spray for added texture.