Raquel

I honestly had no interest in hair when I was being brought up. It was not until I was a teenager and began to style my own hair, that I became intrigued. I had this big, kinky, coily hair and no idea what to do with it. I decided that I needed some help. So, at 14, I saved up money and went to one of the best curl specialists in Miami. When she saw my hair, she immediately felt pity on me and gave me everything she had. She gave me the best cut of my life, custom product recommendations, and  transformed the way I styled my hair forever. At that moment, I realized how much hair affects people’s confidence and the role a good hairstylist can play. I knew from that point forward that I wanted to impart that same gift I was given, onto others.

Once I decided that hair was my calling, I wanted to excel as quickly as possible. I enrolled myself into a dual enrollment high school in South Florida, where I could graduate with my cosmetology certificate. After two years of going to cosmetology school part-time and studying through the summer, I was able to sit for my cosmetology exam. Upon passing, I began to train under a salon owner in Weston, FL and take my own clients. Now, I have moved to New York and I am embarking on this new journey with Shear Magique!

A good time! I like to craft a relationship with my guests and a safe space for them to share their concerns, about hair and anything beyond that. The better I know my guests- their lifestyle, triumphs, trials- the better I can help them along their hair journey. I will also make sure we have a good laugh on the way there!

I am dying to go to East Asia. The culture is so fascinating to me and the food is beyond words. I want to visit Beijing to climb the Great Wall of China. I am dreaming of seeing the cherry blossoms in Kyoto. A K-Pop concert in Seoul would be super fun too!

Cats all the way!! They are so sassy and full of personality, I can relate to them more. There is a running joke in the cat world that you do not adopt them, they adopt you. I completely agree! I am a cat mom to the cutest orange tabby. He adopted me one day when I was taking a walk and he followed me home. He has stuck around ever since.