Celebrity Hairstylist Kristin Ess, Photo Credit: Courtney Hirschberg
When Kristin Ess’s eponymous hair-care line of 15 products first launched at Target in January of 2017, the bottles disappeared from shelves faster than you could say “beach waves.” Fans of Ess’s online hair tutorials (on her site and Instagram feed) who have long followed her career as the hairstylist to celebrities like Lauren Conrad, Lucy Hale, Lili Reinhart, and Jenna Dewan were counting down the days until they could recreate their favorite looks IRL thanks to conditioners, soft-wave sprays and serums.
Ess was always destined to work with hair and has been involved in several aspects of it throughout her career: “I remember being fascinated by hair, always. But I’ve definitely done different parts of hair. In the very beginning, I did education and got involved in teaching other assistants once I went on the floor. And then I did editorial, I’ve done Fashion Week stuff, I’ve done product development for other companies, I’ve done educating for other brands, etc. However you cut it, this has been my only career!”
So it’s only natural that her collection of cruelty-free hair-care has already garnered cult status. Available in the U.S. at Target and Target.com, in Canada at Well.ca, and in Germany at Niche-Beauty.com, the Kristin Ess product line has already launched two major collections: the first was the foundation line, while the second, more playful one was released in January 2018 and featured the runaway hit, “Rose Gold Temporary Tint.”
While Ess makes a point of engaging with her more than 465K Instagram followers (many of whom are super-fans thanks to the beauty tutorial website she co-founded, The Beauty Department), Ess’s Los Angeles-based HQ will always remain private and reserved for her celebrity clientele.
Ess shares how she rose to hair fame, why being a content kween is so critical to her, and where she seeks inspiration. Learn all about the essence of Kristin Ess.
Karin Eldor: Tell me about your career background. What were some of your first jobs? Even those that might have been unrelated to hair…
Kristin Ess: I wish I could tell you that, but this is the first job I’ve ever had! I started doing hair in a salon when I was in high school, when I apprenticed at Carlton Hair International in Century City. So I want to be able to say, “I was a waiter” as my first job, but this is it! It’s a one-stop shop for me.
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