BEHIND THE MUSE: MY INTERVIEW WITH RIHANNA'S HAIR STYLIST, URSULA STEPHENS

There is only one word that need be used to describe Def Jam recording artist Rihanna: Fire. Now while her musical attributes and personal life are at the forefront of public debate these days, her fashion sense has unarguably, and rather quickly, transformed the Barbados beauty into an icon like no one has ever seen in recent years and my personal fave fashionably. NOBODY, not anybody does it like RiRi…period. While watching her now infamous interview with Diane Sawyer, I could not help but notice her stunning new blonde hair courtesy of her hairstylist, Ursula Stephens.

During her 10-plus-year career, the Brooklyn-born native has hustled her way from the neighborhood beauty shops of BK all the way to Hollywood, styling the likes of Keyshia Cole, Michelle Williams and Paula Patton, making a name for herself along the way. I had the opportunity to interview and get a few tips from the woman behind "The Rihanna," as she shared her life as a celebrity stylist and how to make it in the hair biz.


On breaking into the business...
"Professionalism is the number one thing. You never know who is watching. I was a client before I was a stylist and the thing that would turn me off was their attitude. So I would say just be approachable. You trust them (hairdressers) to put chemicals in your hair, you should be able to talk to them more than anybody."

On suceeding in the business...
"Wow, it's really a combination of a lot of things. One thing, I would say is you have to be fresh. You have to stay fresh. You have to stay consistent."


On "The Rihanna" ...
"I had NO idea it would be as big as it got. I really didn't foresee it at all. We started with the bob and we just kept cutting it shorter and shorter (laughs). We (Rihanna and I) just wanted to do something different. I think people were ready for something new....I do a lot of weaves and extensions; I do everything. In (hair) school, everyone had their thing. Cutting was my thing."

On keeping her celeb clients ahead of the curve...
"A lot of it is my own feelings. If I am getting bored with a particular style, then that probably means the rest of the world is getting bored with it, too. I go overseas a lot and styles and trends evolve quick and dictate what is new."

On creating your own opportunities...
"I would say the main thing is to be open-minded. There are so many things you can do in the beauty industry, it's crazy. Don't have a one track mind. There are so many avenues you can take. I was talking to a young lady and she was a chemist for a hair company. I am also working with Motions, so just think out the box."


On the perks of the job...
"Getting my work out there for the world to see and to please other people makes you feel really good. I could have never dreamed of doing the things I am able to do. I travel a lot; I travel so much. A lot of young stylists start out thinking it's all about the glitz and the glamour and the celebrities but it's a lot of hard work and long days away from home."

The secret to "good hair"...
"I wouldn't say it is a particular product or good line. It's really about moisture because our hair tends to be naturally dry and we put in chemicals that makes it even drier. So to combat that, you need moisture, moisture, moisture."
 

Here are a few of my favorite looks my Miss RiRi (literally just a few):

Heart it. Heart it all. Just ridiculous. Flawless. RiRi, I can't.