The Be+Well | Beauty and Wellness Show in New York delivered three high-energy days of ideas, insight, and inspiration for today’s beauty, wellness, and grooming professionals navigating a fast-evolving industry.
Hundreds of educators and panelists took the stage, sharing practical wisdom with thousands of eager beauty, barber, spa, and wellness pros who came ready to learn. Here are just a few of the takeaways.
1. Even in a digital world, a barbershop’s must reliable pipeline for new staff and clients is the same thing it’s been for generations — deep community involvement. That’s from a guy who knows ball: educator, entrepreneur, and award-winning barbershop owner Sean Casey.
“Establish your name, work with local businesses, work with charities," he advised fellow barbers. "That’s going to attract people who want to work with you and for you. Word of mouth is your best bet.”
2. In her packed session “Bridal Beauty: Perfecting the Art of Timeless Makeup,” makeup artist Anjali Wrenn gave the surprise treatment she cautions brides against scheduling too close to the big day: Hydrafacials. “It gives the skin a glow, but I find makeup doesn’t stick,” she said. “Anything too close to the wedding day can cause the foundation to slide.” Better to schedule a series of Hydrafacials over time for a transformative, long-term effect, with the final treatment a few days before the wedding at least.
The key takeaway: keep skincare simple, build the complexion with long-wear formulas, and focus on enhancing the bride’s features with soft structure rather than heavy makeup.
3. You’re probably brushing your brows wrong! So said acclaimed brow educator Kimberly Morfin to her sold-out class on brow lamination. Rather than brushing hairs straight up — a mistake that can lead to a stiff, unnatural look — Morfin uses strategic angles throughout the brow. “We want to follow a natural flow to the eyebrow,” she explained.
Her recommended approach includes starting at 90 degrees, then transitioning to 60 degrees, and finally 45 degrees as the brow moves toward the tail. This technique gradually guides the hair toward the temples, creating a softer and more flattering shape.
4. In an increasingly alienated society, “community is the new currency,” said Leah Smith, an educator, esthetician, and founder of Consciously Living. “Connection and community is so important these days and sometimes that gets lost in any business. But we’re the front lines as estheticians or barbers or any beauty professional … and you really do hear people’s stories.”
In her class "Trend-Driven Growth: The Future of Client Connection in the Beauty Industry," Smith explained how that connection can touch both their life and yours in profound ways. “Sometimes it’s not about money … but (by pursuing connection), you’ll find that will come to you.”
5. For licensed cosmetologists wanting multi-state licenses — the wait won’t be too much longer, says Leslie Roste of the Professional Beauty Association. States included in the Cosmetology Licensure Compact (AL, AZ, CO, KS, KY, MD, OH, TN, VA, WA) could start issuing multi-state cosmetology licenses as early as this summer.
6. Social media strategist, educator, and entrepreneur Breanna “Bree” Mesquit addressed one of the biggest barriers holding beauty professionals back from showing up online: fear of judgment. Many stylists hesitate to film themselves or post content because they worry about how they’ll be perceived, she said. But according to Mesquit, discomfort is part of the process.
“Embarrassment is the price of admission! You don’t get over the fear—you just show up and do it anyway.” She compared creating content to performing a service for the first time behind the chair. At the beginning, the process feels awkward and uncertain, but repetition builds confidence.
“The confidence comes through the action,” she explained. “It comes from reps.”
7. According to award-winning stylist and educator Gilad Goldstein, dimension is crucial to a successful short haircut — and creating dimension doesn’t always rely on razors or shears. “Color almost plays as much of a part in that as the cut,” he told stylists taking his class "Short Haircutting Hacks: Tips and Tricks for Polished Results.”
“For those of us who are looking to offer them services that can make their looks even stronger, color is something you should be thinking about,” he said.
“It’s a conversation we’re often afraid to approach with our haircut guests. Being a primary haircut person, I still don’t want to set myself up for doing so many haircuts all day — it’s exhausting. So, color is one thing I started to open myself up to. It’s easier to have that conversation with the clients once we start taking dimension into play.
"When your client comes at you with a picture, don’t stop with just the haircut. You can take it deeper with the color.”
8. You can be a beauty professional anywhere in the world and still land top jobs at the pinnacle of beauty and fashion, says entrepreneur, coach, and educator Danielle Keasling. “It doesn’t matter where you live, it’s about what you do and how available you are to do it,” she told the audience at the Glam and Glow Stage.
“Every weekend that I could jump on a plane and take that direct flight from Savannah, Georgia to New York, I was here. I was putting myself in positions that I was assisting and getting into the world of fashion," she said.
“Was I rejected? Yeah, there were times. But at the end of the day you can do whatever you really want as long as you put your mindset to being vulnerable and humble, and network.
"I would say 90 percent of this industry is not necessarily what you really know, it’s who you know. Ask for help.”
9. Hair loss was a major topic explored at Be+Well NYC, where noted trichology expert Tracey Hughes reminded attendees that for most people, it's a highly sensitive issue — and that their first conversation about it is likely to be with their stylist or barber.
“Hair loss can be something exceptionally emotional for any individual to have to go through,” she said. “Where does the conversation begin? It usually begins with a hair stylist, with your client sitting in your chair.”
Because hair loss is a complex combination of biological processes and emotional impact, Hughes encouraged stylists to approach the subject with care and knowledge, starting with the basics. “Anything to do with hair loss begins with great scalp health first.”
10. There is power in prep. Lynn Levesque, an award-winning hairstylist who specializes in updos and creative looks, prioritizes prep work before beginning any style. “It’s all about how you start,” she said during her class "From Simple to Stunning: Updos That Sell."
One of her key tips: crimp the hair beforehand. Doing so creates grippable texture that makes strands easier to manipulate — especially important when working with updos as most require extensive tucking, pinning, and pulling.
Levesque also recommends using buildable hairsprays (her go-tos come from AIIR Hair Care), which allow stylists to gradually add hold without locking the hair in place too early.
Larry Stansbury, Robyn Merrett, Eileen Loh, and Stefanie Schwalb contributed to this report.