Beauty Supply for Stylists and Braiders

Beauty Supply for Stylists, Braiders and Barbers

Working stylists buy differently from walk-in customers: more of fewer things, in bigger sizes, on a schedule set by appointments rather than by whim. All four Kelly Beauty stores are stocked with that in mind, and everything is on kellybeautyonline.com if a delivery to the salon is easier than a drive.

Buying hair in quantity

Braiding hair is the clearest case. A full head takes several packs, and the colors that book out are usually the standard codes plus two or three brights. Buying a run of your most-used colors at once means you aren't matching wrappers at nine o'clock the night before an install. The same applies to bundles and closures if you install weaves regularly: texture and length consistency is easier when the packs come from one purchase.

Color, chemicals and the back bar

Hair color, developer, bleach, relaxers, shampoos and conditioners are stocked in the sizes a back bar goes through rather than single-use bottles. If you're building a service menu around a particular line, it's worth checking availability before you commit, and worth timing a restock to the monthly sale flyer, since those prices apply to online orders too.

Tools that survive a full book

Shears, clippers, trimmers, blades, dryers, flat irons, curling irons, pressing combs and rods all get harder use in a chair than at home. Replacement blades and spare guards are the difference between a bad afternoon and a normal one. Buy the machine you can re-blade easily rather than the one with the longest feature list.