Sitting in a talented artist’s chair can leave you feeling transformed. Maybe you know the feeling? It’s about technical excellence, yes. But it runs much deeper than that. A great hair stylist also brings a deep sense of empathy to client conversations; interactions that have the power to uplift our spirits.
Damianna exemplifies this infinite capacity for care. A new studio artist at our St. Paul salon, she gives every client a customized, high-end haircut at an affordable price—all delivered with a passion for client well-being that sometimes surprises first-time guests. The simple truth is: You can get a luxury salon experience on a budget.
We invite you to get to know Damianna—from what fuels her passion for hair to the hair care tips that help you look your best.
So, tell us: What do you love most about your job?
I’m an extrovert, so I just love meeting a new person every hour. It’s genuinely my favorite thing. Each hour, I feel like I’m meeting a new best friend. We have amazing conversations, and I learn so much about them. I get really invested and want them to come back and keep me updated.
I also love that JUUT attracts so many different types of people. I have doctors and farmers and clothing designers sitting in my chair, so I learn a lot of things, which is very fun. It keeps me very mentally versatile.
A lot of people are experiencing mental fatigue right now. How do you help support clients who are feeling down and overwhelmed?
When people come in and they’re going through some things, I really try to think about the fact that my job is physical touch—and a lot of people need that and aren’t getting it. So it’s very important that I’m kind and mindful in how I approach that, especially around this time of year. I really try to put a lot of effort into the massage, taking my time so they feel connected and safe before we begin with the rest of the haircut.
And when people do need to let things out, like in a therapy session, I’m comfortable with that. I like to be there for people and hold space for them. Even if I know I can’t necessarily do anything to help their situation, I know I can make them feel better in that moment by being attentive and listening.
What exactly was it that drew you to JUUT’s new artist training program?
For many years, I worked behind the scenes at a salon and I did front desk work. I knew a lot of hair stylists, and all of them told me that there was no better training; they were going to teach me all these important foundational skills.
Once I graduated from the Aveda Institute, I realized I wanted more training to feel fully comfortable doing somebody’s hair.
What do you love most about the St. Paul team and space?
Everybody in St. Paul is extremely unique—different personality types, different styles. I just love looking around and seeing how we’re all very different, but we still come together. On my first day, they were just so supportive and kind. Everybody’s very calm and we create the most inviting energy. And being in St. Paul, I love the architecture; it’s cozy, comfortable, and I feel very elegant in the space.
Every day, I feel very warm and uplifted.
What is it about haircuts, specifically, that attracted you to this speciality?
I wanted to go into styling versus color because I felt like I could visualize haircuts on the head, in my head. The way you map out a haircut just clicked in my brain; I love going through the process of making a haircut fit on every head shape. It’s satisfying and also very fun. I feel like you can really change somebody’s face shape or draw attention to features on their face, depending on how the hair is styled. That’s what really drew me into it.
What hair types and cuts do you enjoy most, and why?
I do love all hair types; that’s a very hard question. I will say I get super excited for more unique cuts. I love shags. I love curly cuts. I love big transformations. Those types of things are super fun to be involved in. But I do love my girls and guys that come in every four weeks and get that nice and tight, super clean look.
It’s fun doing everything, but I do lean more towards lots of layers, the shags, the cuts with lots of movement. I like to play around with that a lot.
How do clients feel when they leave your chair, and how does that affect you in your role as a Daymaker?
I hope all my clients feel very cute!
When they leave my chair, I feel very happy because I know that I put a lot of effort into what I just did. I love the instant gratification of doing a haircut because I can tell it looks good and they feel good. So when they leave, I’m always very happy, and I really hope they come back because I want to get those updates—to see how their cut grew out and what we can do even better the next time.
What hair maintenance tips would you give people who want beautiful, healthy hair—but may be operating on a budget?
First, I would say a good haircut is going to last you a long time. If you get a haircut that’s just okay, you’re going to need another one a lot sooner. But a haircut that matches your needs with the correct layers and correct framing for your face is going to last longer, which saves you money in the long run.
As for products, I would say getting one or two really good products that you can use every day is better than having 10 random ones. Simplifying helps. Hone in on what you really need, like a leave-in conditioner and a styling product, instead of getting a ton of little products and trying to piece it all together.
Speaking of styling products, what are your favorite Aveda products, and why?
My favorites are the Aveda volumizing tonic, light element smoothing fluid, and texture tonic. My favorite leave-in is our botanical repair styling cream. But for any type of blowout or hold, I’m always going to use Invati. It’s the best for those big bouncy blowouts that are so in right now; I love recommending that to people, too.
What’s the hair styling tool you can’t live without that your clients might want to consider purchasing for themselves?
I’m actually one of those people who hates styling my own hair. I’m very low maintenance. I just make sure I do a good round brush blow dry when I wash my hair and it lasts me a lot longer. So a good, big round brush is what I’d recommend because the process goes faster. It’s also a lot easier for you to do. You’re not trying to be in the back of your head and figuring it all out; the big round brush is super helpful there.
I also love the overnight heatless curls. I’ve been using the Kitsch brand curlers; they’re super easy to learn and you just sleep in them so they do all the hard work for you overnight.
What brings you joy outside of work?
I love just being a friend.
I love being involved in people’s lives—getting to know them and experiencing the good and bad things with them. It’s just a different type of relationship, being a friend with somebody and getting to help them through everything.
That brings me a lot of joy.
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