Life and Work with Sabrina Dunahay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Dunahay.

Sabrina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up, I always loved anything beauty related. I was always trying fun new makeup looks and finding new ways to color or style my hair. My last year of high school was pretty turbulent, and I decided I did not want to pursue a degree at a traditional four-year college and started touring cosmetology schools. When I found the Aveda Institute, I fell in love with their mission and have been with Aveda for the last two and a half years!

My passion lies in eco friendly and socially conscious beauty, and it fits in perfectly with their products. I graduated cosmetology school in December of 2018, started my apprentice program at Veda Salon, and went on to complete my licensure in March of 2019. I currently am a stylist, Aveda ambassador, and social media manager at Veda Salon and Spa in downtown Denver. I absolutely love the one on one interactions I get to have with people each day, and it is so fun getting to create new looks for them! I love how personal my job is and how I get to be such a big part of people’s beauty journeys. It is so important for people to feel comfortable in their own skin, and finding the right hair and makeup can do so much for people’s self-confidence.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have been very fortunate to have a family that supports me and to works with a small, very supportive group of people. However, people in the beauty industry often are not taken seriously, we are seen as not as smart, people think we don’t have to work as hard, and this often leads to people trying to barter because they don’t take the craft seriously. The advice I would give people just starting their journey is to be true to yourself and your passion! Don’t let anyone try to make you feel like you are less than just because you do hair, they should respect the craft!

Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
I do hair, nails, and makeup, but makeup was my first love! I specialize in special event hair and makeup, but I also love doing short hair cuts! I am most proud of my inclusive policy, I will never turn ahead away, even though I may not specialize in what a client is asking me to do, I feel totally comfortable with any type of hair and any type of person. I specifically specialize in queer cuts. I try to use mostly gender-neutral language in my consultations because I never want to put anyone in a box they don’t feel comfortable in. I also want all my work to be gender-affirming for my clients because haircuts and colors have to be so personalized to each individual.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
I think it was really important growing up that I had a supportive and loving space to really be myself and explore my identity through unusual hair and makeup. My parents were really awesome and let me experiment a lot through my teen years with my hair color, and I always experimented with funky makeup and clothes. It helped me to realize how important and artistic the craft is, and I also realized that not everyone feels comfortable enough to experiment with different looks.

Pricing:

• Long haircut and style – $45
• Short haircut and style – $35
• All over color and haircut – $85+
• Highlights and haircut – $115+
• Balayage and haircut – $150+

Contact Info:

• Address: 1717 Champa Street
• Website: coloradoveda.com
• Phone: 3033080524
• Email: sabrinadunahay@gmail.com
• Instagram: @sabrinadunahay

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