Hollywood Glamour In Langley – South Grand Lake’s Steel Magnolias

***This article was written by Lady Shutterbug and first appeared in the Dec 24, 2015 issue of the The Grand Laker***

“The reason I’m into her so much is because she is just a very open woman,” said Amanda. “She never cared what others thought. She was just being her. That’s pretty much identical to who I am. I live my life the way I live my life. If you don’t want to be a part of it then that’s fine. Just let me be and let me shine where I feel like I need to shine. I don’t need criticism from anyone, other than constructive criticism. I try and stay away from the negative and keep the positive going. I try to live by that all the time. I like to do what I want and how I want. Doing hair is one thing that lets me do that. I have so many clients come in and say, ‘Do whatever. You know what you are doing, so do it.’ 70% of my clients do that. On completion I usually always get a good response.”

Starting out in the beauty business Amanda had some struggles, as she learned that there are times in life when reaching one’s goal they can’t always do what they want.

When she attended Beauty College in Pryor all she wanted to center in on was coloring and cuts. Fortunately she had an instructor who made her tow the line in learning how to do shampoos, sets and perms.

Amanda told everyone in school, including her instructor, that when she graduated she was not doing shampoos, sets and perms. “Then I moved into my salon in Ketchum and that was all I did!” laughed Amanda. “I told my instructor and she laughed herself silly.”

Before purchasing the salon in Ketchum, Amanda worked at a salon in Vinita.

This is where she learned the difference of booth rental and working on a commission. “I worked there for six or seven months paying booth rent,” said Amanda. “When you work in a salon and have no clientele built up it is one hard thing, especially if you are on booth rent.”

However, working in Vinita was not all bad, as this is where she met her husband to be, John. She needed a mechanic to work on her car and it was John who came to her rescue.

“When he came to get the car I was looking terrible,” said Amanda. John was to bring the car back at the end of the day. Amanda had been thinking about him all day, realizing he was kind of cute. So she dolled herself up to look good on his return. “The bill came to $400.00,” said Amanda. John said, “How about $60.00 and some hair cuts?”  “I told him I could handle that and started cutting his hair that day and I haven’t quit.”

Amanda had her license for about a year when she purchased the beauty salon in Ketchum. She purchased everything from the seller for $1,500 and took over her clientele. “Her clientele were of an older age and all they wanted was the traditional old shampoo, sets and perms,” laughs Amanda. “That’s all I did for the first year-and-a-half! It kept me going as I built up new clientele.”

Amanda also returned to Pryor Beauty College to acquire her teaching license.

She jumps at the chance to gain more knowledge. She attends beauty shows, learning different and new hair style techniques and has gotten an education on facials.

“I always try to add something new within six months to a year and maybe get rid of something that’s not all that great,” said Amanda. “You almost have to, because everything changes so much it’s not even funny. One minute everybody is loving a certain thing and then that’s not even in anymore. Short hair is in. Long hair is out. That’s how quick it can change. It’s exactly like the electronic business. Right when they get one thing out they get another one in and the one, whatever you just purchased, is already old.

“We do manicures, pedicures, shellac, acrylics and also facials. I just took a class with Nova Lash and really enjoyed it. It takes me forever right now to do them. I’ve got to get my timing better, but I’m really liking the way they are turning out and have had some very pleased clients.

“My business has bloomed since I moved to Langley,” said Amanda. “My first year here I doubled what I was making in Ketchum. The clients I have are awesome. It’s a whole different clientele and the people I had in Ketchum come over here. I still have people that I did coloring and cuts on when I was in Beauty College who drive from Pryor, Wichita, from all over. I just keep adding to my family. That’s kind of how I feel about my clients, that they are my family.

“I’m living “Steel Magnolias”. I loved that show. They all sat around, visited, and I loved it. I always said that I wanted to do that one of these days and now I’m doing it. There is not ever a day that I feel like I’m going to work. I have fun with all my clients. I don’t ever feel like I have anybody in here that I can’t relate to like family. My clients are my family. After all, I spend more time here than I do at home, but that’s how it goes when you own a business. I’m always welcoming new clients and that makes it even more fun. It’s something different everyday.” Amanda also caters to her clients work schedules, which results in some very long days.

After Amanda’s experience with booth renting she gives the people who work in her shop the opportunity to work on commission, as they build their clientele, or to booth rent. “That way I can help them out and get them started, even if it is somebody coming straight out of school,” said Amanda.

“Megan, who works here, came straight out of school. She was one of my students in Pryor and said she wanted to learn more from me. They don’t necessarily cover everything in a beauty college. Mainly just the basics. I loved teaching there. That’s another one of my biggest passions is teaching. I love to teach hair. It is something I enjoy doing, so it is really easy to teach. I taught when I was working in Ketchum, but since my move to Langley I just don’t have the time to return to the beauty college and teach.”

Megan Hansen loves working at Hollywood Glamour Salon. She has worked there for about six months and loves doing nails. When it comes to doing acrylics, Megan really shines.

Jenni Hendrick, who got her Beautician License from Broken Arrow’s Beauty College, has been working at Hollywood Glamour Salon for close to two years. She can do everything Amanda and Megan can, except for acrylics, but she really enjoys doing haircuts, especially short haircuts. She also likes doing the shellac. “I don’t really not like doing everything,” laughed Hendrick. “My favorite thing is interacting with the clients and getting to know them.”

Amanda recently purchased a new Barber chair, making it easier to do straight razor shaves and cuts. She believes she gets most of her creativity from her grandmother, Sue Wright, who has Sewing by Sue, outside of Ketchum. “She can take nothing and make it into something,” said Amanda. “She reminds me at times how I use to go in and sit and sew and tell her how one day I was going to design clothes and do hair and makeup. I think she really helped me do all the things I can do. She has always been encouraging.”

Going on her sixth year as a beautician, Amanda, with her free spirit, is living “Steel Magnolias”, where lives came together in Truvy’s Beauty Parlor. “Truvy, from Steel Magnolias, “I don’t like her. I don’t trust anyone who does their own hair. I don’t think it’s natural.” Who knows, with Amanda’s sewing skills she may one day fulfil all her dream of being a fashion designer, doing hair, makeup and sewing outfits for the elite.

Hollywood Glamour is located at 959 N. 3rd Street in Langley, just North of NAPA on Highway 82.

You can call (918) 244-6526 for your appointment at Langley’s own Steel Magnolias and be sure to Like Hollywood Glamour on Facebook for all the latest.

From left, Jenni Hendrick, Owner of Hollywood Glamour Salon Amanda Chambon, and Megan Hansen invite you to come in and experience some of the past and discover the latest.