Ernest Rodrigue
April 16, 2007
Antoinette Rodrigue
April 18, 2007
In search of a new, exciting hairstyle for the spring? Then take a trip to Mistikal Mirrors Salon, 701 B West 3rd St. in Thibodaux and sit down and let Melissa Clement customize a look that fits.
Clement, a hairstylist and color specialist, has always wanted to be a hairdresser. Her dream was nurtured as a seven-year-old child watching her mother get her hair “all gussied up” at Sheila’s Beauty Salon in Chackbay. Sheila’s has since closed.
Clement said she told her mother every time they would leave the salon, “That’s what I am going to be one day.”
After high school, the young Clement tried vocational school but didn’t feel that computer science was the right fit for her. “I wanted to be a hairdresser, so that I could be free-willed and let my spirit soar. I didn’t want to be confined behind a desk in a stuffy office all day,” she said.
Being a hairstylist is what made her happy, so Clement took the steps she needed to realize her goal. After graduating from Larry’s Academy of Hairstyling in Houma nearly 16 years ago, the stylist was off to live her dream.
After working at several salons in the Lafourche-Terrebonne area, Clement opened her own business n Mistikal Mirrors n on Feb. 14, 2005, in historic downtown Thibodaux. Clement said she thought of the unique name years ago and it stuck with her.
At Mistikal Mirrors, styles fit the customer’s request. “It’s a place where appointments are taken and ‘walk-ins’ are welcome n of all ethnic backgrounds, she said.
Permanent waves, relaxers, highlights and haircuts, as well as spa services such as facial waxing, pedicures and manicures are provided. Mistikal’s staff is also available for weddings and other group events; appointments for large groups are suggested.
Including Clement, there are six stylists at Mistikal Mirrors. All of the staff is trained in providing different types of coloring and styles, the owner said.
And three of the stylists are also manicure and pedicure specialists.
“With the younger girls, I am always willing to teach them new things. If they want to know how to do it, I will teach them. I think its cool working with the younger girls because the job is hands-on for them,” Clement said.
The veteran stylist also prides herself on mixing her own colors, which she uses to create specialized highlighting and coloring looks.
“It could be five or six colors being put together to make one final color for highlights or hair coloring,” she said. “The colors are so unique that you won’t be able to match it to any color in the stores. I know it’s a gamble to mix colors, but they all turn out wonderful.”
Clement works with products made by Paul Brown, a Hawaii-based company, as well as Joico, which are created in California. Both companies are internationally known for excellence and are made from natural substances that won’t damage hair, she said.
Paul Brown’s line is made from plant extracts common in Hawaii. Joico’s, on the other hand, are made from human hair keratin, Clement explained.
As with any profession, Clement said the stylists are continually seeking ways to advance their skills and keep up with the latest trends. The staff attends hair shows and training sessions on a quarterly basis. “We go to hair shows and have in-house training because my girls want to learn. I am willing to provide them with all the knowledge they need. I look at them and see myself 10 years ago,” she said.
After spending countless hours at her salon, Clements said she lives, breathes and eat cosmetology. Because of the immense love for her work, the stylist said she often has to remind herself she has a life away from the salon.
And like her mother, Clement’s three-year-old daughter Mazzy has shown an interest in cosmetology.
“My daughter will sit for hours watching the cable network show QVC, if they are doing make-up and hair,” Clement said. A knack for style is in her genes, the salon owner said. The child also enjoys playing with make-up, fingernail polish and styling her dolls’ hair. She’s even taken to putting decorative bows in the family poodle’s locks.
But like most children her age, Mazzy doesn’t fancy having her own hair styled n unless she’s playing “beauty shop” with her mom.
Mistikal Mirrors Salon
Owner: Melissa Clement
Address: 701 B West 3rd Street, Thibodaux
Phone: (985) 447-8415
Employees: 6
Service: Hairstyles and spa services for all ethnic backgrounds and genders
Salon Hours: Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m.-until
Staff photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN • Tri-Parish Times * Melissa Clement, owner of Mistikal Mirrors Salon in Thibodaux, styles Donna Delaney’s hair. The six-stylist shop specializes in cutting and styling men and women’s hair n no matter the ethnic background, Clement said.
