Life & Work with Erica Cervantes of Huntington Beach, CA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Cervantes.

Hi Erica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I never planned to do hair, funny enough. I was so obsessed with horror films and special effects make up that I thought going to get licensed would just help me land a job in sfx makeup. I eneded up loving the creativity of doing hair so much that I never wanted to stop. Which looking back now makes so much sense why I always was finding a way to join my mom to her hair appointments, always offering to sweep hair or cut foil at our family friend’s salon.

By my senior year of high school, I was so set on this path that I switched to online classes, allowing me to graduate early and enroll in cosmetology school at a community college an hour from home. I took my state board exam on my 21st birthday,my friend drove up with me for support, and after I passed, we went to BJ’s to celebrate. I ordered my first drink and toasted to my new career. It’s still one of my most memorable birthdays.

I spent the next three years assisting before stepping behind the chair myself. I worked at a few salons in Carlsbad, assisting salon owners and soaking up everything I could. Between daily floor experience and weekly training, I built a foundation that would shape the rest of my career.

In 2018, I moved to Orange County and worked a variety of salon jobs before finally finding a place that felt like home,Neihule Salon in downtown Los Angeles. Those years were a highlight of my career. The owners, Atuzo and Yvonne, were incredibly kind and truly invested in their stylists’ growth. During my time there, I had the opportunity to work events like the Grammys and Oscars, styling hair and makeup for industry professionals. We hosted pop-up events, collaborated with educators, and built a community that was full of creativity and passion.

When COVID hit, the salon had to close its doors. The owners shifted focus to opening a cosmetology school and even offered me a teaching position. At the time, I wasn’t quite ready to take that step but the idea of education stuck with me.

After the pandemic, I returned to Orange County and joined Studio Fifty Fifty in Huntington Beach, a stunning salon where the owner encouraged me to take the leap into becoming an independent stylist. Five years later, I’m still there, constantly learning and surrounded by a supportive community of talented artists.

More recently, I joined a second salon,House of Lange in Irvine, which gave me the team-based environment I’d been missing. The vibe reminds me of my LA days: creative, dynamic, and full of energy. I love the diversity of clients between both salons; it keeps me inspired and busy.

These days, I find myself not only eager to learn but ready to share what I’ve learned. Education feels like the natural next step in my journey, and I’m excited to help other stylists discover the same passion that changed my life.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was definitely not an easy road. I went to school at night and worked full days, often rushing home just long enough to prepare for class before hitting the road to beat traffic. There were plenty of evenings when I’d end up sleeping in my car before class just to make it through the week. I honestly don’t know how I survived on three or four hours of sleep a night. There were moments in cosmetology school when I wanted to quit altogether but my classmates and friends always found a way to lift me up and keep me going.

Once I graduated, finding a salon truly invested in helping me grow was another challenge entirely. The first stylist I assisted didn’t really teach me much. I was more of a shampoo girl, managing inventory and cleaning up. The money was good, but it wasn’t what I’d worked so hard for. Another salon I worked at was a bit better in terms of hands-on experience, but the dynamic with the owner was off—the mutual respect just wasn’t there. I could probably write an exposé on toxic salon culture, but I’ll spare the details.

Right before I first moved to Orange County, I went through a deeply traumatic loss someone I cared for dearly passed away, and it completely broke me. For a while, I didn’t have the heart to keep doing hair. I was ready to walk away from it all. Then one morning, I woke up with this sudden fire inside me, this voice that said, “What are you doing, Erica? You’ve worked too hard for this. Don’t stop now.”
That moment changed everything. It became the catalyst that reignited my passion and reminded me why I started in the first place to create, to connect, and to keep pushing forward no matter what life throws my way.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a hair color and blonding specialist, but after bouncing around Southern California for much of my career, I’ve realized I don’t fit neatly into just one category. I find the most joy in color corrections and vivid transformations thoug. There’s something about tackling a challenge and putting my color theory knowledge to the test that absolutely excites me.

Lately, I’ve developed a deep love for hair extensions and have been fully immersing myself in learning everything I can from wefts and hand-tied methods to K-tips and the art of creating seamless, natural looks.

During my time in Los Angeles, I also worked with wigs and loved collaborating with local artists on editorial style shoots. Those projects opened the door to festival braiding, where I had the pleasure of styling friends for their performances each look bold, creative, and full of energy.

Anything big, bold, and transformative, I’m all about it.

Some of the projects I’m most proud of are the collaborations I’ve done with friends and local creatives. Working alongside other artists has always been the most rewarding part of what I do. Hair is such a beautiful and complex art form; it tells a story. Every time I have the opportunity to help someone tell theirs, I feel deeply grateful.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I truly wouldn’t be where I am today if my mom hadn’t dropped that college administration pamphlet in my lap one day and said, “Hey, look they have a cosmetology program.” She has always been my biggest cheerleader, the one reminding me to follow my heart and do what I love. I knew that whatever path I chose, as long as I gave it my whole heart, she would always have my back.

I also have to give a special shoutout to my little brother, who so patiently let me practice haircuts on him and inevitably ended up with a shaved head more than once when things didn’t go quite as planned.

To my cosmetology sisters, thank you for lifting me up when I was exhausted, for crying with me through every state board prep, and for turning one of the hardest parts of my journey into such a sweet memory.

To the salon owners who created spaces that became my second homes, thank you for nurturing me as a baby stylist, for your patience, and for building environments where I could grow and learn as an artist. Those experiences are ones I continue to look back on with deep gratitude.

To my friends, thank you for always hyping me up and letting me use your heads as my creative canvases. Your trust in my vision and your constant referrals have been instrumental in shaping the stylist I am today.

And to my boyfriend,Sean thank you for holding down the house, taking care of our dog when I’m working late, and always cheering me on as I chase these crazy goals of mine. Your support means everything.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manewaytodye/

Image Credits
Pink Model – Corey Potter / Photographer : Lizzie Rose Media