Meet the Stylists

Susie

Entrepreneur, community organizer, friend, dancer, mother and animal lover, Susie is all of these and more. Susie was born into a family of artists in New York and moved to California at age 3 and made Huntington Beach home in her twenties.

She started out doing nails in 1988 but it wasn't long before she fell in love with hair extensions. She has baby fine hair herself and starting wearing hair extensions before she ventured out into making it her primary business in 1997. She is certified in 11 different methods of extensions, assuring each client the method that works the best for their hair type. Susie has worked on numerous celebrities, rock stars, actresses and models and is equally at home in her salons or in an unpredictable place such as backstage at concert venues, on tour buses.

To see her full resume and celebrity client list please visit the hair extension page. She offers complimentary consultations for hair extensions and maintains a regular clientele in this location. If you have had a bad hair extensions experience she can assure you safety is always first when choosing the correct hair extension method for each client. By offering 11 methods of hair extensions and toppers there is a solution and a price range for everyone.

In 2011, Susie starting a second business, Hollywood Hair Extensions. This evolved from hair stylists offering to be her assistant and work for free just to learn what she knew about hair extensions. Susie found there was a need to offer thorough education in the hair extension section of the industry. Most hair extension companies are mainly concerned with selling hair and don't put a huge emphasis on training. Thus, Hollywood Hair Extensions was formed with education for licensed cosmetologists being the main focus.

JC/James

From the time he was a child, JC excelled at any creative activity he dived into. At 16 he embraced the artistic legacy passed on to him and joined the family business, but his main reason wasn't what you'd expect. He decided to become a hair stylist because he knew he would meet a lot of girls!

JC graduated from cosmetology school at age 17 and obtained his license a few months later. He entered the assisting program at Salon Crew where he worked closely with educators for the "Toni & Guy" chain of salons. There, he mastered an intensive program of cutting and coloring classes before achieving the level of skill necessary to be a part of the family salon here at Makin Waves.

Fashion has garnered him modeling jobs, so he is comfortable in front of the camera as well as behind. His clientele includes CEO's of major corporations, athletes, celebrities and local residents. JC has also had the experience of working in the fast-paced world of live fashion shows and major entertainment events. He was a stylist at Kandlyand at the Playboy Mansion in both 2011 & 2012.

Precision hair cutting, hair color, smoothing treatments & straighteners are his specialties. He is committed to excellence so that each client is completely satisfied when they leave the salon. JC has developed a men's hair care line "Gentleman's Gold". He found his male clients were always asking for a product he could never quite find so he created his own.

When he's not at the salon, JC plays hockey and golf. He also has a passion for anything automotive, so in his spare time he watches Formula 1 races. Travel is a huge passion as well and so far JC has visited Mexico, Egypt, Japan, Jordan, Bali and Thailand.

Christal

The only child of a high fashion model, Christal was enthralled by the beauty and fashion industry from a very young age. Her exposure to elite stylists and industry experts, who saw promise in her, propelled her to begin apprenticing and studying at James Albert Academy by age 16. She earned her Cosmetology license along with her high school diploma in the same month from Newport Harbor High School.

Licensed in 1999, her career began to really take shape as she accompanied James Albert to Vidal Sassoon in London to meet his teachers and contemporaries. During this trip, Christal's passion for fashion really caught fire. From local hair shows to her 2002 trip to the Dominican Republic with Davines for the World Wide Hair Tour, she's been on a vigilant path of honing her skills. "I feel that becoming a Davines color specialist was a key puzzle piece", says Christal.

Through the years she fine tuned her skills in wedding hair and makeup. She also specialized in men's grooming, working at all men's spa/salons in the past. She is a well rounded stylist and loves to do all hair services, whether it be women's and men's hair cutting and color, wedding styling or total makeovers. Christal is comfortable to be around and strives to make her client look and feel their best!

Dee Dee

Melissa