Building a Beauty Business: From Salon Floors to Entrepreneurial Success with Christina Montesano Evans

Maren Crowley [00:00:00]: Today on the If You Know, You Know podcast, I’m incredibly excited to welcome someone who brings two decades of beauty, brilliance, and behind the scenes magic to the mic. She’s a seasoned pro in the hair and makeup industry with over twenty years of experience making people look and feel their absolute best, and that includes myself. She’s worked with everyone from everyday clients to big name brands, and has even worked New York Fashion Week. She’s always bringing her signature mix of artistry, professionalism, and of course, heart. Beyond the glam, she’s the storyteller, you’re gonna laugh your butt off, one of my dearest friends, we’ve known one another since we were 12, and someone who’s seen this industry evolve from the inside out. Please welcome my friend, the talented Christina Montesano Evans. Alright. So today, you have a very special guest on the podcast.

Maren Crowley [00:00:51]: It’s going to seem like we are thick as thieves and have known one another forever, and that’s because, well, we have. So welcome, Christina to the podcast. First of all, this is the first time I’ve ever done an in person podcast. So that’s pretty cool.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:01:08]: I’m honored. I’m honored to be the first.

Maren Crowley [00:01:12]: So we have so many things to talk about today. We’re gonna talk about business, we’re gonna talk about hair and makeup, which if you know, you know, is not my cup of tea usually, which is why I always have to outsource

Christina to help me with said things, for engagements or photoshoots or anything like that. She’s my go to gal. But one of the things I really want to start with is, like like, give the listeners a background on how you got started in the beauty industry and then kinda, you know, spoiler alert, how you’ve grown as an entrepreneur from that space.

So when did you get started with all this? So I started working in a salon when I

Christina Montesano Evans [00:01:58]: was, like, 15 years old. I started shampooing hair and sweeping floors, and it was my first job. God. We’re going back. I wanna say, like, 02/2002. And then I went to beauty school when I graduated high school and worked in a salon during the day and then went to beauty school at night. And fast forward to 2025, and this is still what I do. So it’s been a really great career.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:02:32]: I’ve worn a lot of hats in it. Yeah. I mean, I’ve lived in three different states. I’ve always had a job. It’s been really good to me, this industry. So I definitely think I made the right choice career wise.

Maren Crowley [00:02:46]: Well, one of the things that you mentioned well, two things you mentioned. One that I want everyone to kinda take into account is, like, she was talking about how, like, she had to wash hair. She had to sweep floors.

Like, you know, it’s so easy to say to someone, oh, must be nice. Right? Like, must be nice to, you know, get that hourly wage. Must be nice to be your own boss, whatever. But at the end of the day, like, you have to be in the the thick of it, and you have to be doing the grunt work.

Like, you know, in the golf industry, you know, I know I get the boys that I work with, they bust my chops all the time.

Maren Crowley [00:03:20]: Like, oh, must be nice to leave at 03:00 or whatever. Must be nice to have the summer off. And it’s like, yeah, but I worked really hard to get to where I am in my profession. Like, you know, I used to fold shirts, I used to, you know, count inventory. I used to be, you know, closing the shop every day.

So I think that that’s really important that, like, nothing in life comes easy. But the other thing you mentioned about and I know just because I know you, like, on a, obviously, a very personal level. Like, you said that you went to beauty school when when after you graduated, and it’s like I think it’s becoming more acceptable now, but I know, like, when we graduated, there was, like, a stigma.

Maren Crowley [00:04:02]: Right? You know? 100%. Like, whether you were going to beauty school versus a a four year, you know, liberal arts school or if you were in a trade any kind of trade school, you know, versus now, but, like, you made a comment that you’ve always

Christina Montesano Evans [00:04:16]: had a job. Yeah. %. I remember, wanting, as you know, because we went to school together, bestie. Junior and senior year, New York State offered a program called BOCES where you could go to a trade school during high school. So you could do your morning classes, and then in the afternoon, you could do a trade and cosmetology was one of them. And when my parents and I sat down with our guidance counselor, I won’t mention any names, he looked my parents and I dead in the face and said, like, she’s not doing that. She’s too smart.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:04:55]: She should go to college. And my parents were kind of, like, taken back by that, and I ended up going to community college for two years after high school. And my second year was basically a joke because I never went. And I told my parents, like, I wanna go to beauty school. Like, this is what I wanna do. And that’s when I worked full time, and I went to school from six to ten PM at night. And I did it for two years, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. And what pissed me off was that my guidance counselor who was supposed to be, like, guiding me to really, like, what I wanna do for the rest of my life immediately shut down something like a trade because he felt that I was too smart and not like I think I’m an idiot, but it just not everyone is made for college.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:05:52]: It’s For sure. Think if you keep pushing kids to go to college when they truly want to do something like a trade, like, what are you gonna do when there’s no trades left? Like Right. You still need mechanics. You still need plumbers. You still need hairdressers. Like, these are blue collar things that kind of are, like, the backbone of our

Maren Crowley [00:06:14]: A %.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:06:15]: Country. You know? What are you gonna do without those people?

Maren Crowley [00:06:18]: Right. And there’s people, right, like, the upper echelon, if you will, that outsource those services. Right? Like, they’re not they’re not getting their hands dirty. They’re not Let

Christina Montesano Evans [00:06:30]: me look at my clientele. I have weekly clients who don’t wanna blow dry their own hair, and they call me. Right? And they pay me very well-to-do an hour of work. Right.

Maren Crowley [00:06:43]: Like, hello? Yeah. Because everyone’s priorities are different. Right? Like, for them, they that’s just what they wanna do or whatever it is, your talent, your skill, like and I’ve always talked about this, like, even when when you have your own business and you’re outsourcing, say, a virtual assistant or something like that, like, you wanna find someone it’s not that those women can’t blow dry their hair. They can, but they know that, a, you could do it better and faster. Right. Right? But, b, like, if they can afford that luxury, why not? And there are some of these women who

Christina Montesano Evans [00:07:18]: are truly just they are also themselves are businesswomen. They are, you know, managing companies and Right. They truly just don’t have the time and they can’t be bothered with it. So, you know, they’re literally paying for a convenience. You know? Like, hey. Can you come and blow out my hair for the week? I have a week’s worth of meetings. Yeah. Sure.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:07:38]: Yeah. No problem. Like, I’m in in and out in an hour. They’re happy, and it’s one less thing that they have to worry about. Right. Exactly. Like, I know. And they don’t have to go anywhere because I travel to my clients.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:07:49]: So that’s even huge. Like, they don’t have to make appointments. They don’t have to sit in traffic. They don’t have to do any of that.

Maren Crowley [00:07:54]: Right. And time is money. So they can even while you’re doing their service

Christina Montesano Evans [00:07:58]: Yeah.

Maren Crowley [00:07:58]: They’re on their laptops. Yeah. Exactly. And, you know, I I really wanna, like, hammer home that point because, you know, I’ve I’ve been putting money away for the girls for their, quote, unquote, college, because in Florida, they have something called Florida Prepaid where you can get locked into whatever the going rate is right now for, like, room and board tuition, and then when it’s time for them to go, like, in fifteen, you know, years or so, if they choose to go. And and I’m the first to tell you that, like, my since becoming an entrepreneur and, entrepreneur and, like, doing my own thing, like, my perspective has totally shifted because I look at stories like yours. I look at my husband. My husband, he, you know, went for two years to get an associate’s, like, decided it’s not his thing, went into the golf industry, and now is a head professional at literally the most sought after golf course in the country. So it’s like, you know, you don’t have to go that route and think about how many people you know that have, you know, multiple degrees are in debt up to their eyeballs, and really don’t have a lot to show for it.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:09:08]: But like They’re still waiting tables. They’re still like Yeah. Doing the same things just to get themselves out of debt, which is wild to me.

Maren Crowley [00:09:16]: Exactly. So like with Florida Prepaid, that money can go to if they choose to go to a four year school, if they choose to go to a trade school, or that because that money is yours, essentially, it’s it’s a way for you to make sure that you’re saving money for your children, you can pull that money out and say they wanted to start their own business. Like, that can go to a deposit to whatever they may need to start their entrepreneurial journey. And one of the other things that you mentioned is about how you’ve always had a job. So go back to, like, say, COVID times. Right? Like, where other people were, you know, stuck at home, maybe they lost their job. Right? Whatever it may be, what was your experience during COVID? Like, what what were you doing?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:10:07]: So COVID was a very weird time. As you know, my mom was not in the best of health, so COVID kind of, like, shook us up a little bit. But I chose to not work and stay, and, obviously, we couldn’t legally work, but there were plenty of people messaging me saying, like, hey. Can you come over and do my color or you know? And I just I didn’t wanna be exposed to anything that could potentially harm my mom because she was so immunocompromised. But, I mean, there were plenty of people who were still doing hair, you know? Like, people are vain. Like, you know, it doesn’t matter. Like, people want to look good. They wanna feel good.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:10:59]: And COVID definitely showed that, you know, that I mean, I know from what I’ve heard that that there were salons that were still kind of operating like Yeah. Nancy Pelosi. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Nancy was still getting her hair did. So, yeah, I mean, I I know, like, for me, COVID, I was just very much like, yeah. I’m not gonna do any of that, but, you know, there were people who were still hustling and still doing it.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:11:27]: So Yeah.

Maren Crowley [00:11:28]: And then when the world opened back up, so to speak, you know, and people are going on job interviews, showing you know, going back out to dinner, like, they’re they wanna look nice.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:11:40]: Yeah. I think a lot of people came out of COVID, either it went one way or the other. They were either like, I’m letting my hair just grow out, and I’m just gonna do the natural, embrace the gray because they at that point, they hadn’t done it. And then there were people who were like, oh my god. I need my hair done. So it there was no, like, in between. It was either people were kinda getting away from using color and just kinda trimming off their ends and just kinda vibing with the au naturel look, and then there were people who were like, no. I need this.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:12:16]: I need it done now ASAP Rocky.

Maren Crowley [00:12:19]: And that’s why I think it’s so important to go into any job where especially now, like, I’ve gotten to this discussion with some random people online that I just probably shouldn’t engage with, but I do anyway. The trolls. Yeah. Where they’re, like, AI AI is taking over everything, and it’s like, well, I do believe there are certain aspects that we need to be cautious of when it comes to AI. I actually just taught my husband about chat GBT the other night, and he was, like, mind blown by it. And I was pretty proud of him that he wrote some of these nice, like, anniversary and Christmas cards without it. Now he’ll probably utilize

Christina Montesano Evans [00:12:59]: it in

Maren Crowley [00:12:59]: the future, but, like, he’s he’s he wrote one, like, at Christmas. I was like, does he use Chai GPT for this?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:13:05]: It’s gonna be you two and the robot celebrating your anniversary.

Maren Crowley [00:13:09]: But it’s so important to get into a career that you can’t be replaced. Like, at the end of the day, like, I find it very hard to believe that a robot is going to be cutting hair, coloring hair, and, like,

Christina Montesano Evans [00:13:22]: doing First of all, that is, like, such a frightening concept. Like and anything could go wrong at any given minute. So, like, we’re not gonna do that. Let’s try to keep it hands on with human beings. The biggest thing with AI that I think is affecting the beauty industry right now is all of these, like, inspiration photos. Like, people do not know the difference between what is an AI generated photo

Maren Crowley [00:13:47]: Yeah.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:13:47]: And what is an actual human being. And that’s been the biggest hurdle that I know I’ve had to overcome, especially now that I’m solely in, like, the bridal industry. I’ve had to explain to people, like, so this you know, this is not a real human. Like, she doesn’t have pores. She doesn’t have a dark circle. She doesn’t have acne. Right. Like, her cheeks are full in the right places.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:14:14]: She has gorgeous a gorgeous lip shape. Like, this is not a real person. And the argument that I get met with is like, yeah. But I just like how it looks. But, like, you like how it looks because she’s a beautiful Right. AI generated image. Like Right. That There’s no imperfections.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:14:32]: Correct. Like, oh, I like how her skin looks. Yeah. Me too. I like how it looks too because she’s not real. Like, she doesn’t have a wrinkle on her. Yeah. She looks great, babe.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:14:43]: But It’s true. You know, and it’s like something now. It’s like another thing that I think beauty professionals have to educate their clients on. Like, even when it comes to hair color or haircuts, like, they’re like, oh, I like the way her bang sits there. I’m like, yeah. Because it’s like a painting. Like, her bang is sitting like that because it’s it it was created to do that. Like Right.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:15:06]: You have three strands of hair on your head. I can’t give you that bang. Like, it’s not gonna work. Like, just find that happen. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Just find me something that we could work with together.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:15:17]: Yeah. I’d be happy to do it. But

Maren Crowley [00:15:19]: I think that’s interesting. Yeah. Because it’s it’s so funny how the AI has has taken over social media. Like, my dad I think the boomer generation really like

Christina Montesano Evans [00:15:29]: Oh, yeah. They’re able to get their world rocks.

Maren Crowley [00:15:31]: They’re they’re not they’re not really quite grasping that concept because he’ll send me something of whatever. Like, look at this shark that was, like, doing this, this, and I’m like, that that’s not real. I’m like, that’s not real. It’s just not but, you know, to your point, like, about what they’re doing with these AI models is I know a lot of photographers are using they’re cutting out the middleman. They’re not hiring models anymore.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:15:58]: Oh, god. That’s right. Because

Maren Crowley [00:16:00]: They don’t wanna deal with the back and forth or, like, maybe a model’s

Christina Montesano Evans [00:16:03]: Or paying them probably. Right.

Maren Crowley [00:16:04]: They don’t wanna pay them. They don’t want to, maybe someone’s like a diva, like, whatever. They they just don’t wanna deal with it. So they’re creating these AI models

Christina Montesano Evans [00:16:15]: Oh, god.

Maren Crowley [00:16:15]: Online Oh my god. And to to use them in campaigns and stuff like that. And then that’s who you’re trying to battle because Sally Sue sees this influencer Yeah. Thinks that she looks great in whatever it is and then brings that image to you, and you’re like, yeah. But that’s not a real person.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:16:35]: It’s like we worked so hard back in, like, I wanna say, like, the early to mid two thousands when there was, like, that big uproar where people were getting mad at beauty campaigns like Maybelline and L’Oreal. And, well, they’re photoshopping everything. We want we wanna see real people. We wanna so they, like, got rid of that. Right? And then it was you know, you see Beyonce on this ad, and they made sure to put, like, this image was unedited. Like so you got, like, a realistic expectation. Like, we fought so hard for that. Consumers, clients fought so hard for that.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:17:15]: And now not only are we taking, like, two steps back, we’re just, like, completely, like, bypassing that whole thing, and now we’re just using people that aren’t even real. Right. And people are not upset about it, which is weird to me. Yeah. Like, you wanted to see, like, realistic expectations from celebrities. You know? We wanna see the real person. You know? But now we’re we’re just looking at people who don’t even truly exist. Right? So that’s that’s weird to me.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:17:45]: Or now I just saw

Maren Crowley [00:17:46]: it, like, earlier this morning, people are taking celebrities and then putting them in chat GBT and saying, show me what whatever. What Kylie Jenner would look like without all her work done. Or show me what Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively would look like if they were, quote, unquote, normal people. And it’s like, at the end of the day, whether people want to admit this or not, money does buy Yeah. You know?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:18:17]: Like, babe, we’re not ugly. We’re just broke, girl. Like, we’re just poor over here.

Maren Crowley [00:18:22]: Yeah. Exactly. Like, at the end of the day, it’s the truth. You know? So let’s let’s go into this next part. So you used to obviously work in a salon, and now you’re off on your own. So first, talk about that, what that experience was like and and kind of that leap, which I know Oh, that’s was scary.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:18:42]: That was a leap, y’all. That was like But what what made you finally decide to do that? So, I moved down here in ’21 and started doing hair right away. I left the one salon that

Maren Crowley [00:18:59]: I was at. So here as in Florida.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:19:01]: Here as in Florida. Yeah. Sorry. I worked at one salon for about a year. I decided that it wasn’t good for me anymore. Was it it just wasn’t a healthy environment, and I chose to move to another salon that I thought was going to bring me more opportunity. And I guess, like, to put it bluntly, like, it just wasn’t. It just wasn’t working how I thought it was gonna work.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:19:27]: I wasn’t making any money. I felt like I was stuck. I felt like I was just emotionally, mentally, and, like, financially just drained. So I started doing hair and makeup essentially, quote, unquote, on the side, to supplement my income. And then I started realizing, like, I’m actually making more money doing this, and I enjoy this part of it so much more as opposed to working behind the chair and spending three and a half, four hours on one client and making, you know let’s say, the ticket was $400, I would leave with 40% of that. So, like, you know, it wasn’t a lot of money for all of the time that I was investing.

Maren Crowley [00:20:17]: Mhmm.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:20:17]: And then I started to kind of put two and two together, and I was like, I actually enjoy doing this type of work. I enjoy doing event and bridal hair and makeup, and I’m busy, and I’m getting booked. So I was like, I’m gonna legitimize this, and I made I created my LLC. I created my website, and I really started taking it seriously. And then there was a turning point in which I feel like was totally God’s hand where God was, like, pretty much, like, I’m going to force you to make this leap right now. And I won’t get into the details of it, but I knew it was the right decision. And I just kind of was like, alright. I’m gonna just completely leave the salon and focus on this full time.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:21:06]: And, honestly, like, it’s been incredible. Like, when I did my taxes this past year, and I added up, like, what I made in my own business versus what my, income was at the salon. Like, my own business generated double the income I was making at the salon, and I was technically only doing it part time. So I was just like, yeah. No. Like, proof’s in the pudding right here. So, it’s been scary, but it’s also been, like, really liberating. Like

Maren Crowley [00:21:43]: Right.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:21:43]: There is so much work that does go into having your own business and your own brand and Instagram and websites and inquiries and all of this stuff, but the freedom that I gained from all of that is an is just wild. You know? Like

Maren Crowley [00:22:04]: Mhmm.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:22:05]: I’m not gonna lie. Like, my weekends are you know, I don’t have, like, a normal weekend. Like, my Me neither. Yeah. Like, my Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes my Sundays are busy. You know? But it’s what I signed up for, and it doesn’t feel this is gonna sound so cheesy and cliche. It doesn’t feel like work, though. Like, I’m tired at the end of the day.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:22:26]: Don’t get me wrong, but I feel, like, so much more fulfilled than I did when I was working behind the chair. So Right.

Maren Crowley [00:22:33]: Well, I think one of the things that helps people feel, to your point, like, more fulfilled is, like, money talks. Right? So Yeah. You know, you talked about how at the salon, you’re giving back more than half of of the time that you’re putting in. You know? It makes me think about, like, network marketing. Right? Like, you’re promoting a product, but you’re only generating 30% of the commission if that. Some companies, it’s only, like, 15% or 20%. You know? So you’re giving back essentially. Let’s just say it on the high end excuse me.

Maren Crowley [00:23:08]: On the low end for the company for yourself and the company is 70%. That’s a lot, Like and that’s your time and effort. Right?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:23:16]: To build somebody else’s brand.

Maren Crowley [00:23:18]: Correct.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:23:18]: Like, if I’m gonna if I’m only gonna take 40%, then the other 60%, I wanna put back into my business. Like Exactly. My marketing, my branding, my education, like, my technical skills, like, all of that. Like, yeah, it’s still 40%, but I’m also growing. Uh-huh. Like, I’m not I’m not giving it back to cover back bar purchases or to cover the electric bill for the Mhmm. The salon. Like, it all

Maren Crowley [00:23:43]: it all comes full circle back to me. Right. You’re reinvesting in yourself. Yeah. I I definitely when I started going into, like, one on one coaching and creating my courses and stuff like that, like, it was just pretty cool to see.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:23:59]: Like, the fruits of your labor.

Maren Crowley [00:24:00]: I’m I’m keeping all of that.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:24:01]: Yeah.

Maren Crowley [00:24:01]: Now one of the things that I think a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with is pricing. Oh, yeah. Because they don’t you know, there is a confidence level. Right? Like and sometimes you wonder, like, are people really gonna pay this, like, you know, for this coaching, this service, whatever it is. And I truly believe that time is money. So talk a little about, like, pricing and some of the things that people have said to you. Like, I know people will try to discount your time.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:24:32]: Oh, yeah. You’ve heard if anyone’s heard

Maren Crowley [00:24:34]: it all, it’s it’s probably been you. Or, like, discount, you know, services or whatever. So just kinda give people an idea both as a business owner, like, about how you shouldn’t shortcut yourself as as a entrepreneur, but also, like, as a consumer, what expectations should be for when you are seeking services?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:24:58]: Sure. So I know people, like, especially in, like, the per my my industry, like, they’re like, you shouldn’t talk about money that much, but I think it needs to be discussed. I think it’s an uncomfortable topic, but it does need to be discussed. So my rates are based off of my experience, my licensing, and that’s my cosmetology licensing in two states. So I have New York and Florida. You know, continued education, my insurance. Like, it it it doesn’t just encompass, like, the service. So, like, it’s not just me doing your makeup.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:25:38]: It’s not just me, you know, doing your hair for an event. You are paying essentially for a convenience like we had discussed. So when people try to negotiate my pricing, it’s just obviously, number one, like, that’s not the clientele that I’m Mhmm. Shooting for. Right. Like, that’s not my ideal clientele. There are plenty of people who pay my rates, and, obviously, I have regulars, like I just mentioned before, who value my services, and they understand, not only that I do a good job, you know, but also what they are paying for. Like, you are paying for my travel.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:26:23]: You are paying for me to bring essentially everything to you. So some of these places, you know, hotels or your home or your Airbnb, like, you are saving so much time on looking for a salon, looking for a stylist that may or may not deliver, like, what you’re looking for, Praying that the stylist runs on time. You know, we live here in South Florida now. There’s traffic everywhere. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is. You know, there’s a lot of factors that go into my rates. And I will say that, like, I’m pretty competitive for the area. So, you know, when people do give me some pushback, I just explain to them, like, hey.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:27:13]: Listen. Like, I respect everyone’s budget. I totally get that. But you’ll probably be hard pressed to find somebody who’s cheaper than me. And if you do, best of luck to you. I hope that they know what the hell they’re doing, and I hope you don’t get pink eye. So that’s pretty much Yeah. But it’s true because, like, I Sanitation and and, like, cleanliness is, like, such a thing that people, like, don’t really consider.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:27:43]: And I think right after COVID, it was more prominent. Like, people were paying attention, but it’s been five years, and people don’t care that much, and they absolutely should. Like, I’ve seen makeup artists show up where they open up their kit, and it’s like a bomb exploded in there. They’re using the same makeup brushes on each person. Like, they’re not using disposable applicators to put on lip products, or mascara wands, like, as somebody who is very type a and, you know, is very proud of having such a clean and meticulous kit and process, like, if you could see me right now, I look like Kevin McCallister. I’m just like, oh my god. Like, like, I I can’t, just emphasize that enough that, like, there’s a reason that rates are set to where they are. And if you’re looking for something that is below average or, like, well below average, just tread lightly.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:28:52]: Just you know, it’s something to consider. I don’t think people consider that. No.

Maren Crowley [00:28:58]: I I think sometimes people forget about the grunt work that was put in to get to where you are to have the experience. Like, you know, it it’s I think that’s very important. And, you know, the other thing is saying it’s very hard, especially when you’re starting out as a business owner, to say no. Right? Because you’re like, oh, I wanna build my clientele or, you know, maybe, Shrev, you just need income. Right? And you’re like but what happens is is when you start to discount yourself, you’re creating this, you know, bar for yourself, a low level bar, and it shouldn’t be there. Like, you need to know your worth and know, hey. This is what I deserve to be paid. This is obviously the expenses for me that go into it, the travel, the this or that, or, you know, in my line of work, like, the it sounds crazy, but, like, just even having the equipment to do a podcast or doing a like, any kind of expense that I have.

Maren Crowley [00:30:02]: Right? Like, all of it goes into it to create your pricing. And if someone’s not willing to pay it, well, then go try to learn from someone else. Go go have someone else do your hair. Like, have someone else be your coach and see how you end up.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:30:15]: Like Some of some of the the prices that I get because I I I will kind of be like, alright. Well, what is your budget? Like, you know, I I feel like I can be flexible on certain things, like but, yeah, like, to your point, like, I I do have a bar that everything is set up, but sometimes, you know, I get hit with these budgets, and I’m like, babe, like, you want $75 for a full face makeup application here in Palm Beach County? Like, my one of my eyeshadow palettes is more than that. Right. You know, like, my kit alone is, you know god. On the low end, it’s probably a thousand dollars plus. Like so people want people want Pinterest work, but they don’t wanna pay Pinterest prices. And there’s there’s, like, a really big disconnect with that. Like, you wanna pay, you know, CVS drugstore makeup prices, but you want me to use Dior Foundation.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:31:13]: You want me to use, NARS and Natasha Denona and YSL and all that. You want all the luxuries, but you don’t wanna pay the luxury price tag. And that is becoming more of a thing, and I’ve been seeing it on a lot of, beauty pages that I follow. And people who have large followings, you know, where they’re getting these, you know, inquiries or these budgets that, you know, we’re like, we can’t I get it. Like I said, everyone’s got a budget, but you can expect us to use all these luxury products on your hair and on your face and expect to not pay a luxury price tag. Like, it just it just doesn’t work like that. And, you know, people in the industry will get mad at me for saying what I’m about to say, but hair and makeup is a luxury, and I will die on that hip. Other than getting Your hair cut.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:32:11]: Yeah. Like, a basic trim, you know, for hygienic purposes. Like, babe, you don’t need your roots done. You don’t need a full balayage, color melts, you know, with layers. Like, you don’t need want.

Maren Crowley [00:32:24]: Not a need. Yeah.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:32:24]: Like and, you know, and I know my industry is bridal, but I’m gonna even double down and say, like, you don’t technically need a wedding either. Right. Like, you don’t need any of that that’s not going to, you know, you’re not going to die. Essentially, it’s not like a survival. Right? Thing. So like, usually just like trying to, like,

Maren Crowley [00:32:45]: show off like, for someone else. Right?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:32:46]: It’s a lot. It’s a luxury. Like, you want a wedding. You want your hair and makeup done for your wedding. You know, you want a photographer. You want like, these are all wants. So at the end of the day, like, it’s not my pricing that’s unrealistic. It’s your budget.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:33:03]: Like, your budget is not aligning with the services that you want and the type of services that you want. Like, that’s really what it what it comes down to. Now do you think that there’s a major difference in so you just named a bunch of high end luxury brands. Right? As a makeup artist,

Maren Crowley [00:33:25]: do you feel like there’s a difference in the quality of the product?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:33:29]: Yeah. I will say, there are certain drugstore products that I use in my kit, like eyebrow pencil. Like, I use NYX or NYX, however you say it, eyebrow pencil. I can get a bunch of colors. They’re, like, $11 each. Like, they do the job, and they’re great. But, like, foundations, concealers, eyeshadows, skin prep, like, people forget that, like, what I’m just using before I even start makeup, like, that costs money. I’m not using, you know, Cetaphil on your face.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:34:04]: I’m using Embryolis. I’m using luxury skin care to make sure that your skin is prepped so that you have the best outcome for the makeup. You know? Like, there is a difference in high quality foundations and concealers, and that’s where I feel the majority of the money is spent. It’s spent on that. And not to even you know, to go even further, like, I have to have multiple shades. Right. You know? Like, I’m not just walking around with one shade and hoping that it works. Right.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:34:39]: You know? I have to have a few different shades, a few different formulas. Like, there’s a lot that goes into it. So Sure.

Maren Crowley [00:34:46]: Because even, like, say you do the same person. Like, let’s just use me, for example. Like, my skin tone at the height of golf season is gonna be different or height of summer, let’s just call you know, whatever it may be, is gonna be different versus if we live still lived in New York, like, the wintertime. Yeah. Right? So that’s gonna change what palette you’re using on the person or whatever they’re wearing. Right? You know? Like, the maybe they’re wearing blue, and then the next time you see them, they’re wearing some kind of, I don’t know, yellow.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:35:19]: Like, it’s gonna be different. And there is a reason that luxury brands are the the price tag that they are. They’re just they’re made with better ingredients. They have skin care in them. They have long lasting finishes. Like, there is a reason that things are priced at where they’re priced at. Like Right. And to go back to the eyebrow pencil thing, like, do I think that I’m going to spend, like, $25 on an Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pencil? No.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:35:49]: I’ll never do that because that’s just not something that I find value in. But I’m a % going to put my money into good luxury foundations

Maren Crowley [00:36:02]: for

Christina Montesano Evans [00:36:02]: my clients because that’s what they’re paying for. That’s that’s what they should get.

Maren Crowley [00:36:08]: Mhmm. Now speaking of price, because I I’ve talked about this a lot when it comes to, like, network marketing. Right? And, like, not the pricing in network marketing isn’t, I believe, always reflective of the product with the exception of, I do believe so I’m obviously biased. Like, Shakeology, like, I have yet to find a product, that can replace Shakeology.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:36:32]: It do be a good product.

Maren Crowley [00:36:34]: So although I see it now on Amazon, like, it’s going for, like, a hundred and $50, and I’m like, pump the brakes there. Hard hard

Christina Montesano Evans [00:36:41]: pass on the time.

Maren Crowley [00:36:42]: Pump pump the brakes on a hundred and $50 there, Carl. But, you know, Monat Oh, yes. They they have in the air right now. They have a pretty high price tag, quite frankly,

Christina Montesano Evans [00:36:56]: for their price. You were paying like a hundred bucks for shampoo and conditioner a month?

Maren Crowley [00:37:00]: Yes. And they wanted it to come every month. And I’m like, I only wash my hair like once or twice a week. So it’s like, I can’t I can’t afford that. And for for me, someone who like, that’s not a priority. Like, I it sounds awful. Like, I couldn’t, you know, one of my good friends who is like part of my marketing team, she always jokes, because I say like, Oh, I could never be successful at that company. She’s like, Yes, you could.

Maren Crowley [00:37:26]: Like, you could sell ice to Eskimos. It’s just you choose not to because, like, hair is just not a priority.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:37:33]: Right.

Maren Crowley [00:37:33]: I mean, right now it’s a stretch that my hair is like half up half down. It’s usually in a topknot. But, you know, at the end of the day, like, I always have to talk about something that I believe in. So that’s why I I couldn’t. Like, I’m not gonna be able to sit here and talk about my hair all day because I couldn’t care less. But I did use those products for a period of time because my assistant, she was promoting it. And she she went to beauty school and all that, and and she at the end of the day, she’s not even doing anything. So I think, like, that is a huge testament to that, the product.

Maren Crowley [00:38:06]: She’s not even really promoting them anymore. So I remember I came to you, like, for whatever it was, like, probably haircut, my bi my biannual haircut, and you were like, what is in your hair? Yeah. So, you know, it does have a hefty price tag, but I personally believe that that price tag is reflective to having to pay all the women their bonuses, their this or that. Like, it’s not actual, like, hey. These ingredients are quality. What is your been experience, like, with women who have come in using those products? So And this is probably gonna trigger some people. So

Christina Montesano Evans [00:38:46]: Trigger warning. So I’ll say this. I, as an industry professional, I have a chip on my shoulder when people who are not industry professionals start promoting products that are hair products. When you know nothing about the industry, you know nothing about hair. You know nothing about products. You know nothing about hair color. Like, you don’t know anything in regards to how it affects the client and their hair and the, integrity of their hair. I I this was a while ago, and I remember this girl came in, and she brought brought it in with her, Monet Monet, however you say it.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:39:35]: And I remember washing her hair with it, and it just, like, it wadded up in the sink. I had never seen anything like that. And I was, like, trying to brush it out, and she was like, oh, I could I could brush it out. So I was like, alright. Yeah. Have at it because I’m not I’m not doing this. And it was just like I was, like, looking at it, and I’m like, I just feel like something is wrong here. And then when I saw your hair, like, I was just like, what? Like, no.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:40:02]: And for that price tag, I just feel like you could get something that’s a reputable hair industry company. Like, I put you on to Davinesse, and I think Davinesse ended up being maybe $80 for shampoo and conditioner, and I wasn’t forcing you to buy it every month. Like Mhmm. It’s just I I just have an issue with people claiming that it does all these things when, like, you’re only looking at your bottom line, and you’re only looking at, like, how many people are subscribing to it. And it’s like, listen. I know everyone’s gotta hustle. I know everyone’s gotta pay the bills. But as someone who is seeing it from the other side, when I would look at client’s hair and I just did their color two weeks ago, and they’re coming back to me saying their color didn’t last.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:40:53]: Well, what are you using? Right. And if you’re using that or you’re using, you know, or you’re using Herbal Essences, like, I’m just gonna rope them all in there because it’s it’s pretty much the same across the board. Like, it’s not me who’s not doing my job. I’m holding up my end of the deal. You’re not going home and doing what you’re supposed to do to keep your hair.

Maren Crowley [00:41:17]: Right.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:41:18]: And that’s when I started to really be like, why like, I guess my real question would be like, what are these people telling you that you would trust them

Maren Crowley [00:41:30]: Mhmm.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:41:31]: Over your stylist who’s in your hair, who you could see every eight to twelve weeks for your color? Why would you trust them over trusting me? Mhmm. Like Exactly. If you’re gonna if you’re gonna support a small business, wouldn’t you rather support the small business person that you’ve probably been with for years at that point, you know, where you’re seeing me on a regular basis, like

Maren Crowley [00:41:57]: Versus some random influencer who you’re never gonna meet.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:42:00]: Right. But they’re saying that their product does all the all these things, but then you’re coming back to me saying your your hair didn’t last or

Maren Crowley [00:42:08]: Mhmm.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:42:08]: You know, you need to leave the color on for longer. The gray didn’t take. No, babe. It’s what it’s what you’re using because it’s base basically like Dawn dish soap, and it’s just stripping everything out of your hair.

Maren Crowley [00:42:18]: That’s his shirt. Like Yeah. That’s like when I, you know, I’m teaching someone, I’m teaching someone, and then they, golf and then I don’t see him for a few weeks, and then they come back and they tell me they’ve been watching like people on Instagram. Like, oh, I saw this thing on Instagram and I’m

Christina Montesano Evans [00:42:34]: like five second reel, tell them everything they need to know about their swing. Exactly.

Maren Crowley [00:42:38]: And now I have to go back and I have to redo everything that they just learned and were applying from some random Instagram video that they saw and I’m like, no.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:42:50]: That’s exactly it. It’s like you’re undoing all of the work that I just did on you to get you to where you want it to be. It it

Maren Crowley [00:42:57]: drives me absolutely crazy. And then

Christina Montesano Evans [00:42:59]: they’ll they’ll meet me with something like, oh, well and, like, I don’t know if Monat says this because I don’t really know anything about it, but I’ve had situations where they’re like, oh, well, it’s it’s a clean shampoo and conditioner. Yeah. Yeah. But, like, what does clean actually mean? You know, like, there is no there’s no, like, actual, like, legal definition for clean beauty. So Right. Pretty much any company can say, like, they removed sulfates or they removed phthalates and whatever. And then they can just slap a label on it that says that it’s clean. But, like, what what does that even mean to you? You know? Like

Maren Crowley [00:43:35]: Yeah. Because that was that was a question that, a friend asked me. They they said, how toxic is hair color product really, and should we be asking about different brands when getting our hair done? That’s my eighty twenty, but I still wanna know the answer. So, as someone who I

Christina Montesano Evans [00:43:56]: mean, I I left the salon for multiple reasons. Obviously, you know, financial was one of them, but, also, like, the exposure to chemicals was really starting to become an issue for me. As a client, I don’t think it is as bad as somebody like me who was exposed to it all the time, mixing color, breathing in the fumes Mhmm. Doing smoothing treatments, which are we’ll get to that, but those are the absolute worst. Don’t do those. You could get, like, ammonia free color. I think a lot of salons are working with those now because they started to see that so many people were having reactions, like, bad reactions to the color sitting on their scalp. If you are so worried about being exposed to chemicals because really, truly, at the end of the day, the only a % way to, like, not be exposed to color chemicals is to just not color your hair.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:45:05]: I mean, that’s pretty much what it comes down to. Chemicals are what makes the color work. So that’s that’s just the unfortunate truth with that. What I would suggest if you’re really worried about, being exposed to chemicals through hair color is to do, like, an off scalp application, which is basically not a root touch up. So if you’re not getting your grays touched up where it’s, like, actually sitting on your scalp, something like a balayage, something like lived in color where the ends of your hair are being colored and you’re not like, it’s not sitting on your skin. That would probably be your best bet. I know that’s not realistic for everyone, especially if you have gray roots. But yeah.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:45:53]: So unless you’re gonna go, like, completely gray and just kind of embrace it Mhmm. You could do henna, which is, like, vegetable color, but I really don’t even support that because that, like, stains your hair and it doesn’t come out. So at the end of the day, if you’re like, hey. I don’t like how dark this is because it doesn’t build up.

Maren Crowley [00:46:12]: It is what it is.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:46:13]: It is what it is. Like, you’re just letting it grow out at that point. Don’t try to lighten it. You’ll be orange. Like it’ll be bad. So

Maren Crowley [00:46:21]: And when you talk about smoothing, that’s like a keratin.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:46:24]: Yeah. So towards the end of my time at the salon, as you know down here, it gets humid. Mhmm. And, smoothing treatments were you know, everyone was coming in for smoothing treatments, and they still do them. Keratins, Brazilian blowouts, however you wanna term them. And they were becoming so bad to the point that, like, I would feel it in my chest. Like, the smoke would fill the salon, and even if they say they’re formaldehyde free, it’s a loophole. It’s just another form of formaldehyde.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:47:03]: And when the heat touches it, because you do need heat to make it work, you’re breathing in those chemicals. And I would say even as a client, I would avoid those. They’re just so bad for you. Recently, there was a lawsuit that’s being filed against and, like, I guess you could edit this out if I’m not supposed to say it, but it’s against that two stylists in Missouri are suing because one got uterine and ovarian cancer from being exposed to it. Okay. And the other stylist said that her daughter in utero developed a form of leukemia. Now I don’t know why she was doing Keratin’s pregnant. Right.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:47:49]: Yeah. That’s That’s Neither here nor there. You shouldn’t be doing that either. But, yeah, I started to realize that my concerns were falling on deaf ears because they’re big ticket items. And Mhmm. You know, money talks. And when you have a salon full of high paying clients who wanna pay $400 for a smoothing treatment that maybe takes ninety minutes of work. You know? I’m I’m gonna be told where to go and how to get there.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:48:22]: So that was another reason that I left. I just didn’t wanna be exposed to all of those chemicals like that. I just felt like it was a ticking time bomb. Mhmm. Like, eventually, that’s gonna I mean, knock on wood. I hope it doesn’t. But, you know, something is going to develop from being exposed to that all the time.

Maren Crowley [00:48:43]: Yeah. I mean, that we talked about that. Like, that’s, like, my exposure in the golf industry. Like, my I went recently to, a friend who is a nutritional response testing practitioner, and my body I knew something was off. And, you know, if you’re if you’re on social media, the the new thing, because we’re approaching the perimenopause stage. Oh, awful. Everyone’s, you know, trying to promote whatever their product is. Like, oh, your hormones must be out of bounds.

Maren Crowley [00:49:13]: And meanwhile, like, I’m going through all the testing, and Brian is like, no. Your female reproductive system is, like so everything scaled from zero to 100, and mine was, like, 90 or 92. She’s like, you’re fine. You’re fine. Yeah. Yeah. But meanwhile, like if I open my Instagram, every network marketer is gonna be like, oh my gosh, like, you need to fix your hormones, like you’re almost 40. Like not everything’s a one size fits all y’all.

Maren Crowley [00:49:39]: Especially like you said before about someone’s bottom line. But what I’m off the charts with is glyphosate, you know, which is Roundup. Yeah. Yeah. And herbicides and pesticides, and that’s because I’m out there, and I’m exposed to it every single day on the golf course. Not only that, but the chemicals, like, even in our performance center, you’re hitting off of turf. And what people don’t understand about turf, you know, even when your kids play soccer, it’s plastic. Right? So there’s those tiny little, like, black beads essentially, like, where it’s plastic, you know.

Maren Crowley [00:50:15]: And so I do encourage, like, it’s like what’s the lesser evil? Do you want your if you have littles, like, do you want them playing on turf soccer? Do you want them playing on grass?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:50:23]: Right.

Maren Crowley [00:50:24]: I’ll take the grass, like, over the plastic. But I think that that’s very interesting. I have a few clients that do that Brazilian, whatever, blowout, whatever that’s called. So I mean

Christina Montesano Evans [00:50:35]: I mean, it’s embalming fluid. It’s formaldehyde. Like, like, they literally embalm bodies. That’s why your hair doesn’t frizz because it’s meant to keep things preserve things.

Maren Crowley [00:50:46]: Right. That’s frightening. Yeah. That that’s creepy. Someone else asked, and I know, like, obviously, how you’re gonna answer this. Like, you can’t give her an exact answer. But to your point, like, actually safe, toxic free products, like, is there such a thing? You kinda already touched on that. And she asked about, like, having any kind of psoriasis on the scalp.

Maren Crowley [00:51:07]: But

Christina Montesano Evans [00:51:08]: Yeah. So as far as, like, what my licensing and education covers, I can’t obviously, I’m not a medical professional. I can’t diagnose anything. I can’t treat anything. But from what I know about psoriasis is that pretty much any skin related things is that’s usually, like, the outcome of something that’s not like like, something is causing that. Like, that is the reaction to something that’s going on in your body. It’s inflammation. It’s a reaction to whether that be stress, which, listen, we all have stress.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:51:47]: Like, it is impossible to avoid it. You know? Whatever you turn on, the TV or Instagram or whatever, like, the world is ending. The sky is falling. Like, there’s always something. But if it were me, I would go and see probably someone who has more of, like, an alternative medicine background. I would say that all of these issues start from your gut. So what you put into your body is probably where I would start. I would probably start with some form of, like, an elimination diet, which is probably what this, alternative medicine practitioner would say to start.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:52:34]: Because whatever is happening inside your body, it’s like being inflamed. And your skin, considering it’s like the biggest organ on your body, that’s where you’ll notice things first. Mhmm. Like, if you I know some people who, like, eat too much sugar and they start to break out. Like, it’s because your body had an influx of sugar, and it needs to come out somehow, so it comes out in breakouts. And that’s just like a minor Right. Thing. So if your body on a whole is reacting, that’s where I would start because no matter what like, even if you go to a derm, they’re gonna put chemicals on you.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:53:14]: A %. So if you’re trying to avoid that and tackle the psoriasis, it’s probably a lot to do with your diet. And I am gonna go out on a limb, just from personal experience, that it’s probably a lot to do with gluten and to do with dairy. Mhmm. So those were two those are the two that turned on me the most recently. And not eating them has, changed me significantly. I mean, I’ve always had always had good skin, but as far as, like, you know, my hair thinning and stuff like that, like, I’m noticing these things, and I needed, like, a full body reset. And those two were, like, the main culprits.

Maren Crowley [00:53:56]: Right. Yeah. Because so with those two, I think where people not this is like an off tangent. I highly recommend you listen to the episode I did with Bradley Marshall, who he actually cured his debilitating eczema, by going fully carnivore. It’s a fantastic episode. But what people don’t understand is that the reason why gluten and dairy are quote, unquote bad is because of the process it goes through. Like, it’s not that grains are bad. It’s not that dairy is bad.

Maren Crowley [00:54:30]: It’s just that compared to hundreds and hundreds of years ago, it’s not the same. It’s in in America, quite frankly, doesn’t do a great job. Hopefully, you know, RFK continues to clean up as as Clean house with

Christina Montesano Evans [00:54:43]: that. Yeah.

Maren Crowley [00:54:43]: Because, you know, people talk about all the time how they can go over to Italy and eat pasta and pizza and have wine and all of these things and and they don’t have the same reaction, you know. They’re they’re they’re not even hungover the next day, or they they lost weight while they were on vacation. Yeah.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:55:01]: There’s people who have, like, lived there for, like, three months, and they’ve eaten the food there, and whatever was whatever ailment that they had, it all of a sudden was just gone.

Maren Crowley [00:55:08]: Correct. I mean, there’s a reason why there’s blue zones, you know, in Japan and which, you know, they eat rice all the time. Hello, sushi. Right. And and sweet potatoes and or there’s blue zones in Italy. There’s no blue zones in America. Okay?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:55:24]: Everything is red.

Maren Crowley [00:55:26]: Big red flag. You know, so, I think that’s great advice and or like we were saying before, it could be something you’re exposed to at work. You know, there’s some kind of environmental factor. So you have to get to the the root of whatever it is. Someone else asked about what products are not worth the hype. And, like, one of the things that I was thinking of, like, as someone who always air dries her hair, I actually did just receive a UGC product of a blow dryer that is I still don’t know how to work it. But, like, is something like a $500 Dyson? Like, is that overrated?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:56:04]: God. The dye hate the Dyson. Not allowed to cuss, but you can only you can put two and two together. I think that the Dyson is the biggest waste of money. You heard it here first. Get the Shark if you’re gonna get anything. Shark is, like, I think, a hundred and 50 or $200, and it does the same exact thing as the Dyson. I just don’t think people, especially industry professionals, and this would irk me to know.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:56:29]: And because so many of my coworkers had the Dyson blow dryer. And I’m like, why are you using a product that is a vacuum company? Like, Dyson started as a vacuum company. Like, I think initially, maybe, I’ll give them this, maybe when they first came out with their professional blow dryer, maybe it was worth the hype. But it got so popular. They did what companies normally do is that they start to mass produce things, and then they make them like crap. They fall apart. And as for, like, somebody who’s working behind the chair and using it, say, eight hours a day, the things would fall apart in, like, less than a year. And then they so their return policy like, they don’t have one.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:57:18]: So, like, if it breaks, you send it back into them, and then they send you a refurbished one. And then you use that until your blow dryer is fixed. So, like, they fix it. But, like, what are you fixing? Like, for that price, I want, like, a lifetime warranty on and I want a brand new one. And it it’s not like they do it quickly. It takes forever. Like, some of these girls were still using their refurbished Dysons for six months because Dyson was just my assumption was that they were getting such an influx of broken blow dryers that they couldn’t keep up with the demand of fixing them. And the same thing with, like, the Dyson Airwrap.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:58:03]: Like, that’s a piece too. I just wouldn’t.

Maren Crowley [00:58:06]: Well, and I I from a business perspective, I I see, there’s a lot of like influencers that promote it. But why do they promote it? Because they’re an Amazon influencer. You click their link. It’s a high end product. So for them, they’re getting a higher, you know, relative ticket return from Amazon on the commission. I mean, it’s it’s it’s so funny. Like, it’s just all about the bottom line. So if there’s one product someone should spend money on, what would you recommend?

Christina Montesano Evans [00:58:38]: So, I mean, as in regards to, like, a tool or, like, either a tool or, like, makeup or hair. Like, do all three. Do tool, makeup, and hair. So for hair, I’ll say the one thing that you should really be spending your money on product wise is I’m so I’m like a minimalist. Like, my me, myself, I don’t use a ton of products to do my hair. But I will always make a point to buy a industry quality shampoo and conditioner. I just think it makes all the difference. Like, they’re made with better products.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:59:15]: Your hair will feel better. You’re going to use less product instead of using something like an herbal essences where it’s made of water and alcohol, essentially, and then the rest is whatever herbs they, quote, unquote, wanna put in there. So find a shampoo and conditioner. I like BIOLAGE. I feel like that is the most reasonably priced professional shampoo and conditioner out there. You can get it at Ulta, and sometimes you can use a coupon. So I’m all about not paying full price for certain things if I can avoid it. So I would start there.

Christina Montesano Evans [00:59:54]: As far as, like, tools, like I said, the Shark blow dryer, if you’re looking for the like, a Dyson dupe, that’s probably where I would go with that. It’s always good to have a good blow dryer. It’s something that’s going to last a little bit, and that’s not going to fry your hair. And, also, for those who don’t know, you should be using the nozzle. Don’t just, like, take it off and throw it out. The nozzle is there so you don’t burn your hair. So most people don’t know that. The grates on the inside of the blow dryer on, like, the head of the blow dryer, they get really hot.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:00:34]: So when you’re not using the nozzle and you’re just putting the blow dryer with the hot grates on your hair, you’re burning your hair. So make sure you use your nozzle.

Maren Crowley [01:00:43]: I don’t

Christina Montesano Evans [01:00:44]: care if you’re using a Conair. Use your nozzle. And as far as makeup, I would always say that your skin care needs to be, like, dialed in for your makeup to look how you want it to look. Definitely invest in a good exfoliant and a good moisturizer. And as far as makeup, I say spending the money on good foundation and good concealer is where I would start because, I mean, you got what you pay for when it comes to that. Like, you want something that’s same thing. You a little goes a long way. So, like, yeah, if you’re spending like, my foundation that I use is, like, $55, but I only need, like, the tiniest bit, and that’s, you know, the point of it.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:01:37]: Like, it’s made with the right ingredients, and it does its job. So you’re not gonna have to constantly worry about touching it up or fixing it. It just does what it’s supposed to do. So

Maren Crowley [01:01:49]: Now, obviously, my audience is pretty low tox, if you will. Maybe not a % non tox, but and I know your thoughts, like, on Botox and, like, like, to each their own. But is there anything that you’ve seen that if someone doesn’t want to go that route to have, like like you said, like, maybe help eliminate some of those lines or whatever?

Christina Montesano Evans [01:02:13]: I But

Maren Crowley [01:02:13]: it’s like anything. Right? Like, you could go the route. You Yeah. Want non tox, then let that gray hair soar. Right. Exactly. Or, you know, like, if there’s the other extreme too. Right? Like, is there anything that does kind of not necessarily, like, prevent, because lines are lines.

Maren Crowley [01:02:30]: Yeah. And at the end of the day, Botox is certainly gonna get rid of your lines. But after a while, it’s like anything too. Like, you have to get a higher and higher dosage because your body gets used to it. But is there anything that you’ve seen that or tried? Because I know you like to try different products and methods that maybe someone would look at for an alternative.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:02:49]: So I tried these things called Frownies, and they are like these

Maren Crowley [01:02:56]: it’s almost like I have them.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:02:57]: Yeah. Yeah. I’ll say this. I did I was doing I was going strong and wearing them every night for me. I just didn’t get the results that I wanted from them because, full disclosure, I do Botox, and I just like the way that that looks on me. So that’s something that I would recommend for somebody who wants to try to go that route. Also, though, I just think taking care of your skin in general helps not take away the fine lines and wrinkles, but it helps kinda, like, disguise them. Like, so if you were exfoliating and washing your face and moisturizing how you’re supposed to, your skin’s gonna already have just, like, a glow to it.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:03:46]: Like, you know, products are gonna look better on your face. Mhmm. Like, makeup wise, it’s gonna look better than somebody who has not taken care of their skin. So that would probably be, like, the bare minimum. It’s, like, look into skin care that kind of aligns with you and start, like, a skin care routine where you’re just taking care of your skin. Because, I mean, at the end of the day, you know, it depends on where you’re starting. You know? So if you’re starting in your twenties, you can probably push that envelope longer Right. Because you’re starting with It’s like fitness.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:04:27]: Yeah. You’re starting with facials and, you know, getting medical grade products and stuff like that. So, yeah, you you’re gonna slow down the aging process because you started younger. But somebody who starts at around our age, like, you know, okay, you gotta work with what you got, and let’s just make them a little better. Right. So, yeah, I would say skincare. Skincare is gonna be your best friend with that.

Maren Crowley [01:04:54]: Yeah. I’ve definitely noticed since I’ve incorporated more of, like, serums and just, like, making sure my skin’s hydrated that I’ve definitely noticed a difference in that. And one last question. What is the key to having makeup actually last all day?

Christina Montesano Evans [01:05:15]: So that is, like, multiple part question. You know, skin care, making sure your skin care is really good, and using a makeup formula that is meant for your skin. So if you’re oily, you’re not gonna wanna use something like a tinted moisturizer that’s going to give more hydration. You’re gonna want something that’s oil free, that has more of a matte coverage so that it’s counteracting that target issue that you’re trying to manage, and setting spray. Setting spray is going to be your best friend when it comes to that. I use in my kit, the one size by Patrick Star. They do have travel sizes if, you know, you don’t wanna commit to the big bottle, but it does work. I mean, I’ve had my brides tell me it’s cryproof.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:06:10]: They got sprinkled on. They’re they survived a beach wedding. You know? Especially the heat in Florida. I mean and I will say it’s definitely application to, like, how you apply. Like, a little goes a long way. You don’t wanna just use a ton of product. You wanna kinda gradually use it to kind of put it on in layers. Mhmm.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:06:33]: It’s almost like painting a wall. Like, you put one coat on and you’re like, alright. It’s covering, but it’s, you know, still a little patchy and whatever. But, like, the second coat, you’re like, alright. This starts to look good. But if you keep painting the wall, like, it’s gonna get drippy. It’s gonna be tacky. It’s not gonna dry down.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:06:51]: It’s gonna look a mess. So less is more.

Maren Crowley [01:06:55]: Less is more 100%. Well, I appreciate you taking the time to be here. And I mean, we could talk for hours. I’m sure, I’m sure everyone, everyone could see that. But I just think that they’re gonna learn so much from you. And I’m very proud of you for going off on your own and being a business owner, girlboss.

Christina Montesano Evans [01:07:21]: Yeah. Boss babes, unite.

Maren Crowley [01:07:26]: Thank you for tuning in everyone. You can always if you have any other questions or hey, if

Christina Montesano Evans [01:07:31]: you live in the South Florida area, check out Christina, where can they find you? Where’s the best place? So my Instagram handle is cmebeautyfl as in Florida, and go ahead and DM me. You can load me up with questions. I’m very active on there, so I will absolutely get back to you.