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Hair stylist Coia Styles is a balayage expert, educator and content creator. She is also a brand ambassador for Alfaparf Milano Professional

What’s your earliest memory?

We went to Disney World in Florida when I was five or six. I don’t remember as much of it as I’d like, but I definitely have some magical memories. There was an ET ride that I thought was the best thing ever at the time.

Who or what is your biggest inspiration?

I think anyone who is an entrepreneur is inspirational. I love everything about making your own rules and doing things your own way, and people who are brave enough to do that inspire me.

What was your first job?

Sweeping the floor in a salon when I was 15. That was the start of it all for me – I got into hairdressing straight away when I finished school.

Ideal holiday destination?

I have gone to Greece every year since I was a child and I love it. I also love Croatia – I got married there last year. I’d love to go to Asia at some point.

Favourite food?

Chocolate, specifically plain dairy milk.

Favourite drink?

Coke Zero.

How do you relax?

I generally don’t relax much, but I recently purchased some paints and a canvas and hope to start painting. Anything like that helps switch my brain off for a bit.

What was the last great film or series you watched?

I haven’t watched a really good series in a long time. The last movie I enjoyed in the cinema was Top Gun: Maverick. It was the first time in ages I didn’t look at my phone for about two hours!

Do you cook and, if so, do you have a signature recipe?

I do cook, but I have limited expertise. My main recipes are some sort of chicken and rice dish, or steak and baby potatoes. I keep it simple.

Best piece of advice you've ever received?

A nail that sticks out is easily hammered. This was said to me when I began training as a hairdresser as I was always a little different from everyone else. It has stayed with me ever since.

Best piece of advice you've ever given?

Don’t worry about what others might think or say about you – drown out the noise and just do your own thing.

Have you changed the way you run your business since the pandemic?

Yes, I have. Since Covid-19, I have closed my salon and I now work a lot more in education, while still seeing some clients in my own studio.

Favourite thing about yourself?

I like that I have an ability to solve problems as they arise. I don't think I would call myself an optimist, but I can definitely call myself a realist, and I'm pretty good at dealing with any issues that may come up in any part of my life. I believe that there’s a solution for every problem.

What’s the one hair product you can’t live without?

I love Alfaparf Milano Professional's Semi di Lino range. It has something for every client, whether they have dry, coarse or curly hair, or a sensitive scalp. The new Semi di Lino Density line is a game changer for anyone with fine, lifeless or ageing hair.

What, if anything, would you now tell your 16-year-old self?

I would advise myself to not take things too seriously, and to always follow my own path.

How would you like to be remembered?

Ultimately, I think all that matters is how my friends and family remember me, so I'd like that to be as a good person and a good mother. I would also like to be remembered as a great hairdresser of course!