The Expert Edit features interviews with specialists about the products they swear by in their chosen field. For this installment, hairstylist Lacy Redway shares her top beauty picks.
Some people have to learn a craft and others are just born with a certain talent. Hairstylist Lacy Redway falls into the latter camp. “I’m the girl from school that used to do everybody’s hair,” she tells PS. “I grew up in the 90s when braids and braid designs were really popular. I was the go-to person for people to get those styles.”
Born in Jamaica, Redway credits her entrepreneurial spirit to her experiences growing up as an immigrant in the United States. “I came from a family where I didn’t have the latest and greatest of everything so I had to find a way to provide for myself,” she says. After initially going to college to become a publicist, Redway continued to do hair to help pay her tuition. Still, she was drawn to the world of editorial. “I also worked in a hair salon in college and someone there introduced me to hair photography – mainly for the models that you see on hair supplies in the beauty supply store. This opened my eyes to the world of possibility that comes with doing hair – I didn’t know that there was so much to do in the space outside of a salon.”
This experience led to Redway dropping out of college, enrolling in beauty school, and designing her own photoshoots. That was 13 years ago, and she’s picked up a handful of celebrity clients like Jill Scott, Tessa Thompson, and Taylor Russell, ever since. She also continues to collaborate with some of the biggest hair brands in the beauty industry, like Shea Moisture and Tresemmé.
With decades of experience under her belt, Redway has numerous products that she refuses to live without and a few tricks up her sleeves. Ahead, she shares the products that get her the most flawless looks, every time.
