Kelly Lu

Community

Selfmade Creative Artists

THOSE WHO CREATE SOMETHING

SELFMADE Hairstylist

Kelly Lu

Honolulu, Hawai'i

Hi! I’m Kelly Lu and I’m a hairstylist based in Honolulu, HI and I love making people feel pretty and confident. Pink and green are my favorite colors. If you see me out in public, you’ll probably catch me stuffing my face with food hehe. And I also love plants! ☺︎

@beautybykellylu

What does a Selfmade Hairstylist do?

I use my skills and creativity to create hairstyles that are stylish & flattering, tailored to my client's lifestyle. When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you perform good! I truly believe that we as hairstylists are energy givers and healers by holding a safe space for our clients to relax and be themselves. It’s almost like therapy, where we get to know our clients' personal lives and are able to provide a listening ear & support. I do hair with the intention to make people feel better and that is where I find joy.

GOOD LISTENER • LOVE TO CREATE • FASHIONABLE

Top 3 — Why do you love being a Selfmade Hairstylist?

Making people smile

I like to make people smile! I am infatuated with the feeling of making someone’s day and seeing the looking on my clients' faces when they are happy with the results.

Creative challenge

I love the creative process of finding a good hairstyle that will best fit my client's lifestyle and compliments their features.

Hair is my medium

Seeing all new trends and putting it into hair opens up my mind and gets my gears grinding.

What motivates / inspires you?

My family and my partner (who’s also a stylist for men) pushes me to do better everyday. We’re always going to be learning new things — it’s a field you’ll never get tired of, with the trends and styles always changing. Traveling, art, and nature is what inspires my work. One day, I want to open a studio space filled with like-minded individuals, allowing people to create and be their true selves!

What are you most proud of?

I'm proud of myself for going against adversity since a young age, and I want to show people that even if you don’t have the best upbringing, you don’t have to let the past define yourself. You have the power to create your own future!

What was your first dream job?

I was interested in becoming a jeweler before finding my passion in cutting hair. I was around it when I was young, helping out at my uncle's shop, and I’ve always appreciated the meticulous craftsmanship of making jewelry. I enjoyed using my hands to create art, so it later on went into creating art on hair!

What other path would you have taken if not this one?

If I didn’t become a Selfmade Hairstylist, I would have been going to school to be a nurse. It was something my mom wanted me to be, but I knew that isn’t what I wanted to do. I’ve always been an artist and I knew I wanted to create art with my hands.