OUR STORY
Beauty For Ashes
EST. 2020
Long before Beauty for Ashes was born, there was a little girl in Jersey whose very own hair trauma was forcing her to take matters into her own hands. That little girl was me, Alex. Growing up with challenging hair was difficult because it was during a time when the only two options given to help manage unruly hair were: relaxers and short haircuts. I knew deep down the only way I was going to learn to love my hair was figuring out exactly what my hair was asking for. I got to work, and started washing and braiding any friend’s hair that would let me, out of my childhood home. After one too many bottles of Suave shampoo my passion for hair, and determination to perfect every strand grew with each client. Meeting clients with challenging issues became my passion, and my hope has always been that I can teach them to love their hair like I learned to love mine.
After years of perfecting my craft, I decided to further embrace my passion, by opening my own salon with the support of my husband, and bringing in stylists I believe share the same vision. Little did I know, it would be the first of many changes to come that year. The purchase of the shop came with the loss of my hearing, our two beloved dogs, and my sweet Grandmother. Through all of the mourning endured that year, God gifted me joy through my newborn son, and a new venture in my career. I realized it was God that was helping me with the broken things in my life.
"He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:3
Deciding on a name for my company stemmed from the brokenness in my personal life, and finding God in the midst of all the change. I couldn’t help but gravitate to the verse God gave me for the business, as I had then truly understood the meaning of Isaiah 61:3, “He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Little did I know that repairing clients hair was a gift that God gave me to bring them Joy.
Opening in 2020 was just confirmation that choosing the name of Beauty for Ashes was important not only to me, but my team as well. Through the struggle of closing our doors just 3 months after we opened, the team learned to be a team. We leaned on each other, supported one another, and have all grown personally and professionally together since then. We all mourn over the loss of something. We forget to really look around and see the joy that He has for us. We forget that if we lean on Him, He will give us the crown of beauty instead of ashes. My hope is that when you come into Beauty for Ashes my team could be that light of joy to keep you going through the hard times.