How do we choose our Faces of Sola? It’s not as easy as you may think. After we sort through the hundreds of submissions and spend months doing research, we continue narrowing down until we have 10 beauty pros who we think best represent the 12K stylists in our Sola community. Our 2019 Faces of Sola are like a perfectly completed jigsaw puzzle. We have fit together a range of beauty pros—a master barber, a spray tan expert, a natural hair guru, a vivids color specialist, to name a few—who have interesting backstories and hobbies—a photographer, a law enforcement graduate, an aerialist, an immigrant, a cancer survivor. They each bring something unique and authentic and we are so excited to finally introduce you to them! As you embark on a year-long journey with us and the 2019 Faces of Sola, you’ll quickly see why this group of 10 beauty professionals found their way to the top of our list for 2019. Joey Figueiredo Daicy//Figueiredo (Prairie Village, Kansas) @stylistjoey Before Joey was a hairdresser, he was (and still is) a professionally trained, extraordinarily talented photographer. He was one of 250 aspiring photographers accepted into one of the biggest tech schools for photography (it’s like Harvard for photographers). And thanks to a career behind a camera lens, he fell in love with hair. He also never attended beauty school. After being introduced to the beauty industry in Maryland, he was given the chance to be an apprentice for a salon in Kansas City and was able to obtain his license through this opportunity. Now, he is killing it in his Sola, working behind the scenes at Fashion Week, and was one of six stylists recently chosen to be in a Schwarzkopf Professional campaign. P.S. Joey can also teach you how to be a dynamic kickboxer if you’d let him! Chissel Espinal Chissel Beauty Studio (Metairie, Louisiana) @chisselbeautystudio Growing up in the hair industry, Chissel really never imagined she would have a career in it. She always knew she was made for artistry–she studied jewelry design abroad, dappled in interior design and even taught ballroom dancing. You name it, she did it, all on a quest to explore her creative passions outside of the salon. Everyone in her family expected her to be a hairdresser. Her mother, five aunts, and her two brothers are all hairdressers and master barbers...her mother’s water even broke while she was working on a client! But it was after doing makeup on a commercial set that Chissel realized the beauty industry really was for her. Following that experience, the rebellious woman enrolled in beauty school and it’s been her calling and absolute passion ever since. Thanks to having eight family members in the industry, Chissel knows how to work with every type of hair. Having grown up in a salon, she has an understanding of the importance of creating bonds and relationships with clients. It's possible that she had it in her blood all along. Tiffany Martincic The Tan Banana (Scottsdale, Little Italy, Clairemont) @thetanbanana After being diagnosed with melanoma in 2010, Tiffany’s tanning bed habit came to an immediate halt. She needed something that was a healthy alternative that would allow her to continue rockin’ that bronzed glow she so desired. Spray tanning provided just that, and after a while, she said, “I can do this myself,” and that’s essentially how The Tan Banana came to be. She quit her corporate world accounting job and transformed her tiny loft apartment into a spray tan studio. Fast forward a few years later, she’s now in three separate Sola locations and bounces between California and Arizona. Now, don’t get us wrong, Miss Tiffany is quite unique, but it’s her branding that really needs to be celebrated! From the website she has created to the social media posts she puts out, it’s a winning example of how to have a cohesive look and messaging, especially when you have three separate locations like she does! Rona Bunch RonaBunch Inc (Jacksonville, Florida) @ronabunchinc Geez, where do we even begin with Rona?! This hairdresser has to be one of the most driven and determined women in the beauty industry. We are absolutely certain there is no box unchecked, no goal unaccomplished, and no stone left unturned when it comes to Rona Bunch. She is also exceptionally passionate about helping her community and mentoring young girls. In fact, she gives back to the beauty industry tenfold and has created an apprenticeship program in her own Sola. During our shoot with Rona, we loved hearing her tell the story on how she put herself and her services out there to help Christopher Dove & John Simpson from CoCre8, a nonprofit that empowers brands and salons by co-creating educational content. She knew they were coming to Orlando and signed up to attend their hands-on class. She messaged John and told them if they needed any help, even if it was to sweep up hair, she would help. They replied