Shear Adventures interview with Tara Walker Mousey Browne
About Tara:
At age 14 Tara began hairdressing in her parents garage, her mum was previously a hairdresser.
Tara’s dad let her practise on him with an old pair of her mum’s scissors. Tara was always trying to convince her friends to let her cut their hair.
Tara says she was banging out dodgy DIY under cuts and fringes. Growing up with horses Tara spent a lot of time braiding the horse’s tails and adding some ribbons to accessorise.
Tara left school at age 17 and moved to Canberra where she began and completed her hairdressing apprenticeship at a salon called Cataldo’s. She then decided to explore the globe travelling and doing hairdressing in Vancouver, Canada and then also the UK. In the UK Tara discovered London and began working in barber shops. Tara said she found there was such a big difference in the skill sets that were taught in barbering as compared to those taught in haircutting.
Moving back to Australia, Tara moved to Newtown and worked at Dauvergne on King Street for the next few years. She then decided to head back to Canberra, where she discovered dry haircutting. Invited by a friend to attend a workshop with Dario Cotroneo on dry haircutting almost 11 years ago. Tara says “I’ve always cut hair dry to finish especially curly hair I’ve always cut dry.”
“It was then that I began re-educating all my clients on the benefits dry hair cutting and I haven’t wet a head of hair since.” Tara
The Beginning of the Concept of Mousey Browne:
Tara imagined what a hair salon that only cut hair dry might look like. When she spoke to others in the industry they all said she was crazy. They likened the concept to that of a coffee shop that only sold cappuccinos.
Moving Back to Sydney with her husband and a small child Tara was determined to test her theory.
Heading to Glebe markets every Saturday she set up a small tent and cut hair dry. Tara says “that was 5 years ago now. That’s how Mousey Browne started out, as just a mirror, a chair and a small tent at Glebe Markets. I still have some clients who are originals from the tent days.”
When moving back to Sydney Tara said it was a really interesting time because she could have just gone and worked for someone else but she already knew she wanted to do her own thing so she didn’t want to build a clientele at someone else’s salon and then take them when she left. “I wanted to start the way I wanted to continue it was really hard and a big risk.”
Tara goes on to say “I respect and appreciate big salons however, I had my own ideas and wanted the chance to explore them. I went from a tent to the Mousey Browne space. There were times I sat with absolutely no body coming in, I had no social media or Instagram knowledge. I actually started
Instagram the day I started at Glebe markets and I had no idea what I was doing but thought I better take a photo of this.”
Mousey Browne Curly hair education:
In the Mousey Browne Education attendees will learn how to approach curly hair and how different it is to how you would approach cutting straight hair. “It’s not precision cutting at all it’s organised chaos”. It’s all about building shape and how to build shape in hair.
Tara also talks about different types of curls, multi-cultural and mixed race curls. Tara says “some curl patterns are not very forgiving. It is really normal for one head of hair to have 3 to 5 different curl patterns for example around the hairline and on the crown. Cutting hair dry you are able to visually see that.”
Tara also says that cutting curly hair dry is a little bit like cutting a Bonsai in that you’re sculpting and creating shape from a completely different approach; “It’s not about joining all the dots and everything being even it’s about working with the natural texture to create a beautiful shape. A shape that clients can easily manage.”
Tara also likes to teach her shelf system which creates a support system to help build the shape.
Favourite scissor type:
“I generally use my regular scissors. I do find with dry cutting I need to get them sharpened regularly, more so than before, around twice a year. I do also have a curve blade scissor that I really like to use as I’m cutting strand by strand. I would never use thinning scissors or a razor.”
Favourite Curly Product:
“I love Embrace for every curl it’s made in Sydney by Cynthia. The product is a leave in conditioner and I mix it with water and that’s what I use to damp down the hair to style after cutting. I also import Miss Jessie’s as they offer over 7 different curl crèmes to tailor to the different curl types.”
“Cynthia couldn’t find a product to suit her curl texture in Australia so created her own.
Tara’s product blend for curls
Dampen the hair down
Add a leave in or moisture
Add something for hold maybe a gel or a sea salt spray.
Then do a pin curl set in the top to add some volume and create some structured curls
Then diffuse
The hair is never 100% dry when clients leave
Career highlight:
“Opening Mousey Browne having the idea and taking a big risk and now it’s working. Sticking to my guns on what I wanted to do.”
Where would you like to educate abroad?
“I would actually love to travel to the United States and be educated by some of the incredible curly cutters over there. I would love to go to India there is so much curly hair over there. Indian hair is my favourite hair type to work with. I love the concept of Hair Aid I would love to be involved with something like that focusing on teaching curly hair.”
Cities Tara will be teaching in this year:
“Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. I’m also open to collaborating with other artists and salons.
I have also launched a shadowing program. There is the offer of a half day or full day shadow.”
“I am available to educate in Look and Learn sessions as well as Hands on Workshops.”
Mentor or idol whether industry or external:
“I believe you need lots of different types of people around you who can support and nourish your ideas.”
“I love Akin Konizi from Hob Salons who I’ve been following him for quite a few years. I love his shapes. Also, Nigel Malone a good friend who has an adventure app, he has been a great business and ideas mentor.”
“Emilio Cataldo first introduced to me dry haircutting during my apprenticeship many years ago. He would always cut Curly hair dry.
I also love following @themonacut. She’s a curly haircutter in NYC and she creates amazing shapes. Jane Mathews does some amazing shags and fringes.”
Tara’s Curly hair Hot Tip:
“Don’t get to caught up in the precision of it”
What inspires you to educate?
“Sharing knowledge with others. A big thing that I like when teaching is you also learn a lot, you give and you get, you learn so much. I’m all for the natural curly hair movement. I want to spread the word and see more curly hair. Working with the natural texture women should be able to embrace there natural hair.”
X Alisha