Iles Formula Hair Talk with Stine Enø of Enø Studio

Stine Enø from Enø Studio, Aarhus

Stine is a passionate hair stylist and proud founder of Enø Studio in Aarhus.

We share a warm welcome to Stine to our Iles Formula family.

To learn more about Stine, visit her website. You can also follow her on Instagram @enostudiodk

1. What would you term as your specialty within your trade?

I love all parts of the trade. But face mapping and color is my absolute favorite part of the job. Working with bone structure, facial features, eye color, skin-color, creating the right look to fit each client the best, etc., always makes me absolutely love my work. And I've been loving my work for 23 years now.

2. What's the most enjoyable part of your job?

Meeting people of all ages, all trades, making a difference. As a stylist, we work with our client's identities. We are hair and makeup architects. We see different shades, forms and structures, and are compelled to create. There is a lot of drive and passion in our trade if you continue to feed it. I love the feeling of needing to create.

Enø Studio

3. Why did you choose the path of hairdressing and was it easy to fall into this work?

I was supposed to study medicine, but my hands and brain needed to put in the effort and the hours to learn the trade. It´s like learning to play an instrument. When you learn to master the skill, it takes constant and serious attention  to still push your skill set and uphold your passion for the trade. I still love science and am very fond of dermatology and endocrinology. I love chemistry as well. So the technical part of being a stylist is a big part of what I enjoy about the trade. I´m a true hair geek I think.

4. If you had not made the decision to be a hairdresser what would you have been?

I would have studied medicine- no doubt.

5. What is your greatest strength

I can communicate with all kinds of people. I think being a stylist is as much about communication as it is about skill. I'm a battery; I add energy where it's needed & I'm not afraid to speak my mind (in a polite manner of course). I think that part of me you'd either hate or love.

6. Your favorite hairdressing tools?

UHH that’s difficult question. Scissors is the obvious choice- but I can also make all shapes and styles with just my hairdryer and brush, or styler. I love changing forms and textures. Don´t get me started on the world of a colorist.

7. Tell us about your relationship with ILES FORMULA. How did you discover us and which formula is your favorite?

The serum no 3 is my absolute favorite. If I went to a deserted island, the serum is what would I bring with me. I personally use it every day, and also on everyone; it fixes everything like its magic. I was so fortunate to have met Wendy and her husband Jacque in person in Paris. I was in love with Iles Formula before we met in person, but I think I completely surrendered after I met Wendy. The knowledge, the curiosity, the professionalism, the stamina, and the drive- all combined in one of the most heart warming personalities I´ve ever encountered in my years as a stylist. I am true Wendy fan.

Iles Formula Haute Performance Finishing Serum

8. What was the most challenging job you ever had?

That’s a difficult question. But I think working with clients that are suffering from hair loss, alopecia, or going through chemo is always delicate but very rewarding. I also educated many people over the years, and I really enjoyed it. Consultation across countries, cultures, esthetics, and perceptions is probably the most difficult part of our trade. What I conceive as beautiful is merely a matter of perception, and vice versa.

9. What was your worst hair moment and why....privately or on set/stage or in the salon?

In the late 90´s I was a hair model for Lee Stafford UK. He could have given me a buzz cut for all I cared, he was just so inspiring (and pretty nice on the eyes as well). He gave me overcut bangs and colored my hair green. It was magic while we did the tour, but as Monday came and I returned to Aarhus, my dad wasn´t very impressed; so the green didn´t stay for long.

10. If you could style anyone’s hair, who would it be and why?

Her Majesty the queen of Denmark because I think she is amazing and all her pomp and circumstance is almost magical.

10. Where do you pull all hair inspiration from?

Wendy is amazing. I'm fortunate to have seen a lot of her work and absolutely love it. But I’ve also been privileged in my work life. I have worked side by side with a lot of incredible hair artists who interpret hair differently than I do. I think It´s inspiring to look and learn from each other. I also find inspiration from architecture, fashion, history, and observing the world around and people in it.

12. Your advice to young hairdressers starting out?

If It´s not a real passion, don’t even think about it. Being a stylist is a lifestyle, not a 9-5 job. All the magic is done after hours among many people and all the craziness.

13. Apart from the drastic salon hygienic regulations, what changes to a salon’s every day business do you think will stay after the Covid-19 disruption?

We always only entertained one client at a time in the studio, so our everyday routines didn't change that much. I'm all for the stylists around the world that are held in a high esteem because it's not a profession for the faint of hearted. Being a hair stylist is hard work and long hours all put in to becoming a skilled craftsman. I hope that the world maybe woke up and recognized that it's not just hair and makeup. We work with our clients dignity and personalities. We can change how a person feels about themselves for the better, in a matter of hours. It´s one of the oldest trades in the world, and it's an honorable one. I for one am very proud of being a stylist.

But post COVID, more than ever it´s important to keep an eye on management and numbers. If you don’t run a tight ship- forecasting and managing, or simply don´t have the necessary skillset or interest, you need to get yourself a business partner who can oversee that part of the business. Talent and skill is not worth much if its not applied in the right way. In the business of being a hairstylist, you need to wear many hats.