Meet Luda Quakenbush, September Educator of the Month

Educating is all about sharing ideas and techniques to help others stay passionate about their work behind the chair.

“Our industry is misconceived and a lot of people lose inspiration because they might not make enough money right away or their salon doesn't offer enough education to keep their creative side inspired and challenged, but it can be more than just a job, it can be a career. When you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life,” said Luda Quakenbush, Stylist at Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Salon in Indianapolis.

We’ve chosen Luda Quakenbush, Gold.KEY Educator for COLOR.ME by KEVIN.MURPHY, as our September Educator of the Month because we both share the belief that education creates a community that gives stylists a passion and a purpose.

“I love teaching and inspiring hairstylists to see something in a different light.”

What’s your favorite product from KEVIN.MURPHY?

“You just asked me to name my favorite child! One of my favorite products is the KEVIN.MURPHY toners, because they’re not level related, so you can use it on any hair color to achieve multi-tonal results. You can use it either to enhance, refine, or counteract color. It’s perfect for creating beautiful blondes or light pastel shades. My favorite right now is our LILAC toner. You can create beautiful sandy blonde or leave it on for a full 20 minutes (on a depth of 9-11) and get very pretty rosy blonde.

Favorite color combination?

“My favorite colors are reds. KEVIN.MURPHY has the best reds that don’t fade out and don’t fade as easily as other reds I’ve used. Lately, I’m inspired by “Tequila Sunrise” hair color (Google it!) and love to create hair color that incorporates oranges, reds, and pink reflects. I also love the 5.8/5V Light Brown Violet—it’s a beautiful violet color. Add some warm copper or golden tones highlights in with it and the contrast between two colors is gorgeous.”

What's the newest, freshest approach you're bringing to education?

“There’s nothing more intimidating than an educator coming into a salon and acting better than everyone. I never like to be above them. I want to be relatable to the stylists. I like to speak as an educator, but I like to talk to them as a colorist, too, and relate to them by my experience by providing stories as a stylist. I also welcome any color formulas they want to share with me, so I can learn from them too.”

What’s the next skill you want to cross off your list?

“I’m a foiler and I’m coming out of my comfort zone to do painting work like balayage and ombre.”

What’s your advice for stylists?

“When you’re happy, you want to share it with somebody. I would encourage any stylist to become an educator because this creates a team around you. KEVIN.MURPHY is a very fashion-forward company and has a fantastic team and we’re all are very connected. My salon is also team-based and team-oriented, so I have a strong support system.”