
ASCP, ISPA and PBA Receive 2026 Power of Associations Award for Esthetics Licensure Compact
This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.
Social Media Expert, Kelly Ehlers, gets the inspirations behind celebrity Colorist Aura Friendman's social media endeavors. From inspiration to new clients Aura's doing it right, and her Tumblr is making waves.

Do you love Jennifer Lawrence, Carolyn Murphy, Sophie Dahl, M.I.A, or Lady Gaga's hair color? If you answered ‘yes’ – then you’ll surely love the Tumblr blog “Color Makes All The Difference.” Aura Freidman, Wella celebrity colorist, is the author of this popular blog, inspiring us daily by posting her take on future trends and the use of color in her everyday life. Friedman’s savvy use of social media has allowed her to expand her professional and personal brand and is no doubt one of the most sought after editorial colorists in the business.
I had the opportunity to chat with Friedman about her career and how social media has helped her share her work and generate new clients.
With a whole basketful of celebrity colorist and editorial work you have really made a name for yourself as a colorist in this industry. How did you climb your way to the top?
A lot of hard work and determination. I just did EXACTLY what I wanted to do. My dream has been to work with people that inspire me, from coloring musicians hair, to models, to working on set and collaborating with some of the biggest visionaries. I feel privileged and humbled and lucky. I am blessed to have a great team of people that believe in me and I hope they know how much I appreciate them!
How do you use social media to showcase your work?
It helps me spread the word, whether it’s press coverage or editorial photo shoots – I post that content on multiple social networks, including: Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I have different followers in different places and those followers help share my work virally. I think this type of sharing can help motivate others in my field – and show them that they too can strive for anything with their careers!
Your Tumblr is one of your biggest online presence platforms, where did that idea originate?
To be honest I like to share things that inspire me, sharing my work is just a by-product of sharing inspiration. Tumblr is an easy platform to do just that.

If you were talking to a stylist looking to break into editorial and celebrity color, what kind of advice would you give him/her?
Being in NY or LA helps. Just work hard and imagine that every client is a celebrity, every person should get the most beautiful hair because they represent you, your aesthetic. My first celebrity clients came to me as a referral from other clients.
The nature of business has changed with theinternet and the social sphere. How is social media affecting the salon industry?
What I see happening now is amazing! I get clients who come in just based on my esthetic on my Tumblr blog, which is great. The client already has a feel for my work, and our taste is similar based on the inspiration I’m posting on my blog. Additionally, a lot of my clients look to my blog for a starting point for their next color. It’s my goal to constantly create trends and open up my clients to creative ideas – Tumblr is a great outlet to do so.
What are your top 5 blogs to follow?
Sloane Cuts You on the Opening Ceremony Blog
Goddess Huntress
Thomas Dunkin Hair
Beauty By Bens
Being a colorist is an art form, what other artistic outlets do you enjoy?
I enjoy art in all forms – taking the concepts and conceptualizing ideas from all mediums. I often create inspiration boards for ideas and for future trend forecasting.
What we can see when we look at Friedman's awesome career is that art can be an online expression as well. Tumblr is a great place to express your creativity, showcase your work, and gain inspiration. When you visit "Color Makes All The Difference” it's an art gallery, and an online advertisement for Friedman's brand, one that’s no doubt helped the talented colorist build both her personal brand – and her clientele.
To connect with Friedman, check out her social networks here:
Tumblr | |
Website |
For more tips and tricks on building your online brand with Tumblr and other social media resources check out StyleSync, a new, online education site built specifically for the salon industry! Go to: www.StyleSync.me for more information.
As always, feel free to contact me at: kehlers@evokebrands.com with any quesitons and, be sure to "like" our Facebook page.
As always, feel free to contact me at: kehlers@evokebrands.com with any questions or comments.
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About www.StyleSync.me:
Style Sync is an on-line social media training, personal branding and business education platform designed specifically for salon owners and stylists to help them magnify their image and multiply their results.
Style Sync, a division of Evoke Brand Strategies, is an on-line, subscription based social media training, personal branding and business education platform designed to help individual stylists and salon owners turn social media prowess into more clients and more money for your salon.
About www.EvokeBrands.com:
At Evoke Brand Strategies we develop digital, social and mobile strategies for salon professional, beauty, hospitality and entertainment brands. As branding and public relations veterans, yet early adopters of all things digital, we understand the importance of creating measurable, buzz-worthy campaigns that generate bottom-line results.

This shared recognition celebrates the strength of industry collaboration in advancing professional mobility.

In Dubai, a salon visit isn’t an appointment. It’s a weekly routine, and clients can spend $800 to $1,400 a month on it, according to Gaurav Tripathi of MADI International. On October 6-8, 2026, the market behind those numbers opens its doors as Beautyworld Dubai marks its 30th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together distributors, brands, stylists and salon owners from all over the world.

In October, volunteers plan to walk and take the plunge during at the annual event, HairToStay Does the Bay. Find out how you can participate and support the organization that grants subsidies to cancer patients so they can receive cold cap treatments to save their hair during chemotherapy.
At Premiere Orlando 2026, SALON TODAY catches up with Easihair Pro's Angela Gilmore, who talks about why stylists lose clients who are suffering from thinning hair and hair loss, and how their new Hairlosophy line can help.

Illuminated Paths is a boxed set of 52 cards, a guidebook, and an Oracolor Wheel, a visual framework that helps readers reconnect with the qualities they want to bring into everyday life.

In this rare essay, the president of a haircare brand takes us behind-the-scenes into a world we never see when we pick up a product off the shelves--the arduous, thought-probing, second-guessing journey of rebranding a legacy product line. Not only is her reflection fascinating, but it is also incredibly useful for any salon owner or manufacturer contemplating their own brand.

Twenty lucky winners will be selected July 30th, and each will be able to choose from three different service tray models.

Motivated by loved ones who have battled cancer, Phorest's Barry Quinn and two friends will embark on a three-day trek to the summit of the highest peak in North Africa in September, raising money for HairToStay. Find out how you can help them.

The company's Back to Business Sweepstakes is a direct investment in the stylists and salon owners who are building something that lasts.

Owners start to worry when a month's sales come up short compared to the same period last year, but that may have more to do with the days in the month than with an actual decline. The KIM Report's Alain Audet points to May 2026 as a prime example.