Do you remember Tasha Smith’s hair style in the Tyler Perry movie “Why Did I Get Married”? It had body, bounce and the cut was perfection. Did you know it was a weave cut and styled to the teeth by celebrity stylist Darico Jackson? I was lucky enough to talk with the very busy Darico Jackson and not only did he give me his resume of impressive clients like Karrine Stephans for the “Confessions of a Video Vixen” book cover, Kelly Price, Meagan Goode,Raven Simone and Kim Kardashian But he also gave me tips for healthy hair and advice for aspiring hair stylists looking to style the rich and famous.(DaRico managed to gather three top celebrities, from left to right :Tasha Smith, Michael Ealy, Johawrah Jones and Darico Jackson, and top photographer John Russo)

Darico, who was your first celebrity client?
Shaq was my first celebrity client for a Nestle crunch commercial in 2002. I continued to work with him on all of his campaigns from Icy Hot to Microsoft from 2002 until 2004. I relocated to LA permanently in 2003 with my first salon job at the Elgin Charles salon.

What was your first major job?
My first major job was with Karrine Stephans for cover of book “Confessions of a Video Vixen”. I think it’s the best she ever looked.

What is the biggest trend in celebrity hair right now?
Bobs are the trend but now they have varying shapes. There are edgier bobs, bobs with long bangs and razor cut bobs.And what I like to do is give a woman a bob based on her face shape and her lifestyle.The simple classic bob is perfect for women with a round face because it highlights the cheekbones and jawline. If a woman has an active lifestyle I would make her bob one length so no matter what her hair looks clean and polished because she has shape to her hair. Artists usually want something more edgy with random pieces or a razored bang or an assymmetrical bob but these types of cuts a lot more maintenance is required. For actresses I suggest lots of layers to reduce the weight of the hair and to give more options. With layers you can curl the ends under, flip them up or put your hair behind your ear.

If you could get your hands on any celebrity’s head who would it be?
Whitney Houston. She has such a natural beauty but her hair never complements her. With her working on a new album and getting herself together she deserves to look good.

What products do you love to use & actually do what they say they do on the label?
Mizani shampoos. They are perfect for ethnic and white hair because they really focus on moisturization of the hair. The Mizani butter blend relaxers are excellent because they use microfusion technology and that means the molecules of the ingredients are small enough to truly penetrate the hair shaft. Also Sebastian products like their finishing sprays and gels. They do what they say because they are great for creative styling and they maintain hair. Their spray Shaper holds the shape of the hair but the hair stays comable and the Laminates concentrate gel holds and moisturizes with no swelling of the cuticle. The result no frizzies.

You’ve managed to build a strong career for yourself in a short amount of time. What advice would you give to an aspiring celebrity hair stylist?
Remain consistent, go after it and ask questions. Don’t be intimidated and don’t be afraid to ask people questions to understand the industry. It is vital to network in every situation and goal to set is to connect with 10 people in the room because you never now who of those 10 contacts will lead to an opportunity. And don’t be afraid to work for free. When I work with a client on occasion the first one is on me because I know it will lead to more work. Look for jobs on Craigslist, find people needing stylists for test shoots. You will need photos to show your work so do as many tests shoots as possible. Have faith in God period and step out on faith.

What are your future goals or what do you see yourself doing in the future?
I see myself developing a hair care line that combines the ability to nuture and keep hair healthy with the ability to be a high performance product that can be used to create extreme hair styles.

What are your tips for healthy hair?
Keep it moisturized and not by greasing. Do not use anything petroleum based to moisturize your hair. I recommend Mizani custom blend because its fortifying. The key to healthy hair is to balance equal amounts of moisture and protein. Too much protein makes your hair hard so slow down on the protein treatments and remember to use moisturizing conditioners as well. A natural way to condition your hair is to mash an avocado, apply it to your hair and sit under a dryer and then rinse. Some good moisturizing conditioners on the market are Mizani’s Moisturefuse and Nexxus Humectress.Another way to ensure you’re getting protein and moisture in the right amounts is to use half and half together at the same time. Do that for no more than 30 minutes under the dryer twice a month. On the other hand you can tell your hair is overconditioned if it frizzes, is flat and won’t hold a curl.

If a woman is between stylists what should she look for in when finally choosing one?
First find a male hair stylist. That will dramatically reduce your choices. And the reason I say to choose a man is because men can offer a different point of view. They usually don’t have the ability to practice hair styles on themselves so they have to be more creative and give a woman a hair style that works for her and because of that men have to be more solid in their technique. Then match your style to your stylist. So if your more conservative pick a stylist that is too. Look also for consistency. You want a stylist that is at their salon on a regular basis taking clients regardless if they have appointments or not. Never pick a lax stylist; you want a stylist that stays working.

What are you up to right now?
I just finished styling Kelly Price’s hair for the red carpet of the ASCAP awards. I will be training with Mizani and traveling to London to train with Vidal Sasson. I’ll also be doing a pilot for a show called “Dichotomy” that starts shooting in July and I just opened my own studio called Amiri.

Find Darico on Myspace
Contact Darico through the Crystal Agency
If you’re in Beverly Hills you can book an appointment at his studio Amiri at the Chess & Berman Bldg., 9911 West Pico Blvd. 90035, (213)446-0096, darico@amiristudio.com.