Outright Beauty Hair + Makeup is a business concept and brand owned and operated by Jen Pope. Her odyssey to becoming a professional hairstylist began by being born the daughter of a successful beauty salon owner. Jen says, "A lot of clients will ask me how long I've been doing hair. I like to say all my life. I started doing haircuts and coloring for people close to me, with my mom's guidance, when I was still in high school. From then on, no matter what I was studying or doing for a living, I always seemed to be doing someone's hair."
Her professional hairstyling career began in 2011 after earning an A.A.S. in Cosmetology at AB-Tech. Since then, she has worked at some of Asheville's top rated locally owned salons. She opened and operated her own hair studio, Streetcar 6 Salon, that as a solo hairstylist from July 2020-July 2022 during the height of the Covid-19 Pandemic before conceptualizing Outright Beauty and returning to her former booth rent location, Union Hill Salon.
She continuously pursues professional excellence by studying under local and national Master Stylists and has completed several advanced certifications in cutting and coloring. Her approach to hairstyling begins with listening to what the client wants to achieve.
"I'm all about the consultation. I don't start the service until we've thoroughly discussed and agreed upon the final result," says Jen.
She prefers to work with a minimal amount of styling products and thermal tools. She focuses on creating comfortable hairstyles that are easy for clients to manage and maintain. Ultimately, the finished look is achieved through her technical precision and meticulous attention to detail.
Jen is commitment to operating a business in service to the local community that maximizes quality and minimizes harm. She only uses and sells cruelty-free product lines and offers an affordable community oriented service menu that is inclusive of all gender expressions. Jen notes, " I don't do men's haircuts or women's haircuts. I do haircuts for people in my community and charge according to the service received, not your gender identity.
She currently operates out of Union Hill Salon in West Asheville and can also be booked for on location for hair and makeup services in and around WNC.