You can’t lay eyes on Carrie Parsons-Bell’s gorgeous flowing locks and not be a little (OK, maybe a lot) envious. But she, like most, claims her hair is an ongoing issue. “Cut it off, grow it out, cut it off, grow it out … I have found over the last few years that longer is better for me. I have a texture to my hair that has only been discovered by growing it long. When my hair is shoulder length, it is hard to manage. If you are trying to grow your hair, then just don’t cut it! Trimming the ends does not make your hair grow faster,” she says.
Advice taken. Honestly, we’d slather our hair in a mustard/ketchup mixture if Parsons-Bell told us it would make our strands beautiful. Luckily though, that’s not on the menu at Salon Scarlet, where she runs the show.
A native of Springfield, Mo., a mother, and a newlywed with husband Ray Bell, Parsons-Bell has been a hairstylist for 12 years. But she’s been passionate about the craft for much longer.
“In high school I had more hair colors than the rainbow and always styled my friends for prom or homecoming or a night out,” she says. “I had a friend whose hair was super curly that I remember ironing on an actual ironing board. Obviously, that was before the age of flat irons,” she jokes.
Parsons-Bell got her start in professional cosmetology as a receptionist in a salon/spa owned by a “work-driven Korean woman,” who she says instilled in her a serious work ethic. “[I worked] six, sometimes seven days a week. She taught me to work hard and play hard, taking all her employees to dinner once a week,” she recalls.
After graduating from cosmetology school, Parsons-Bell eventually found her way to Little Rock. Then, six years ago, with the help of Scarlet owner Jeanne Johansson, she opened Salon Scarlet in Pleasant Ridge Town Center.
“[Jeanne] already had such an amazing customer base, I knew I couldn’t go wrong combining our two businesses. I can pay all of my successes to our unbelievable client base, which is loyal and unwavering,” she says.
Today her hairstyling expertise is in such high demand that she’s outgrown her modest salon adjoining Scarlet and has recently opened a brand-new expanded space in the same shopping center.
Designed by Laura Bullock of Laura Bullock Interiors, Parsons-Bell says the new salon offers a beautiful space for her clients to sit, wait and even sip a drink and shop. There’s enough room to accommodate five stylists and more than enough seating for 30 (that’s up from a previous maximum occupancy of six!). She also has a place for a washer and dryer, so there will be no more schlepping wet towels home three times a week.
With so much more space than the previous salon – which was no bigger than a large bathroom or walk-in closet – Salon Scarlet is also accepting new clients, and Parsons-Bell is looking for the final two stylists to round out her top-notch staff. “My goal in the salon is to build an amazing team of stylists that any of my clients would be happy to see. I am also excited for my stylists to have a work environment they are proud of and feel inspired by.”
On a personal style note, Parsons-Bell’s work uniform consists of ultra soft t-shirts, cut-off jean shorts or skinny jeans and flat ankle boots. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t love looking super girlie on my date nights, when I typically throw on a mini dress and nude heels. I love looking put together, but never like I thought too much about it. You would never catch me in pearls, a bag covered in logos, Capri pants or a French manicure,” she says.
She adds that she rarely goes shopping because every day is like an up-close-and-personal style show working alongside Scarlet. “Then I choose what I can’t live without. It’s a bonus having your best friends as buyers and loving every piece that comes through the doors. I do have to say that loving what you do is definitely not overrated.”
Tricks of the Trade
How Parsons-Bell gets her gorgeous locks:
• Wash & Air Dry: “I am by far a wash-and-go kind of girl. I always let my hair air dry, and depending if I want to relax the wave or encourage it, I decide which decadent Oribe product to use. I’m a huge fan of their styling cream, Supershine, as well as their new mousse (which is not your mother’s mousse) Grandiose. Air-dried hair should never be brushed; it only interrupts the natural curl pattern.”
• Second-Day Curls: “If I do curl my hair, it’s usually on the second day, as I find my hair holds better. I always leave out the last couple of inches from the iron to ensure a softer, more casual curl.”
• Favorite Products: Dry Texture Spray, Après Beach Spray, Signature Shampoo and Conditioner, Royal Blowout and Maximista, all by Oribe
Carrie Parsons-Bell relaxes in the new Salon Scarlet space, which now has expansive mirrors, ample elbow room and enough space for five stylists and 30 clients. She styled her own hair (of course) and wears a dress, shoes and accessories from Scarlet.
Several sputnik-like chandeliers lend a timeless touch to the new space at Salon Scarlet.
Parsons-Bell sells a wide range of Oribe hair products – her favorite – at Salon Scarlet.