Artist Spotlight: Jazmin Villegas

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15th to October 15th, and we’re celebrating by uplifting some seriously impressive LatinX stylists and entrepreneurs—like Orlando, FL-based stylist, educator, and curl specialist Jazmin Villegas (@jazminscurlss and @jazminsbridal).

Keep reading to learn all about Jazmin’s thriving career and how she found her purpose by embracing a niche that hits close to home. Plus, check out some of her top tips for curly clients and browse eight gorgeous curly and wavy looks by this talented artist. 

Jazmin’s passion for the beauty industry started very early in life. As a little girl, she remembers constantly getting into her mom’s cosmetics and being fascinated by all of the different types of hair and makeup products. Jazmin found that beauty products allowed her to express herself in an authentic and genuine way, and her natural passion made it easy for her to pursue a career as a hairstylist. However, like many curly girls, she struggled with embracing her natural hair texture.

After years of straightening her hair, Jazmin decided to finally take the plunge into a “big chop” as a way to encourage her natural hair journey. She says that this turning point in her life taught her to have more patience with her hair and allowed her to fall in love with her natural texture. 

Today, Jazmin runs her own salon suite in the Orlando area (Jazmin’s Curlss), which she sees as a safe space for texture education and inclusivity. She uses her personal experience embracing her curly mane as the catalyst to inspire and guide other curly gals along their hair journey. Her specialty is in curly cuts, curly haircare, and lived-in color, but she also creates gorgeous bridal looks that celebrate the beauty of textured hair. 

If you ask her loyal clients, they’ll tell you that she’s nothing short of a “curl goddess” who makes them feel beautiful and confident every time they leave her chair. She listens to her clients’ needs and hair concerns, and really takes her time to educate them on different curly hair products and styling techniques. Her happy clients say that she helped them fall in love with their natural hair all over again, a sentiment that embodies Jazmin’s incredible work and contribution to the curly hair community.  

Over the span of her career, Jazmin has dedicated herself to understanding the unique needs of curly hair and the ideal cuts, colors, and styling techniques that help showcase their beauty. Here are four pro tips that Jazmin says stylists should consider when working with curly hair types: 

Focus on giving great consultations 

According to Jazmin, consultations are extra-important when working with new curly clients. A thorough consultation can help you really understand your client’s goals, hair concerns, and level of education when it comes to caring for their curls.  

Educate curly clients on their hair porosity 

Jazmin often notices that clients with dry curls are not using the right products for their hair’s porosity level. She recommends taking the time to educate curly clients on their hair porosity and the ideal haircare products and routines for their specific needs. 

Promote maintenance trims 

Maintenance trims are essential for healthy-looking curls, according to Jazmin, so don’t forget to ask your curly clients when their last haircut was. She says that curly hair typically needs to be trimmed at least every three to four months to ensure that you’re retaining length and moisture. Regular trims can also help prevent split ends from traveling up the hair shaft and causing damage to natural curls. 

Use the right hydrating treatments for curly hair 

Jazmin says that, oftentimes, her curly clients aren’t doing enough hydration treatments to keep their curls looking moisturized, bouncy, and healthy. She recommends applying deep hydration treatments at least once a month to help replenish moisture, especially for curls that are looking dry and frizzy. 

Our Favorite Curly and Wavy Looks by Jazmin Villegas

One of Jazmin’s specialties is lived-in blonde, like this stunning champagne blonde look. To create the color, she hand-painted highlights using Redken Shades EQ Gloss Demi-Permanent Color Hair Toner in 8GI St. Barths + 9NW Cream Soda. She also treated this client’s shiny ringlets with K18 products like the Professional Molecular Repair Hair Mist and Peptide Prep Pro-Chelating Hair Complex. 

We love how this copper hair color makes her complexion glow and her curls pop! For this look, Jazmin applied an all-over reddish-brown shade, then used the K18 Professional Molecular Repair Mask and K18 PRO Mist to help repair damage and restore strength, softness, smoothness, and bounce to her client’s natural curls. 

This showstopping look has it all—a vibrant fantasy hair color, curly fringe, and well-defined, voluminous curls. The layered, round shape of this cut provides just the right amount of balanced volume on the top and sides, and gives Jazmin's client a fun, edgy look that shows off her features.

These knotless box braids look so natural, flattering, and best of all, they’re always in style. According to Jazmin, her box braid hairstyles don’t create a lot of tension on her clients’ hair and scalp, making them a great protective curly or coily hairstyle that’s both versatile and chic.

No curling irons were used in the making of this sophisticated updo! Instead, Jazmin used this beautiful bride’s natural curls to craft the perfect elegant updo for her client’s special day. To create the ultra-shiny, hydrated curls you see here, she reached for Mizani’s 25 Miracle Milk Multi-Benefit Leave-In Spray, Foam Wrap, and True Textures Curl Enhancing Lotion. 

Short, curly hairstyles have made a comeback in 2024, especially when paired with natural texture and dimensional hair colors like this chocolate caramel balayage. We love how Jazmin added just the right amount of color to her client’s natural brunette locks to make her highlights appear sun-kissed and natural. 

Bleaching the hair can take a toll on natural curls over time, but Jazmin has mastered the art of maintaining healthy-looking blonde curls for her clients. For this look, she created a warm, honey blonde hair color and finished the curly style with Mizani’s True Textures Curl Define Pudding and Foam Wrap.

Senegalese twists are a traditional African braiding style that’s created with a two-strand twist (versus three-strand braids like box braids). This style can be worn in so many different ways, depending on your clients’ preference, but one of our favorites has to be this fairytale-inspired bridal look. 

Header image credit: Instagram/@jazminscurlss