"I think I always wanted to be a hairdresser,” says Rebecca Forsyth, 26.

With a mother as a receptionist in a hair salon, it’s no wonder that Forsyth aspired to work in a salon, as she spent a good deal of her childhood in one. As Forsyth got older, she veered from the cosmetology path and attended a traditional, four-year college. “At the end of it all, having cut all of my friends’ hair in my kitchen since high school, I realized hair was still where my heart was.”

Forsyth moved to Omaha about five years ago from Sioux Falls, S.D., to attend cosmetology school at Capitol School of Hairstyling and is currently a stylist at Bungalow/8 off 105th and Pacific Street. “It’s a fabulous and beautiful space, and I couldn’t dream of a better fit,” she says of the salon. “Everyone working there is so inspired and passionate.”

Hair color is Forsyth’s specialty. She’s an American Board Certified Haircolorist, an honor only attained by 1,700 stylists in the U.S. But she also has interests in styling. “I collaborate with a lot of photographers, fashion designers, and other creative types locally in both photo and video work, so I'm constantly working to help others realize their vision.” In addition to her hair coloring and styling credits, Forsyth has also developed a number of hairstyling tutorials with Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik, co-founder of Hello Holiday, an Omaha womens wear ecomerce site. The tutorials have been seen in magazines, reblogged, and pinned thousands of times on Tumblr and Pinterest.

“I haven’t worn pants in like seven years. I’m very into femininity but certainly a bit country and a bit rock and roll."

From braids to blowouts to beehives, Forsyth says she loves it all. “My love of styling has really helped me to find ways to work on teaching my clients while they're in my chair how to style their own hair at home. Before I was a hairdresser, I was always so frustrated that my hair would look great when I'd leave the salon, but I would be clueless about what to do with it when I was at home in front of the bathroom mirror. I've made it my mission to try to bridge that gap.”

Her clientele is very diverse, ranging from men and women, young and old. She also sees many clients with long hair and red hair. “I was a redhead myself for many years, which is likely where my eye for red comes from.”

As for her personal style, Forsyth describes her look as “a mixture of Brigitte Bardot, a Bradley doll, Dolly Parton, and a 1960s airline stewardess.” She explains that she’s very influenced by the late ‘60s big hair, lipstick, and winged eyeliner. “I haven't worn pants in like seven years. I'm very into femininity but certainly a bit country and a bit rock and roll. You are as likely to find me in cowboy boots or a square dancing dress as you are to find me in a fabulous jumper and pair of heeled Mary Janes.”

Her favorite styling products and tools include:

• Mason Pearson Popular Mixture hairbrushes—“It’s the Rolls Royce of brushes and has helped me produce amazing styling results.”
• Kerastase's Ciment Thermique—“Many of my blonde clients will tell you I'm also a huge fan. [It’s] a product that protects from heat and helps to rebuild broken and damaged hair. I've seen incredible results with it.”
• Bumble and bumble Spray de Mode—“It holds fabulously and provides great texture and body but is still dry and brushable, which is great for re-styling and avoiding that 1980s shellac-ed look.”