MRA Advisory Group Sat Down with Donna “Sami” Prata

MRA Advisory Group Sat Down with Donna “Sami” Prata. Here’s what we learned:

Donna, known as Sami to her clients, has been a hair stylist and colorist for 20 years. She is currently working at the Stella Valentine Salon in Long Valley, NJ, which is a Morris/Essex Health and Life Magazine Readers’ Choice “Best of” Award winner in 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018. You can follow Donna’s great work at Stella Valentine’s Facebook page and her Instagram page, sami_stellavalentine

How long have you been in this industry?

20 years. I graduated from college, but I always knew I’d be a stylist. I’ve always loved doing hair and my Mother and Aunt were stylists as well. You could say it’s in my blood!

What do you like about cutting hair?

I like to do both cut and color together on a client to complete the look. I love when I have a vision and get to see it all come together, along with the big smiles on my client’s faces when I’ve completed their services. I also like the challenge of working on curly hair, which can be difficult, and sometimes leaves curly haired clients without an educated stylist. At Stella Valentine we have stylists that specialize in every hair type to make sure you get the cut and color that works best for you.

How did you become a Deva Curl / curly hair specialist?

I’ve always loved working with curly hair and when Stella Valentine came across a new technique to cut curly hair, I knew I had to get Deva Curl certified, which I did at the Devachan Salon in New York City. I love to keep up with the latest and greatest trends. You can never allow yourself to get stale at this job, you must continue your education. That is something we take very seriously at Stella Valentine. We are constantly learning new techniques and attend the International Beauty Show in NYC every year.

What is the difference between Stella Valentine and other salon’s you’ve worked at?

At Stella Valentine we have a staff of 14 and we truly are a family. We strive every day to make your experience at Stella Valentine one you won’t forget. We want your experience to be something you can’t wait to tell your friends about. Our goal is to be the very best in customer service! We want you to
leave feeling beautiful and looking forward to your next visit with us. Other salons I have worked at have been very cut throat. Here, we have clients, you can see any stylist and never feel uncomfortable doing so.

Stella Valentine also believes education is great for our guests. We have an annual “Ask the Stylist” event in March where guests can come in and ask us anything. They can test products and get educated from our experienced staff.

What is your favorite product?

I have several, but my favorite Deva Curl product is the Super Cream! You can use it on wet or dry hair and it controls the curls in even the worst humidity. We also carry our very own Stella Valentine line of shampoos, conditioners and stylist products. I’d have to say the “Not Your Mama’s Hairspray” is my favorite in our line. It’s super pliable but also completely holds your style.