Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Courtesy of Mara Roszak/Yulia Reznikov
Mara Roszak is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after hairstylists. In her 22-year-long career, she’s worked with A-listers and Oscar winners including Emma Stone, Zoë Saldaña, and Halle Berry. Roszak first became obsessed with hair as a teenager learning how to transform her natural curls; after years of experimenting with products, she noticed a gap in the market. “I could not find products that performed at a professional level that were clean,” she says. “The world of pro hair felt very male. I had a different perspective and different voice, and I felt like I really understood the nuance.” In 2021, she founded the hair-care line RŌZ to fill that gap.
Earlier this year, RŌZ launched its full product line in Sephora just ten days after Roszak gave birth to her second child. “I was on Slack from the delivery room,” she says, and she went back to work just six days after her C-section. Roszak lives in Los Angeles County with her musician husband, their 5-year-old son, and their 6-month-old daughter. Here’s how she gets it done.
On her morning routine:
The baby wakes up around 6:30, and she’s our alarm clock. My husband usually gets her out of her crib and brings her to me. I’m still semi-nursing, so I’ll nurse her. Our son comes into the room, usually by 7 a.m., and my husband delivers me coffee in bed. Then it’s off to the races getting ready for school. We used to drive my son to Silver Lake, which took about 20 minutes. But now we’re staying local in La Cañada, so it’s a six-minute commute and I can make it back for 9 a.m. calls.
On managing stress:
Before kids, I never stressed. Work didn’t really stress me out; I mean, it did occasionally, when I was rushing to and from airports. But for the most part, I’m very good under pressure. If someone wants to completely change their hairstyle, or a photographer is like, “This isn’t working. Let’s do that,” I’m like, “Great. Let’s go.” I’m just very flexible and fluid. I try to take walks when I can. A long, hot shower or bath at the end of the night really makes a difference. I want to meditate, but I don’t.
On (not) setting boundaries:
I never really unplug. I respect other people’s boundaries, but I like to always be on. I was on Slack from the delivery room. I’m not saying every moment is the most joyous, but at the end of the day, I love what we’re creating with RŌZ, and I love doing hair.
On emotional intuition in her work:
As important as it is to be talented at doing hair, you have to have emotional intuition. I always tell assistants that you want to check your own energy and ask yourself, “What am I bringing into this room?” It’s such an important piece of the job. People remember how you made them feel, and I am very much in a service role. I want people to feel incredible when they’re in my hands. It’s a vulnerable experience for the client, and I take it very seriously.
On discovering her love for hair:
I was about 13 when I inherited curly hair that I didn’t really recognize post-puberty. Every single one of my friends had model hair; they could get up, add water, and it would just air-dry. I was very determined to have that. It was the ’90s, so there was a lot of straight hair. I got really good at doing my own hair with my mom’s 1985 blow-dryer, and then I started to do my friends’ hair. People started to come to my house, and I’d do their hair before we went to bar and bat mitzvahs and birthday parties.
On her first big break:
When I was 18, I got a call to do Sarah Michelle Gellar’s hair from her publicist, who was dating my cousin at the time. I didn’t even know what a publicist was, and I said, “Yes, of course, I would love to do her hair.” My mom had to drive me to Sarah Michelle’s house because I didn’t have a driver’s license yet, and she dropped me off around the corner. I did Sarah’s hair, she loved it, and shortly after, she invited me on a press tour with her. I was traveling around the world, and I had never been out of the country before that.
On learning how to build and run a business:
I never knew anything about formulating products or building a team or raising capital and what it entailed. I didn’t go to school for that. But I obviously know a ton about hair and about what I want products to do for hair. I learned an entirely new skill set 22 years into my career. That comes with its own stress: wanting it to be the best, having a family simultaneously — oh, and going through COVID.
On going back to work days after giving birth:
I was working literally six days after the baby was born, and I had a Cesarean. I felt good, which was really lucky. I put on my girdle and worked. So much of who I am is connected to the women I work with, and it’s my creative outlet. I felt the most like myself being able to do that. Three weeks later, I was on a plane to Paris Fashion Week with the baby.
On the people who help her get it done:
We have an incredible nanny. My daughter doesn’t know a world without her, and I’m so grateful for her. She’s patient and soft, and it’s nice to have someone who feels like an extension of our family. Her kids are older than mine and they’re in school full-time, but when they’re not, I tell her to bring them with her. And my husband is incredibly hands-on and very helpful.
On her relationship with money:
I haven’t been comfortable talking about money in the past, and I learned through building RŌZ that there are going to be moments where you’re thinking about it and talking about it and raising it and spending it. I started working really young. I liked making my own money and not ever needing to rely on anyone for it. I really never asked for money until I went to raise capital for RŌZ. I had to reframe that in my mind: that it was an opportunity for someone, rather than me asking for money.
On the power of “yes”:
I really said “yes” to a ton early in my career. I was very much a “yes” person, and I’m not someone who has a ton of boundaries, but I think that has served me well in my career. Say yes while you’re building, then just figure it out. You don’t have to have all the answers, and when you don’t, it’s just an opportunity to learn more.