Mother’s Day Q&A with Ange

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Comb Culture Founder and mother of three, Ange shares her deep connections between motherhood, beauty and self-worth.

Ange blends life as a mum with her work as a hairstylist to offer a meaningful take on how caring for ourselves — even in the smallest ways — can have a powerful ripple effect. From morning rituals to meaningful traditions, Ange opens up about the lessons she’s learned and the values she’s passing on to the next generation.

Q: How has becoming a mother shaped the way you see beauty?

A: One of the most important things I found as a new mum after having a baby, and in the months afterwards, when your body constantly changes and you're tired, is that, it's so important to get up, have a shower, put some make up on and make time for you. So you can recognise yourself in the mirror… it's very easy to lose touch of beauty and who you were before children.

Q: Do you have any beauty traditions you share with your children?

A: On Mother’s Day Isla and I have pedicures together. That is something that we've done for a few years now. My daughter Isla (9) is really girly, she loves beauty pampering, and also really looks after her hair.

Q: How has motherhood influenced your approach to hair care and wellness — both for yourself and your clients?

A: I'm a huge believer in, looking good makes you feel good! Unfortunately, that is just the way that our minds work! Motherhood has probably instilled that in me, that it's important to not let yourself go, not for anyone else, but for you.

To have a sense of self and self-worth is very much attached to that. So you're worthy of feeling good, the littlest things like having time to brush your teeth, time to shower and do your makeup, you should find a way to prioritise them. It's very easy to make an excuse to not do those things. But you know that after, you'll feel good. This is in those new baby days, early motherhood days, which I always reflect on as the most challenging in motherhood.

Q: What’s one lesson about beauty or self-worth you hope to pass down to the next generation?

A: I am a big believer that beauty and self-worth resonate with confidence and feeling good. Knowing that you're worthy of whatever it is that you desire. I think building up the next generation, is building up their confidence and how they value themselves.

Q: How do you define beauty today, especially in a world with so many outside pressures?

A: It's a tricky scenario…one of the main things that I try and express with all my kids, not just my daughter, is that beauty is not just something on the surface it's something that we find within people.

Often the most beautiful people aren't just beautiful faces, but they also have really strong, loving and welcoming personalities. I also try and acknowledge with my kids that being beautiful doesn't always have to be looking good.

It's so important to also highlight all the other things that they can be, you're so smart or, I can't believe how creative you can be, or you're so good at shooting hoops. There's so many other things that we can tell girls that will strengthen all aspects of them rather than just being beautiful.

Q: When you opened Comb Culture, did you envision it becoming part of people’s family traditions (like mothers and daughters coming in together)?

A: I definitely thought that my target audience were women who were similar to me who aligned with my own journey. Women who were having children, who were planning to have children and had a priority for wanting to have an eco-conscious life and low tox life.

Q: What does it mean to you to create a space where multiple generations of women feel seen, safe, and celebrated?

A: When I became a mum, I really struggled with how insignificant I felt when I was at home with a dependent baby and a house full of chores and no other adults to talk to. It took me a while to realise, but the reason I felt so insignificant was because in my daily life, as a hairstylist, you know, up to five or six times a day, for each client, I had such a significant impact on their lives because of the relationship I had with them and how interpersonal our conversations were each and every time I would see clients.

It's impacted my life significantly to be able to provide services for people, that I find truly special as clients. It's been a life changing experience to open up a business, and now have eight other stylists working for me, who potentially, provide the same interpersonal experience and have an impact on people's lives, where they all feel equally special. That's my biggest passion in the salon - is the service and building relationships. It’s not just about being a hairstylist but becoming a friend for life and making clients feel beautiful as well.

Q: What message would you share with mothers — or those who mother — this Mother’s Day?

A: I think the most important thing is just to make sure you look after yourself and just take some time away when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Get your hair done, go for a coffee, go to the movies on your own, and prioritise that because as long as we've got a healthy mum, then we have healthy kids and at the end of the day, everything else will work out. Self care should be the biggest priority from day one. And enjoy the slow times!