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Meet the women behind Pinup! Each Pinup Girl is hand picked and brings her own personal flair and uniqueness to our Salon.
They hold the values Pinup conveys, authenticity, kindness but with a pop of sass!
Wondering which of our Pinup Girls are the best fit for your style and personality? Try our quick matchmaking survey!
Owner. Christina Kirkey, Pinup Studios fearless leader and loudest cheerleader has been thriving in the beauty industry for 14 years now. She was first attracted to the freedom of the industry and finding a way to express herself through all things beauty and fashion. Now her passion lies in guiding all women to see the beauty in themselves! While hair and lashes were her first love, she is fully “retired” from behind the chair and has found an even stronger passion for coaching and growing her team and business. From creating a multi-award winning salon to six figure stylists and continuously trying to mend the gap between commission salons and solo stylists, she is here not only to leave her mark in the industry but to be a resource for all stylists. Christina looks forward to helping this next generation of stylists and creating multiple job opportunities for all stylists in the area.
Salon Coordinator. Alli MacDonald has been working in the beauty industry for 5 years. Your retired esthi-bestie, she got licensed in 2019 with no plan on where she would land in the beauty world. After working in places like Southern California and Dallas, Alli made her way back to Raleigh to find a home at Pinup Studio as Salon Coordinator. Alli has had countless opportunities to work and grow alongside Christina, traveling around the country for training in business and personal development. She loves watching the hard work they put in come to life, between the growing team, systems, culture, and clientele. Alli is a transplant from Massachusetts, loves cooking and soup, and will happily give you her opinion on what skincare you should be using…but only if you want it! She loves watching the Pinup team blossom together and the community she gets to be part of every day. Alli looks forward to taking this industry by storm with Christina, always taking herself and this girl gang to the next level.
Level 2 Stylist. Brenda Torres has been in the beauty industry for 5 years. Brenda fell in love with this industry early, following in her mom’s footsteps. Brenda loves to create dimensional colors, especially blondes and brunettes. She has taken multiple balayage classes, including Masters of Balayage, and is also certified in extensions through NBR and Wefts + Waves. She loves that she gets to bring her own style with each client and customizes each experience to achieve their goals. She is kind, genuine, and has a clear passion for the art she creates. Brenda is bilingual in Spanish, loves reading, and spending time with her family. Brenda’s goals are to never stop learning and continue to be the best colorist she can be!
Social Coordinator & Level 4 Stylist. Nicole Murphy has been rocking the beauty industry for 22 years! Her love for hairstyling started early, as a little girl who couldn’t resist curling her grandma’s hair and finishing it in Aquanet. Now, Nicole is a master of vibrant colors, highlights, and bold transformations! Nicole isn’t just about making you look good—she’s all about the journey. She loves walking through life with her clients and sharing stories. While she may seem shy at first, Nicole is full of energy, laughter, and great conversation. When she’s not creating magic in the salon, Nicole is at home with her lively crew of kids, a loving husband, four dogs, a cat, and even a bearded dragon! And if you catch her in the kitchen, you’ll likely find her whipping up some delicious baked treats. Looking ahead, Nicole is eager to dive deeper into her community!
Level 2 Stylist. Haley Daigneau is a transplant from San Diego and has been behind the chair for four years. After being rejected from internships because of her vibrant hair, she knew she was in the wrong industry. Haley loves balayage and traditional highlights, specializing in lightening dark hair, and will always take on a vibrant unicorn color. She has been trained in Pulp Riot vivids, lived-in color and balayage techniques, and recently became extension certified through Aqua extensions! Haley loves contributing to making women feel beautiful and confident within themselves. She is beyond grateful to be a part of big life events, from break ups to weddings, new jobs, and more. Her loving, goofy, and outgoing personality makes Haley’s chair a comfortable place for anyone. Haley loves spending time with family and being a new mom to her beautiful daughter, Riyah. Haley is excited to grow in the world of extensions and move into educating new stylists!
Level 2 Stylist. Alyssa Valdes has worked within the beauty industry for 4 years. After working an office job that didn’t feel fulfilling, she enrolled in cosmetology school. Alyssa is inspired by her sister, a stylist of over 20 years, and continues to make her proud every day after her passing in 2020. Balayage and extensions are what bring Alyssa to life behind the chair. She is now extension certified through both NBR and Wefts + Waves. Alyssa loves that being a hairstylist brings her so much freedom and creativity on a daily basis. She loves the opportunities to meet new faces and build relationships with her clients! Alyssa is funny and sweet. She’s a great listener and offers a judge free zone in her chair. She loves to spend time with her family, run with her husband, and read. You should definitely ask her about her last trip to Costa Rica! Alyssa’s excited for a future with more world travel but even more color classes, like Masters of Balayage and Redken.
Level 2 Stylist. Samantha Taylor has been a dedicated professional in the beauty industry since 2015. Inspired by her brother, who has been doing hair since 2003, Samantha sought a career that would be both exciting and fulfilling. She specializes in blonding and dimensional color and has trained with Redken! What Samantha loves most about being a hairstylist is that it never feels like work. She cherishes the opportunity to catch up with her clients, many of whom have become like family, and to share in the different phases of their lives. Sam’s silly, fun-loving personality makes her chair a joyous and comfortable place for everyone. Outside of the salon, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, going to the pool, trying new restaurants, and diving into a good book! Samantha is passionate about making her clients feel beautiful and confident, and she is excited to continue evolving in her career while being a part of her clients’ special moments.
Level 1 Stylist. Jada Murias has been part of the beauty industry for just under seven years. Her parents lead her to this industry, getting her artistic skills from her dad and watching her mom do her own hair and makeup every day. She went to cosmetology school to be taken seriously for SFX makeup and fell in love with hair during the process. Jada enjoys balayage and babylights. These foundational skills enhance her ability to create dimensional, lived-in balayage and vibrant vivids. Jada is certified in Olaplex and K18, and expanded her skills into extensions, getting certified with Wefts + Waves. She loves building genuine relationships with her clients, getting the opportunity to customize each service to what suits them and their lifestyle best. Jada is outspoken and out of pocket. She is willing to adjust to any sort of appointment, whether you need a laugh, a heart-to-heart, or honor the silent appointment you’ve been needing.
Level 1 Stylist. Elizabeth Jackson has been working in the hair industry for 3 years. Elizabeth’s passion for wanting to make people feel good, confident, and find a love for themselves drives her career! She loves the aspect of always being able to express herself and the constant learning and growing that comes along with being in the industry and with each client she encounters. Elizabeth is a lover of all things blonding! She has taken certifications through Masters of Balayage, K18, and Cezanne Keratin Treatments. Somewhere in between shy and outgoing, Elizabeth enjoys any opportunity to keep people around her happy and smiling! She also melts for anything pink and sparkly (she fits right in!) If Elizabeth isn’t bringing your hair goals to life, she’s most likely spending time with her pup, Stella or with her family eating Fresh Local Ice Cream or Mexican food! Her goals for the future are to add new skills and trades under her books, going to more classes, and learning and growing with her family as well!
Eryn has been in the beauty industry for three years and brings a fun, upbeat vibe to every appointment. Inspired by her sister-in-law, who’s also a hairdresser, she fell in love with helping people feel confident through beautiful hair. She loves creating bright, dimensional blondes and rich, glossy brunettes—and she’s working toward becoming certified in extensions to give clients the long, thick hair of their dreams. With her energetic personality and great listening skills, Eryn makes sure every client leaves the salon feeling seen and cared for. Outside of work, you can catch her with a good book, hanging at the beach, or spending quality time with her new husband!
Whitney Nash has been in the beauty industry for 9 years. Inspired by her mother and grandmother, who are also stylists, she began apprenticing for her nail license at 15 and fell in love with the beauty world! By 17, Whitney was fully immersed in a cosmetology program. She specializes in blowouts, extensions, and color services. Whitney’s favorite part of being a hairstylist is the connection with clients, living for the meaningful conversations and love shared in her chair. Known as a hype woman, she ensures her clients feel uplifted and enjoy a lot of laughter during their appointments! Outside the salon, Whitney loves snuggling with her baby and exploring new food spots. Her future goals are centered on growth in every possible way!
Associate Stylist. Sarah Stone is fresh in the industry with one year under her belt! Sarah had always been an admirer of the industry, doing her and her friends’ hair for years before she decided to pursue it as a career. She loves color service with a big transformation, making vivid services her absolute favorite! She has developed in her craft with a vivids specialization training and even expanded into prisms, color blocking, and other advanced color placements. Sarah will always try to make you laugh! She can guarantee honesty and she always has your back! If she’s not in the salon, she may be on a day trip or reading a book, trying new restaurants, or exploring a museum. Sarah hopes to grow within this industry and become a platform artist, showing her skills off to hundreds at a time!
Bridal Coordinator. A growing stylist in studio and our dynamic Bridal Coordinator, Whitney has hit the ground running in her role with Pinup Bridal! With 7 years of dedicated experience in bridal beauty, Whitney knows exactly what it takes to bring your bridal glam dreams to life. Whitney’s attention to detail is unmatched. She lives by her calendar, so yours is in safe hands. A true groupie for both love and beauty, she’s your ultimate hype girl, ensuring your team, timeline, and look are flawless for your big day! Her favorite moment? Seeing the pure joy on a bride’s face when the glam is complete, and it finally hits her that she’s about to walk down that aisle!
Pixies or mens cuts