Tara Smith has styled the hair of stars including Demi Moore, Natalie Imbruglia and Marisa Tomei, and worked at awards ceremonies including the Oscars, Baftas, and Golden Globes. She also has her own award-winning vegan haircare range.
FIRST MEMORY: I don't know if it's my first, but a very vivid memory is from when I was about six, and we'd just moved house from Wigston Road to a little estate in Oadby. I'd been bought a little, light blue suitcase, and I can remember it so vividly. I think me and my brother had a squabble and I was like: "That's it, I'm leaving.'' I packed my little suitcase and walked out the house and right to the stop of the street. Just as I was about to walk into the next road, my mum shouted: "If you go, the bogey man's going to get you.'' I ran all the way back.
FIRST ALBUM: It was the Nolans, I loved the Nolans. Or maybe Bucks Fizz. One of the two. I knew all the dance moves, used to have a little record player and microphone and I'd sing along, even though I couldn't sing.
FIRST GIG: I think it was probably Wham! at De Montfort Hall. I'll always remember seeing Andrew Ridgeley on stage. I wasn't into George so much, but I fancied the pants off Andrew Ridgeley. I was just like, "Oh my God, this is amazing''. I think I went with my best friend, Jane, who's still lives in Leicester and is still one of my best friends.
FIRST SCHOOL: I went to The Laurels, a private school near Victoria Park. It doesn't exist any more. I remember it being great, but also quite strict.
FIRST JOB: I had a few different jobs when I was young. I used to rotate. My mum used to have her own salon but then she sold it and worked at Tates, in Stoneygate. I used to do shampooing and sweeping up hair. Around the same time, I used to work on Leicester Market, selling fruit and veg. I used to earn £10 a day and I had to get up at about 4am. I did enjoy it, though. It was kind of an accomplishment to sell all the fruit and veg.
I also used to work for a furniture and china shop – Duttons, on Allendale Road. I learnt how to gift-wrap properly, and I loved it, learning how to do the bows and everything.
One time, I accidentally unwrapped this china bird too fast and it ended up in small pieces on the floor. I was mortified but luckily they were insured. It was worth quite a lot.
FIRST CAR: A Peugot 205. I love cars, I'm a big car fan and was very fortunate to be bought my first car by my dad when I was 18. I had it until someone tried to steal it and blew it up, when I was about 24.
That taught me to never leave anything valuable in the car, because it had all my make-up in the boot.
FIRST CUT: That was when I was training at a school in Nottinghamshire. I had a model. My teacher used to say we should always stand balanced on both feet, because slouching could lead to hip or back problems or whatever.
Also, hairdressing is about geometry and angles, so slouching is bad. I was a bit slouched for that first haircut and he whacked me on the back of my knee and said: "That'll teach you.''
Although at the time I thought he was mean, in hindsight it's one of the best things I've learnt. I can stand for hours on my feet and I've had to for some jobs.
Sometimes I've been on movie sets for 14 or 15 hours a day.
FIRST BIG HAIRDRESSING JOB: The Three Musketeers, and I went to Vienna to do the hair. Kiefer Sutherland, who starred in it, is now an investor in my hair-care company.
FIRST PLACE OF MY OWN: The first house I bought was in Regent Street, Oadby, a little terraced house for £25,000. I think I was about 23. I had it for about two years and sold it. I now have an apartment near Regent's Canal, in King's Cross.
FIRST LOVE: I went out with a boy called Jason Cook when I was about 14 or 15 and we were together for a couple of years, I think. I'd love to know where he is now.
FIRST HOLIDAY: Well, we went to Tenerife when I was about 18 months old, but I don't remember it. My mum said all I did was eat bread rolls. The first holiday I remember was in Sheringham, where my grandparents had a caravan. I loved going crab fishing and eating ice creams with big Flakes.
