About Us
Natalie Caruso - Owner & Hair Stylist
At the young age of 4, Natalie joined miss all Canadian, a local beauty pageant. It was her parents hope that this new hobby would increase her self confidence, allowing her to find her voice. “I wasn’t always this loud and confident, I spent most of my childhood in silence, fearful of my own voice”. Unlike the other kids around her, Natalie struggled with her speech, diagnosed with a speech impediment, she feared communication with others. Beauty pageants were an outlet, a form of expression, if you will. Without the need to vocalize or form dialogue, Natalie transformed herself into a princess of her choosing with each pageant. Building her confidence through her growth she learned to find her voice. She sought therapy for her speech, received trophies for her talent show & was later crowned Miss All Canadian. “This industry shaped me. It allowed me to discover myself, to build the confidence and courage to look within and find my voice. I knew from that day on, I wanted to spend my whole life making others feel and look their very best, this is my life purpose”. This is where her story began...
In 2012, Natalie graduated from Cappa School Of Hairstyling in aesthetics. During her time at Cappa, she spent her evenings working in a local salon - gaining experience and knowledge, and learning from other individuals in the trade.
When she became fully licensed in 2013 and took on clients of her own, she began to realize that things in this industry needed to change. From work place acceptance to welcoming guests and celebrating their individuality. This is where her dream of opening her own salon came to be. With hard work and continuous dedication, Natalie founded the Little Shop Of Beauty in 2016, at the age of 23. Honouring her wishes for change, she challenged the industry by opening the 1st gender neutral, cruelty-free, vegan friendly, safe space salon in the region. “Gender neutral means denoting a word or expression that cannot be taken to refer to one gender only. In this industry, our service menu are generally priced based off of gender (female & male).” Natalie believes that each guest should be treated with equal amount of respect and acceptance & receive a service dedicated to their own individuality. It is not male haircut nor woman haircut - it is a haircut. Natalie’s prices quote each guest by their length and thickness, rather than gender.
In 2018, her wildest dreams came true. She became a licensed national educator for Jean Paul Mitchell Systems. When she isn’t making magic behind the chair, she is traveling throughout Ontario educating other salons and individuals of the trade. “I’ve always wanted to teach. I’ve had so many amazing mentors in my life that have shaped me, helped improve my growth and inspired me to find the best in myself. I’ve always wanted to be that person for someone. And it’s no secret that knowledge is power, and what good is power if it can’t be shared.”
JPMS is a hair care product line designed for professionals. It is eco conscious, cruelty-free & vegan friendly. Natalie has been Vegan since 2013, and feels so fortunate to be a part of a company whose morals are aligned with hers and those on her team. Little Shop Of Beauty is proudly a Paul Mitchell focus salon - each product line was designed with purpose, keeping the importance of reducing carbon footprints at the for front. For example: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree is committed to planting one million trees by the end of 2022. This means every bottle you buy or product you purchase from this line can plant a tree anywhere in the world of your choosing. This is just one of the many reasons that encompasses the wholesomeness of the Little Shop Of Beauty & their team.
Natalie has a wide range of services she offers on her menu with many credentials and certifications that are updated often - as she loves to “never stop learning!” She is an extension specialist, a blonding master, colour correction expert & a fashion colour lover! And this is just scratching the surface - with years of experience working with various types of hair, Natalie loves alternating between her shears and razor cutting skills to suit each guests needs.
“Bring on the big transformations!” she says. “There is no greater feeling than turning the chair around and seeing with your own eyes just how much your hard work has paid off. Making an impact in someone’s life, seeing the smile on their faces, witnessing that extra pep in their step type of confidence as they leave the salon…that my dears...is what this is all about.“