Carly Stephens

Carly was born and raised in Los Angeles and later made her way to the Central Coast, where she now calls home. Her interest in hair started early, inspired by a longtime family friend and hairstylist who showed her how transformative a fresh color or new look could feel. Carly began cosmetology school while still in high school and has now been behind the chair for nearly 11 years, combining her love of creativity with the relationships she gets to build along the way.

Carly loves creating highlights and dimensional blondes with a focus on beautiful hair that still feels manageable in everyday life. She believes in working with your hair rather than against it and wants every guest to leave feeling confident not only in how their hair looks that day, but in how it will look and feel weeks later. Her approach is thoughtful and realistic, helping clients create simple routines that make caring for their hair at home feel easy rather than overwhelming. Most importantly, she wants every guest in her chair to feel seen, heard, and valued.

When Carly isn’t behind the chair, she’s a self-proclaimed homebody who loves spending time with her husband and stepson, getting lost in a good book, or doing just about anything creative with her hands. Floral arranging, sewing, knitting, and experimenting with gluten-free baking recipes are all favorites. She also loves a good true crime documentary and, despite her homebody tendencies, has an adventurous side that includes scuba diving and the occasional adrenaline rush.

Carly is excited to be part of the collaborative environment at Gypsy & Oak and looks forward to welcoming guests into her chair for hair that feels beautiful, approachable, and most importantly, like themselves.