Catherine Kimpton is a curl specialist, colorist, and owner of Merlin’s Ultimate Images. A graduate of the New England Institute of Cosmetology, Cathy has been coloring hair and teaching people how to embrace their curls for more than 25 years. To stay on the cutting edge of the industry, Cathy regularly travels around the country to attend continuing education classes, and is a proud member of Curly Hair Artistry, a non-branded community of curly hair professionals who share techniques and business advice. In 2015, Merlin’s even hosted the Curly Hair Artistry Fall Curl Symposium, which brought hairdressers from around the globe to the Manchester salon to practice and perfect their curly hair craft.
Cathy believes that education is the key to great hair, and to making her clients feel their best. “I love being able to help someone love their curls that they have fought their whole life,” she says. “I feel it's my job to tell as many people as I can about how they can love their curls, too!” When she is not at work, Cathy enjoys spending time with friends and family, skiing, traveling, camping, and hiking the White Mountains—she even has a goal of hiking all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers. “I have traveled the world,” says Cathy, “but I always come back home to New Hampshire.”