Sherry Craig Hilario, 40, Stylish Stylist

Sherry Craig Hilario knows how to prepare for a photo shoot. A freelance hair and makeup artist, she’s prepped some big-name newsmakers and celebs—Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Gov. Bill Richardson, rock group Nickelback, to name a few—for shoots for publication. Her 20-year career, first as an AVEDA Concept salon hairstylist, later as a spa manager, stylist, esthetician and salon owner, has allowed her to work with some of the hair and makeup industry’s best. Today, SHE’s the stylist in demand by top modeling agencies and those in the fashion and editorial worlds.

Hilario says she’s recently remarried and the mother of two boys, Ethan, 14, and David, 12. She credits her girlfriends for helping her get through some troubled times. “We’ve been through everything together…marriage, kids, divorce, sickness…”

She works hard at keeping herself looking young and vibrant. She enjoys yoga, gardening, dancing and playing sand volleyball to stay fit. She also follows a regimen of daily skin care and weekly facial treatments, and uses leave-in conditioner daily, as well as deep conditions her tresses regularly (AVEDA products, of course!) “Everyone that has chemically treated hair should be doing this weekly!”

As for fashion, Hilario says she leans toward modern classic looks these days. “My favorite color is black (imagine that!),” she jokes. For days out, “I layer a lot…wearing camisoles or tanks under button-down shirts with a casual jacket or funky blazer and a fun-colored scarf for accent,” she says. Jewelry is minimal – just hoop earrings. For at home, she prefers a pair of stylish jeans, white muscle tee and Chuck Taylor tennis shoes “And you’ll never find me in flats unless they’re tennis shoes; I can’t bring myself to wear anything less than a two-inch heel.”