Perfectly Poised

Whether performing on court or joining fans within the community, the Thunder Girls are highly regarded celebrities in Oklahoma, always radiating a contagious smile. They are immediately recognizable and consistently give off a confident, inviting aura. Known for their luscious locks, shiny lips and striking eye makeup, the Thunder Girl look is well known and coveted by many Okies.

Being a Thunder Girl takes cheerfulness, commitment to Oklahoma, love of the game and a strong personal presence. To get their customary look, the ladies turn to Premier Beauty Bar for their savvy styling. Located in Edmond, the salon offers a large range of services, including haircuts and coloring, blowouts, waxing, eyelash extensions and more.

Premier Beauty Bar serves as the official salon for the Thunder Girls this 2015-2016 basketball season. Paige Carter, manager of the Thunder Girls, and Laura Hickenboth, owner of Premier, instantly hit it off at their first meeting when they discovered how closely their vision aligned for the Thunder Girls and their zeal for service to Oklahoma.

Both women agreed that the ladies needed to be brimming with confidence, because going out in front of a huge crowd on a regular basis leaves no room for doubt. Whether performing at a game or representing the team in the community, feeling beautiful makes a huge impact on the girls’ performance and interaction with fans.

“Through Carter’s and my shared vision, and of course the incredible women who are Thunder Girls, we have established the girls as beautiful role models who are poised and community driven,” said Hickenboth. “Premier Beauty Bar continues to be excited and honored to work with these inspiring girls.”

From enviable lashes to the most impressive blowouts, no Thunder Girl walks onto the court without the established girl-next-door-meets-classic-beauty look. “They are confident, classy, sexy,” said Hickenboth. “They deserve the finest salon treatment and stylists to make them feel their absolute best before every event.”

Typical services that the girls receive to get “the look” are eyelash extensions, hair extensions, blowouts, makeup and tanning. All of their prep work, including hair color, cutting and waxing is done at Premier prior to game night. Then before each game, Premier beautifies them with hair and makeup in the Thunder Girl locker room at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. If a passerby gets too close, they will surely hear excited laughter and catch a whiff of styling products.

“The girls must look striking from a far distance so it’s important to consider that when doing their hair and makeup,” said Paige Phillips, one of the Premier Beauty Bar stylists. “We always try to see just how thick, huge and luscious we can get their hair before going out and performing since we know the hair will fall throughout the game—hairspray is our best friend.”

 “Working with the Thunder Girls is always a fun experience, that’s for sure,” said Hickenboth. Premier styled the ladies for their iconic Thunder Girls calendar, which is now available for 2016. Hickenboth laughs remembering a funny moment working with Thunder Girl Chelsie Cleary during the shoot. She was touching her up before each photo when Hickenboth popped up too quickly and was perfectly captured wearing a shocked expression on her face. Who says that makeup has to be serious?

“It’s so fun to put makeup on each girl because they each have such different features,” said Phillips. “For instance, I can’t get enough of Chelsie Cleary’s beautiful blue eyes and love working on her because she loves learning all the inside tricks of how to do her hair and makeup like a pro!”

From the lightest hair and complexion, to the darkest, Premier has mastered the official Thunder Girl look, no matter the range in coloring, hair type, size or shape. Hickenboth explains how the salon works to give each Thunder Girl personal attention to make each one feel special and beautiful. While it’s important that the Thunder Girls look like a team collectively, each girl shines in her unique way.

When asked what the most popular requested service was, Hickenboth stated without a doubt, “Extensions, either for your hair or your eyelashes.” Extensions are hugely popular among the girls and are a great way to add that desired “umph” to both hair and eyelashes.

And the Thunder Girls don’t just stop at makeup and hair; they are also sure to work on their bodies to stand strong and proud in their uniforms. One Healthy Bod, a partner of both the Thunder Girls and Premier Beauty Bar, provides exceptional training and nutritional advice that gets the girls in tiptop shape. Because everyone knows toned arms are always a great accessory! It’s important that the Thunder Girls exude certainty in their bodies and aren’t afraid to move and shake in those sparkly, dazzling uniforms.

The ladies are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Their passion for the team and their state is evident. From signing autographs, to dancing with youngsters, the Thunder Girls bring that joyfulness and dedication with them to each and every event with gorgeous hair and makeup to match!

Learn more about Premier Beauty Bar at premierbeautybar.com.