by Chandra Clewley

 

 

Faatemah Ampey was eliminated last night on Bravo’s Shear Genius Season 3. The Minnesota based hair stylist, who started with Aveda, has won multiple awards including North American Hairstyling Awards: Fashion Forward, now focus’s mostly on editorial work. Faatemah spoke with Reality Wanted today about what she thought of the elimination challenge and who was to blame for her early exit.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: Last night’s episode was a little bit of an upset.

A. Faatemah: I have to say I was bummed to watch it, I didn’t want to be sent home, but I thought it was pretty funny too.  That pony tail incident was priceless. When Ken Paves asked to take that ponytail out, I was like “Oh God, no!” “Oh God, no!”

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: Did you expect that the hairstyle would just get judged the way it was? Were you shocked when Ken Paves asked your model to take it down?

A. Faatemah: Yeah, it’s like asking someone to take down a bun or an up-do. Why? The whole look was going to be the ponytail. We had talked about that. But it never occurred to me, because I had never seen them do that! What the hell? I didn’t know what that was all about either, but even the ponytail was “Oh no!” That was just not my strength. Look, I don’t work for Hair Club for Men. What I have learned in life is that I stick to what I am good at. And let’s just say I am not putting that on my books.  It’s not going to be one the menu: Faatemah Now Doing Men’s Extensions. I don’t think anyone is going to be lining up at the door after my George Washington tribute.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: What geared you towards appearing on Shear Genius?

A. Faatemah: I have never auditioned for anything, I am not an actor. I am a big personality, it was a fun time and I just wanted to do something different. I am a name in the industry but how cool would it be to be a household name?

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: How did you feel going into the elimination challenge last night?

A. Faatemah: I didn’t feel like it was my best work, but I didn’t feel it was my worst.  I didn’t get bleach in someone’s eye or make an interracial snow man. I was kind of surprised; I was shocked I was in the bottom. In saying that, in all fairness, it wasn’t my most stellar work, it was mediocre. And mediocre doesn’t win Shear Genius. It wasn’t my best day, and I likened it to: Even supermodels get zits.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: What did you think about your pairing with Adee?

A. Faatemah: Adee. Adee. Adee. I was not happy about that. He’s the show drama king. His energy is so bad. As a matter of fact, I am not a person who has excuses or blame, but I am going to be spontaneous and say: It’s Adee’s fault. His bad juju rubbed off on genius. I have never had a day like that. I am going to say it was Adee’s work, Adee and Satan working together. He’s just like bad news.

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: At the end, when they said your name, everyone looked SO shocked. What did you think of the judging?

A. Faatemah: The truth is the cast was upset. We could not believe I was going home and it was a shock to all of us. We really thought that Adee would go home because week after week….I had never been in the bottom. There might have been some people that were shocked in a good way, because I was a threat. And you know, maybe now they think: If Faatemah went home…now I am nervous. 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: Of the cast mates that are left, who is your favorite?

A. Faatemah: My two favorites are Janine and Matthew, we all work in the same arena of hair, we all do editorial and runway, so I am biased. I think what makes Jon special is not only is he great TV, funny, he is a train wreck to watch, but he is good! He is the most well rounded stylist that I have ever met, as far as never having the experience of doing magazines. We came in with a huge advantage. He came out of Kansas doing up-do’s with forks and it’s brilliant. 

 

Q. Chandra, Reality Wanted: What are you working on now?

A. Faatemah: I am doing a lot now. I still shoot collections every day. I was asked to enter some work for International Hairstylist of The Year which you get invited to participate in. I have some work being published. I have my website: Faatemah.com. I hope that someone is working on my spin off for Bravo because I don’t think I am done yet!  

 

 

Shear Genius Season 3 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

 

Follow Chandra at twitter.com/ChandraClewley

 

For more Shear Genius links, visit SirLinksALot.net