One of our new series, “5 Minutes With,” features Aveda Artists throughout the world who inspire us daily, and who we believe you’d love to know more about.

Bea Watson, Global Educator, Hair Styling is one of them. With an impressive beauty career that spans 20 years, Bea is a published editorial stylist; works fashion weeks throughout the world; and leads cutting-edge education for Aveda stylists as well as for students at the Aveda Advanced Academy in London.

Here’s 5 minutes with Bea:

Hometown: Guildford in Surrey South East England, it’s 45 minutes outside of London. It’s a beautiful place and I go back as often as I can to visit family and friends.

Home now: Scotland, just outside of Glasgow, in a place called Ayr. It’s right by the sea. We have really rough winters that make us huddle around the fire on cold winter nights with a wee dram (whisky)! But we also have beautiful summers.

Cherished sweet treat: I am a chocolate snob, I prefer handmade chocolates and if they’re from Paris, even better.

If your life were a song, what is the title: “Pocketful Of Sunshine!”

If you could be any animal, what would it be: A giraffe, they always get the best part of the tree, they don’t eat meat and they’re graceful.

Three other Aveda artists you want to have dinner with: This is really hard! I’m going to have a big dinner party so I can invite Antoinette Beenders, Ian Michael Black, Ricardo Dinis, Janell Geason, Allen Ruiz, Tippi Shorter and Jon Reyman. It would be great to share stories and experiences, techniques and hear what inspires them. I love the work each of them does and we all have the same passion for styling.

What inspires you as an artist: People inspire me. Everyone who has created something or changed the way we look at something is inspiring, because it takes determination to create a piece of art or change an opinion or view, and it’s not normally an easy path.

Why do you love Aveda: I’ve always felt a connection to Aveda. Having been with the brand for more than 10 years, then taking a short break and returning, proved to me that this connection is very real. I believe in the mission and the products, but most of all I love being part of the big Aveda family – and we are a real family.

Share with us a quick hair tip: Always consider product application. Right now I’m loving the Thickening Tonic and suggest you think about where you’d want to see a change. For example, if you have less hair through the top part of your head and the hair is thicker through the sides, concentrate the application through the top part of your head. This will even out the thickness of your hair and give overall balance to the style you are creating.

Three of Bea's favorite Aveda essentials: