2018 PERFORMERS & STATIONS
- Laura Hyppolite
- Aug 6, 2018
- 3 min read
These ladies were the foundation of #BTORNATURAL. Their talent and dedication to natural hair was reflected in all of the hard work that they put in to make this event possible. Let's meet them!
Nia Stewart
Many naturalists struggle with keeping moisture in their hair, and you may have never know the solution to all of your wash day struggles was figuring out your hair porosity.
Your hair porosity is essentially your hair's moisture capacity; this is categorized into "high, normal, and low". Now, as much as none of us want to be "normal", when it comes to hair porosity, that is exactly where you want to be. "Normal" hair porosity means that your hair is able to hold the moisture that you put into it without drying out too quickly. Unfortunately, we are not all blessed with these low maintenance kinks. While high porosity hair is able to easily absorb products, the large cuticles of this type of hair does not allow the moisture to be retained leading to dry and frizzy curls. Naturalists with low porosity hair have a hard time getting products to absorb into their hair cuticles. As a result, they encounter more product build-up and their hair takes longer to dry.
Nia was there to help us all who face the issues which come with the different porosity levels. Using the H2O test, she was able to tell the porosity of your hair. By simply getting a strand of hair and letting it rest in a cup of water, Nia was able to determine which point of the spectrum your curls were.
Tanisha Masawi
Inspired by Solange's song "Don't Touch my Hair", Tanisha puts her twist on the lyrics and incorporates her own poetry into her performance. Reflecting on the years of oppression of natural hair and her own journey to love her roots, Tanisha customizes the sound into a poetic vocal piece.
Excerpts from "The Truth Within My Sound"
"My destiny OUR destiny had been placed at the hands of those who refused to let US be Oh but good lord you set me free"
"Baby, the definition of my beauty now lies within my crown So Don't touch my hair don't test my mouth Momma said the truth is within my sound"
Discovering What Works Best for You...
We've all been there: getting overly excited to 'change up' your hair routine. When planning on testing a couple of brands turns to having a borderline inappropriate collection of unused #failed products under your bathroom cabinet. STOP HOARDING THEM!One of the best things about natural hair is that it differs for everyone, so what may not work for you, may work for someone else and vise versa. Product swapping is so important in the natural hair community. We all know these products are NOT cheap, so why not give them to another curl friend to test out? With the product swap station, naturalists who were brave enough to part with their precious products were given a ticket to browse for new products to change up their curly routine. And the process starts all over again...
Abigail Thelusmond
Metaphorizing natural hair as a "gem" Abigail explores the history of natural hair. With "Past and Present", she examines the ridicule and oppression that kinks have experienced. From feeling proud in our own scalps to feeling like we should adjust our crown to fit the standards set forth by society. Abigail encourages naturalists to rise above society and embrace the tight or loose curls that come from our heads.
"Our hair which is like is gem should be treated like a gem like it's fragile like it's precious like it's one of a kind like it's own culture"
Working as an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay, Natalie's station featured skincare products to enhance our naturalists' inner and outer confidence. Natalie has a passion for enriching women's lives. She lives her life with faith and a positive attitude, using her Mary Kay business to bring out confidence and joy in other women.
When waking up everyday to do your hair, you naturally fall into a routine, and for many naturalists, a wash-n-go is their go to look. While, there's arguably no better feeling than locking down the perfect wash-n-go routine, you lose the excitement to try out new looks and experiment different styles with your hair.
Get Inspired!
Leslie stayed two natural looks: a slick bun and a braided half up messy bun that you still rock while being on the go.
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