Knowledge is Power
Celebrity stylist, Felicia Leatherwood.Even amidst all the entertainment, there was still no shortage of pertinent information during this exciting natural hair event. The coordinators for the Nzuri Expo made sure to feed your mind as well. They brought in the powerhouse brands of Miss Jessie’s and Jane Carter, Felicia Leatherwood (celebrity stylist of Jill Scott”>, Isis Brantley (celebrity stylist of Erykah Badu”>, and featured salons like The Damn Salon out of Atlanta and Houston Based salon Zayd’s Naturally Natural. These professionals shared a wealth of styling tips and tricks and offered inspiration for new styles too!
Patrons were able participate in various hair, health and beauty workshops ranging from traction alopecia to the eco chic beauty revolution. I particularly enjoyed the “I Can’t Workout Because of My Hair!” workshop led by Sporty Afros founders Whitney Patterson and Alexandria Williams. The topic was quite engaging as most women face this very issue when deciding to go natural. Being fit and being natural can go hand in hand!
I also had the distinct honor of being a participant on the Blogger Speak panel with Ms. BeautifulBrwnBabyDol and a host of other super cool bloggers. The Bloggersphere offered a chance for bloggers and readers to connect on a more personal level. As Cassidy of NaturalSelectionBlog.com so eloquently described, “it brings the online offline.”
Shopping Galore!
Cassidy getting “damned.”I shouldn’t even tell you how good the vendors were at this year’s expo, it might just make you jealous! From t-shirts to hot shorts, hair ties to scarves, purses to products…pretty much anything you can think of was for sale and at great prices! I picked up some great “Good Hair” earrings from ChariT’s Inspirational Creations and a cute “Curly Girl” tee from The Urban Rose. This event was the perfect opportunity for shoppers to pick up some unique, handcrafted pieces, no matter if you were shopping for Christmas gifts or just shopping for the heck of it.
Product junkies shopped til their hearts were content at Nzuri. Jane Carter of Jane Carter Solution was there in person giving product demonstrations and recommendations. She even worked some magic in my hair! I got to meet Pam Jenkins of Koils by Nature and pick up some wonderfully scented Sweet Almond Joy hair and body butter. Both Zayd’s Naturally Natural salon and The Damn Salon launched their new product lines at the Nzuri expo. There were products for everyone and I can’t wait to try them all!
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Bigger & Better for 2012
The natural hair community in Houston and beyond was well represented over the duration of the event. People came from far and wide to experience the southern hospitality offered by the great state of Texas. Nzuri welcomed people from Atlanta, New York, California and even the UK during the Expo. After the initial tallies came in, it is estimated that well over 8,000 people attended the Nzuri Natural Hair, Health and Beauty Expo. That is a spectacular turnout and is indicative of the amount of time and effort that went into planning such an impressive natural hair event. You don’t want to miss out on all the fun next year; it can only be bigger and better for 2012!
