Let’s talk hair: What is your regimen?
I’m very low-key maintenance because I do not enjoy doing my hair. I do not enjoy doing my makeup either. Day to day I only wear mascara and light gloss or fun colored lipstick if I’m going out. For my hair I prefer a soft slightly messy look most days. When I need something more put together, I have a great hairstylist who I have trusted for five years with my hair. She does all of my cuts, rod sets, and will press my hair when I want a straight look for something. She is great. In between my appointments with her or if she is unavailable I co-wash my hair. If it’s feeling extra dry I will do a longer conditioning treatment, but I don’t do this often, maybe 4-5 times a year. Then, I twist my damp hair into Bantu knots and take it out the next day. I use olive oil leave-in conditioner when I remove the knots and if I want more volume I will diffuse the roots. The best days are when it’s the second day of my twist out and I don’t have to do anything but pin it if I want to and keep it moving.
Has your hair affected your work in your field?
I’ve been asked to straighten or “tame” my hair for roles. There are also many times I have booked roles partially because the director or casting agents loved my hair. I stay flexible with it. I understand certain roles require different looks. Because of what I do with Black&Sexy TV I feel much less pressure.
What inspired BlackandSexy TV?
It all started with the film A Good Day to be Black and Sexy. I photographed the movie poster and that was my first creative collaboration with Director Dennis Dortch. Dennis then wanted to create YouTube videos to promote the theatrical and DVD release of the film. That then expanded into the first Black&Sexy skits which I helped to produce and cast. During this process I started to have a vision for Black&Sexy becoming a network with serialized content. Dennis shared this vision and agreed that we should move into doing episodic work as well. Next thing you know we were developing some of those skits into series and Jeanine Daniels came up with The Couple. There’s more details to how we continued to grow, but that’s the nucleus of how it started. Dennis’ long time collaborator and Director of Photography Brian Ali Harding was filming everything and making sure the aesthetics throughout were signature. Together we all made a great team and are still growing the company together. We are all inspired by making a difference and changing the landscape.
