Hello Curlies!
This past weekend Team Natural Inc., TheHodge Podge Files, & Bella Kinks unleashed Natural Hair All Star Weekend-- and natural hair
events will never be the same!
Naturalistas came from far and wide to participate in one of
the largest Hair Expos in the great state of Texas!
With Title Vendors such as Honey Be Natural Magazine, The Mane Choice, CantuShea Butter, Miss Jessie’s, EDEN Bodyworks, Naturally Happy HairMagazine, Frizz Free Curls, and so many more, this was bound to be a spectacle unlike any other.
FRIDAY: 80’s Themed Skate Party
The weekend started off with an 80’s themed skate party
hosted by Helicia Phillips of iknowlee (I was not in attendance due to a prior
commitment with an event in Atlanta). It was nothing but neon and curls for
days judging by the pictures! It sure was a sight to see!
SATURDAY: Natural Hair All Star Weekdend (NHASW) Expo
Next up was the main event: the Natural Hair All Star
Weekend Expo! This event was packed full of vendors selling everything from
natural hair apparel, to handcrafted natural hair products! While the show was
a fantastic networking and mingling entity, it also served as something else:
natural hair education.
 |
| Sheer Luxe Beauty |
The gurus at Dallas salon The Damn Salon provided an in
depth, interactive discussion on how to maintain your look as well as how to
rock a protective style! From TWA’s to loccs, every demographic of natural hair
was covered with equal attention and devotion—there was even an audience
Q&A session.
SATURDAY: All Black Affair After Party
Like most natural hair expos, the after-party is as sought
after as the actual expo! The All Black Affair, hosted by Ebony Clark (eclark6),
was in a swanky loft in prestigious downtown Dallas. From the time you opened
the rustic door to the loft, until the time you left, it was one delight after
another!
Frizz Free Curls Street Team was in full effect offering
free samples of Mahisha Dellingers product line (CURLS) for partygoers.
A red carpet, complete with on-hand event photographers,
(Honey Be Natural Magazine) snapped away like the paparazzi stalking a
Kardashian! And if that wasn’t enough, there was a kitschy photo booth
sponsored by Cantu Beauty that provided the PERFECT memento: a natural hair
themed photo strip!
The after party also had a complete second level that was
tricked out by Cantu Beauty with plush sofas, purple accent lighting, Cantu
Beauty products, and a more than adequate amount of adult friendly beverages…HELLO!
A few bottles later, and a perfectly timed playing of “The Wobble”, had everyone retreat downstairs to the dance floor.
SUNDAY: V.I.P. Brunch
Hosted at Americana Bistro in Dallas, the V.I.P. Brunch was an intimate dish session in regards to business, best practices, and empowerment. With Mahisha Dellinger (CEO, of CURLS) speaking, I was literally reinvigorated to continue the intense pursuance of Eugenia Says. In my YouTube recap of NHASW, I've shared just a few nuggets of what she had to offer! (I'll post the entirety of her speech in another video.) She shared her humble beginnings, her experience with discrimination, her transition from a Corporate job to her current place of being: pursuing her dream and making it a reality! Her insight and candidness about being of color and in business was motivating and sobering.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This was my first out of state (aside from the GA, SC, or NC
circuit) event AND my first natural hair event that spanned several days. I
have to say, from the accommodations, program, production and ESPECIALLY the
after party event, this was an event that one will want to attend every year.
I believe Natural Hair All Star Weekend will gain a following
similar to the ever popular Ebony Festival: where naturals will mark their
calendars and plan months in advance just to attend! It was that good! If 2013
was this great; I can only imagine what 2014 will hold! One thing’s for sure,
when the dates are released for 2014, I will be there with bells on!
Follow Eugenia Says!
Business Inquires: EugeniaSays@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment