I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Do What Comes Naturally workshop held on November 6 in Houston, Texas. This hair event was coordinated by none other than Uncle Funky’s Daughter, one of the premier natural hair salons in the Houston area. Established in 2003, they are a sustainable and chemical free salon, offering services to cultivate and pamper your curls. This curly hair event, done in an ever so Funky fashion, aimed to “empower women to free themselves, embrace their natural beauty and follow their passion.” I’d say they accomplished their mission!
The Rice Hotel provided the perfect backdrop for this cultured hair event celebrating natural freedom. Upon entry to the building we were greeted by lovely hostesses and directed up a grand staircase to enjoy all of the activities of the evening. There was a space set up with art installations from local artists and there were also tasty hors d’oeuvres and beverages being served.
Next, we were welcomed into a vast meeting area where there were numerous tables, activity stations, vendor booths for us to visit. They had even created a boutique area for us to shop! You may not know, but Uncle Funky’s Daughter is not only a salon, but a chic boutique where it’s easy to find all things fashionable. We perused the many tables and racks stocked with all sorts of clothes and accessories as we conversed among ourselves about how fantastic the fashions were. I mean, who doesn’t like shopping! If you think that’s good then keep on reading, I haven’t even made it to the main stage yet!
Nnete, Lisa Michelle and Tonya.As I went around the room, I viewed many of the patrons interacting with the vendors. I bought a pair of handcrafted earrings from ChariT’s Inspirational Creations, the Lamik Beauty team offered free mini makeovers and beauty consultations. Green Seed Vegan kept the green drink shots coming, and I stood in line for a good 20 minutes for my fabulously free Minx manicure by Queen Minx. I also booked an appointment to have my eyebrows pampered after having a free consultation at the Eyebrow Energy booth. Many visitors also took the time to create artistic paintings and vision boards at those interactive stations. We even got to be part of the Supernatural Power Photo shoot, capturing individual personalities with our very own natural signature phrases. And that’s STILL not all!
Tonya Reed, co-founder of Uncle Funky’s Daughter, showed us how to use their top products during several product demonstrations on a few different types of hair. She took the time to answer questions from us in the audience, and believe me, there were many! Most of the ladies watching the demo primarily wanted to know what types and how much product to use while styling and how to maintain the style. Tonya was very helpful and informative, and we all appreciated her candor. After the demonstration we were then energized by a few quick Zumba sessions, which really got the crowd moving!
I really enjoyed this hair event! All types of naturals were represented, from the newly natural to veterans, from 2a to 4c, short hair, long hair, locs, and all things in between! I especially loved seeing all the different hairstyles and fashions of the attendees. It was a joy networking and meeting new people, and generally just seeing people enjoy themselves. If you ever have an opportunity to attend a natural hair or health expo don’t pass it up; it really is an awakening experience. Events like these encourage people to be free, be themselves, be healthy, and to “Do What Comes Naturally.”
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Final Thoughts
Beauty Showcase, sponsored by Miss Jessie’s, is going to be a phenomenal event to include: workshops featuring some of the top natural hair stylists, fashion shows and competitions for both stylists and attendees, an opportunity to meet the world’s largest afro record holder Aevin Dugas, interact with the Blogosphere featuring several natural hair bloggers (including myself!”>, and even a Little Miss Happy Headed pageant for young natural girls!
Of course, you’ll also have lots and lots of vendors to shop from and did I mention the first 500 attendees will receive a free swag bag? So mark your calendars and get your tickets early. They’re just $10 for adults and kids 13 & under are FREE! You can find more information at www.naturalhairshowcase.com. Hope to see you there!
