My goal has always been to help a woman be her best entire self, and showing her how to take care of her hair was a bonus.
Hello, my name is Nikitra Jackson-Sagirius, however, everyone calls me Nikki.
I live just south of Austin, but it’s a small town, so Austin easier to identify. I am the owner of Divine Luxury Bath and Body which is an artisan-based, luxury, bath and body skincare line. I am also the creator of Sip and Social Austin which is an annual natural hair care and wellness event. I am a Texas Native, born and raised in Waco; my family and I moved to Austin in 2005 after years of being in the Army and living in New Jersey for a while.
I was natural before it was a movement.
In 1995 I joined the Army and I wanted a low maintenance hairstyle that I could take care of without a lot of fuss. I remember seeing the beautiful ladies of the group Zhanè with their low cuts and decided that was how I want to rock my hair while serving. Since then I have been rocking my hair natural for the last 21 year and exclusively natural for the last 15 years. I have rocked everything from locs to low cuts and mohawks to purple hair. My hair is an extension of who I am, but not who I am.
When I moved back to Texas, the natural hair scene was finally starting to take off.
There were events happening in Dallas and Houston that I would attend, but none in Austin. After doing a test run at my friend’s home in 2011 to see if I could really pull off hosting my own event in Austin, I decided to create the Sip and Social. This is my 4th year hosting the event and the outpouring of love and support I have received from the natural community in the Austin area is absolutely amazing. I do this for all of them.
Once we realize that we must take care of our whole self, focusing on our hair alone won’t fix the problems we may be facing in life.
It really is that common sense factor that we leave out. We want our hair to grow, but what we are putting into our bodies? Is our medication affecting our health and in turn, negatively affecting our hair growth? Are our financial problems causing unwanted stress? These are factors that need to be addressed as well. And while there are wonderful products on the market to help maintain, what are you doing to actually take care of mind, body, and soul?
That is one of the reasons I did not start a natural hair blog or vlog, not just my impatience when it comes to editing video (kudos to vloggers”>! I know there is more to explore outside of hair. My goal has always been to help a woman be her best entire self, and showing her how to take care of her hair was a bonus.
My last event had some of the best moments.
The dance from Frankie of Ballet Afrique was amazing–she freestyled a beautiful dance for us and once she was done, she had members from the audience join her to move their bodies too. I loved that intimate interaction my events create. I looking forward to the attendees doing the same thing this year when it comes to interaction. That is why the Sip and Social is an Event and NOT an Expo. I love attending others expos, but for me, I love the intimacy and interactions the Sip and Social creates. Attendees have opportunities to engage one another and the vendors at the event with feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
The best advice I can give my Beautiful Black Queens is this…#LLTTF.
This means Live life to the Fullest and be unapologetically you! We have been told to conform and be someone else for so long, that it is our time to take our identity back. Learn to be comfortable with who you are. Learn to dream big and do all the things people told you you should not or could not do. We only get one life to live, and it is truly up to us to live the best life that is meant for us.
Click here for tickets to the ATX Sip & Social 2.0
