appearance by Nneoma Okorie; appearance by Susan Oludele at Hair by Susy.
“We should be proud of our texture. Our texture is beautiful,” says Susy Oludele, the stylist behind New York-based hair salon Hair By Susy. “Hair is about owning yourself, and who you are.”
Susy, who sports voluminous, winding curls dyed in shades of rainbow, knows a thing or two about cutting, styling, and braiding textured hair. She thinks natural hair, in all its many forms, is something to be celebrated — and she's made a career of doing just that. She also thinks self-love has to do with adoring and embracing your hair, complete with all its textures and tendencies.
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As a hairdresser, she says part of that self-love is the act of treating natural hair with products designed specifically for your unique texture. For example: My Black is Beautiful — a line of hair-care products made with a blend of honey, turmeric, ginger, coconut milk, and coconut oil — is specially crafted to help style and nourish natural hair. For more than ten years, the My Black is Beautiful platform has worked to promote, uplift, and affirm Black culture — and all the while, the brand has been engaging with women about their hair and hair needs, so this new line comes as no surprise.
The line up offers a whole roster of nourishing hair products, each of which is tailored to specific curl types. Whether your hair is coily, kinky, or just about anything else, there's an MBIB formula designed specifically for you (they've even got a Tangle Slayer product designed for Type 3 and Type 4 curls). The company has spent the last decade talking to their community about hair goals and needs, and this product line is the result.
“Our textures mean something to us,” Susy says. “Hair is deep.”
In the video above, watch as she styles, colors, and braids her friend Nneoma Okorie's hair, while — in true salon fashion — they talk texture, self-esteem, expression, and self-love.
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