Curly Hair Wins With Master Stylist Antionette Henderson
As part of our Black History Month celebration, we're so excited to present a special guest blog post from master stylist and STrUT Oakland Founder, Antionette Henderson, who shares her story, her top five curly hair WINS, and her favorite EVOLVh products below!
Antionette rocking her curls on her wedding day with the help of fellow STrUT stylist, Carmen.
As a master stylist & STrUT Oakland Founder, I have merged my three loves: hair styling, educating clients about maintaining luscious and healthy hair, and leading other stylists to be extraordinary hair professionals.
My obsession with hair began with my little sister. She was a fifth-grader looking to feel her most beautiful on the first day of school, and I was a 12-year old with a vision. I found my source of absolute passion and delight - doing hair! My aunt’s kitchen soon became the salon of choice for my sister and cousins.
As a bi-racial family, we had hair textures ranging from cutting board straight to ocean waves to corkscrew pasta. So, I began learning about various textures, products, styles, and treatments for multi-ethnic hair.
By 18, I was immersed in hair. I worked my way up as a salon receptionist (when I learned the importance of stellar customer service) to a salon assistant (when I learned how to keep a salon immaculately clean). I’m naturally inquisitive, so I watched every stylist closely and asked a zillion questions. After a few years, I channeled my creativity into professional studies in beauty college.
Whether your hair goal is to have an easy cut that suits your lifestyle, to take it back to your “natural roots,” to have fun with color, or to try something daring and new - I believe that rocking a healthy hairstyle makes you feel like your most vibrant and confident self. It’s one way that we express ourselves in the world and in my book, a great hairstyle is on the short list of “necessities” for thriving in an authentic, joy-filled, and successful life!
MY TOP FIVE CURLY HAIR WINS
ACCESSORIZE
Outfit your hair wardrobe with products that’ll treat your hair like magic. Products are designed to support you in maintaining healthy hair and styling your curls, so that when you look at your hair you feel like ______ fill in the blank.
OWN IT
Create your very own personal hair routine.
The condition of your curls and your styling preference should dictate your personal routine. Select products that are water based and ethically sourced. My jam is the EVOLVh UltraRepair Masque when my hair is parched and needs some TLC. In general - EVOLVh products check ALL the boxes.
HYDRATION
This means actual WATER (H2O) and not product. The shampoo, conditioner, and treatments you outfit your hair with will assist the H2O to perform its best. The SmartCurl line does me right every time. Don’t leave out the SmartColor line. Remember #1 above, here it is: outfit your hair wardrobe. I wear color, so switching between the Curl and Color lines gives me confidence that I’m feeding my hair with both types of the love that it needs.
STYLE (your curls in the shower)
The shower is the best (IMO). You have access to all the H20 on deck and ready to apply your styling products. Dress your hair with styling products that will SUPPORT the health of your hair and will keep your curls light and bouncy. Listen, first a leave-in conditioner spray then layer TotalControl Styling Créme = Que it up and STrUT.
LET IT GO
By styling your hair while completely saturated, you will create a predictable look that you’ll enjoy wearing, but once you’ve styled it - LET IT GO. Please don’t disturb your curls after they've been styled. Trust the process and allow the results to happen.
MY EVOLVh FAVES
I enjoy EVOLVh-ing my hair for photo worthy hair shots! I use the SmartColor Shampoo to protect my color, plus the UltraRepair Masque to nourish and leave my hair feeling hydrated and yummy. Then I use the SmartCurl Leave-In Conditioner spray as my foundation, before styling my curls with TotalControl Styling Crème, which gives my hair definition without over styling. Last thing - I scrunch in the InstaVolume Volumizing Mousse for that instant-volume-gratification!
Thank you so much for all the juicy tips and inspo, Antionette!
