Courtesy of Teyonah Parris
For actress Teyonah Parris, it’s all about hair texture. Known for roles in Remorse of a survivor And The miraclesthe actress didn’t know what her natural hair texture looked like after years of straightening. To her surprise, she had curls. And like many black women, Parris started experimenting with different hairstyles. She noticed that there weren’t many brands of curly hair extensions on the market. To fill that gap, she’s launching her own line, Blūm, in mid-September.
“As an actress, I have natural hair and then I go on these sets and they don’t have anything that matches my hair,” Parris tells ESSENCE. “I feel quite inadequate, like a burden, like I’m a problem or too much trouble for them to figure out what to do with my natural hair,” she explains of the workplace discrimination many black women face. This reality made her feel like she couldn’t fully embody the character she had to portray while filming, a feeling shared by many other black actresses.
Because of this, Parris had to wear her natural hair on red carpets by styling it herself, following tips from hairdressers. She goes on to say that the hairdressers on set didn’t know how to braid or care for her hair. “As a black woman with kinky, curly, natural hair, I’m also someone who likes to have a solution,” she says. “I could show up with my own extensions.”
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With this in mind, she developed Blūm for women – including herself – who want to experiment with hairstyles. It also allows the actress to use extensions on set and transform herself into the character she wants to be.
And what can you expect from the brand? A variety of textures – including wavy, frizzy and curly hair. “It was important to me to make sure we kept the texture, the frizz and the curls consistent for the women who need it.”
In addition to creating a curly hair extension line, Parris is also a mother, entrepreneur, and actress. Self-care is key to her overall well-being. One of the ways she advocates for herself and keeps her hair healthy is her minimal hair care routine: washing, conditioning, and trimming.
After all, according to Parris, your hair is the foundation of your beauty. “Hair is an expression of how I am feeling emotionally and mentally at that moment,” she says. “The way you have to love and care for your hair to make it grow is a direct reflection of how you love and care for yourself.”
Bundles, parts and wigs are available at blumbyteyonah.com from September.
