First off, let me say that I highly recommend going to these types of events for anyone new to wearing their hair chem-free, transitioning to all-natural, or experiencing any negative reactions from their choice to do so. Being surrounded by companies that cater to you and seeing so many beautiful heads of hair will give you an instant boost in hair ego.
Here's a short view of my take:
PROS:
- It was great seeing so many small business's. Loved that.
- Jane Carter Solution deals of 5 full-sized products for $20 or a full-sized product for $5 each was sweet. Yay Jane!! She knows how to do business. Now this is how you atract, build & solidify your customer base. I need others to take note. And yes, a rant is coming.
- Fairly cheap admission of $10.
- Seeing Darcy's Botanicals there was great! Yay Lysandra!! Her products were also slightly discounted.
CONS:
- Folks were extra-stingy with the samples. WTH?!! I really wanted to try some products there. I mean, I really did. From the usual vendors to the new vendors, I wanted to check out some lines that I've never tried before, but not at full price. Let me tell you, and maybe this was because I got there early, no one was giving out. In the two hours that I was there, I got two, no, three samples. One came in an orange gift bag filled with the usual adverts. And when I say "One", I mean absolutely one item. The other was a couple of things from the presenters of the show, Taliah Waajid. Anybody else?...*crickets* Now, at 2 1/2 years of being a natural-head, I am not going to spend $15, $20, $25 a pop on a product from a line that I've never tried in which there is no guarantee that it will work effectively on my hair. That's just not happenin' these days. I can't afford to make a purchase like that nor would I if I could. That's just how precious my dollars are to me. I'm not making an emotional decision that could result in disappointment, then anger from wasting money. That would be insane. ** Mini-rant is now complete.**
Oh, and here are some vendors that I would've love to have seen:
Hairveda, Oyin Handmade, Qhemet Biologics, Karen's Body Beautiful, Afroveda, & Curl Junkie to name a few. I also would love to see more natural and holistic health vendors.
I ended up leaving with two purchases. One was Jane Carter Solution's "Hydrating Invigorating Shampoo" which is SLS-free and the other was Darcy's Botanicals "Pumpkin Seed Moisturizing Curl Conditioner".
And I cannot end this post without this highlight. As I walked around there were folks handing out flyers and advertisements. At one point, I looked at what was in my hand and saw a Target coupon for Miss Jessie's products... What for you ask?.. For a $1 off. *blank stare* I must say that I was slightly offended by this. I really wanted to find the woman who put it in my hand and give it right back to her. smh.
Post Title → MY EXPERIENCE AT THE WORLD OF NATURAL HAIR BEAUTY & HEALTH SHOW
