Natural Hair Salon Pops up in Bed-Stuy

Coily locks were all the celebration on Saturday, May 19, at the Amazing Botanicals Pop Up Salon and Boutique opening in Bedford Stuyvesant. 

“Naturalistas” had the option to shop Amazing Botanical’s pop up boutique and style their tresses by exceptional hairdressers within the natural hair community.  

Amazing Botanicals, a natural hair and skin care product line, took to MacDonough Street for the pop up salon and for the pop-up boutique, receiving exclusive styling advice from several creative forces in the natural community, including Thando Kafele of the natural hair salon, Locs 'N Chops.

The boutique acted as a hair and beauty co-op bringing together many up and coming natural hair care and beauty vendors and exposing naturals to new brands.

“The vendors at the event were curated,” said Shelly Morant, co-founder of Amazing Botanicals. “Because it is a boutique event, we wanted to have a nice and small balance of hair, beauty and jewelry vendors. This allows the pop up to feel exclusive in a way.”

Attendees got the opportunity to be premier clientele to the boutiques various up and coming jewelry and beauty brands. This provided an additional platform to get to know many of the brand owners and their entrepreneurial endeavors.

“This is my very first company,” said Erma Williams Nurse, owner of The Pomade Shop, an all-natural hand made pomade line.   “I absolutely love pomades and thought that it would be great to do my own hair care line.”  

In September of 2011 Williams Nurse began doing research on how to make hand made pomade. She researched ingredients that benefit natural hair growth, such as sulfur and emu oil and began incorporating them into her products. 

“I think that it is important for natural women to have quality products for their hair. We no longer have to depend on others for quality hair care products.”

Williams’ business has grown tremendously since its inception. Her pomades come in an array of scents and natural oil blends, all beautifully packages in 4 ounce containers.

She mostly sells her products on her Etsy shop, but she turned to the Amazing Botanicals pop up boutique to meet up with local naturals who share the same enthusiasm for hair care.

When Morant and her business partner Asha Burton first launched Amazing Botanicals, they both worked as culinary chefs. Now they’re making food for the hair, beginning with a product line that addressed Morant’s sensitive scalp issues.

“ My scalp used to break out horribly when I used certain products in my hair,” said Morant. “This really forced me to do research on making my own products. When we began seeing the reaction and the reception from the products were making, we realized we were filling a void within natural hair care because of the demand for our products.”

Morant and Burton both call Bed-Stuy home and saw the neighborhood as the perfect location for brands and naturals to connect through the pop up boutique.

“It is a great way to show love in the neighborhood,” said Morant. “There is nothing but creative and positive energy in Bed-Stuy, so to us it was the perfect location.

"A lot of black women are trying to get back into self and back into health. Women are becoming conscious of their health and body—it’s all about rethinking what is healthy. This natural movement is not a fad; it’s truly here to stay.”