Ever since she called out the fashion industry in a powerful TED Talk, Ebonee Davis has been catapulted to the forefront of activism both on and off the runway. And yesterday (July 1), the model reiterated how wearing her hair natural is an integral part of her work.
Before speaking on a panel alongside Harlem’s Fashion Row founder Brandice Henderson-Daniel on the 2017 ESSENCE Fest Beauty and Style Stage, she broke down the connection between her curls and self-acceptance.
“For me, wearing my natural hair is a form of resistance against Eurocentric beauty standards. I feel like it represents me in my true form. It’s a manifestation of how I feel on the inside and how I feel about myself,” she told ESSENCE.
“Wearing my hair natural is defying what we’ve been taught for so long, which is that white is the standard and euro features are more beautiful than Black features. For me, it’s showing people that however they’re born, however they look; they’re good enough.”
Of course, day-to-day maintenance also plays a huge role in everyone’s hair journey and because Davis spends a lot of time in front of the camera, we had to know her product line-up.
“For shampoo, I’m using the SheaMoisture Jamaican Castor Oil Shampoo. For moisturizing and perfecting my curls, I use the Jane Carter Curl Defining Cream. That’s pretty much it. I keep my products to a minimum,” she shared.
“For a little bit of sheen, I’ll just use argan oil spray. For my skin, I use Kevin Aucoin Foundation and for everything else [on my face], I literally use one product…on my eyelids, lips and cheeks: Milk Makeup Lip and Cheek in Quickie.”
In case you missed it, watch Davis’ powerful TED Talk here.
