America’s Next Natural Model, an online pageant to promote natural hair, Black beauty & Naturalistas.
First let me say, I’m always speaking from a photographic point of view. Is it believable? Does it look good? Does it make me want it? Can I see it in your eyes? Are you selling it? Are you modeling or just standing by looking cute? are just a few things I’m asking myself when […]
Kala GI loved your head wrap and accessories. In your essay, I like how you focused on hair health beneath the wrap and how you fit it into your daily fashion. I also liked your transition into how you feel wearing the wrap versus how our people suffered in the past and Dr. King’s hand […]
Wow, the ladies absolutely brought their A-Game this week and clearly raised the level of the competition. This made my day! I was in awe when I saw the shoots but it made it so hard to choose just one best one for the newsletter this week. Even after reading the feedback of the other […]
Well done again to all of you this week. Chassity, Nefertiti, Kala and Carlie really blew me away with their headwrap skills and nice photography!! Really great job Natasha and Jael’s shots were a bit uninspiring and flat. Work on some diversity for next week.
Headwraps are not only a fun and festive hair accessory, they are indeed a tie to our rich ancestry from the motherland! This challenge allowed the ladies to showcase some beautiful headwraps as well as share their thoughts on the cultural connection these headwraps represent. For this challenge, I was looking not only for polished […]
Once again, all of you ladies rocked it with the creativity! I loved seeing all of your unique poses, expressions, and examples of wearing head scarves or hats on natural hair. You gave me some ideas! I have to say that my favorites for this challenge were Jalita and Chassity. My favorite is Chassity. For […]
I have to say that I truly enjoyed reading all of the touching stories on why the models went natural or decided to take better care of their natural hair. It is always very interesting to me to learn that background information about someone’s natural hair journey. I also thought that all of the models […]
Although I think both Natasha and Jalita captured this challenge with their photos, my choice winner for Challenge 1 is Carlie M! Although her photos were not as creative, I think she really captured the essence of what it really means to go and stay natural when she said “The only difference is I now love my […]
Challenge 1 was a very hard challenge to portray pictorially. All of the models showcased healthy, beautiful hair and polished pictures. What sets the Next Natural Model apart is her ability to express the challenge through her pictures as well as through her words! With this challenge, I had 3 very quick top selections that […]
Everyone’s submissions were wonderful, which made it very challenging to pick just one. My top 2 choices were Natasha S. Houston and Desyray Keizer. My vote goes to Natasha S. Houston. Natasha hit the nail on the head when she said, “When we have a damaged internal perception of ourselves, we are prone to endure painful external […]
Carlie Good photographs that went well with the subject. Her story mirrored my own story. I felt like she was honest in her response. I like her photographically. Justyce Her photographs nor her story kept me interested. I felt she was honest in her response. I like her photographically. Justyce Her photographs nor her story […]
LeAnne Dolce is the Founder and Publisher of Naptural Roots Magazine. The first natural hair care and lifestyle magazine dedicated entirely to the celebration and education of natural lifestyle! Having been natural for over 15 years, LeAnne is dedicated to showing the world that being natural is more than just hair; it is a lifestyle. […]
Although some shoots were better than other ones, I think all the models did their best. Yet, to see who my winner is, you have to read it all.
Carlie M is my pick for the winner this week. Runner’s up for me would be Natasha, Nefertiti and Jalita. Carlie M I probably enjoyed your essay the most out of all the models. I think the “you are in control” message would resonate with a lot of ladies out there who are suffering from […]
This year we are looking for a fantastic model who can add a new dimension to the world of beauty. and here is how you can help select the winner.
Simeko Watkins-Hartley, owner and creative director of Meko, New York Natural Hair Care Spa & Boutique. She has been in the hair industry for over 16 years and has had the privilege of working as a salon manager, creative director and consultant for one of the top natural hair salons in the country.