Since first appearing on the music scene, Ari Lennox has authentically represented Black womanhood and natural beauty, and her newest partnership holds true to that.
Earlier this month, the Grammy-nominated R&B singer partnered with KISS Colors & Care to spotlight its new Edge Fixer Extreme, formulated explicitly for 4C hair, and the versatile Edge Fixer Wax Stick.
“It’s an honor because I’ve loved the company ever since I was young,” Lennox told Blavity in a recent interview. The “A/S/L (Interlude)” artist emphasized the importance of representation within the hair-care industry and the need for diverse products. Lennox’s campaign with the brand will highlight the exceptional hold of the Edge Fixer Extreme as well as the Biotin B7-infused Edge Fixer Wax Stick.
“I don’t know how to do too many hairstyles,” the singer joked.
She later revealed that “low manipulation” styles and topping her styles off with KISS’s Silky Satin Edge Scarf or Soft Satin Wrap Scarf are the secret to keeping her tresses in excellent condition.
“For girls like me that don’t really like to do too much, it’s nice to put my hair in a pineapple, do some baby hair, and add a little pizzazz with their edge control and that extra hold,” she said.
While the singer hasn’t had bad hair experiences while on tour, she remembers the horrors of receiving a relaxer as a kid that made her choose to go natural.
“It’s no shade to my family, I just don’t think they knew what to do with my hair,” she said, recalling the trauma of having her hair relaxed while her sister escaped the ordeal.
“It started breaking off like crazy, so I cut all my hair off. It was this fire Toni Braxton cut,” she laughed, thinking back to her middle school peers making fun of her. “But yeah, when I turned 13 or 14, I started rocking my natural hair.”
The singer’s hair has also become part of her creative process. She keeps her style simple and carefree to focus on her music, like her upcoming single “Smoke.”
“I’m really excited about it because I’m not being “Ms. Sweet Ari” that I’ve always been,” she said.
She continued, “I’m naturally a people pleaser. I’m working on my boundaries and really paying attention to myself. I’m embracing my more unhinged, rageful side with this part of my life, and I just want to show it a little bit. It’s smart, it’s funny. I’m so proud that the world sees me in a light where I’m not singing about romance and sex. I’m singing about real s**t.”
