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Meet April McLurkin

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Celebrity Stylist April B.

Thanks for sharing your story with us in April B. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hair has been a passion of mine starting at the early age of five years old. My mother was a stylist and she took me to the salon every weekend. I went with her to cosmetology & barber college some days also. I took my love of hair throughout all of my school years and even attended cosmetology school in a week after graduating high school in VA. Speed up to my adult years I continued to pursue my passion which led me to Atlanta. I loved the culture that the city possessed especially as it relates to hair.

When I moved to Atlanta at the end of 2006, the natural hair movement was making a comeback and I was right there front & center at the right time. I started networking and putting myself out there by partnering with different hair & fashion shows. I was the lead stylist on most projects which gave me exposure which in turned enabled my clientele base to grow. There weren’t many natural hairstyles out there that were unique and beyond the normal scope of wearing two strand twists or a TWA (teenie weenie afro) I put my creativity to the test and began creating braided styles that mimicked old school retro styles from years ago. This new trend of what I coined as the “braided updo” began to spread like wildfire, inspiring stylist all over the world to take their skillset to the next level in recreating the looks that I created. This, in turn, started a movement of non traditional styles which gave black women everywhere the confidence in being able to wear their hair in different styles.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For the most part, I’ve experienced a smooth road. There have been a few small hiccups here and there but nothing major enough to mention. I would say overall, make sure that all of your business affairs are in order, from trademarks, patents and things of that nature. Make sure that you have the right team in place to assist you on your entrepreneurial journey. It’s okay to make mistakes. Just learn from them and move on.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Stylist April B, Hydrate Me Please! & The Fishnet Factory story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a celebrity natural hair artist & loctician. I specialize mainly in all types of natural hair styling; protective styles, braids, crochet, locs and more! I’m most proud of being a published stylist. I’ve been featured in Ebony Magazine, Essence online, Sophisticates Black hair, I’m also proud of the celebrity clientele that I’ve worked with over the years from rappers T Pain, Chris Brown, Future, actress Lupita N’Yongo and most recently actress Karan Kendrick.

I love the fact that my creativity has inspired many stylists all over the world. It feels great when I receive a tag or someone sends me a picture of their recreation of my styles. That’s something that I’ve prayed for. I want to make a difference in the natural hair industry and I believe that I’m continuously achieving that goal.

What sets me aside is my passion for healthy hair care. I develop hair care regimens for each client based on their current lifestyle. They must know how to take care of their hair if they can’t come to me for any reason. I believe my creativity in my styles also sets me aside. I do simple yet elegant designs that always turns heads. I want all of my clients to feel like celebrities when they leave my chair.

In 2013, after many years of using different products on my clients that ended up not working out to my liking, I developed Hydrate Me Please! a natural hair moisture & growth system. The majority of my clients have thick hair and there wasn’t a product on the market that supported their need for moisture and growth. I wanted to create a multi use product as I don’t like to use a lot of products to create a look. Hydrate Me Please! is a styling aid, a moisture sealer. conditioning agent and an intense growth promoter. It’s a one stop shop type of product. Many naturals face issues such as dry itchy scalp, eczema, psoriasis, dandruff and other scalp conditions. With having those said issues, one may experience a lack of hair growth. My product line helps to eliminate these issues. I have a simple regimen of using @hydratemeplease two to three times weekly along with eating right, drinking plenty of water and establishing a consistent protective style regimen. Most clients see about an inch or more of hair growth per month if they follow my plan.

Now let’s fast forward to my latest venture. I decided to start The Fishnet Factory out of my love for fishnets. I’m a Celebrity Stylist and I attend a lot of networking events. I’m always complimented on my apparel which I’m 95% accompanied by a flashy pair of fishnets. I want to change the face of traditional hosiery as many women do not wear them because they can itchy and most are just plain. Not much to look at. Fishnets have evolved over the years and there are so many design options. I want every woman everywhere to feel sexy in their fishnets. Step out and test the fashion limits with a pair of fishnets from The Fishnet Factory.

Is there a specific memory from when you were younger that you really miss?
I have so many so it’s hard to pinpoint one. But I always enjoyed going to the salon with my mom on the weekends and watching the ladies get dolled up. I also enjoyed going to the waterfall and calling ducks with my father, going to zoo and being out in nature.

Pricing:

  • Natural Hair Styles start at $100-up depending upon the style
  • Hydrate Me Please! system costs $45 for the cream and the growth oil
  • Fishnet pricing starts from $10-up

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Shannon Johnson
www.shannonjphotography.com

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