MORE ABOUT AELEISE

I'm a visual artist and Curly + Natural Hair is my primary canvas/medium.  I work with beautiful women to give them the best cut and color of their textured hair lives, no lye. 

My specialty is Dry Curly Cuts + Creative Color in the red + brunette family.  I create lines, shapes, forms, and dimensional saturated hues with coily, curly, and kinky hair.

My people are fearless artists, lawyers, doctors, professors, and entrepreneurs who feel free to rock their hair, their way .  They allow me to fuse my Art School intensity and technical training to create fly cuts + amazing color to create bomb ass natural hair.

 MY OFFICIAL CRED

// I have a Bachelors degree in Fine Art because business school was boring. Three semesters into a Five Year MBA program I looked at a drawing and decided to change my major.  I’d never created a piece of art before but that was the best idea in the world.  You instantly have a startup business when you’ve got to figure out how to finance your $3,000 senior project with no funds in the bank.  No senior project, no graduation.  I graduated.

// I’ve held a lot of jobs before making the beauty industry my permanent career Salon receptionist/coordinator/manager/assistant/makeup artist, Go-Go dancer, arts administrator, restaurant hostess.  I get bored easily, learn quickly, and can produce anything if I absolutely have to (please don’t make me though, I like to stay in my lane).

// Cosmetology school was Plan C. Plan A was grad school but academic burnout squashed that dream. Plan B was to become an arts administrator.  Did that for 1.5 years.  Didn’t realize I would need a $60,000 masters degree to make $30,000/year. Nuff Said.  Going to the Aveda Institute during my 5th year of college was insurance I wouldn’t be just another starving artist.  So far it’s its up there with some of my best life decisions.

// Natural Hair makes my eyes light up like Christmas:  I’m a natural hair nerd. I’ve read all the books and probably have the entire Target aisle plus more under my sink.  I can tell a client who uses Shea Moisture and Miss Jessies upon smell and touch.  I endlessly research and study the evolving science of hair texture, density, porosity, elasticity, product ingredients, and styling techniques to bring a holistic view of hair health to my clients.

// My first big chop was a cesar cut. I shaved my healthy, shoulder length relaxed hair in July 2003 because summer in Tallahassee feels like the devil sat on you.  In the past 10 years I’ve rocked my hair short, long, natural, relaxed, weaved, red, blonde, purple, pink, and sometimes a combination of all of those.  I grown two BSL length afros from  clipper cuts. Hair is an accessory to be played with.  Even though I am a natural hair expert, don’t be surprised to see me rocking a sick relaxed cut with color on occasion.

// I am the co-founder of Black Girl Curls, the digital education hub powered by professionals, dedicated to teaching naturalistas hair care, styling and how to find the best products for their natural hair. After multiple 7-figure revenue years I exited in August 2023 to focus on expanding the reach of Cut It Kinky Professional Education.