Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual NJ Natural Hair and Beauty Expo. I was excited because it was an event that was not too far away from home and I was attending this event with some friends. We actually turned it into a much needed girl’s weekend where we just relaxed by the pool, ate food, laughed( a lot lol), talked about life and just had a good time.

The NJ Natural Hair and Beauty Expo was created by Keisha “Kei” Reeves two years ago. The event is dedicated to showcasing natural hair and beauty in the New Jersey area. There were guest speakers, hair demos and panels  It also gives exposure to small businesses as well. I really loved that all the businesses were black owned businesses. There was a good mix of hair products, body care, accessories, clothing, authors and so much more. I loved that I was introduced to businesses and products that I have never heard of before.

We underestimated how many people would be in attendance because it was crowded lol! It was a lot of squeezing by people and saying excuse me and sorry for bumping into others. It is good thing when an event is crowded but there was not enough space to really walk around until the early crowd died down. It is the 2nd year and there is room to improve and accommodate everyone in attendance. I was able to get around to visit all the vendors I want to get to.

It was a little hard to pay attention to the main stage while everything was still going on. It was in the same room as the vendors and everyone was talking and shopping and it kind of drowned out who was talking. Again, this is just my takeaway and experience.

Overall I had a good time. It was a great event and awesome to see so many come out and support. I got some new products that I can’t wait to try and also got to support some black owned businesses. I loved that the event was held close to home and did not have to travel very far. I would attend this event again next year.