#ManeCrushMonday w/ Sam Issacs

What's better than Friday? #ManeCrushMonday's!

I'm back with another #ManeCrushMonday! Check out this beauty Sam Issacs and her minimal style!

Here's a snippet into Sam's life:

"I’m a third year business student at Northeastern studying marketing/management with deep rooted interests and experience in creative marketing, branding, and art direction in the fashion industry. I’m the child of two very West Indian parents and the sister to two pretty cool ladies. Very little things excite me more than a minimal wardrobe and Law & Order: SVU."- Sam Issacs

Mane Style: How long have you been natural?

Sam: I haven’t been natural for too long actually; June will make it 6 months now! It took me a while but my sister is a natural hair blogger (you may know her as Sherelle Naturelle) and she’d been forcefully hinting that it was the way to go. I just got so tired of beating my hair straight and wanted a healthy change, so I scheduled my curly cut in January and have not looked back.

MS: What are your go-to hairstyles?

S: Currently, since I’m still learning my hair, I do a lot of half up half down styles. I play around with buns and high ponytails a lot because I think they can be fun and really add something special to your look.

MS: Do you have any holy-grail hair products?

S: I live and breathe Shea Moisture. I use their Curl Enhancing Smoothie almost every day and like to pair that with Curls Goddess Hair Gel. Those two get me through the day frizz and crunch free so I love them dearly. I also L O V E the As I Am co-wash, it smells amazing and leaves my hair feeling so soft and detangled after I work it through. If I don’t have those in my arsenal, I probably won’t leave the house.

MS: Describe your personal style?

S: My personal style in one word is minimal. You can most likely find me in some culottes, a simple tee, and my favorite sneakers (you’ll very rarely catch me not sporting kicks). I love the idea of sneakers being chic and have always felt that they are in essence. That paired with a few pieces of silver jewelry and I am good to go. Minimalism runs along the same vein as streetwear in the sense that everything is very uniform, so I often pair the two. I also love loose fitting clothing and think there is something to be said about pulling off comfy and stylish all at once.

 
 

MS:  What clothing store(s) could we find you in, mostly?

S: I’m going to limit myself here and only list 5 stores because my list would and could run on forever. I adore Oak + Fort, Zara, Kit and Ace, Stussy, and Everlane. All 5 of these stores really bring together the perfect combo of clean minimalism mixed in with a little bit of city chic street wear.

MS: If you couldn’t live without one thing in your closet what would it be?

S: This is a tough one… I think I can narrow it down to my thrifted denim jacket, my favorite black culottes from Oak + Fort, or my Puma canvas sneakers. Clearly I couldn’t narrow it down to only one; indecision is a charming character trait of mine.

MS: Does your outfit for the day reflect how you wear your hair? Or vice versa?

S: My hair reflects my outfit more often than not. I like to plan out my outfit before I get to my hair so I know if an up-do will fit best, or if it’s a free flying ‘fro kind of day.

MS: Just for fun, who are your top three #WCW or just women who inspire you?

S: I love this question! My #WCWs always go to the same three women: Vashtie Kola, Aleali May, and Sophia Chang. Each of these women are self-made girl bosses and I respect their hustle a lot. They really make me want to continue to work on my brand and further myself, rather than just being influencers who preach a sense of attainability.

MS:  If you could share one piece of advice with readers, whether it be about style or hair, what would it be?

S: Not to sound corny, but India Arie really knew what she was talking about in I Am Not My Hair. Sometimes you will feel down about your curls and you may feel like they are such a hassle or burden, but always remember that hair is just a portion of what makes you beautiful. The same goes for clothing and style. Don’t let it consume you so much that you can’t recognize that your beauty is sourced from within – speaking from personal experience!

Mane Style: How can we connect with you? 

Sam: Instagram @sammisaacs | Tumblr http://justsamtings.tumblr.com/ | Website – coming soon!