To celebrate the month of love, we sat down with our favorite curly couple Mell and Lucas. Mell is a popular curly hair stylist who's gotten her boyfriend, Lucas, to start taking more care of his curls and now they're both #HairGoals. Keep reading to get the deets on how they met, their curl routines and what 2021 has in store for them.
How long have you been together? How did you meet?
Almost 4 years ago, we met by chance at a karaoke bar for a birthday party. Ironically, neither of us were going to go but we did and it's always felt like it was meant to be because we've been together ever since!
How would you both describe your curls?
Mell: The bigger, the better. Our curls are both natural and a force of nature that thrives when it is in its natural curly state.
Lucas: Luscious, expressive, eye catching.
What are your hair regimens like? Do you both like to share hair products?
We both have very different routines, mostly because Lucas has much shorter hair and also could not be bothered with too many products but; he will pretty much use whatever I tell him to. I mainly help guide him through his routine as well as supply him with whichever products he needs. Which for him, is simply a shampoo and conditioner (these are essential; and separate. No 2-in-1 products here) as well as a styler that is both moisturizing and curl controlling to keep his short hair in place. I envy the simplicity of his routine; but because my hair is longer and colour treated, my curls require much more maintenance.
Lucas, what has your curl journey been like?
It started off where I was a person with curly hair as a child, and then at a young age I was taken to barbershops that cut all my locks off which made me think I had lost my curls. My whole life I just thought I naturally had messy hair, and because of that I lost interest and didn't care for my hair despite the fact that as a toddler my hair was such a defining feature. Until one day I met Mell, and she convinced me to grow my hair out because she could see the curl potential under all the messy frizz. And since then I feel like my curl journey has been a rollercoaster. It's kind of like Batman in Dark Knight Rises where I had it all, then I lost it all, and then I found it all once again. This journey has been refreshing for sure, i feel like I know more about myself and the way I approach my curl hair I feel like is a good way to approach anything related to me, as in now I know I've got my own unique hair with its own set of problems that need to be cared for, and since I've learned to care for my hair I've learned how to diagnose other unique parts of me like my skin, etc. I feel a lot better about myself because of it.
What are your 2021 hair goals?
Lucas: I feel like I've got such a good routine down for my hair that now this year I might go back to experimenting with shorter hair on the sides with lots of curls shaped on top, but outside of that I want to try as many different facial hairs as my face can accommodate as see which one's the best. I'm blessed with facial hair so I want to get the most of it and try different things out.
Mell: My goal with my hair is always to lead by example for the curly community. To inspire them to accept their hair for what it naturally is, as well as share solutions to help people meet their hair goals. My attachment to my hair is not in the length or the colour, but in the health of my hair. So my goal this year as always is to be an inspiration to anyone wanting to learn more about their hair and treat it better by showing them how different techniques, routines, methods, and more can work even if that makes me the guinea pig! At the end of the day; it's hair and it will always grow back.
What does beauty mean to you both?
Mell: Beauty is an acceptance of self and expression. Beauty is unique and subjective, but the only opinion of your own beauty that matters is yours and whatever makes you happy. Beauty is a feeling, and whatever makes you feel beautiful IS beautiful. That's what beauty means to me.
Lucas: I completely agree with mell. Beauty is contextual and is defined by the beholder. Anything and anyone can be beautiful and you can aspire to be beautiful in any way you like. It's a quality I don't think it is as rigid as some people make it out to be; there's no objectively beautiful or ugly thing. That being said, I don't think beauty is something we can put a finger on. It's a quality that we can all be if we all put our best foot forward and be close to whatever interpretation of beauty that we're aspiring to get to. Just to kind of echo Mell. For the most part, beauty is in here (taps heart).