Nicole Ari Parker Is on a Wig Break—Here’s Her Current Hair Routine
Nicole Ari Parker / Byrdie
Nicole Ari Parker has been a Hollywood mainstay since the ’90s. And while her acting chops know no bounds, she’s played leading roles in some of Black America’s most definitive TV and film works. Boogie Nights, Soul Food, and Brown Sugar are but a few. Thirty years after her debut, Parker’s career remains as dynamic as ever. Most recently, she portrayed Lisa Todd Wexley, the impeccably dressed documentarian on HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, which wrapped its third and final season last August.
In tandem with her fabulous life as a TV and movie star, Nicole Ari Parker is an innovator and entrepreneur. With nothing but a dream to create a sweat-proof scarf that would preserve her blowouts at the gym, Parker began cutting her husband, fellow actor Boris Kodjoe’s, favorite shirts to make a prototype. The hit to Kodjoe’s closet paid off, as the businesswoman officially launched Gymwrap in 2011. The company offers four sweat-absorbent, cooling wrap styles, along with a collection of hats and visors in a range of colors and prints.
Certainly, decades of life on set and running a hair accessories brand have led to an interesting mane journey. Ahead, Nicole Ari Parker talks more about her freeing break from wigs, her wash day ritual, some of her favorite hair care brands, and more.
Her Break From Wigs
“I’m off the wigs right now, and I’m really letting my real hair breathe, and owning my forehead, and all the things that we’re made to feel weird about. It was difficult, at first, coming off the wigs. I wore them for And Just Like That. That character had a bob, but my real hair couldn’t have taken that heat on the TV schedule. So we got custom-made wigs, and that was fun. But at a certain point, my hair was literally screaming, I want to be free!”
Her Hair Type
“I’m 100% natural because I was cornrowed flat for a good wig fit. My hair grew, but it wasn’t getting the care it needed. I think I’m 4B, 4A, I don’t know—4C. I have what old folks call ‘grease and water’ hair. I love products, and I have so many wonderful brands, but my hair loves water and grease. It’s very simple. I’m just bringing her back to fullness.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Favorite Hair Care Products
“I really like Tracee’s brand [Pattern Beauty] and Tabitha’s brand [Donna’s Recipe]. And Carol’s Daughter—my hair loves it. TGIN has a great Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer. And I keep a little Blue Magic! You know who else has a line? One of my hairstylists, Naivasha Johnson, specializes in natural hair. Her brand is called Curl Queen. When I tell you, my son came home from Germany with his hair tangled. And the [Intense Therapy Masque and Royal Nectar Hair Oil] that she made are so incredible… I used the whole jar [on him].”
Her Wash Day Routine
“It’s a ritual, it’s a moment. I wash my hair once a week. My hair always responds well when I put some oil on it before wash time. My friend Sarita Choudhury—she was on And Just Like That with me—brought me real amla oil and bhringraj oil from India. I make a blend of the two oils, put it on my hair with a plastic cap, and let it sit. I might even sleep in it, and then I wash my hair. But if you don’t have any of that, olive oil is everything.”
Her Go-To Workout Hairstyle
“I’m a bun girl. I love wearing my Bandi—it’s one of my newest styles. I have a skinny Bandi 2.0 and a Bandi+ 2.0. The Bandi+ is wide; it covers my edges if I have to run to a meeting after [working out], and it keeps them flat. When I’m hiking, I like my hero Gymwrap that you can tie in the back like Sylvester Stallone. I sometimes sleep in my Full Triangle 2.0; it has a cooling technology. A lot of men like it because it has a nice, wide front band with sweat-absorption technology. It keeps their hair out of their face, and they can wear it under their helmet—motorcycle bikers, or football players.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Hair Color Journey Through the Years
“Well, Kiyah Wright is the one who got me to play with blonde, not only in wigs, but in my real hair. She does that caramel with the touch of honey blonde so well. You’ve got to really take care of your hair when you lighten it that much.”
On What Inspires Her Hairstyles
“I have a natural inclination for dress-up. I’ve always been that way, even as a kid, which is probably why I love the theater and acting. Today I might want my face out to face the world, so I’ll slick my hair back, you know? Sometimes I want to hide a little bit, so I let it be in my face. Because I’m in busy mode now, Boris and I just moved back to New York, and I’ve been wearing slick-back buns everywhere: grocery store, red carpet. But I can’t wait till my hair is full again to wear it like yours, so beautiful.”
Her Favorite On-Screen Hairstyles
“I had just cut my hair short [before Imagine That], and I felt really pretty. I liked all the wigs that I got to enjoy on And Just Like That. And I think my third favorite is the wigs I wore in Boogie Nights because I was born in the ’70s, so all my aunts looked like [my character,] Chocolate Love.”
How Her Children Inspire Her Hair Journey
“My daughter has a head full of beautiful hair, and she does all the wigs. But I got re-inspired by her. She washes her hair and lets it air dry, and my son, too. They’re in love with their own hair. I used to be like that more, but when the business came…if you tried to be natural, [stylists] would still try to straighten your real hair. So it’s been a journey. Not so much about identity, but about caring properly for your hair. I’ve never tried to hide my hair or to be less African-American. It’s just really embracing [and learning] the kind of love and care that your natural, beautiful hair needs.”
The Hair That Makes Her Feel Most Herself
“Natural, air-dried wash-and-go hair. You can hear your mom screaming, ‘Do not go outside with that wet hair!’ but you just do it anyway. Even as a grown-up, I still hear my mom’s voice.”
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Nicole Ari Parker Is on a Wig Break—Here’s Her Current Hair Routine
Nicole Ari Parker / Byrdie
Nicole Ari Parker has been a Hollywood mainstay since the ’90s. And while her acting chops know no bounds, she’s played leading roles in some of Black America’s most definitive TV and film works. Boogie Nights, Soul Food, and Brown Sugar are but a few. Thirty years after her debut, Parker’s career remains as dynamic as ever. Most recently, she portrayed Lisa Todd Wexley, the impeccably dressed documentarian on HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, which wrapped its third and final season last August.
In tandem with her fabulous life as a TV and movie star, Nicole Ari Parker is an innovator and entrepreneur. With nothing but a dream to create a sweat-proof scarf that would preserve her blowouts at the gym, Parker began cutting her husband, fellow actor Boris Kodjoe’s, favorite shirts to make a prototype. The hit to Kodjoe’s closet paid off, as the businesswoman officially launched Gymwrap in 2011. The company offers four sweat-absorbent, cooling wrap styles, along with a collection of hats and visors in a range of colors and prints.
Certainly, decades of life on set and running a hair accessories brand have led to an interesting mane journey. Ahead, Nicole Ari Parker talks more about her freeing break from wigs, her wash day ritual, some of her favorite hair care brands, and more.
Her Break From Wigs
“I’m off the wigs right now, and I’m really letting my real hair breathe, and owning my forehead, and all the things that we’re made to feel weird about. It was difficult, at first, coming off the wigs. I wore them for And Just Like That. That character had a bob, but my real hair couldn’t have taken that heat on the TV schedule. So we got custom-made wigs, and that was fun. But at a certain point, my hair was literally screaming, I want to be free!”
Her Hair Type
“I’m 100% natural because I was cornrowed flat for a good wig fit. My hair grew, but it wasn’t getting the care it needed. I think I’m 4B, 4A, I don’t know—4C. I have what old folks call ‘grease and water’ hair. I love products, and I have so many wonderful brands, but my hair loves water and grease. It’s very simple. I’m just bringing her back to fullness.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Favorite Hair Care Products
“I really like Tracee’s brand [Pattern Beauty] and Tabitha’s brand [Donna’s Recipe]. And Carol’s Daughter—my hair loves it. TGIN has a great Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer. And I keep a little Blue Magic! You know who else has a line? One of my hairstylists, Naivasha Johnson, specializes in natural hair. Her brand is called Curl Queen. When I tell you, my son came home from Germany with his hair tangled. And the [Intense Therapy Masque and Royal Nectar Hair Oil] that she made are so incredible… I used the whole jar [on him].”
Her Wash Day Routine
“It’s a ritual, it’s a moment. I wash my hair once a week. My hair always responds well when I put some oil on it before wash time. My friend Sarita Choudhury—she was on And Just Like That with me—brought me real amla oil and bhringraj oil from India. I make a blend of the two oils, put it on my hair with a plastic cap, and let it sit. I might even sleep in it, and then I wash my hair. But if you don’t have any of that, olive oil is everything.”
Her Go-To Workout Hairstyle
“I’m a bun girl. I love wearing my Bandi—it’s one of my newest styles. I have a skinny Bandi 2.0 and a Bandi+ 2.0. The Bandi+ is wide; it covers my edges if I have to run to a meeting after [working out], and it keeps them flat. When I’m hiking, I like my hero Gymwrap that you can tie in the back like Sylvester Stallone. I sometimes sleep in my Full Triangle 2.0; it has a cooling technology. A lot of men like it because it has a nice, wide front band with sweat-absorption technology. It keeps their hair out of their face, and they can wear it under their helmet—motorcycle bikers, or football players.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Hair Color Journey Through the Years
“Well, Kiyah Wright is the one who got me to play with blonde, not only in wigs, but in my real hair. She does that caramel with the touch of honey blonde so well. You’ve got to really take care of your hair when you lighten it that much.”
On What Inspires Her Hairstyles
“I have a natural inclination for dress-up. I’ve always been that way, even as a kid, which is probably why I love the theater and acting. Today I might want my face out to face the world, so I’ll slick my hair back, you know? Sometimes I want to hide a little bit, so I let it be in my face. Because I’m in busy mode now, Boris and I just moved back to New York, and I’ve been wearing slick-back buns everywhere: grocery store, red carpet. But I can’t wait till my hair is full again to wear it like yours, so beautiful.”
Her Favorite On-Screen Hairstyles
“I had just cut my hair short [before Imagine That], and I felt really pretty. I liked all the wigs that I got to enjoy on And Just Like That. And I think my third favorite is the wigs I wore in Boogie Nights because I was born in the ’70s, so all my aunts looked like [my character,] Chocolate Love.”
How Her Children Inspire Her Hair Journey
“My daughter has a head full of beautiful hair, and she does all the wigs. But I got re-inspired by her. She washes her hair and lets it air dry, and my son, too. They’re in love with their own hair. I used to be like that more, but when the business came…if you tried to be natural, [stylists] would still try to straighten your real hair. So it’s been a journey. Not so much about identity, but about caring properly for your hair. I’ve never tried to hide my hair or to be less African-American. It’s just really embracing [and learning] the kind of love and care that your natural, beautiful hair needs.”
The Hair That Makes Her Feel Most Herself
“Natural, air-dried wash-and-go hair. You can hear your mom screaming, ‘Do not go outside with that wet hair!’ but you just do it anyway. Even as a grown-up, I still hear my mom’s voice.”
Nicole Ari Parker / Byrdie
Nicole Ari Parker has been a Hollywood mainstay since the ’90s. And while her acting chops know no bounds, she’s played leading roles in some of Black America’s most definitive TV and film works. Boogie Nights, Soul Food, and Brown Sugar are but a few. Thirty years after her debut, Parker’s career remains as dynamic as ever. Most recently, she portrayed Lisa Todd Wexley, the impeccably dressed documentarian on HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, which wrapped its third and final season last August.
In tandem with her fabulous life as a TV and movie star, Nicole Ari Parker is an innovator and entrepreneur. With nothing but a dream to create a sweat-proof scarf that would preserve her blowouts at the gym, Parker began cutting her husband, fellow actor Boris Kodjoe’s, favorite shirts to make a prototype. The hit to Kodjoe’s closet paid off, as the businesswoman officially launched Gymwrap in 2011. The company offers four sweat-absorbent, cooling wrap styles, along with a collection of hats and visors in a range of colors and prints.
Certainly, decades of life on set and running a hair accessories brand have led to an interesting mane journey. Ahead, Nicole Ari Parker talks more about her freeing break from wigs, her wash day ritual, some of her favorite hair care brands, and more.
Her Break From Wigs
“I’m off the wigs right now, and I’m really letting my real hair breathe, and owning my forehead, and all the things that we’re made to feel weird about. It was difficult, at first, coming off the wigs. I wore them for And Just Like That. That character had a bob, but my real hair couldn’t have taken that heat on the TV schedule. So we got custom-made wigs, and that was fun. But at a certain point, my hair was literally screaming, I want to be free!”
Her Hair Type
“I’m 100% natural because I was cornrowed flat for a good wig fit. My hair grew, but it wasn’t getting the care it needed. I think I’m 4B, 4A, I don’t know—4C. I have what old folks call ‘grease and water’ hair. I love products, and I have so many wonderful brands, but my hair loves water and grease. It’s very simple. I’m just bringing her back to fullness.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Favorite Hair Care Products
“I really like Tracee’s brand [Pattern Beauty] and Tabitha’s brand [Donna’s Recipe]. And Carol’s Daughter—my hair loves it. TGIN has a great Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer. And I keep a little Blue Magic! You know who else has a line? One of my hairstylists, Naivasha Johnson, specializes in natural hair. Her brand is called Curl Queen. When I tell you, my son came home from Germany with his hair tangled. And the [Intense Therapy Masque and Royal Nectar Hair Oil] that she made are so incredible… I used the whole jar [on him].”
Her Wash Day Routine
“It’s a ritual, it’s a moment. I wash my hair once a week. My hair always responds well when I put some oil on it before wash time. My friend Sarita Choudhury—she was on And Just Like That with me—brought me real amla oil and bhringraj oil from India. I make a blend of the two oils, put it on my hair with a plastic cap, and let it sit. I might even sleep in it, and then I wash my hair. But if you don’t have any of that, olive oil is everything.”
Her Go-To Workout Hairstyle
“I’m a bun girl. I love wearing my Bandi—it’s one of my newest styles. I have a skinny Bandi 2.0 and a Bandi+ 2.0. The Bandi+ is wide; it covers my edges if I have to run to a meeting after [working out], and it keeps them flat. When I’m hiking, I like my hero Gymwrap that you can tie in the back like Sylvester Stallone. I sometimes sleep in my Full Triangle 2.0; it has a cooling technology. A lot of men like it because it has a nice, wide front band with sweat-absorption technology. It keeps their hair out of their face, and they can wear it under their helmet—motorcycle bikers, or football players.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Hair Color Journey Through the Years
“Well, Kiyah Wright is the one who got me to play with blonde, not only in wigs, but in my real hair. She does that caramel with the touch of honey blonde so well. You’ve got to really take care of your hair when you lighten it that much.”
On What Inspires Her Hairstyles
“I have a natural inclination for dress-up. I’ve always been that way, even as a kid, which is probably why I love the theater and acting. Today I might want my face out to face the world, so I’ll slick my hair back, you know? Sometimes I want to hide a little bit, so I let it be in my face. Because I’m in busy mode now, Boris and I just moved back to New York, and I’ve been wearing slick-back buns everywhere: grocery store, red carpet. But I can’t wait till my hair is full again to wear it like yours, so beautiful.”
Her Favorite On-Screen Hairstyles
“I had just cut my hair short [before Imagine That], and I felt really pretty. I liked all the wigs that I got to enjoy on And Just Like That. And I think my third favorite is the wigs I wore in Boogie Nights because I was born in the ’70s, so all my aunts looked like [my character,] Chocolate Love.”
How Her Children Inspire Her Hair Journey
“My daughter has a head full of beautiful hair, and she does all the wigs. But I got re-inspired by her. She washes her hair and lets it air dry, and my son, too. They’re in love with their own hair. I used to be like that more, but when the business came…if you tried to be natural, [stylists] would still try to straighten your real hair. So it’s been a journey. Not so much about identity, but about caring properly for your hair. I’ve never tried to hide my hair or to be less African-American. It’s just really embracing [and learning] the kind of love and care that your natural, beautiful hair needs.”
The Hair That Makes Her Feel Most Herself
“Natural, air-dried wash-and-go hair. You can hear your mom screaming, ‘Do not go outside with that wet hair!’ but you just do it anyway. Even as a grown-up, I still hear my mom’s voice.”
Nicole Ari Parker has been a Hollywood mainstay since the ’90s. And while her acting chops know no bounds, she’s played leading roles in some of Black America’s most definitive TV and film works. Boogie Nights, Soul Food, and Brown Sugar are but a few. Thirty years after her debut, Parker’s career remains as dynamic as ever. Most recently, she portrayed Lisa Todd Wexley, the impeccably dressed documentarian on HBO Max’s And Just Like That…, which wrapped its third and final season last August.
In tandem with her fabulous life as a TV and movie star, Nicole Ari Parker is an innovator and entrepreneur. With nothing but a dream to create a sweat-proof scarf that would preserve her blowouts at the gym, Parker began cutting her husband, fellow actor Boris Kodjoe’s, favorite shirts to make a prototype. The hit to Kodjoe’s closet paid off, as the businesswoman officially launched Gymwrap in 2011. The company offers four sweat-absorbent, cooling wrap styles, along with a collection of hats and visors in a range of colors and prints.
Certainly, decades of life on set and running a hair accessories brand have led to an interesting mane journey. Ahead, Nicole Ari Parker talks more about her freeing break from wigs, her wash day ritual, some of her favorite hair care brands, and more.
Her Break From Wigs
“I’m off the wigs right now, and I’m really letting my real hair breathe, and owning my forehead, and all the things that we’re made to feel weird about. It was difficult, at first, coming off the wigs. I wore them for And Just Like That. That character had a bob, but my real hair couldn’t have taken that heat on the TV schedule. So we got custom-made wigs, and that was fun. But at a certain point, my hair was literally screaming, I want to be free!”
Her Hair Type
“I’m 100% natural because I was cornrowed flat for a good wig fit. My hair grew, but it wasn’t getting the care it needed. I think I’m 4B, 4A, I don’t know—4C. I have what old folks call ‘grease and water’ hair. I love products, and I have so many wonderful brands, but my hair loves water and grease. It’s very simple. I’m just bringing her back to fullness.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Favorite Hair Care Products
“I really like Tracee’s brand [Pattern Beauty] and Tabitha’s brand [Donna’s Recipe]. And Carol’s Daughter—my hair loves it. TGIN has a great Butter Cream Daily Moisturizer. And I keep a little Blue Magic! You know who else has a line? One of my hairstylists, Naivasha Johnson, specializes in natural hair. Her brand is called Curl Queen. When I tell you, my son came home from Germany with his hair tangled. And the [Intense Therapy Masque and Royal Nectar Hair Oil] that she made are so incredible… I used the whole jar [on him].”
Her Wash Day Routine
“It’s a ritual, it’s a moment. I wash my hair once a week. My hair always responds well when I put some oil on it before wash time. My friend Sarita Choudhury—she was on And Just Like That with me—brought me real amla oil and bhringraj oil from India. I make a blend of the two oils, put it on my hair with a plastic cap, and let it sit. I might even sleep in it, and then I wash my hair. But if you don’t have any of that, olive oil is everything.”
Her Go-To Workout Hairstyle
“I’m a bun girl. I love wearing my Bandi—it’s one of my newest styles. I have a skinny Bandi 2.0 and a Bandi+ 2.0. The Bandi+ is wide; it covers my edges if I have to run to a meeting after [working out], and it keeps them flat. When I’m hiking, I like my hero Gymwrap that you can tie in the back like Sylvester Stallone. I sometimes sleep in my Full Triangle 2.0; it has a cooling technology. A lot of men like it because it has a nice, wide front band with sweat-absorption technology. It keeps their hair out of their face, and they can wear it under their helmet—motorcycle bikers, or football players.”
@nicoleariparker / instagram
Her Hair Color Journey Through the Years
“Well, Kiyah Wright is the one who got me to play with blonde, not only in wigs, but in my real hair. She does that caramel with the touch of honey blonde so well. You’ve got to really take care of your hair when you lighten it that much.”
On What Inspires Her Hairstyles
“I have a natural inclination for dress-up. I’ve always been that way, even as a kid, which is probably why I love the theater and acting. Today I might want my face out to face the world, so I’ll slick my hair back, you know? Sometimes I want to hide a little bit, so I let it be in my face. Because I’m in busy mode now, Boris and I just moved back to New York, and I’ve been wearing slick-back buns everywhere: grocery store, red carpet. But I can’t wait till my hair is full again to wear it like yours, so beautiful.”
Her Favorite On-Screen Hairstyles
“I had just cut my hair short [before Imagine That], and I felt really pretty. I liked all the wigs that I got to enjoy on And Just Like That. And I think my third favorite is the wigs I wore in Boogie Nights because I was born in the ’70s, so all my aunts looked like [my character,] Chocolate Love.”
How Her Children Inspire Her Hair Journey
“My daughter has a head full of beautiful hair, and she does all the wigs. But I got re-inspired by her. She washes her hair and lets it air dry, and my son, too. They’re in love with their own hair. I used to be like that more, but when the business came…if you tried to be natural, [stylists] would still try to straighten your real hair. So it’s been a journey. Not so much about identity, but about caring properly for your hair. I’ve never tried to hide my hair or to be less African-American. It’s just really embracing [and learning] the kind of love and care that your natural, beautiful hair needs.”
The Hair That Makes Her Feel Most Herself
“Natural, air-dried wash-and-go hair. You can hear your mom screaming, ‘Do not go outside with that wet hair!’ but you just do it anyway. Even as a grown-up, I still hear my mom’s voice.”
Source URL: https://www.byrdie.com/nicole-ari-parker-interview-11862324