Women of color don’t take hair care lightly and turn a discerning eye to scrutinize the assortment of hair care products available in stores across the nation. No, when it comes to our hair, mistakes are not acceptable, in fact, they are unforgivable and SoftSheen-Carson knows it. The beauty giant has been taking care of black women’s hair for more than 100 years.
The legendary beauty company recently paired up with another cultural icon, Essence magazine, to scour the country in search of the right sister to star in its upcoming Dark and Lovely advertising campaign.
The SoftSheen-Carson Dark and Lovely and Essence magazine casting call has been making its way around the country and most recently landed in Atlanta where scores of women turned out for a shot in the limelight. Actress LisaRaye McCoy spoke in-depth with participants and guests at the event about feeling beautiful from head to toe. 
“You know when you’ve got it right … when it’s tight. When you pass by the mirror and stop and check yourself out and you kind of stick your chest out and hold your head up high … and then you just walk out of the door,” she said to audience members, who overwhelmingly agreed with Ms. McCoy’s assessment of women knowing when their look is flawlessly pulled together.
McCoy is a celebrity panelist and judge for the casting call tour along with SoftSheen Carson’s artistic director and celebrity hairstylist, Johnny Wright. The panel discussion in the Atlanta event was moderated by Mikki Taylor, editor-at-large for Essence magazine.
More than 100 women got an an opportunity to have their photos taken on-site for an Essence magazine faux cover shot and spend two minutes with celebrity judges to convince them that they’re right for the job. The winner and one friend will be flown to New York for a photo shoot, hair makeover by SoftSheen-Carson’s Johnny Wright and a $5,000 shopping spree with celebrity stylist Carlton Jones.
Pardon the pun, but in essence, you’d be hard-pressed (pun intended) to find a better vehicle for showcasing you. –roz edward
