Lovie Simone Talks Inclusivity at Essence Festival 2025

As someone who’s maintained my hair in its natural state all my life, I’ve always admired the Black female figures that embrace their curls on the big screens and stages. I’m talking Tracee Ellis Ross, Solange Knowles, Yara Shahidi, and, a new favorite of mine, actress Lovie Simone. The born-and-raised New Yorker has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame since her character Keisha Clark in Mara Brock Akil’s “Forever” elevated society’s understanding of Black girlhood globally. Simone is also known for appearing in Oprah’s Netflix series, “Greenleaf,” where she played Zora, the boundary-pushing granddaughter of the show’s patriarch bishop.

Aside from her masterful relatability, exhibited with any role she takes on, her embrace of her natural hair is what makes her presence in the industry even more referential. From her signature Afro to box braids adorned with intricate baby hairs, Simone is all about showcasing Black hair loudly, which has led her to one of her most meaningful feats yet — a partnership with SheaMoisture.

At the 2025 Essence Festival BeautyCon stage, Simone collaborated with the household brand for their “Sheaversity” campaign that highlighted the limitless versatility of Black hair from the lens of a hair school. During a panel with The Cut beauty editor Asia Ware and SheaMoisture hair educator Lacy Redway, the actress spoke on the importance of representation in a historically exclusive film industry, and how she maintains her identity while switching styles for roles. “This is major for me because I’ve been a SheaMoisture girl since transitioning into my natural hair journey,” she tells Popsugar just minutes after the panel. “It makes a lot of sense for me — it’s a very natural, full-circle moment.”

While her love for the Harlem-founded company runs deep, the young innovator discovered at a very early age that her hair was different. “When I was seven, I got out of the pool and saw all of the Spanish girls brush their hair straight into a ponytail,” she says. “I tried to do the same thing with my hair and it wouldn’t get straight — that was the first time I realized I had a different type of hair than the people I saw around me or on TV.” Still, this realization didn’t stop Simone from pursuing her dreams.

Initially, she wanted to be a Disney star, but her career pivoted into something more as she began to take on roles that extend far beyond a viral moment — roles that display Blackness in all of its glory and complexities. And, in spite of the different personas she adapts, Simone prides herself in maintaining her natural hair, describing it as a “nonnegotiable” when accepting or auditioning for projects, furthering her place as an inclusive figure. “Inclusivity is a respect of what already exists,” she says. “These things [natural hair, Black girls], we all exist — and that’s an honest truth I’m privileged to tell through my hair.”

Now, for the question that lives rent-free in our heads: How does Simone get her curls so good? It all starts with SheaMoisture, of course — especially the brand’s Smoothie Curl Enhancing Cream ($9, originally $12), which she’s been using since she was 10 years old. When she’s not sporting her curls, she gets box braids, often taming them with the Define & Shine Edge Gel ($8) and Frizz Free Mousse ($8, originally $12). “I love using the mousse right after I finish braiding it to help set it and get all the flyaways together. Shea Moisture is just my good ol’ reliable best friend,” she says.

The “Raising Kanaan” actress also uses trusted beauty supply products for her braids and curls, including the Ebin 24 Hour Edge Tamer ($10) and the göt2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray ($9). As for her glowing skin, she uses body butters from her mom’s skin-care brand SoLO’s Eclipse and the A+D Original Diaper Rash Ointment ($4, originally $7) — both as protectants against eczema.

While the beauty of Simone’s hair is undeniable, her identity isn’t limited to her curls. She’s here for the purpose of “telling stories that make people feel,” as she describes. “And I’m leaving that feeling open because I love the human experience and I want people to feel that from me, whatever that looks like — feeling love, being scared, annoyed. I just want to be there.”

Naomi Parris is the assistant shopping editor at PS, based in New York. With over eight years of experience and previous roles held on the brand’s Beauty and Operations teams, she enjoys telling stories that merge fashion, beauty, and Black culture. Naomi has also lent her skillful pen to Essence Girls United, Elle, Bustle, and Elite Daily. When she’s not crafting shopping roundups, high-profile features, beauty op-eds, or trend guides, you can find Naomi behind her blog “Eli-Nay,” where she inspires readers through style guides, cultural pieces, and innovative content on her Instagram.

Travel and expenses for the author were provided by SheaMoisture for the purpose of writing this story.