dw in Costa Rica - Black/african American Brides

Hey! So unfortunately I don’t know about Costa Rica, but I ran into this problem here in the States. I also have natural hair, and I couldn’t find anyone with proven work on my hair. On The Knot, I finally discovered that they had not just a Black-owned business filter, but also a “textured hair” option. That finally did it for me! I just wanted to flag that in case you haven’t tried that filter yet. I would also recommend posting on Reddit and in any relevant Facebook groups to get as many eyes on your post as possible. It’s tough for us curly girls out here!

Great recommendations, Kimberly! Thank you.

I haven't tried The Knot yet but will give that a shot for sure. Reddit & Facebook -- good call here too!

Curly girls unite. Thanks again!

Update -- I have made progress on this front.

- Had a great conversation with MUAH Lisa Boehm, who is vocal about the lack of artists in CR (and elsewhere) who can confidently and successfully work with darker skin tones and coarser hair types. Her knowledge and frankness on the topic were helpful, and her work is lovely. I also appreciated her point that ALL clients deserve more than "moderate capabilities" and instead, top-tier work they feel amazing in. With that said, Lisa was honest that my 4C hair would be in better hands elsewhere and provided me with a recommendation.

- Lisa recommended Fabienne McLaughlin, a hairstylist with several years of experience working with textured hair in CR and the states. I have spoken with her, discussed my thoughts, and reviewed her work. My wedding planner also had lovely things to say about her. Fabienne is very talented, and I will be in good hands.

- The other MUA I found and have engaged with is Reina López. From her page, it is evident she works with several skin tones. She has been responsive on WhatsApp but has shared that English is somewhat of a struggle [I am not concerned with that, but including here in case that may be an issue for others]

While I haven't decided on an MUA, I am moving forward with Fabienne. I genuinely hope this helps others who find themselves in a similar situation.