Looking at TV presenter Nush Cope’s beautiful, big corkscrew curls, it’s hard to imagine her ever feeling unhappy with her hair. But she grew up in the noughties when brows were thin and straighteners wielded untold power. Not knowing how to tame the frizz and having no one to look to for advice, she struggled with confidence as a teenager.
These days, however, she’s a natural hair advocate and her curls are, she says, ‘her power’. We spoke to her about how she learned to embrace her natural texture, and got some feel-good hair-spiration along the way.
I wish I could tell my teen self that it’s better to be unique
“I had wavy hair when I was little, but when I hit puberty the curls came out and it was just wild. I didn’t have a clue how to look after it. My mum didn't have curly hair, so she didn’t really know how to help me. Growing up, I hated my curls. All the popular girls at school had straight hair, so I used to straighten mine all the time, which caused so much damage. I felt unattractive and very alone.
“If I could go back and speak to my teenage self now, I’d tell her to celebrate what makes her different. I’d say: ‘There's not a single person in the world who is anything like you, out of billions of people. Embrace it, love it and have fun’. But, back then, I just wanted to fit in.”
The rise of social media helped me understand my texture
“My attitude to my hair changed when I went travelling in 2019. I thought, ‘I'm going camping for two months across Africa; there's no way I can deal with this much bush in the bush!’ I needed it to be manageable, so I cut it really short. It gave it a new healthy lease of life. Once I got back from that trip, I started to look into how to manage my curls better.
“It coincided with the rise of social media, which has been a really positive thing for curly-haired girls. You have influencers, bloggers, celebrities, all with different types of hair, who are sharing their haircare routines. It’s easy to find someone who has a similar curl type to you and to ask what products they're using. If people reach out to me about my hair, I'm always quick to reply because I see the value in making someone else feel confident and empowering them to love their natural hair.”
I now use products that enhance my natural hair
“I’m all about embracing what makes you feel your best, from texture to tone. I had fun with my blonde highlights in my early 20s, but since having my son last year, I’ve let them grow out. Now I’m doing that mum life, I’m ready to embrace more of my natural shade.
“I've been trying out Clairol Natural Instincts, which is a semi-permanent colour. It's perfect for me because it's so easy to use at home and it's great for that in-between stage. I chose a medium cool blonde shade and it's helped bring out lots of my natural tones and added a lovely shine.
“Natural ingredients have also become really important to me since my pregnancy, and I’ve started transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle. It’s not just about the food that I eat, but also the products that I use. I love that Clairol Natural Instincts contains aloe vera and coconut oil to help care for your hair while you colour it.’
I spend time on a feel-good hair routine
“Spending time on yourself is the greatest form of self-love. I wash and condition my hair once every two or three days. I always brush it when it’s wet and has lots of conditioner in to help get the knots out — never brush curly hair when it’s dry, unless you want to look like a lion! Then I use a T-shirt to squeeze out the water, rather than towel-drying. I run a bit of curl cream through it and then scrunch it upwards to create shape.
I prefer to air dry if I can, but if I’m in a rush, I’ll use my hairdryer with the diffuser to help the curls. I have to put about two hours aside to do my hair. It's a whole process, but it's really empowering. When you get a really nice curl out of it, it feels amazing.”
I’ve realised that my curls are my crown
“My hair is a huge part of my personality. It’s big and bouncy, and I feel like that’s who I am, too. It’s so much a part of my identity, my heritage, my family. Now that I have my little boy, I'm so excited to pass all this wisdom on to him, to teach him how to look after his hair, and make sure he feels empowered by his curls.”
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Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.
