Elle Varner on Her Natural Hair

Newcomer singer-songwriter Elle Varner in On the Couch, dishing about that gorgeous mane and why we’ll be hearing that unique and beautiful voice of hers for years to come.

CN: With all ‘dem curls, one can only assume you’re Team Natural…
EV: My whole life I’ve never had a perm. Every once in a while, I’ll do a blow out. In the winter, I mainly wash and set because it’s easier to not wet your hair that often. I’ve always been curly. I love my curls.

CN: Your curls were GORGE in the ‘Only Want to Give it To You’ video. Was that a set?
EV: We took tiny pieces of hair and pulled it around a 1/8 inch barrel curling iron to get a bunch of tight curls. Then we took the bottom of a rattail comb, the fine pick, and gently pulled them apart so that it didn’t look like noodles. So it looked more natural.

CN: Did they have to blow it out first?
EV: It was done with my hair washed and dried. We dried it naturally and brushed each piece prior to curling. No need for a blow dryer.

CN: Where on Earth did you find those super cute nerdy glasses?
EV: The wooden ones? I’ve had them for a couple of years. They came from NYC.

CN: Which products are you crushing on?
EV: I actually make a homemade mixture of shea butter, mango oil and vitamin e oil. It’s thick and good for nighttime. I use it to nourish my roots and protect my ends. Other than that, I use Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls, because it’s lighter than the Pudding and you can use it everyday. TIGI’s BedHead Afterparty is my main product. I love it!

CN:You wash and set during the winter. What’s your favorite set?
EV:My favorite? Roller sets with those little foam noodle rollers. I don’t have to worry about re-wetting for days.

CN: What about summer curls?
EV: I just wash my hair, comb it while it’s wet, style it and then lean my head over and wrap it up in the Curly Hair Towel for like 2 minutes. That’s it. I found the towel at TJ Maxx. It’s a little thinner than a regular towel and less harsh.

CN: Tell me about your music? How is it different that what’s out?
EV: My music is yesterday and tomorrow’s today. It’s like giving you some nostalgia, something you haven’t heard yet and it’s all relevant to right now. I write all my all songs so you’re getting my story. My own personal experiences, the way I feel about different issues and you can just expect really big things. I write pretty universal songs and I’m planning on a big, long lasting career.

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