@allure
Allure“The only thing I have access to is shampoo and grease, and a comb that’s thinner than this,” Daesha Holloman, 31, tells Allure’s senior writer Lizzy Gulino, pointing to an already tiny brush in front of her. There’s not much she can do to care for her hair behind bars. Last month, Gulino and videographer Jarell Mique traveled to Rikers Island to report on a pilot program that gave three soon-to-be-released women hair and makeup transformations. The one-day event was put on by @BEAUTY BEYOND BARS, a nonprofit organization founded by 21-year-old criminal justice-reform advocate Lea Nepomuceno, and @citrynerosenewyork, a hair salon in Manhattan founded by hairstylist Julie Dastine. While a single makeover won’t change the deeply flawed American prison system, it may help restore a sense of self-worth in the people trying to survive inside of it. Keep watching to step inside the salon at the Rose M. Singer Center with Lizette Lugo, Adia Charles, and Holloman. Tap the link in bio to see more photos and read Allure’s first-hand account of what happened during the one-day program on Rikers Island. Videographer: Jarell Mique
On the profile · Oct 8, 2026