HUE Affair NYC 2026 Made For A Black Haircare Oasis [RECAP]

Since 2016, Black women and melanated ladies everywhere who proudly embrace their naturally curly hair have gathered together in droves for the annual beauty expo known as HUE Affair.

Now in its milestone 10th year, the self-proclaimed HUE Crew has grown substantially in supporters and seems to only be getting bigger based on the impressive turnout we witnessed this past weekend in New York City.

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Over 60 brands were highlighted with an emphasis on not just filling booths but actually giving people what they want. “We hunt for brands,” said chief curator Ylorie Taylor during a quick side chat from the day’s hustle and bustle. She went on to add, “We know what the girls want, so we put the best-of-the-best in the room from OGs to new brands. It’s about giving everyone who attends a reason to shop and support.”

For Taylor, the event is a group effort that has only sustained thus far thanks in part to all those involved. In her own words, “HUE Affair is a culmination of our community. It’s an ecosystem of brands, sponsors, partners, creatives, influencers and content creators; all of that together is why it really works. If we’re imbalanced in any piece of that, we just wouldn’t have the same energy and vibe.”

Options were aplenty for curly-haired consumers in every stage of hair care, but a few standouts definitely caught our eye as we made our way through the venue. Before checking out the brands we chose to highlight, take a look at a few recommendations straight from the top:

“Bask & Lather is known for their edge gel and scalp stimulator, The Doux is known for her wet sets and definition, Design Essentials is like a salon-at-home, African Pride is known for protective styles, KISS Colors & Care helps keep your edges, Eco Style is everybody’s gel, ORS is doing it big — I could probably name all of them! They all shine in different ways, but in this room I think they compliment each other.”

— Ylorie Taylor, HUE Affair

For those who couldn’t make it, we asked a handful of brands on display to recommend one item in their product line for someone attending HUE Affair for the first time. Don’t say we never looked out!

Keep scrolling to see the best of HUE Affair 2026, in addition to a prime selection of beauty and haircare products straight from the brand experts themselves:

TERRA-TORY

“We’d recommend the Omega Body Oil, either in Petrichor or our latest scent, Geranium.

We’re an all-natural skincare brand based out of Long Island. We make body butters, body oils and natural soaps. Everything is handmade by a woman of color.”