Today we’d like to introduce you to Amina Kamara.
Hi Amina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hair was never the plan. In fact, I spent years building a future for myself in healthcare before Kamara Spice was ever a thought. I always knew I wanted to help people, and for a long time, I believed healthcare was how I would do that Entering the beauty industry wasn’t something I ever considered, but God opened a door I didn’t know to look for.
In college, I started wearing and learning how to do wigs for myself. I wasn’t thinking about starting a business. After graduating, I began working in healthcare, including cancer research following the path I had always envisioned.
In 2019, a year after graduation, I did my cousin’s first wig install for her 18th birthday. I ordered hair from Amazon, gathered the products I had, and did her hair right in my mom’s kitchen. After she posted her pictures, girls at Morgan State University started messaging me asking how much I charged. I remember being surprised that people wanted to pay me for something I was still learning to do.
That was the beginning of Kamara Spice, although I didn’t recognize it at the time. Hair had never been apart of my plans, and I wasn’t sure it was something I would be able to pursue. My family saw the potential before I fully saw it myself and encouraged me to give it a chance. My brothers bought me my first salon vanity and helped turn my mom’s basement into the space where I started building my business.
I spent three years working and advancing in healthcare, with Kamara Spice becoming part of that journey along the way. When COVID-19 happened, I began thinking more seriously about what I wanted for my future. I had invested in the career I’d always planned for, but I also wanted to see how far I could go with hair. Ultimately, I chose to trust where God was leading me and pursue Kamara Spice full-time.
There was a lot I had to learn along the way. I didn’t come from a beauty or business background, so I was learning how to run a business while also developing my craft. My faith and my family’s support gave me the confidence to keep going, even when I didn’t have everything figured out.
Today, my work focuses on natural-looking wigs and helping women feel comfortable and confident wearing them. Looking back, that desire to help people has stayed with me. I just found a different way to do it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of my biggest struggles was honestly learning to trust my decision. It took me years to fully come to terms with leaving the career path I had worked so hard to build. For the first four years of my business, I dealt with what I now recognize as imposter syndrome. I was showing up, doing the work, and growing my clientele, but deep down, I knew I wasn’t giving Kamara Spice my full potential. There was still a part of me questioning whether I had made the right decision.
It wasn’t until year five that something shifted for me. I finally started walking in my journey with confidence. I kept reminding myself that if God didn’t want me here, He wouldn’t have placed me here. He wouldn’t have aligned things the way He did, and honestly, I never had to chase clients. People were naturally drawn to me and what I offered. I had to learn to trust that, trust the gift He gave me, and stop questioning whether I belonged in the space I was creating for myself.
Another challenge was learning that being good at hair and running a successful business are two completely different things. I had to figure out how to build systems for my clients and systems behind the scenes, from marketing and business operations to taxes and managing my money. I also had to start thinking about my future differently. When you step away from a traditional career, you have to be intentional about creating your own financial security and setting your future self up for success.
A lot of those lessons came with self-doubt because I didn’t have a blueprint or someone who could walk me through everything. I had to learn as I went, and I’m still learning. But I think one of the biggest changes has been realizing that I don’t have to have everything figured out to trust the path I’m on. I just have to keep showing up, keep learning, and have faith in what God is doing through me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a wig specialist. I specialize in natural-looking wig installs, custom units, and bridal wig styling. I’m especially known for my glueless installs and wig transformations over locs, giving my girls with locs the option to switch up their look while keeping their locs underneath.
My glueless work is something I take a lot of pride in, it’s why I call myself a “Glueless Architect.” More women are looking for options that don’t require glue, and many find me through TikTok and Instagram while searching for glueless installs in the area. Being able to create a seamless, natural-looking install without adhesive, while prioritizing my clients’ natural hair, is a big part of what I do.
I always say, “The wig should never wear you.” From the fit and hairline to the way the hair is styled, I want the finished look to feel like it belongs to the woman wearing it. That attention to detail is especially important when working over locs, where creating a comfortable fit and a natural-looking foundation..
What sets my work apart is the combination of customization and education. I take time to understand what each client wants, what they”re comfortable with, and how they plan to wear their hair day to day. I also show my clients how to wear and care for their wig so they can feel confident maintaining it beyond thier appointment.
I’m most proud of the trust I’ve built with my clients. Whether someone is trying a wig for the first time, wants a new look over her locs, or is trusting me with her wedding hair, I value being part of that experience. I want my girls to leave feeling beautiful, comfortable, and cared for. That’s what adding a little bit of “Spice” means to me.
What does success mean to you?
Success for me is being able to wake up on a Tuesday morning and have a slow morning. I can make my tea, sit down, take a walk, or do absolutely nothing for a little while before I start working. I don’t have to rush out the door early in the morning or feel confined to a schedule that someone else created for me. If I want to travel, I can plan a trip and go. If I need a day to myself, I have the freedom to make that decision.
That’s what success looks like to me. It’s having the freedom to decide how I spend my time and what my life looks like, while still doing work that I love and building something meaningful.
Success, for me, is not being confined.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bookwithkamaraspice.as.me/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamaraspice.xo?srtk=YXEwN3lkZnRwcHNx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2XdEov8KLavhMe3ToSG8Q
