Has anyone kept up with MacherieAmour?

belletresse said:

This thread's wandered a bit. We've already debated the overall merits of paying $99 for hair advice on many other threads.

I am talking about the relative merits of paying ANYTHING for someone's advice who doesn't and probably never has had hair like mine. There's a difference. I have weird, fine, frizzy, wavy curly, difficult to relax hair that I would categorize as 3D. (That's why I think that Andre's hair typing is ridiculous, but that's another topic.)

I've already found that I dislike every, single product she's used on her own hair. I wasted a lot of money by buying stuff she recommended on her free site. And, I already knew how to do a rollerset and a wrap. That's nothing new. Free tutorials abound on YouTube showing how to do braidouts and twists.

Macherie has consistently given only anecdotal evidence of ever having had damaged hair. If she has to call on others with hair like mine to chime in on her site, what's the point? I can get more of that here. Her free site was a nice jumping off point to my hair journey, but that's about it.

IMO, Black hair care is not complicated: I keep my hair clean, detangled, conditioned, moisturized, pay special attention to my ends and hold on to them; I avoid SHS's at all costs (as well as excessive heat.) I found a stylist who (ALWAYS) respects my wishes. When I relax, I know how a relaxer must be applied and never, EVER allow my stylist to overlap. I ALWAYS relax fragile edges last. I never let her cut my hair. I do not have a single split end. I do not obsess over having blunt ends. This has allowed me to easily regrow and retain 7 inches of hair that I lost May before last due to a lying, scissor happy, relaxer overlapping stylist.

After that it's just a matter of which products work for us individually.

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I see where you're coming from. Even though my hair like Keracare and i'm sure my hair probably will like most of what she uses, my hair will not look like hers(even at her length) We both have thick, coarse hair but hers is a different grade.

vainღ♥♡jane said:

maybe she didn't have bad hair before she came to the boards. a lot of members that come here have long hair at the beginning of their journey sometimes.​

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Thank you. Not everyone started with short, damaged hair. Their opinions are no less valid.

1. However, is it even possible to find people with exactly your hair typing unless it is a close relative?

2. Not everyone is fully aware that youtube has videos on hair--even some of the videos we criticize here on LHCF. I didn't trust or even know that youtube had videos. All advice is not good advice.

3. hair care seems so simply but why do we have members that have been here forever and their hair has stayed the same or gotten worse.

MizAvalon said:

Thank you. Not everyone started with short, damaged hair. Their opinions are no less valid.

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Just out of curiosity, how much would you pay to join her website?

i'd pay up to $50 a year for her services. the meetups, tutorials, and consultations she provides seem like a good service, but ought to be a pay-per-use thing, and not lump-summed into the membership fee. like, a $5 registration fee per each meetup seems reasonable. i don't see how members outside of her area can benefit from her in home meetups though :/

i respect her hustle but from her yearly membership price, it's clear that people of my statue aren't her target demographic...

belletresse said:

This thread's wandered a bit. We've already debated the overall merits of paying $99 for hair advice on many other threads.

I am talking about the relative merits of paying ANYTHING for someone's advice who doesn't and probably never has had hair like mine. There's a difference. I have weird, fine, frizzy, wavy curly, difficult to relax hair that I would categorize as 3D. (That's why I think that Andre's hair typing is ridiculous, but that's another topic.)

I've already found that I dislike every, single product she's used on her own hair. I wasted a lot of money by buying stuff she recommended on her free site. And, I already knew how to do a rollerset and a wrap. That's nothing new. Free tutorials abound on YouTube showing how to do braidouts and twists.

Macherie has consistently given only anecdotal evidence of ever having had damaged hair. If she has to call on others with hair like mine to chime in on her site, what's the point? I can get more of that here. Her free site was a nice jumping off point to my hair journey, but that's about it.

IMO, Black hair care is not complicated: I keep my hair clean, detangled, conditioned, moisturized, pay special attention to my ends and hold on to them; I avoid SHS's at all costs (as well as excessive heat.) I found a stylist who (ALWAYS) respects my wishes. When I relax, I know how a relaxer must be applied and never, EVER allow my stylist to overlap. I ALWAYS relax fragile edges last. I never let her cut my hair. I do not have a single split end. I do not obsess over having blunt ends. This has allowed me to easily regrow and retain 7 inches of hair that I lost May before last due to a lying, scissor happy, relaxer overlapping stylist.

After that it's just a matter of which products work for us individually.

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RE: bolded...Don't we do that on LHCF though? You pay 6.50 to speak to other posters who may or may not have your hair type to ask for advice and learn new techniques. Even though we type our hair, some of us are off...and there are so many gradations of hair that aren't covered by the typing system, so who knows who really has what unless you can touch the other poster's hair?

I think a lot of people here are turned off by the price, which is fine, but if others feel it's worth it to them, then by all means. I don't think her audience is LHCF women primarily. Instead, she's marketing to Black women who are fed up with their hair and at the very beginning of their hair journey. This site is not easily digestible for those who lack patience.

I understand why she is charging. Since I started my hair journey my sister and cousin have become devoted followers and my hair is not even mid back, it is just barley touching the top of my bra strap.

If I had more followers I would charge a fee too, it takes time and with the right kind of website money to run a site which allows members to communicate with each other.

When I reach my waist length goal I'm plainning on doing some training seminars. A lot of people need someone to show them what to do and what to use. I love reading so LHCF was the ticket for me, most people just want someone to take over and do it for them.

In fact, my cousin keep asking me to get my license and open a beauty shop all I did was a couple of wash and sets with deep conditioner on her hair and she was sold.

MizAvalon said:

Thank you. Not everyone started with short, damaged hair. Their opinions are no less valid.

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I agree. I have purchased Macherie's DVD and have watched her Youtube videos and I don't really watch them for information on how to emerge from badly damaged hair to healthy (and long) hair. I simply watch for maintenance/styling/growth information.

I don't know if her goal is to promote herself as an authority on emerging from badly damaged hair, either. (I have no idea...I simply enjoy her videos.)

I do know that if she has had healthy (and long) hair for all of her adulthood, I would probably be more likely to listen to what she has to say. I would put more "stock" in her advice if she has had long and healthy hair all of her life...as opposed to someone who only recently discovered their hair health and length.

I would find her more credible.

Maracujá said:

I love her advice, it has helped me a great deal. I have her as a friend on FB and I also read her articles on blackvoices.com, I'm also subscribed to her channel on youtube.

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DITTO!!!!!!!

I purchased her hair-care DVD and because of her and her techniques I finally learned to roller-set my own hair and not soley rely on my hair stylist. I do believe that due to her advice I got my hair to grow and then coupled with being on LHCF, I've surpassed my expectations of how healthy, strong and long my hair has gotten just in 8 short months.

While we are talking about Machierarmour, I have heard other people from free boards speak about LHCF--that they are not willing to pay $6.50 because they can get hair advice for free and they act like $6.50 is $650 which is just downright craziness. People will always have something to say: It is simple as this you do what you want to do with your money.

mstar said:

Based on the responses in this thread, women who are very interested in healthy haircare have avoided the site because of the fee. If we won't do it, I find it hard to believe that someone who knows very little about haircare is just going to plunk down $100 for a website that they know nothing about (there's not much info offered before you join). If she were my client, I'd advise her to lower the fee to attract more "looky-loos" who would probably keep subscribing once they got a taste of the possibilities of healthy haircare.

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Maybe that is what she wants. I am almost positive the vibe over there with everyone who has paid a 100 bucks is quite different than over here. In business, part of brand and product differentiation is exclusion. Every business does NOT want to have every customer they can get and they price things as such. Everybody doesnt go for the Walmart model of business, by pricing low to get any and everybody in their doors. There are more models to draw from than that. The exclusion of a certain type of folks actually does more for their brand. Example, LV could lower all the prices on their purses to 100 bucks and probably make more than they are now on volume. However, having certain folks carry their bags goes against and hurts the standard of their brand and product. As a brand they rather exclude those people, lose that volume sell to protect their image. The act of pricing folks out is not a new one. Unless you have read her business plan and know her model there is no way you can know if her pricing structure is inadequate simply because there are people willing to pay for whom the price is too much. There are lots of businesses for whom if they just lowed their price would have more customers, maybe that is not what they are going for and that is a VALID model of business. She has created a premium service and keeping it premium definitely means keeping some people out. Maybe she wants it that way and doesnt want a bunch of looky loos getting in on coupon discounts. One of the main complaints about LHCF is the vibe and volume of information. I am sure as a smart business woman she has effectively created a product differentiation and her price structure is mostly likely part of that.

cocoberry10 said:

She went to one of the best business schools in the country, so the fact that she was able to take that degree and make a name for herself speaks volumes.

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This is good to know. Its funny to me that some in this thread act like they know more about her business than she does and probably havent read one of her plans. If youre not a member, maybe her business model is working just fine. Everyone's goal is not be bottom basement and making money on volume. Homegirl went to business school so let her do her thing.

mstar said:

You think? I always thought LHCF was the largest general haircare site that's searchable through Google. But I guess a lot of people find her through You Tube.

Her main competitors are all free sites (all of the haircare info on LHCF is perfectly free for lurkers), so I just don't think that charging $100 a year was the right way to go, especially since so many of her longtime fans would've been willing to join if the price was slightly more reasonable. Very few "how-to" websites charge that kind of fee.

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9.99/month works out to approximately $0.33/day. How many of us spend several times that $0.33/day everyday on fast food, or Starbucks? Heck, I've spent three times that much putting a $1.00 in the vending machines at work.

If I stumbled on to her site probably would have paid fee monthly.
Luckily,I discovered LHCF while looking for reviews on quality flat iron. She has taken her hobby and made into a business as well as some members who sell hair products,t-shirts and lawd know what else. She found her targeted consumer audience.

Go ahead make your money MacherieAmour!!!

Interesting.

I've been lurking on this site for two years and I've seen "users" (read: product marketing specialists) come to this site (and others), post a question like "have you heard of this product"....or "i used this magic product and had great magical results with it"; and then other users run over to whatever site to purchase the product, without fail, en masse... We don't even question it when forking our money over to overwhelmingly White-owned hair companies or product manufacturers.

However, a young Black woman actually takes the time to research over a period of years, educate herself on her own haircare (and ours), pursues an MBA from a great American university, and asks people to pay a few dollars a month for it. And people are hesitant or skeptical. I do not get it.

I've seen folks spend twice that amount in a heartbeat in ONE DAY being a product junkie...with no "proof" or "evidence" that the product will actually work for them.

I don't subscribe to her site because it is outside of my university-esque budget...but so are all of the many products and quasi magic potions that are touted on these forums. However, I enjoy and would highly recommend her videos and her DVD is well done and quite good, actually (I purchased it, with pleasure).

If we put the same caution or skepticism into buying the products we purchase, these companies would be out of business.

I'm just saying, I will happily pay for a product, from a Black-owned business, that knows what it's doing, has a personal stake in my success, provides excellent service, and understands first-hand my struggles, concerns, and values as a Black woman.

I understand some of the reasons given here for not subscribing, etc, but I wish we put that same skepticism or caution into buying all of these products we purchase and making these companies filthy rich with our hard-earned dollars.

I REALLY liked Machierarmour's advice. I was a loyal HT follower when the site was free. I especially loved her tutorials, product reviews, and the information she provided. I also liked the fact that it was very professional. I still read her articles on blackvoices.com. IMO, the fact that I have never seen proof of her hair in a short or damaged state does not detract from the information she provides (and, in any event, I don't think she touts herself as someone who transformed her hair from damaged to healthy). I hope she is doing well and continues to do well.

Afrobuttafly said:

So I guess not everyone saw the post where I posted her answer to this question. :/

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I guess not, what did she say?

cocoberry10 said:

I guess not, what did she say?

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Here it is vvvvvvv

Afrobuttafly said:

OP, Here is the answer to your exact question from Macherie herself via the old healthy textures typepad site that is still up and I still use for reference btw..

"How Come You Dont Have Pictures of Your Damaged Hair?

Q. You frequently mention that we should take pictures of our hair to track our progress. But when I visited your fotki, you only have pictures of you with long hair. What gives?

A. I actually started my hair journey when I was 11. Im now 26 years old. So, Ive spent nearly 15 years trying to improve my hair. The reason why I took so long is because I wasnt monitoring my hair growth. Mostly, because I was just a kid and didnt think about taking pictures of my hair or keeping a journal. So, I ended up making the same mistakes over and over again.

But if I had kept a record of my progress and regimens, I would have noticed earlier on what was and was not working for my hair. When I finally started keeping a journal and taking pictures, I was better able to find a regimen that worked for me. I realized that it really didnt HAVE to take me 15 years to grow my hair. So, that is why I encourage people to take pictures and monitor their progress. That way they can get to where they want to be a lot sooner."

So there you have it.

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Bint Yusef said:

Maybe that is what she wants. I am almost positive the vibe over there with everyone who has paid a 100 bucks is quite different than over here. In business, part of brand and product differentiation is exclusion. Every business does NOT want to have every customer they can get and they price things as such. Everybody doesnt go for the Walmart model of business, by pricing low to get any and everybody in their doors. There are more models to draw from than that. The exclusion of a certain type of folks actually does more for their brand. Example, LV could lower all the prices on their purses to 100 bucks and probably make more than they are now on volume. However, having certain folks carry their bags goes against and hurts the standard of their brand and product. As a brand they rather exclude those people, lose that volume sell to protect their image. The act of pricing folks out is not a new one. Unless you have read her business plan and know her model there is no way you can know if her pricing structure is inadequate simply because there are people willing to pay for whom the price is too much. There are lots of businesses for whom if they just lowed their price would have more customers, maybe that is not what they are going for and that is a VALID model of business. She has created a premium service and keeping it premium definitely means keeping some people out. Maybe she wants it that way and doesnt want a bunch of looky loos getting in on coupon discounts. One of the main complaints about LHCF is the vibe and volume of information. I am sure as a smart business woman she has effectively created a product differentiation and her price structure is mostly likely part of that.

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I agree with you 100%.

Stella B. said:

I love Marcherieamour, and will always give her credit for being my first hair inspiration model. I stumbled across one of her youtube videos in late 2007, and because of her, I decided to go on my own hair journey. Her smarts, wisdom, and knowledge of hair still reigns supreme. She is a great communicator when it comes to sharing her knowledge in a professional way. For me, seeing a picture of her with shorter hair was not that important. I was inspired by her ability to grow her hair to such lengths, and maintain it for more than 15 years. When I saw her unravel her beautiful head of wrapped hair in her silk wrap video, I was hooked. She knows her stuff, conveys it well, and I miss her being around.

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Ditto to EVERYTHING in this post!
My hair journey began after watching one of her u tube videos. I wasn't even looking to grow 'long' hair at the time but she inspired me to try after she made me realize that it was possible (regardless of race or genetics).
After that, I started doing some heavy research which led me to LHCF, etc.
The advice she has given is great and thanks to her I have comparison pics from the start of my journey to now which keeps me motivated also. I remember her saying in one of her videos that she wished she had taken pics when she started to care better care of her hair.
As much as I would like to join her site... I'm not that well off right about now, but I am really grateful and appreciative to Macherie and wish her all the best.
Ofcourse, it would be nice to see some before shots, but she obviously knows what she's talking about... Her hair speaks for itself. That's all that matters.

Missi said:

Gotta make this quick..down to my last free internet minute on vacation...

I'm a HT member and the $$$ is well worth. She host meet ups and seminars at her house. her videos are amazing and you can't get that nowhere. Gotta go.

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I'm happy to hear that the $$$ are well worth it. She's helpful to many. It's all good, but my journey is MINE and so is my hair.

I have always known black women who could grow their hair to healthy, extraordinary lengths without much effort. Their hair was not like mine. My hair isn't that easy. I haven't purchased any hair advice other than Cathy Howse's books (she gives WONDERFUL ADVICE.) Other than that, I would reserve my props and dollars for women with hair like mine who I know for a fact started with little or nothing and achieved length. Anything else I won't pay for.

Blessings and great hair to you all, whatever path you chose.

Natural Glow said:

Or is she claiming to have transformed her hair from damaged/unhealthy to what it is now? I can understand the need for "evidence" if that is the case and people are considering joining her site just based off of those claims.

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In one of her tutorials she did mention that she has been deep conditioning for "over a decade". Her hair has probably been gorgeous for at least a decade then.

My issue with her is that she claims to be 4B and when she did the 17 weeks stretch you could look at her roots and see that they are not 4B. I think it is easier to grow hair with lower numbers because it tends to be less dry. I also think these ladies with long long hair also have long growth cycles. I know that what I am saying is controversial and i don't mean to start infighting, but that is just my impression.

She does have lovely hair though.

belletresse said:

I'm happy to hear that the $$$ are well worth it. She's helpful to many. It's all good, but my journey is MINE and so is my hair.

I have always known black women who could grow their hair to healthy, extraordinary lengths without much effort. Their hair was not like mine. My hair isn't that easy. I haven't purchased any hair advice other than Cathy Howse's books (she gives WONDERFUL ADVICE.) Other than that, I would reserve my props and dollars for women with hair like mine who I know for a fact started with little or nothing and achieved length. Anything else I won't pay for.

Blessings and great hair to you all, whatever path you chose.

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I totally agree with this. I grew out all of my bone straight relaxed hair just to get it strong enough to see how long it will grow if i don't cut it. that is my goal now that I have totally healthy hair with no thin ends. Straight growth.

WTG Macherie!!!!!!!!!! I'm so proud of her. I'm so happy to see a young sister in the black hair business.

her videos were some of the 1st vids i saw when i 1st started my hair journey... before i even knew i was on a hair journey actually lol. i wont knock her hustle, and i cant deny that she was one of my 1st hair idols and got me paying attention to my hair. so i'll giver her props for that much. i cant demand that she show me chewed up inch length hair to prover her knowledge since that's not where i started at you know.

oh wells, doesnt really matter. we have all the info we need for free on google lol