Terrisita

“...These days when I hear the word, “Bit**” I am no longer offended. I have taken that word and turned it into power! For me now, the word stands for those who prioritize themselves and I am that Bit** from mundane to life-changing decisions. This bad Bit** won’t seek approval or affirmation from anyone!

—Terrisita

n Greek mythology, the phoenix is a long-lived bird that regenerates or is born again, rising from the cloud of darkness or the ashes of her predecessor. This bird is symbolic and said to represent rebirth, hope, end of oppression, and eternity. And of course, the phoenix is ‘female’! How fitting! This diva has proven that her life represents the mythology of this mystical bird as she has risen from the ashes, reborn and determined to reclaim her life. Born in 1972 and raised in the South District of Harvey in Cook County, IL, Terrisita Johnson of Mexican (father) and African-American (mother) descent is the oldest of seven. “Well, I come from a pretty rough past. My grandparents raised my sisters, my brothers and I, after my mother was in the streets, you know, drugs. She was a heroin addict. I am the oldest of the seven, so I guess it’s kind of ironic that the oldest was also the wildest! My grandparents once said, Yeah, she’s going to be different. True, to fact, I was.”

A hard-core ‘material girl’, Terrisita looked up to Madonna. “I used to wear the bow ties in my hair, the lace gloves, the whole punk rock look from the eighties when Madonna came on the scene. I listen to rock, you know, and then I started wearing the pom-pom nails. I would say my personality was out there. I was also that person who experimented with a lot of things!” Those of us that dons extreme nails are a rare breed, anyway. We don’t mind the attention that our overall being brings. Some would look at Terrista’s statement and say that kids go through phases of identifying before they settle on who they truly are. However, for some kids, it may be the attention and wanting to ‘fit in’ and for others, it’s just them being themselves, wearing what they love. Either way, it differentiates you from others. For Terrisita, we wanted to know more.

X’Treme Nailz: For you to say that you’ve always been different, when did you recognize that?

Terrisita: I recognized I was different at 18. That’s when I started experimenting with my nails and actually started doing my own nails.

X’Treme Nailz: That would still be during a period of your Madonna phase? How or were you accepted amongst your peers? Or did you just do your thing, stating that this was who you were?

Terrisita: It’s me! This is what I’m going to do. That was my attitude then, and that’s the attitude now. I don’t care what people feel or think about me. During that time, though, people were nicer, so I was more accepted. I mean, now I will not lie, but the boys loved it! But the girls, oh boy, they would pull my hair all the time! Back then I was natural, and I had very long hair, so they were snatching my hair, saying things because they didn’t like my hair color, just being mean. I was always changing the color of my hair from green to pink, blue, you know, experimenting and I am still the same way to this day. Nothing has changed, except my age! (laughing)

Today, Terrisita has come a long way. All grown up, she is a mother of seven, all adults except for her 15-year-old who is still at home and recently her 22-year-old returned home from Houston, TX. Still ‘doing her thing’, Terrisita wears her variety of wigs, weaves and braids in an array of colors and styles adding that the longer the hair, the better! Did I mention she is also wearing her acrylic nails four inches long? Yes, and she has been wearing this length since 2005!

X’Treme Nailz: What do you find as the pros for wearing extreme nails?

Terrisita: I love the way they make my hands look. I wear the length of one extra long tip on my right hand and four eagle-curved tips on my left hand and I think they’re sexy; you know?

X’Treme Nailz: Oh, yes! I know! (laughing) That’s the answer across the board. We all love the way they look and the way we feel we wear them. There’s nothing like it! So this was the pro. What if any are the cons for you?

Terrisita: Cons? I don’t know if it’s bad, but some jobs will require you to remove them in order to work for them. For me, that’s the only ‘bad’ thing I see about wearing extremes other than you have to be careful and I’ve learned how to work with them. I’ve had children, I’ve changed diapers, I clean, cook and cut the grass, I do everything that I would do with or without nails. Oh, tying my shoes! Now, I’m an open-toed or pump person, but I can wear the shoes that lace up my legs, now I can tie them! I will not lie, I’m country, so I mainly wear open-toe or slip-on boots. You know all the comfortable shoes they have out now. COVID has been a blessing in that respect!

X’Treme Nailz: What are your goto styles or shapes?

Terrisita: They’re square with a slightly rounded edge at the corners. I don’t wear pointy stilettos, just mainly square or slightly round. I’ve tried the stilettos, but I don’t do well with them, poking holes in everything and myself! (laughing)

X’Treme Nailz: Do you have a signature color?

Terrisita: Red, but I’m versatile. I’m constantly in the nail salon at least every two weeks where I switch up. I’m okay with that because that’s what we do! Each visit I get a different free-style design, where I let him do whatever he wants. About two months ago, I discovered this glow-in-thedark polish and wanted to see if

it worked. So after I got my nails done, I came home and put it over my designs and oh wow! I’m addicted now! But I rarely wear my nails plain. They are usually freestyle and if they are plain; they are all different colors. You already know, I’m very colorful!

X’Treme Nailz: With extreme nails, do you come across any challenges at the nail salons that you patronize?

Terrisita: Well, this is where I get to talk about rudeness! I’ll try not to cuss, I have a dirty mouth, but I’m still a work in progress. Anyway, every time I go to the salon, mind you, this town’s not big and everyone knows me. They know me as ‘Terri with them looong nails’, and there’s always some comment. Last week, my tech stood up for me. He was like, “No, no, no, either be quiet or leave! This is my customer and I’ve had her for some years now.” Then he said, “I’m tired of it! You see her in her all the time and you should be used to it by now. You’re acting like you’ve seen no one with extra long nails!” I get this all the time. Comments and the question of how I wipe myself with these girls. I would imagine it’s the same as everyone else. I see the turnedup noses, the eyeball rollings and I hear the whispering, all of this noise coming from other WOMEN!

X’Treme Nailz: Recently I was standing next to some ladies who spoke that same negativity about another female’s nails. Although my nails weren’t as long as hers, mine are still very long and at one time, they have been her length and longer. After hearing enough, I turned to them and they noticed my nails. They gave a compliment stating that they liked mine, but the other young lady’s were just way too long and disgusting! I mentioned to them we as women should be beyond tearing each other down because we don’t care for each other’s choices. Her choices and her nails have nothing to do with us or our bank accounts and I liked them! Of course, the conversation ended, at least in my earshot! But, yes, we should be beyond that and appreciate each other’s uniqueness!

Terrisita: Exactly! People are just making noise! They don’t know me or the story behind me. For me, I feel before you pass judgement by just seeing my outside,

get to know me. The real me! The me behind the facial piercings. The me behind my nails. The me behind my make-up and colorful hair! The REAL me is a mother. I am an entrepreneur. I’ve come a long way, because back in the 80s-90s I had my downfalls and my life was totally out of control, running in those streets. I was on the spinning path of a downward spiral. That fast path to nowhere! All of this I did with my extreme nails! But on March 27, 1999, I decided I would fight for my life and make a change, a rebirth. Since then, I’ve cleaned myself and my lifestyle up. I now go to the high schools and colleges, you know, talking to these kids about drugs, my story and different things about life. I’ve found my passion and I’ve invested time and money into myself for the first time while discovering more and more about ME. I knew that I’ve always loved hair and make-up, so I became a rep for Mary Kay and Avon and a distributor and lace front wig installer for Mayvenn Hair, which I still do as well as Avon to this day. I started learning other businesses like affiliate marketing and social media advertising strategies. I’ve been interviewed for Sharina World Magazine in 2020, became a blogger, social media influencer, beauty ambassador and creator, which has increased my social media following on Instagram alone to 23K. I love all fashions, and so forth. I recently put down new tile in my dining room. I put my own contacts in and apply my make-up and eyelashes. I am still a work in progress and still discovering all the wonderful things that are in store for me. I do all of this with my four inch nails that have caught your attention and are your conversations. So to that, I tell them, stay tuned!

X’Treme Nailz: Well said. There is so much we can learn from each other if we’d just ask. Therefore, I am glad that we have this platform because it allows a quick glimpse into our divas’ lives beyond the nails. Also, congratulations on your decision to choose sobriety! Well done, and this platform and its community will continue to support you in this journey! With your hair, piercings, make-up and nails, you have a unique and eclectic style. Do you coordinate your nails with your looks?

Terrisita: Actually, no I don’t. I used to, but now, I keep them the way they are for about two weeks and have them redone. I might scratch off one or two designs and redo them myself, but other than that, I just wait until I go back to the salon.

X’Treme Nailz: Outside of Madonna, what or who inspired you to even go extreme with your nails?

Terrisita: You know, I don’t even know! (laughing) I’m going to be honest with you, I just started doing it! Back in the eighties, I started out with the long press-on nails. Then I added another nail to its length and was like, “Yes, the two tip extension, this is me right here” and later I started doing the same with the acrylic nails and it’s been me and my thing ever since.

X’Treme Nailz: An extension/expression of your personality, I get it. We all express our personalities in various forms. Some express their personalities in hair, others in nails, clothing, shoes, arts and decors, enabling us to be ourselves. For me, I’m a shoe fanatic. I love shoes as much as I love my nails! I mean, I love clothes, my hair, and my nails, but, shoes? (laughing)

Terrisita: (laughing) I am like that with my braids and wigs. I am just out-of-pocket with it! I’m extreme with that as well. Everything has to be extra-long with me! The braids have to go past my rear. If it’s a wig, it has to be extra long! So, yes, it becomes a part of the persona!

X’Treme Nailz: That means when someone sees you, they know who you are. Terrisita: They are going to know me! I’m different. I like nothing that is going to make me like everyone else. I don’t like plain things, like plain colors, turtlenecks, that kind of stuff. When I was in my twenties and thirties, I struggled with that. I had someone say the other day, “Wow, your lashes and your piercings, why did you get your mouth pierced like that? Don’t you think you’re too old to be looking like that?” I told her, “No, I don’t. Why would I be too old?” This is me and it’s what I like! But, I guess that’s what happens when you’re in a small town!

X’Treme Nailz: So there aren’t many people there with nails like yours.

Terrisita: There’s one or two more ladies here in Freeport and they work at the school board. So I would say there are about three of us altogether.

X’Treme Nailz: Who knows, you all may start a X’Treme Nailz trend in Freeport, IL! It’s been a pleasure and unfortunately, we are going to temporarily bring this conversation to a close. Before we do, is there anything that you want to say to our readers, outside of loving Cardi B’s nails? (laughing)

Terrisita: (laughing) They’re not as long as mine, but they are at least two inches and she has the bling bling on them. Yeah, Cardi B is doing her thing with her nails! But, I tell anybody, whatever you are working on, don’t stop. Don’t stop! You know, if you get tired, ill, agitated, that’s fine. Go ahead, rest for a minute, but get yourself back up. Never say it’s not worth it, you know. I’ve gotten agitated and I’ve said that, but it only lasted a few days, then I’m right back pouring into myself and my vision. It makes me feel good and pushes me to explore and discover my strengths. I’ve been through it all, the drugs and everything. I relocated and got my life together. Then in 2003, my sister was killed. It’s been a lot, but you keep moving and you don’t give up!

“Being different takes courage. Stand up to the world and build the courage to be yourself. People don’t have to like you and you don’t have to care. STOP APOLOGIZING! It’s okay if your ideas, your styles, and how you present yourself to the world are different. That’s what makes us unique. Be fabulous and be you!”---Terrisita

To you, Ms. Terrisita Johnson, thank you for chatting it up with me! I truly enjoyed you and am looking forward to you having a brilliant future. By the way, you did good, girl. I didn’t have to cover too many words with ‘bleeps’! (laughing) continue to be fabulous and unapologetically, YOU! Much love!

Find Terrisita on:

Instagram:

@hairweavebossceo