From Braids to Business: How Cameron “Cece” Jefferson is Empowering the Princeton Community

For Black women, hair care is a crucial aspect of culture and identity. Beauty supply stores are essential for accessing hair products, tools, and accessories in person. Yet, during the height of the pandemic, purchasing hair supplies became a challenge, as many local businesses closed. 

Entrepreneur and hair connoisseur Cameron “Cece” Jefferson has long supported her community by braiding hair and selling haircare items. During the pandemic, she noticed the growing demand for hair supplies and decided to fill the gap: she launched Cea’Mone Beauty, an at-home beauty supply store named after herself and her daughter, Simone.

“I’ve always been the community braider, [but] I wanted to take a different avenue,” Jefferson said. “I’ve always bought bulk [amounts] of braiding hair and everyday necessities … People started asking me if I had certain things and [would] come and buy braiding hair like every week during the pandemic. So I thought, ‘yeah, I think I should start a business.’”

Based in Princeton, Cea’Mone Beauty aims to make hair and beauty essentials accessible to the community. Jefferson sells a range of products from her home, including braiding hair, edge control, bonnets, durags, hair ties, bobby pins, and items like mousse, gel, and lip gloss.

Jefferson has always been passionate about making an impact. Raised in foster care, her journey led her to Princeton, where her adoptive mother lived. Growing up in Princeton, Jefferson experienced firsthand the struggle of not having a salon or beauty supply store nearby that catered to Black women. Her drive to succeed stems from a desire to defy the negative statistics often associated with people from the foster care system. Motivated by her own experiences and seeing others face a similar challenge, Jefferson was determined to make a difference.

“I always said, ‘I’m not gonna be a statistic,'” Jefferson said. “That's what society projects onto people that grew up in the system. It just encouraged me to go harder.” 

Cea’Mone Beauty quickly gained popularity, especially among Princeton University students and local residents. Jefferson began partnering with the university’s Black Student Union to promote their business. However, she faced a setback when she was required to stop selling products on campus.

Jefferson said this change was discouraging for her, not only because she lost her main customers but also because she could no longer provide easy access for Black and brown students.

“When they told me that I couldn't come on campus anymore ... that hurt my soul,” she said. “It was such a need. Growing up here, you were either gonna go towards the Brunswick area or towards Trenton to go to the hair store. Not having those resources definitely made it very inconvenient. Cea’Mone Beauty was just really to bridge that gap.”

Jefferson continued offering products from her home until 2024, when she decided to take a year-long break to reassess her business and plan her next steps. 

Last month, Cea’Mone Beauty relaunched, featuring an improved shopping setup, original products, delivery and pickup services, and a new website. Jefferson plans to offer delivery hours that accommodate people who do their hair late, as few local businesses that sell hair products stay open for 24 hours.

Jefferson’s goal has always been to increase access. In the future, she envisions a mobile haircare truck to bring products directly to communities in need.

“I always knew that I was supposed to be giving back to the community,” she said. “This is my calling, and I just pray that I'm able to continue to empower our people to love their hair.”