EnShanté

I was sitting under a dryer at my usual Dominican spot *(if you’re not from New York City, that’s what we grew up calling the Dominican-owned hair salons) when I decided that I wanted to start a Twitter account in 2010 or 2011. After a few minutes of brainstorming, I landed on the perfect handle: EnShante. It was a play on my name, Shanté, and the French word “enchanté.”

According to Google, “enchanté” has multiple meanings but it’s most commonly used as a greeting to express delight. A “nice to meet you,” of sorts. “Chanter,” a similar sounding/looking word, means “to sing,” one of my favorite things to do. While my parents didn’t base my name off of the aforementioned French words (mom said she found it in a book), those words — their various meanings and similarities to my name — have always reaffirmed how much “Shanté” suits me.

So when I decided to create a blog in 2014, naming it EnShante.com was a no-brainer. Much like the word “enchanté,” EnShante.com is multifaceted. It’s my greeting to the world; it’s a quiet place to share my thoughts on topics concerning life, beauty and style, and books (I love books!); it’s a safe space to be inquisitive; and it’s my talent show. I’ve spent a lot of time dimming myself to avoid being deemed intimidating or too much (things that were said or insinuated to me during various stages of my earlier years). I’ve also spent a lot of time not vocalizing my thoughts, due to overthinking and then thinking myself out of sharing them. Lol

With all of that said, EnShante, viewers! Thank you for reading and feel free to like, share, and respectfully engage with posts however you see fit. See you on Monday. 😜

*Updated on Nov. 2, 2024 to provide clarity on the use of “Dominican spot.”