Picture Perfect Volume
“For the first time ever, Oprah’s appearing on the September cover of O without blow-drying or straightening her hair,” announces the Oprah empire on the website of O Magazine, which each issue features its founder as the covergirl. “She says that wearing her hair naturally as she often does on weekends and on vacation makes her feel unencumbered.”
Not new to the makeover method of reenergizing your self-image, Oprah says that all makeovers are not created equally. The best, according to her statement, are those that resonate with how you already think and feel about yourself. “The only way to real transformation is through the mind,” says the queen of self-actualization.
While Oprah’s ‘do is au naturale except for, from our eye, an expertly blended product cocktail, another September magazine cover display of afro-esque hair cannot boast the same. Lady Gaga lands atop this month’s Vogue brightened by a platinum halo of hair designed by celeb stylist Grace Coddington. While the haute-texture look suits her, this is one time the Lady cannot claim she was “born this way.”
Read More: Texture! Behind the Cover
Wow Wands
In the old days, the last thing a curly-haired girl needed in her tool drawer was a curling iron. New days are here! Specialty curling irons represent the hottest trend for curlies looking for an easy way to shape coil chaos into orderly fabulosity.
Among the new irons hitting the marketplace is the Bio Ionic StyleWinder with a rotating barrel that eliminates the need to turn the iron over and over. Instead, a “clamp, wrap and roll” maneuver ends wrist strain while creating perfect curls, waves and spirals.
Another recent entry into the category, the CHI Interchangeable 3 in 1 Digital Orbit, offers a clamp-free barrel to permit curls to wrap and then glide off with no snagging or styling interruption.
The Textured Man
Height is happening! With male manes growing fuller this season, texturizing products and a great cut are two musts for curly guys to keep up with the trend. Talk to your stylist about how to mix hair product cocktails to customize your look with anything from a light touch to a mighty mountain of texture.
Read More: 2012 NAHA Texture Stylist of the Year
Survey Says
New research indicates that curlies are loving their texture and hungry to keep the conversation going.
Did you know that 65 percent of people with wavy hair straighten it at least sometimes? More than half of their curly and coily counterparts however, choose to go “natural” all of the time. Your stylist should take note of this difference and cater to your needs and wants for your personal texture.
“You cannot look at all textured clients as one category,” cautions Michelle Breyer, president of TextureMediaInc. “There are different needs and desires depending on their texture, because not all texture is created equal! If you want to be a well-rounded texture stylist, you must understand that there’s more than one type of texture client.”
Recent research also indicates that those with textured hair are continually looking for new options. Nearly half of curlies who are happy with their product of choice still have an eye out for the next great development. That nonstop interest in your texture should encourage you to keep the conversation open with your hair stylist to introduce you to new products and tools that will work for you even after you have found a solution to your hair issues. The two major reasons that people seem more accepting of their curls today vs. five years ago are that stylists and products are increasingly addressing their needs and that people are more appreciative of their own natural beauty.
Perhaps the best news from the market research department is that a small minority (only two percent”> of those with textured hair say they wish they had straight hair. Today’s curlies are either fully embracing their curl or admit to good days and bad days. As stylists are becoming more fully educated about texture and more skilled at styling it, they will be able to help you make every day a day that you are grateful for the beautiful texture that nature provided.
Read More: 10 Worst Things Your Stylist Can Say
Texture Live!
Mark your calendar for March 3-5, 2013, when America’s Beauty Show will feature exciting main stage presentations of Texture Live! sponsored by MODERN SALON and TextureMediaInc.com. You can watch demonstrations of the latest products and most advanced styling techniques to keep up the latest texture trends.
Curls and Water Do Mix!
On a Saturday June 2nd, during Premiere Orlando, hundreds of curlies and stylists from all over the Southeast flocked to the pool at the Omni Hotel and Resort in Orlando for an afternoon of pool-tastic, curl-centric fun at the 2nd Annual Curly Pool Party. The formal pool was transformed into a colorful and luxuriant afternoon soiree filled with swimming, styling demonstrations and pina “curladas.”
Sponsored by TextureMedia and Modern Salon Media, the curl celebration showcased such brands as Ouidad and Amika, which each set up shop in their own private cabanas to teach people how to work with their texture!
“It’s so hard to deal with my curls in this humidity,” lamented one attendee who drove in from Tampa. “I never know how to protect them when I go swimming. But after coming here, I’m ready for summer! Bring on the water and the heat!”
Want More?
Read all of this quarter’s Texture! articles.
Final Thoughts
Be the first to hear the buzz about texture on the runway! Follow ModernSalon.com and NaturallyCurly for complete curly coverage of New York Fashion Week the second week of September, previewing next spring’s hottest runway looks.
