My name is Christina Carsillo. I am Owner and Creative Director of Haarmony Salon & Studio in Roswell, GA.
Entering the curly hair salon industry
Once I opened my own hair salon in 2001, I researched hair products that I would consider selling in my salon. I loved the idea of having a curly hair line since my own hair was curly and I understood the challenges of dealing with my own hair.
I also had heard many many horror stories from my clients who also had curly hair. I researched the curly philosophies and products of a number of product lines and selected Deva Curl as my primary curly line. I understood from dealing with many color and product lines over the years that one product never works for every single hair type, but I found Deva addressed the majority of my needs and my clients needs. Once I understood the basics of the line I went to New York to get all the information I could from the source.
I went to New York City to meet Lorraine Massey and hear it from the woman who started to address all the problems associated with curly girls worldwide. Since this time I have been going back once or twice a year to keep up with any new discoveries, products, and inventions for curly hair. We recently purchased some of the first long hair curly diffusers for our salon that were recently produced in Brazil. After numerous years traveling the world to learn from the masters of the hair world I auditioned for Wella as a platform artist, which entailed creating 3 futuristic hair styles and creating and presenting a trend collection to a group judges and Wella professionals.
Everyone else in the competition got their mannequin heads 2 weeks in advance, but mine were lost and not delivered until the night before.
Everyone else in the competition got their mannequin heads 2 weeks in advance, but mine were lost and not delivered until the night before. I stayed up all night to create the collection, caught a flight to New York the next day at 6am, and delivered my presentation at 10am. I beat out 5 other hand selected hairdresser professionals to secure the position for the next 5 years.
I attended advanced trainings for Wella twice a year to hone the art of platform work, to help develop collections for the company, and educate hairdressers from around the United States. In later years Wella was sold to Procter and Gamble and basically closed most of this particular division. Since this time I have used that training and experience with a number of companies which include: Jungle Fever, Tahe, Salerm, and Deva Curl.
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My life passions
Curly Hair of Course! because I have it… I also love being a mom, music, dancing, running and weight training. I am a gourmet healthy cook and I try and inspire my family, staff, clients to live a healthy clean full lifestyle.
I am fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese and can communicate in French and Italian as well. The ability to be comfortable in a number of languages enables me inspire and educate more hairdressers who are truly passionate about their craft.
The importance of hydration, especially in curly hair, is crucial to allowing you to style your hair correctly. It’s imperative to understand this in order to achieve great frizz free curls. I will suggest to them, to get the right type of style first, followed by learning what products to use to maintain it. This will make the world of difference to help them embrace the natural curls they currently have. In curly hair right now, I see shorter and fuller being trendy. Shattered Bobs with Asymmetrical sides even to the extreme of shaving one side, also lots of bold contrast in color.
There is never a shortage of styling products you can use for wavy hair, whether your texture is thick, medium, or fine. The best products for wavy hair can help keep your waves smooth, frizz-free, and full of bounce. Type 2 waves can have a loose, S-shaped pattern, beach waves, or loose spirals with a thicker and coarser texture.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CqbQK2PoIP6
While formulas that promise beach waves for straight hair or perfect spirals for tighter curl patterns usually garner a lot of buzz, there aren’t many headline-making products out there for naturally wavy hair. People often assume waves don’t even need product assistance. As someone with Type 2 hair, I’ll often hear, “You’re so lucky your hair just dries like that!”– as if I didn’t spend 20 minutes in front of the mirror that morning trying to get my hair to lay just so!”
“It’s another common misconception that wavy hair is thick, but plenty wavy girls are on the finer side,” says celebrity stylist Justine Marjan, who–besides being the go-to girl for the Kardashians–counts Type 2s like Chrissy Teigen, Ashley Tisdale, and Shay Mitchell among her clients. Her must-haves include light jellies and creams that won’t weigh down fine waves.
“Curly and wavy hair types are naturally more dry, so hydration and moisture are essential,” she adds. But what elusive miracle products will give Type 2 hair the definition, hold, and hydration it needs, without compromising on volume? We’re glad you asked. Here’s a list of the top styling products for type 2 waves.
Marjan swears by Moroccanoil Curl Defining Cream because it’s “great for drier hair types that need extra moisture and definition.” This is one of my personal go-to’s, as well – I love that it’s infused with argan oil and smells amazing, too.
As a reviewer with Type 2c hair says, “I would suggest this to anyone who is in need of a product that doesn’t create frizz and doesn’t make [my] hair sticky or crunchy!”
With a slightly-tacky, creamy texture, ELEVEN AUSTRALIA Keep My Curl Defining Cream is a must-try for any Wavies who want extreme hold and definition. This completely changed my hair when I first started using it in high school, and it’s still on rotation in my product lineup!
You won’t find any sulfates, silicones, phthalates, and parabens in Not Your Mother’s Naturals–but it’s what you will find inside that makes all the difference. Tahitian gardenia flower helps shape waves, while mango butter reduces frizz and adds shine.
AG Hair Re: Coil Curl Activator has five stars from the NaturallyCurly community – so you know it’s good. Need more convincing? One CurlTalk reviewer promises that with Re: Coil, “My hair is consistently and predictably curlier, softer, and relatively frizz-free.”
Marjan always reaches for OUAI Curl Defining Cream (a cross between a cream and an oil) when she works with her celebrity clients. To get Insta-ready waves, she recommends “applying in sections for even distribution. If you are letting the hair air dry, make sure to avoid touching or scrunching the hair, as friction from our hands can cause frizz.”
Miss Jessie’s Jelly Soft Curls is a miracle in a tube. It manages to leave waves super-soft (AKA, no crunch whatsoever) while still defining their shape and holding it all in place.
Over on the Type 2 boards on CurlTalk, Bread Beauty Hair Gel gets a lot of love. User Guide 65 says, “It gives my hair definition like I’ve never seen it before! I have to be careful how much I use, because all that definition takes away from the volume. But I get day two hair that needs no refreshing.”
If you prefer your haircare certified organic and all-natural, then you need to check out this alcohol-free styling gel from Curlsmith. It offers medium-to-firm hold, and ingredients that won’t harm your hair, all for under $30.
“My HG wave-defining products are hard-hold gels. I like the Rizos Curls light hold gel the best,” says Therese1, a Wavy who shares her feedback on Type 2 styling products on CurlTalk.
Sometimes, wavies can get away with skipping stylers with the right conditioner – that conditioner is DevaCurl One Condition. “It’s so creamy, but it’s light enough for my fine hair,” says a CurlTalk community member.
Another CurlTalk favorite? Kinky-Curly Knot Today leave-in conditioner. Users love that it keeps waves detangled and smooth, which is the first step towards a good hair day, right?
Even though Love Beauty and Planet’s Leave-In Smoothie isn’t marketed towards waves or curls, I find it to be the best leave-in formula on the market. I don’t have to follow up with other stylers – I love simply smoothing this through my damp waves and going!
LA-based hair stylist Helena Lambert opts for Living proof Style Lab Control Hairspray to lock in shape and shine. “If your hair type is frizzy, this will smooth any frizz,” she says.
Here’s how to get waves with more body and bounce, courtesy of Marjan: “Once the hair is completely dry, finish with TRESemmé Compressed Micro Mist Hairspray for volume.”
Lambert’s secret for “woke up like this” hair? “I’ll spritz DESIGNME PUFF.ME Volumizing Dry Texture Spray, scrunch the ends a bit, then gently twist it into a top knot. I leave it up for a bit, letting it semi-air dry. Then take it down and air dry it the rest of the way,” he says.
The Gisou Honey Infused Hair Mask is the way to go for hair that needs some extra attention. Marjan says she often uses it on her clients to add moisture and hydration to dry, frizzy waves.
You can deeply quench, nourish, and soften dry, damaged strands to get your hair back to looking healthy with these blends with creamy shea butter, rich coconut milk, and pure macadamia oil.
Wavies love this amazing, nourishing mask because it deeply conditions, hydrates and restores dry hair to its natural vibrancy and health with this replenishing treatment.
DIY TREATMENT
20. DIY Flaxseed Gel
If you’d rather whip up your own styler, try this combination from CurlTalk connoisseur BeinDeb: “I make [my DIY flaxseed gel] using a marshmallow root tea as the base, and add a pinch of honey and oil.”
Of course, you can’t rely on products alone for perfect waves. To get the most out of these stylers, make sure you’re not over-washing your waves or damaging them with your diffuser! What are your top styling products for type 2 waves? Share them with us in the comments below!
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