Search Results: Cassadie Blackwell

By Cassadie Blackwell · Published October 10, 2011

Shelley’s pre-chemo curls.

Many women who trek over to NaturallyCurly for the first time as full-grown women are experiencing curly hair for the first times in their lives. These women come from the scary, and often empowering experience of breast cancer. Chemotherapy doesn’t just have a tendency to steal your locks, but also your original hair texture. Even women who were naturally curly before chemo often experience chemo curls.

Chemo curls refer to the change in texture from what your originally had to the type of curl that forms after chemotherapy. For some women, their natural texture eventually comes back. For others, not so much. In order to get an inside look at life through chemo hair loss and then regaining a different type of curl, I spoke with Shelley Barnes of Washington D.C. to learn and share her breast cancer hair story.

Shelley’s Chemo Curls Story

Shelley was first diagnosed with breast cancer in July of 2008, when she was just 25 years old. The lump was removed by lumpectomy and 33 rounds of radiation without any additional chemotherapy, “which was good because I had a huge fear of losing my hair,” explained Shelley.

Shelley after shaving off her hair.

In 2010, however, another lump was found in her other breast and doctors determined that chemotherapy was necessary as a measure to prevent yet another re-occurrence.

“I was really afraid because everything you see on TV is so dramatic,” said Shelley of her nervousness leading up to her four rounds of chemotherapy.

After two rounds, her hair began to fall out around the hairline. With very thick, shoulder length hair that had been worn natural since 2003, Shelley became weary of even combing her hair because with every stroke, she would pull out 50 strands in one section. At first, she decided to just clip her hair short and wear wigs, but in 2010 she finally decided to just shave it all clean.

“That was the scariest part,” said Shelley, “Just seeing yourself totally bald.”

Regrowing and Relearning

Shelley’s hair has since grown back, and like many patients who undergo and recover from chemotherapy, her hair texture has drastically changed.

“At first it started to grow back straight and I was afraid it wasn’t going to be curly because I really love my curly hair,” she explained. The texture is now smoother, silkier and darker. It holds moisture better and has a looser curl. Her first big lesson in caring for her new texture was that it cannot take as much heat as her pre-chemo hair.

“I pressed my hair and afterwards noticed a lot of heat damage after using the same settings I used to use,” explained Shelley. “After a few protein treatments my hair bounced back, but I now know that I can only use low settings when heat styling.”

Shelley has also found that her product regimen had to be adjusted to her new chemo curls.

“I can’t do heavy butters or products any more because they weigh down my hair.”

Shelley’s new products include SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie, Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner and vitamin E oil on the scalp to stimulate growth.

Final Thoughts

Shelley’s hair is now in a bob and she remains confident that it will all grow back.  Her advice to others struggling with chemo curls: “It’s hard to tell someone going through the process that it will grow, but I promise it will.  It just takes time and patience.”

To learn more about Shelley’s story, check out her blog The Frolicking Champion.

By Cassadie Blackwell · Published September 23, 2011

We all know about perms — the curling process that uses chemicals and cylindrical rods to permanently curl a head of hair. But have you ever heard of perming your LASHES? We hadn’t either. That is until we took a trip to Salon Sovay, a boutique salon located here in Austin, TX, where the owner, Sovay Reeder, is one of the few estheticians who executes this unique process to create the perfect curl for your lashes.

An eyelash perm lasts for about two to three months and requires zero upkeep. Combining the process with lash tinting — permanent lash dyeing — creates a fully-mascara-ed look that requires no maintenance.

“Women should look as beautiful as possible with as little maintenance as possible,” explained Sovay, who intentionally keeps the price points of the process low in order to make it easily accessible.

How Lash Perming is Done

Before shot of Margie’s Lash Perm and Tint. Lashes free and clear of all make up

We got to watch an eyelash perm in action over at Salon Sovay (thanks to Margie for letting us snap pictures of her process!”> Here’s how it works:

1. Cleanse and Protect: Make sure the lash and eye area is totally free and clean of eye make-up. Strips of tape are placed beneath the eye to protect the delicate undereye skin from any drips.
2. Set the Stage: Select the size of the perm rods and use tweezers and glue to apply lashes to the rods.
3. Perm Away: Apply the perm solution. Leave on fine lashes for 10 minutes, coarse lashes for 15 minutes.
4. Neutralize: Set the protein bonds of the lashes in a new shape by neutralizing.

And voila — perfectly, curled lashes without a curler or mascara!

Final Thoughts

Final permed and tinted lashes! Absolutely gorgeous!

A combination eyelash perm and tint produces beautiful results leaving you mascare free for months on end! The best lashes for the process are those that are not too curled already and are lighter in natural shade.

Lash Perming is a chemical process and because of its proximity to your eyes should absolutely be done ONLY by a professional.

By Cassadie Blackwell · Published August 25, 2011

NYC Pool Party attendees.

This summer, NaturallyCurly had the pleasure of setting up shop and hobnobbing with curlies on both the East and West Coasts. The 3,000 miles between the two coasts has created a difference in not only general social vibes, fashions, and styles, but also the natural hair communities. Let’s take a peek at the two cities we’ve visited – New York and Los Angeles – and see how they measure up when it comes to curly hair!

Finding Where the Naturals Are

On the LA rooftop at the Grow Out Challenge Celebration.

With a population of over 8 million people, NYC comes in as the largest city in the country. Los Angeles pulls in at 2nd place with just under 4 million in habitants. However, Los Angeles is 35% larger than NYC in terms of square mileage, and with a less dense and smaller total population, chances are you’ll see fewer curlies roaming about.

Packed with natural-focused salons and stores, Brooklyn holds down the fort as the natural habitat for curly hair on the East Coast.  Everywhere we looked there was a TWA or a BAA or some sort of beautiful lock ‘updo!

On the other hand, LA’s natural community is spread wide and far, from the Valley and Beverly Hills to Compton and Downtown.

“The scene is so spread out in LA and not as big as other cities,” explains Angel of KisforKinky.  “You could go days and not see a fro or lock here depending on what part of LA you are in.”

NY or LA: Climatic Differences

Curlies escape from the NYC heat in the pool.

The two cities couldn’t be more different in terms of climate. Our visit to NYC turned out to be over the hottest weekend the city had on record in over 25 years, with Central Park topping out at 105 degrees! Thank goodness we hosted a pool party to cool things down from the hot and humid summer temperatures! Our Frizz Forecast expertly guided us through how to manage our curls in the drying and frizz-prone climate.

LA naturals enjoy the downtown skyline.

Meanwhile on the Left Coast in LA, summer brings with it sunny skies, coastal breezes and highs of 85 that are never too hot.  The Frizz Forecast was smiling for the entire weekend we were there!

In fact, the Kim Coles Grow Out Challenge Celebration was hosted at a penthouse that had lots of patio space and an open layout for everyone – and their curls – to enjoy the weather!

In Their Words

We caught up with a couple of NYC and LA hair bloggers to see what they had to say about their respective cities.

Chai of Back To Curly in Brooklyn says:

Chai and Sheena of SociologyofSheena hang poolside.

• Three words to describe the NYC #naturalhair scene: Spontaneous, thriving, contagious.
• Your favorite style to rock out on the town: the sixth day twist out that develops a mind of its own and loves the wind more than I do.
• On the popular perception of #naturalhair beyond the core community: It can certainly be a bit mesmerizing to those outside the “inner circle,” who are curious. But I think that’s what fuels this movement, women are finally acting on their curiosity rather than ignoring something so beautiful.

Elle of Quest for the Perfect Curl in Los Angeles says:

West Coast bloggers represent. Photo by Nikia Phoenix

• Three Words to describe the LA #naturalhair scene: Fierce, voluminous, original
• Your favorite style to rock on the town: A HUGE fluffed out wash and go! The bigger the better — you can’t miss me.
• On the popular perception of #naturalhair beyond the core community: I think there is a lot of love for natural hair in the LA area. Perhaps it’s just the particular population, but I see a ton of naturals, and get lots of compliments on my hair from all kinds of people. There are still a lot of weaves out here, so I think a lot of people like the “realness” of natural hair.
• Since you’re from the east coast, any big difference between the two that you notice? I see a lot of naturals on the east too when I visit, but the look is generally more tamed. Whether it’s because they are new naturals and growing their hair out I’m not sure, but I see more TWAs and shorter hair on the east, and out here it’s like, big, in your face, hair. I’m always seeing some natural while I’m out shopping and I’ll casually stalk her to look at her hair for a little. I’m a creepster, whatever.

By Cassadie Blackwell · Published August 11, 2011

CurlyNikki, on right, rocking her prepped curls.

Making sure that you and your curls are looking their best is the key to going out on the town with confidence! This Saturday, August 13, is the Kim Coles Grow Out Challenge Celebration where West Coast curlies will be stepping out, and they are sure to look their best.

For most curlies, getting ready can start a few days to an entire week before a big event. Use these curly hair tips to prep your curls ahead of time to save yourself time — and stress — on the day of the big event.

Confidence in Their Own Words

I caught up with the starlets of the weekend to ask what they’re doing to get ready for Saturday’s big celebration. Here’s what they had to say.

Jess from Jessicurl, on the left, with friends at NaturallyCurly’s NYC Pool Party.

“I really like to do my own make up before going out,” explained Kim Coles. “Sure there’s lots of times where you can get an artist to do your make up for you, but I really enjoy doing it myself. I like to take the time to choose the colors, apply my lashes, and so on. I find that it really centers me before a big event — and it’s fun!”

As for her hair, Kim says, “For optimal loveliness for the event on Saturday, I’ll be doing my hair on Thursday!”

CurlyNikki’s signature twist’n’curl is always prepped well in advance for an event. “I try to do my hair at least a week ahead of time,” said Nikki. But for the Grow Out Challenge Celebration, I did my dry styling four days in advance, and I’ll take it out on Saturday, as close to the event as possible, to make sure its on point for the entire night!”

How to Prep Your Curls

Product Recommendations

• Jessicurl Cleansing Cream
• Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment
• Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner
• Jessicurl Confident Coils Solutions

I’ve found that my hair rarely looks its best when I do it the day of the event. For the Grow Out Challenge Celebration, I started prepping my hair four days in advance.

Here are some curly hair tips I’m going to follow while using the Jessicurl Confidence Collection for the Grow Out Challenge Celebration this Saturday!

Start on Wednesday – 3 Days Before the Event

1. Wash your locks. Wash using Jessicurl Cleansing Cream focusing on the scalp area. Rinse out.
2. Deep condition. Do a deep treatment for 20 minutes under a hooded dryer with a shower cap using Jessicurl Weekly Deep Treatment. Then, hop back in the shower and rinse out.

Evenly distributing the conditioner for maximum curl hydration.

3. Towel dry, sans terry cloth. Using a t-shirt towel, soak up the excess moisture to remove droplets.
4. Mix your products. For styling, I made a cocktail of Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner and Confident Coils Solution. The Too Shea acts like a moisturizing leave-in and the Confident Coils defines my curls. I mix about a dime size dollop of each product in my palm and smooth the mixture onto each section. Then, I use my wide tooth detangling comb to rake the product through each section and repeat all over my head.
5. Add more product! Once the product cocktail is applied all over, I use a little bit more of the Confident Coils to go back through and refine the coils using my fingers. The product has a lot of slip and I immediately start seeing beautiful little ribbon curls forming. I love it!
6. And you’re on your way.Pin my bangs off my face — I hate having a product-y forehead — and go on my merry way for the day while my hair dries!

It may look silly, but the scrunchie method works!

7. Wednesday night, stretch curls with scrunchies. The reason I don’t like my hair to be styled on the day of an event is because my hair often dries in this awkward flat-on-top shape that I just can’t stand. I look like a toadstool. So, at night, I take three scrunchies — cloth covered bright ones that were quite popular in 1992 — and place one around each section. Put on a sleep cap and hit the sheets.
8. Thursday morning, fluff your locks! My hair is returning to its ideal fluff levels! After taking the scrunchies out, I use a bit of moisturizer and my fingers to pull my hair back into shape. I repeat my scrunchie sleep routine and morning fluff everyday until the big event. By the time Saturday rolls around my coils should be super defined and fluffy, with a lot of movement!

If you want to see the final product of how all our hairstyles turn out, be sure to check back on Monday for pictures of the event and a recap!

Final thoughts

What curly hair tips do you use to make sure your hair looks great for special events?

By Cassadie Blackwell · Published June 6, 2011

“Gangs of Aveda” stage

Amidst all of the big stage presentations by the major brands on the Premiere Orlando floor, Aveda stood out from all the others in terms of overall concept and style. Located between bright, colorful jumbotrons from neighboring stages, Aveda’s steampunk-inspired set-up called “Gangs of Aveda” featured gas lamps, a trompe de l’oeil victorian cityscape, and raw wood features to create an effect that was both minimalist and opulent at the same time.

This juxtaposition of two contradictory elements was the crux of the overall creative concept for Aveda’s 2011 Premiere Orlando presentation. “Steampunk” is defined as a style (represented in fashion, art, and literature”> that combines elements of the industrial revolution, victorian era and futuristic sensibilities. It is romantic, yet modern; delicate, yet edgy. Aveda’s cohesive Steampunk theme put forth an innovative and truly unique aesthetic that was much deserved of all the buzz it received.

“Aveda’s Steampunk models”

“Aveda’s Steampunk models”

From concept to execution: creating Steampunk hair

The underground Steampunk culture has been around for the past two decades and Aveda was faced with the challenge of creating its own unique vision of Steampunk hair. Hannah Cannon of the Aveda stylist concept team responsible for creating the show’s looks explained that their goal was to create a look that was both sleek and smooth but retained a lot of volume. The result: high-drama, multi-textured coifs that lent themselves perfectly to the overall show concept.

To create the styles that relied on the fusion of both straight and curly textures, Aveda stylists crimped and teased models’ hair into geometric shapes using styling aids with a lot of hold and finished them with smoothing serums to give them a high gloss and sleek finish.

To create this look, stylists braided hair then teased out using volumizing product and finished with a serum

Stylists straightened this natural head of curls and used bobby pins to crimp sections midway down the shaft. Hair was teased and then volumized for the final look

It was refreshing to see Aveda, a 30 year old company known for its quality and wholesome products, push the envelope and show us an innovative, fresh and forward thinking presentation.

By Cassadie Blackwell · Published January 1, 2010

AG’s new Curl category

When you go to buy your AG Re:coil, be prepared for a fresh new look.

Beginning this month, AG Hair Cosmetics is undergoing a dramatic face lift. In addition to a new logo and new colors, the company is taking a new approach to finding the products that are right for your hair type.

The company is unveiling its makeover with the debut of its Curl Category. Every other month after that, a new hair type-specific category will launch, with a color-coded system that will make it easy to find the right products.

Why are curls leading off the company’s new direction?

We are kicking off with our top-selling, most popular line and we felt it would make the biggest bang,” explains AG spokeswoman Tatiana Jovic. “Re:coil has been our top seller since we launched it six years ago, in large part because of NaturallyCurly.com.”

When it was developing its famed Re:coil curl activating balm, AG harnessed the power of the NaturallyCurly to find out what curlies were looking for in a product, and used the community to help fine-tune the formula. It now is a beloved holy grail product for a wide variety of curlies.

In addition to the Re:coil Curl Activating Balm, Re:coil Shampoo and Re:coil Conditioner, the curl category also includes Details Defining Cream, Liquid Effects Extra-firm Styling Lotion and Mousse Gel.

“These were all products that were targeted at curly-haired people,” Jovic says. “We never actually categorized our products in the past, but we did recommend certain regimens. Now there’s no question what products are right for their curls.”

In addition to helping curly consumers, the change will also make it easier for their stylists to recommend the right products for their clients.

In coming up with the new look, AG wanted to freshen up its signature bottles and make it easy to distinguish one category from another. This was accomplished through its bold new logo, a new splash of color and clear identification of the category.

The company also freshened up its web site and added a new tagline: Use. Love. Repeat.

“The tagline came out of the fact that AG doesn’t just have customers; they have converts—people who try the brand once, love it and are forever loyal,” says Katie Ainsworth, associate creative director of Rethink Communications.

Next out will be the Volume category, launching in March.

AG’s look has evolved since it was founded 20 years ago by John and Lotte Davis in Vancouver, Canada. But the 2010 changes are by far the most dramatic, and represent a new philosophy.

“After 20 years, we thought it was time for a new look and a new approach,” says Lotte Davis.