Search Results: Cristina Cleveland

Evelyn reviewed the SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Extra-Moisture Transitioning Milk – phew! It’s a mouthful but so worth it. Evelyn has fine, low density, Type 4A coils that have been bleached and dyed blue, or in her words “dyed, fried and laid to the side.” Her hair used to be low porosity, but since dying it it has become high porosity. So although she’s not transitioning, she needs all of the moisture she can get.  

“It’s super slippery, that’s the reason I love it. It’s super slippery and moisturizing. Before I bleached my hair I would have said this was greasy, but now that I need the extra slip and moisture, and ingredients like argan oil, shea butter, coconut oil… it’s packed with all the good stuff your hair needs.” – Evelyn

Watch the Video

For more tutorials and product reviews, check out our YouTube channel, The Twist!

Five years ago, the landscape of advertising and celebrity endorsements was a well oiled machine, and one that consumers were growing increasingly attuned to. Consumers these days are savvy enough to know that your favorite celebrity has been paid to appear at that event, that outfit was given to them in exchange for a Red Carpet plug, and that “paparazzi” shot is probably a planned photo op. As growing mistrust of traditional advertising became palpable, brands turned to a previously untapped source of credibility and authenticity: the blogger.

But as bloggers begin to expect compensation for their resources and their reach, and rightly so, the waters of the blogosphere are muddied and their credibility called into question. While bloggers, YouTubers and brands navigate the uncharted territory of sponsored content, consumers today are faced with the challenge of discerning who they can and can’t trust. Does my favorite blogger genuinely like that product, or have they been paid to mention it? Quite likely, it’s a mix of the two. And that’s where things get complicated.

To address this phenomenon as it evolves, NaturallyCurly hosted a panel with representatives from each interested party: the blogger, the brand, and the consumer. Host, TextureMedia Inc. Co-Founder and President Michelle Breyer, led a discussion between blogger, YouTuber and TV personality Shannon Boodram, curly community member and consumer Jordan Maney, and Sundial Brands Co-Founder Richelieu Dennis (of SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage“>. 

Much as NaturallyCurly did 15 years ago, the blogger platform arose as a solution to a consumer need and the desire of women to express themselves and connect with likeminded people. “That’s how this started,” says Dennis, “it was women helping women figure out how to solve their issues, particularly as it pertained to their hair.” Not only have these women had a profound impact on their friends and followers, as the co-founder of a well-liked brand in the curly hair community Dennis acknowledges that “we should also realize that the brands that have been impacted and helped by the bloggers and vloggers stand to benefit considerably.” And he feels this relationship goes both ways, “bloggers themselves have benefited in terms of becoming more known, having some celebrity and being impacted in ways that have also advanced their experience. All in all I think it’s been a very symbiotic relationship but I do see that that’s started to change.”

One of the biggest changes and indeed the hottest topic in the arena today is the question of compensation. TextureMedia Inc. President Michelle Breyer says “we know brands are compensating bloggers and vloggers, we know an increasing number of bloggers and vloggers are wanting compensation. How does that affect the message?”

Curly hair guru Shannon Boodram says the message should still be intact. “I look at it as you’re paying for the amount of effort that I put in, but I’m not feeling influenced because I’m doing my brand a service and my audience a service no matter what I choose to say about the product.” Dennis and Boodram are on the same page here, “one of the things that has always troubled me, is you have bloggers and vloggers that dedicate their time, dedicate their resources… and these brands have been very successful based on the work that they’ve done. Me personally I feel it’s unfair that they don’t participate in the financial rewards of doing that role,” though he acknowledges that his personal view differs to others on the brand side of this exchange. So what the brand is really paying for here is not a positive review, but rather “direct access to a market” Boodram says, “and with that, authenticity is the currency – that’s what you’re providing in exchange.”

This model challenges a lifetime of learned consumer behavior – if a positive review has been paid for, how do we know that review was not made under the influence? When giving product recommendations is a personal hobby, and one that you originally did for free, there’s a fine line between promoting a product you love, and being paid to promote a product. However Boodram argues it’s not a fine line, but “a huge gaping hole.”

She compares it to television advertising in which actors are paid to promote a product, “you know she’s a paid actress so her credibility is null and void, so once [a blogger] crosses that line of being a puppet, you no longer really have a voice as a blogger. You should now be on television in the commercials.” If bloggers and professional actors are both being paid to perform the same service, what is the difference? Boodram points out that advertising in magazines is required to divulge that it is paid advertising, “if [bloggers] are going to feign authenticity… if you’re sort of muddling the two, then you’re not doing your service at all.” To further complicate matters, blogs and YouTube are composed of many different personalities – that is what we love about them – so not every blogger or YouTuber will approach this issue in the same way.

As brands and bloggers work together to find the balance between sponsored endorsements and genuine opinion, it is the consumer that is left to discern for themselves the difference between the two. Luckily, Michelle Breyer feels that as a “savvy consumer, and I believe most women with curly and coily hair are a very savvy consumer, they can figure out if someone’s being authentic or not.”

You can view the full panel discussion on YouTube and decide for yourselves: do you feel the act of paying for sponsored content on blogs and YouTube diminishes the authenticity of that medium? 

Watch the Panel

We couldn’t think of 10 reasons, so here are 9 reasons straight hair is better than curly hair, as illustrated by our favorite curly comic Tall N Curly! PS… Happy April Fool’s Day!

Illustration by TallNCurly for NaturallyCurly

Tamera Mowry-Housley has a lot of change happening in her life right now. The end of her reality show with her sister Tia, her new talkshow The Real, and now, a new ‘do! Just last week she was pledging her love to her long, wavy locks, but last night we knew something was afoot when she tweeted a picture of her hair on the floor, “This is happening right now. Thanks @ShaiAmiel for my beautiful cut. Can’t wait to show y’all pic.twitter.com/IZk0dIt3x8.”

Tamera has been transitioning since last year, and lucky for us she’s been Instagramming pics of her transition hairstyles along the way. Perhaps she was inspired by the New Year to embrace a whole new look too!

If you’re considering your first (or second, or third”> big chop this year, Tamera’s hairstylist Shai, of Capella Salon in Studio City, CA, says this is what you can expect:

“It’s an exciting fresh start! You have to commit and be prepared to have all your healthy hair. It will react better & will be easier to control since you won’t have different hair textures. You will feel a big relief because you won’t be spending money on cleansing, conditioning & styling dead hair that doesn’t want to curl.”

If you’re feeling intimidated by the thought of styling your freshly big chopped curls, don’t be. Shai says just “Wash & go!” That’s what he did with Tamera, because she wanted “something simple and playful. I gave her a vintage style bob that resembled early century hair. Her curls will give it that old fashioned look.” 

“She can diffuse for added bounce but I think it’s gonna be an easy wash & go.”

From what we can see on Tamera’s Instagram, she’s already having fun accessorizing her new easy look.

Before You Big Chop

Lately, Shai has noticed an increase in the number of women wanting big chops from him, and we’ve definitely enjoyed seeing the celebrity reveals on social media. The plethora of celebrity and real life hairstyles on Instagram and Pinterest have made it much easier than it once was to find hairstyle inspiration for the big chop, which Shai says is an essential step in the process, “look for inspiring looks. Take your time researching different styles. My Pinterest is loaded with great haircuts of all lengths.”

Step two in your big chop preparations? Shai says you should “do your research to find a stylist you trust and see if they’ve done this. Read up their reviews and see if they have pictures of their work. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.” 

Once you’ve found a style and a stylist, be sure to snap a before and after selfie of your big chop to share on our NaturallyCurly Facebook page, our community loves before and afters. What did Tamera do right after her big chop?

“She gave me a big hug and said it’s ‘the bomb.’ She kept looking at herself in the mirror and playing with it. She couldn’t keep her hands off it. She grabbed my phone and took a lot of selfies; that’s a good sign. She posted it on Instagram as soon as she arrived at her house and it was late!”

We have a feeling this isn’t the last celebrity big chop we’ll be seeing this year.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAMERA’S INSTAGRAM & CAPELLA SALON

Inspired by the Matrix texture experts in Brazil, this technique is for women who want to keep their curls. New 3D Curl Service enhances and defines curls, banishing frizz while boosting dimension.

Get the Look

1. Shampoo hair with Total Results Sleek Shampoo, rinse and towel dry. Section hair into four quadrants. Starting at the nape, take ½-inch horizontal partings and apply 2-3 pumps of Opti.smooth Pre-Treat from scalp to ends. Complete entire head.

2. Outline the back left and right with Opti.smooth Smoothing Cream. Using ¼- to ½-inch horizontal sub-sections, apply smoothing crème starting 1/8 -inch off the scalp to the first 1½ inches of hair with a comb. Work half way up the head, then repeat on left side. Continue working right-to-left and complete the back. Apply smoothing crème to ends using a wide-tooth comb and gently scrunch again. Work side-to-side, scrunching remaining hair.

3. Process for 15-30 minutes, depending on hair type and desired curl pattern.

4. After processing, rinse with warm water and use a scrunching technique for 7-10 minutes. Towel blot and gently detangle using a wide-tooth comb.

MORE: How to Wrap and Roll Your Curls

Introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got started in the hair care business. 

My name is Dwan White. My entry into the hair products industry came in 2000 when, as a consumer, I fell in love with a new hair product. After carefully exploring the label, I realized the manufacturer was located right in my city! I sent a short email (with my resume attached”> to the President of the company letting him know, as both a consumer and marketing professional, how much I loved the products. That communication led to the President offering me an opportunity to become a consultant to the company.

From there, I began a career as a Product Development consultant in the hair products industry, servicing that company and others, including House of Cheatham. I joined House of Cheatham full-time in 2008, creating new brands and products, specifically for women with textured hair. I’m now the Director of Global Marketing & Product Development at House of Cheatham.

Let’s talk a bit about the line/products. Can you tell me about it, its ingredients etc.? 

We were careful to formulate Texture My Way with a well-balanced blend of natural and synthetic ingredients that are essential to help deliver long-lasting moisture, softness, manageability and shine. The extra virgin olive oil and shea butter in each formula helps to strengthen and soften hair.

A couple of our products do contain small percentages of light weight silicones. We included them because they optimize the formula’s ability to retain moisture. We know that moisture retention is all-important to women with textured hair.  The small amount of silicone included helps the hair to hold on to moisture much longer than it would without it. With our moisturizing products, you don’t have to reapply them throughout the day to get the moisture you need. Each therapy is completely free of sulfates, parabens, mineral oil and petrolatum.

Who was your product line developed for? Do the products will work better or differently for certain hair types?

Texture My Way was developed with style chameleons in mind — that segment of women with natural hair who enjoy switching up their style. They go from sporting bouncy curls or coils to wearing it flat-ironed, silky straight and other versatile looks in between. Manageability, shine and softness are important to them, as well as products that don’t weight their hair down or leave it feeling gummy or oily.

We’ve also worked hard to keep our products affordable. Each one retails for just $6.99, making them perfect for curlies on any budget!

How do your products work for curlies? What results can they expect?

Texture My Way is ideal for curly hair. We get lots of great feedback on how the therapies keep hair moisturized, are light-weight, smell great, and provide the manageability and style control that 2A-4c hair needs.

Do you have any tips for women who are considering going natural or new curlies?

Patience is essential for women considering transitioning from chemically straightened to natural hair. Hair in transition goes through a learning curve. There’s always some trial and error, but training hair that has been chemically altered to become manageable without chemicals takes patience and the right maintenance.

The “big chop” is the fastest way to dealing with the transition, but not every woman wants to take that plunge. Gradually cutting hair shorter helps, as well as opting for styles that are not super straight. Candy curls, spirals, roller sets…anything that gives hair body can effectively masquerade different textures.

Texture My Way Naturally Straight Flat Iron Butter can be used to keep new growth flat and silky smooth, and Keep It Curly Styling Foam can give bounce to roller sets or twist outs. For growth, a healthy, clean scalp is the key. Texture My Way Hydrate! sulfate-free Shampoo gently and effectively cleans and nourishes hair and scalp.

A style tip that helps control frizz on curly hair involves sectioning curly or wavy hair into big (or smaller”> twists at bed time using Texture My Way Keep It Curly when twisting. When ready to style, apply just a bit of Texture My Way Mega Protein Oyl Elixir to finger tips, as you release the twists and finger style hair. Keep it Curly’s moisture retention helps control the frizz, Mega Protein Oyl locks in the shine, and this regimen keeps the style from becoming “fly away.”

Do you have a “suggested style” or a “featured style” to use wear with these products?

That’s entirely up to the style chameleon. There’s a Texture My Way therapy to assist with creating and maintaining natural styles, whether silky straight, springy coils, soft afros, deep waves or bouncy curls.

Tell us where we can connect with your brand.

You can connect to Texture My Way at www.texturemyway.com, on Facebook and Twitter.

Where are your products available?

Independent owned, neighborhood beauty supply stores nationwide, and at CurlMart.

Lastly, what’s your opinion on the texture revolution. Do they see it becoming a bigger trend/movement?

We are happy to see women embracing their natural texture. This movement is self affirming and a great message for young girls about celebrating who they are, naturally. As styling techniques, products and social media evolve, so will the movement. Hollywood is still about creating illusions. While many celebs are fine with their natural texture in their personal lives, if their role calls for the illusion, then that’s what we’ll see in front of the camera.

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SHOP: Texture My Way Products at CurlMart

Who hasn’t longed for soft, spiral curls? Even those of us with naturally curly hair sometimes dream about altering our curl pattern, if only for a little while.

This dream is exactly what the UK- based Hair Flair Ltd set out realize when it developed Curlformers, a revolutionary, patented new curling tool. The family-owned business identified a gap in the market for a tool or product that would create variety of curls, from ringlet spirals to loose-barrel waves, which could be used by everyone, without damaging the hair.

Curlformers are a revolutionary type of hair curling device, revolutionary because the curls are formed inside the Curlformers, rather than outside, as with conventional curlers. And they do it without using potentially damaging flat or curling irons.

“Curlformers are more versatile than Velcro rollers in terms of the looks you can create. Velcro rollers works on a limited range of hair types, whereas CurlFormers works on all hair types, including curly, kinky and wavy,” says Alexandra Malet, Hair Flair’s vice-president of marketing. “They even work on fine hair, relaxed hair and hair extensions.

“It is important to watch the instructional video to see how best to apply your Curlformers,” says Malet, “After you have applied a few, they’re so easy to use,” she says.

Start with freshly washed, damp hair. “Section your hair — or better still, why not make it girlfriend time, and do each others’ hair— then load the Curlformer on the hook. Hook a section of hair, squeeze open the Curlformer and draw the hook back thru the Curlformer,” Malet explains. You can do a head full in 20 minutes, she says.

Malet emphasizes Curlformers’ versatility. “You can get so many different looks,” she says. Some people, she says, just apply them to the bottom part of the hair, so they get the straight-on-top, curly-at-the-bottom look. “If you have wavy hair, you might want to just add a bit of curl here and there.”

After applying the Curlformers, you can dry your hair with a blow dryer or stand dryer, or better yet, let it air dry. The Curlformers’ fun and funky bright colors are practically a fashion statement, so wear them out shopping, Malet encourages. Then take them out just in time for your night on the town, she suggests. Interestingly, in the US, cheerleaders are some of Curlformers’ most biggest fans. “They absolutely love them. They love the curls they can create with them. They lend themselves perfectly to that sort of audience,” Malet says. Other folks, too, like them: children, brides, moms. “Everyone who tries them, loves them, because they’re great fun to use,” Malet says. Check out the Curlformers website to learn more.

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This videos shows how fun and easy Curlformers are to use, and the great results you can get:

Bring on the Curls!

1 Shampoo and condition hair and towel dry. If you wish, apply a mousse or styling product evenly through your hair to give extra hold to your curls.		2 You may find it easier to section your hair and use clips to keep it out of the way until you are ready to apply Curlformers to that section.		3 Make sure you have put together the two parts of the Styling Hook and then, holding the handle, feed the Curlformer on to the Styling Hook. (watch the demo video for help”>
4 Starting at the nape of the neck, take a small section of hair approximately 1/2″ or 2cm wide.		5 Give it a quarter turn twist, hold the handle higher than the hook, and slip the twisted section into the hook. You may find it easier to ask your mum or a friend to help you!		6 Using your thumb and index finger, squeeze open slightly the end of the Curlformer closest to the scalp, enabling you to draw the hook back through the Curlformer.
7 Draw the hook back out through each Curlformer.		8 Apply all the Curlformers in this fashion, working your way from the back of the head through the sides and top to the front.		9 Dry the hair for 30 minutes with a hairdryer. Ideally, leave the Curlformers in for as long as possible for longer-lasting curls—you can even sleep with them!
10 To remove the Curlformers, use your thumb and index finger to squeeze open the end closest to the scalp. At the same time, use your free hand to unfurl the Curlformer and gently remove from the hair.		11 The curl will spring back into place. You can either brush your fingers through your hair for a soft, tousled, textured look or leave for perfect party curls.		12 Apply your favorite hairspray for longer-lasting hold and shine.

The list of ingredients in Janelle Beauty’s Diva Smooth reads more like a dessert recipe than a treatment to straighten your hair.

Honey. Sugar. Lemon juice. Molasses.

Diva Smooth is a natural alternative to traditional chemical relaxers. The finely tuned mixture of natural ingredients when applied together with a flat iron create smooth, shiny hair without breakage or hair loss. It is so gentle that it can be left on overnight, says Anika Janelle Pettiford, founder of Janelle Beauty.

Since it went on the market in June 2008, Diva Smooth has amassed a growing and loyal customer base who see it as an inexpensive and easy-to-use straightening treatment. Many stylists also have become fans, with more than 180 salons using Diva Smooth.

“It makes your natural hair look beautiful and you feel better, because you are not putting chemicals into your hair,” says Diva Smooth user Lauren of Virginia.

Keep in mind I have not permed my hair since June 2, 2009,” says Felicia of Dallas. “My hair turned out very soft and straight considering I had wavy and curly roots. When I begin blow drying, I noticed my hair was soft and straight at the roots to the ends. Yes, I will most definitely use it again.”

It was Pettiford’s own health scare that prompted her to find safe alternatives to the hair and skin-care products that lined her shelves. She realized a lot of the personal-care products she was using every day contained carcinogens.

“I threw out all of my shampoos and conditioners,” says Pettiford, a former IBM consultant who left to start a family. “I had been relaxing my hair since I was 8 years old and I stopped.”

Pettiford says she had no idea what her natural hair looked like, and began experimenting with different ingredients to help control her texture. Janelle Beauty’s first product, Virgin Coconut Hair Serum, was born out of her transition to natural hair. The coconut oil contained protein that smoothed her hair.

One day, Pettiford got a call form a stylist who said she was using a chemical-free concoction on clients’ hair to straighten it.

“My initial reaction was ‘Whatever.,” she says. “But I felt obligated to see what it was.”

She had the stylist use her home-made mixture on her hair, and she was “blown away.” Her hair was smooth and soft, with no damage or breakage.

“I said ‘We need to market this product,'” Pettiford says. “At the time, it had no labeling or packaging.”

The stylist signed an exclusive agreement with Janelle Beauty to bring it to market. Initially, there was skepticism in the market that an all-natural product could work. But through demonstrations and word of mouth, sales began building quickly.

With traditional lye and no lye relaxers, the chemicals penetrate the cortex or cortical layer and loosens the curl pattern. This inner layer of the hair shaft gives curly hair its shape, and provides strength and elasticity. Once the process is performed, it is permanent.

Diva Smooth, which contains such ingredients as jojoba oil and grapeseed oil, is brushed in, and can be left on from 35 minutes to overnight. It works by strengthening the hair with the virgin coconut oil, and creates a light protective coating that prevents heat damage through the use of honey and molasses. There is no stripping of hte hair cuticle because there are no chemical ingredients.

It is shampooed out with a sulfate-free cleanser that is included in the kit. It won’t make the hair stick straight, Pettiford says. What it does do is make it easier to get smooth, straight hair when used with a flat iron.

For those who like to wear their hair curly, it makes the curls smoother and more defined. Since the hair is not chemically altered, the hair can be worn in twists, afros and other natural hair styles. Pettiford says it also can help women who are transitioning from perms to natural hair by making the demarcation less noticeable.

“For the first time, my hair is completely natural, and it’s never looked better,” says Pettiford, who uses Diva Smooth on a regular basis. “It has volume and shine and it looks healthier than it ever did when I was using a chemical relaxer.”

The Janelle Beauty Smooth Deluxe Starter Kit – which contains Rosemary Mint Hair Wash, Tea Tree Hair Wash, Moisturizing Conditioner, Virgin Coconut Hair Serum, Diva Smooth, a brush, cap and gloves – sells for $49.99. Other Diva Smooth kits are available.

Diva Smooth is sold online, and Pettiford says she is getting requests from a growing number of stylists who have heard about the product.

In addition to Diva Smooth, Janelle Beauty is like a Sephora for natural and organic beauty products, Pettiford says. In addition to its own product lines, Janelle Beauty has evolved into an online e-tailer for other all-natural beauty brands.

Six years ago, Mahisha Dellinger launched a hair-care line for multi-ethnic women like herself. At the time, CURLS was a small, 100 percent independent e-commerce site.

Today, CURLS has grown by leaps and bounds. The products now are distributed around the world and are sold in several hundred salons. Nordstrom and Macy’s may soon carry the CURLS line as well.

This month, the company has unveiled a fresh new look. The neutral bottles, with their gold cap and metallic typography, have disappeared, replaced by bright, fun, appealing packaging that better reflects the products inside. The packaging also provides more educational info about how to use them, to cut down on confusion.

“The new fresh packaging to me symbolizes a new era in our growth and development,” says Dellinger. “We don’t just have great products, but we also have a cutting-edge look.”

The company’s explosive growth doesn’t surprise Dellinger.

“It’s my passion,” Dellinger says. “There are many things I understand because I’m the consumer I’m selling to. People have told me ‘Finally, someone gets it.'”

Growing up multi-ethnic with thick curls, Mahisha Dellinger felt no products were available for people like her.

In the ethnic market, the products were heavy and greasy, designed for women who wanted to fight their kinks and curls. In the traditional haircare market, products were aimed toward finer, looser curls that looked nothing like hers. She was forced to create her own kitchen concoctions, at one point using grease and water to control her mane. She knew others must be dealing with the same frustrations.

Although she wasn’t a stylist and hadn’t worked in the beauty industry, she set about to create her own products, hiring a cosmetic chemist and developing the products she always wanted — products designed to meet the unique needs of multi-ethnic women and girls with naturally curly hair.

In 2003, she launched her company with four CURLS and four Curly Q’s products for kids. Now the line has grown to 11 CURLS products, seven Curly Q’s products and three in her new baby line, It’s a Curl!. These include a full range of cleansers, moisturizers, conditioners and styling products. The products contain natural ingredients such as Monoi de Tahiti, green tea extract, pomegranate seed oil and soy protein to hydrate, strengthen and nourish curls and kinks.

CURLS’ latest product is Curl Gel-les’c, a gel-like, silicone-free serum style that defines, defrizzes and holds curls.

In 2007 and 2008, CURLS was named one of the Top 5 Finalists for “Favorite MultiCultural Company” in Behindthechair.com’s 7th Annual Stylist Choice Awards. The Stylist Choice Awards are among the most coveted awards in the professional salon industry as winners are chosen by salon professionals.

Dellinger says always believed CURLS would do well.

“I’ve always had high expectations for the company,” she says. “It’s just been a matter of making it happen. We’ve learned a lot and grown a lot.”

One of the most important things she’s learned is patience.

“My mentor told me long ago that it isn’t a race, it’s a process,” Dellinger says. “You have to be patient and learn and grow at your pace, not putting expectations on yourself to come out of the gate at a certain level. I was told that if I went in and learned my market, I would succeed.”

Patience has meant growing the company at a pace it can handle, and adding those products consumers are asking for.

As CURLS has grown, Dellinger says she has watched the competitive landscape change as well.

“Before we came out with CURLS, there were very few companies targeting ethnic and multi-ethnic consumers,” Dellinger says. “That consumer didn’t have choices. Now, there are a lot of lines for curly hair. I think we helped bring attention and focus to the curly consumers.”

In addition to growing her business, Dellinger and her company have partnered with adoption agencies throughout the United States to host live hair care demonstrations, provide hair care tips, author articles for their online resource centers, and donate Curly Q’s products. Her goal is to provide a comprehensive resource to parents adopting across the racial lines.

“The more we grow, the more we give back,” says Dellinger.

Dellinger doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. She wants to introduce curly hair tools as well as adding those products consumers want. She’ll also continue her worldwide expansion.

“I want to bring CURLS to everyone,” Dellinger says.

Bumble and bumble, which recently relaunched its Curl Conscious line, offered NaturallyCurly members the opportunity to win virtual makeovers from Bumble and bumble Senior Vice President and Artistic Director Howard McLaren.

NaturallyCurly members sent in photos, and earlier this month, Bumble selected five winners and McLaren shared his expertise on how to care for their curls. McLaren describes how they can change each look, the ideal length, the ideal product combinations, styling techniques and recommendations for casual and special occasion hair and more. Winners will also receive the entire product range along with the company’s Curl Tote, pins and paisley combs.

Bumble and bumble wants people to embrace the unstraight. Sixty percent of the world has curly hair, and many still live under the tyranny of straighteners, flat irons and blowdryers.

Amy Stoval

She has gorgeous, well-cared-for hair. She seems to use a lot of product, which is great for curl formation. I would take the hair that is reflected in her photo and ask her to shake it out a bit to get rid of a bit of the crunchiness. I also suggest she use our Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Reactivating Mist on off days to revive the style of her hair without drying it out.

Her key product should be Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme. She should apply it along the full length of hair and then air dry or use a diffuser. When it’s dry be sure to shake out the hair.

Joey Hope

Another head of great curls. I like her natural style. Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme seems like a right fit for her to encourage curl formation. I would shy away from applying too much product at the root since her hair is a bit flat at the root.

Lisa Hope

She wrestles with the opposite problem of her daughter. She would benefit from a liberal application of our Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Holding Foam from roots to ends. She should apply product to sopping wet hair so that the style benefits of the product are locked into place and frizz is not allowed to develop. I would have her use our Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Nourishing Masque as her every-other-day conditioner and use Reactivating Mist on her non-shampoo days.

Christy Barker

She’s another Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme natural. I would also use a bit of Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Holding Foam along the crown as her hair tends to get a bit frizzy there and needs extra control.

Emily Richmond

She has such a great mass of curls that just need the right combo of products to make them shine. I would have her use our Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Nourishing Masque as her regular conditioner to really quench her thirsty curls. I would have her use Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Holding Foam at the roots on sopping wet hair, and our Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme on the length of hair. Wash hair just once or twice a week and use Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Reactivating Mist on her non-shampoo days.