Search Results: Devri Velazquez

By Devri Velazquez · Published September 12, 2014

Believe it or not, every hair brush is not created equal. Forget the stigma you are used to hearing about the dangers of using one on your wavy or curly hair, because these 10 brushes are made specifically to cater to what textured hair needs.

Have you tried any of these? 

10 Brushes Your Curls Will Love

By Devri Velazquez · Published September 11, 2014

Introduce yourself!

Hey curl friends, my name is Jasmine Winters, also known as Jd. I am a Houston Native, photographer, and preschool teacher.

How long have you been natural?

I’ve been natural for about 1 year, and 9 months today.

Do you ever get tired of your natural hair?

I think like most naturals, we all have bad hair days, and days where we may just be tired of our curls. But I must say, it’s never to the point where I am tired of my natural hair.

What are your favorite products and styles right now?

Right now my favorite products are Truly You Super Soft Butter Blend for my twist, and Ouidad Moisture Infusing and Refreshing Spray to revive my curls in the morning. My go to style that usually never fails me is a twist out, and when it’s not in a twist out, I’ll rock my puff.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a natural?

I will say my biggest challenge that I’ve faced as a natural was in my beginning stages, my self esteem was really low. I didn’t know what to do with my hair, and it didn’t make it any better that some of my family members, and friends did not agree with me going natural. I started jazzing myself up more with makeup, and also my wardrobe. After a while, I didn’t care what people thought of my decision with my hair. I embraced my hair, and it took off from there.

What is the biggest reward you’ve received?

The biggest reward I’ve received so far is that my curl friends tell me over and over how big of an inspiration I am to them, and how I’ve encouraged so many to go natural. I want to continue inspiring and uplifting women.

What piece of advice do you wish every young woman knew about themselves?

You have a secret power that you were born with, and it’s just waiting to be released, find it, and use it, such as your confidence. Embrace every curl, kink, and flaw.

How can we follow you online?

Follow me on Instagram- @JD_Winters

By Devri Velazquez · Published September 11, 2014

Up until a month ago, I had never tried clip-in extensions before. I was hesitant at first due to my theory that too much hair will not enhance, but rather deflect my hair’s natural beauty and texture. But one day I came across Big Chop Hair by City Samuels, and I rummaged through her photos, blogger testimonies, and vast online presence when I made the decision to finally step even more out of my hair comfort zone and give these human natural hair extensions a try.

First impressions

As I mentioned I am a new to hair extensions, so you can imagine my fear in attempting to put these into my curly hair on my own. To my surprise, installation time was about 30 minutes and it was fairly simple.

The process

All I did was pop the clips open and attach them close to my scalp, snapped them close to secure, and continued.

Altogether I used 1 1/2 bundles and to me, that was just enough to keep my natural look while achieving the fuller, longer curls I’ll admit sometimes I wish I had.

Giveaway Alert!

I have 2 additional bundles that I did not use–and I am giving them away! Simply leave a comment on this article and follow @BigChopHair to enter. You may also either write me @DevriVelazquez to enter.

This giveaway ends Friday, September 19.

And right now, BigChopHair.com, is offering free shipping with discount code NaturallyCurly!

Have you tried clip-ins to enhance your natural hair? What was your experience? Let us know, and share your photos!

By Devri Velazquez · Published August 27, 2014

Our Q&A Section allows our dedicated curly community members to post, ask, and answer questions all things hair related. Stop by and engage with others like you–and earn points while doing so! Member divergent46 posted this question:

Question:

I have no idea why but my hair is basically crimped on the roots then pin straight on the ends! The underlayer of my hair has some spiral curls but my hair was never this curly at the roots. It was kind of loose curls throughout my hair…Mousse only makes the roots even curlier and the ends straighter…it’s too frizzy for almost any hairstyle and I only like putting heat on it from a salon.

Answer:

Sounds to me like your hair has experienced either heat or chemical damage. When is the last time you straightened or relaxed your hair? And how often do you do so? If your answer is once a month or more, your hair is most likely damaged.

Put the flat iron down.

Hair that has been over-processed by heat styling tools (like a flat iron or curling wand”> are susceptible to breakage, thinning, and brittleness. Over time, it lacks the amount of strength, moisture, and elasticity it needs to curl and stretch properly. But if you absolutely MUST straighten, know that hair burns on a setting of anything over 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While blow drying, press the “cool” button quickly for a flash of cool air to seal your cuticle and give your hair a tiny break from the heat styling.

Big chop.

Realistically, the only way your roots will look just like the rest of your hair is if you start fresh and cut the damaged ends completely off. You can gradually do this by installing sew-in weave, marley twists, or other protective styles which veil the natural hair for a while as it grows out.

Your hair routine

If you notice some product build-up in your scalp, it’s ok to wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo. Or try leaving pure Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV”> in your scalp for about 30 minutes, then rinse. I do this once a week, depending on how dirty my hair is. Use a moisturizer intended for those with heat damaged hair (those random straight hairs you have”>. Once a week, restore and strengthen your hair with either a DIY protein treatment or a good deep conditioner. Leave it on for about 40 minutes, then rinse and condition. For styling purposes, add a curl activator to enhance your natural curl and help it blend in with the damaged hair. 

Have a wavy, curly, or coily Q?

By Devri Velazquez · Published August 26, 2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM

Blue Ivy Carter’s hair is natural. She is a child who cannot defend herself. Oh, and her mother is singer Beyonce and her father is rapper Jay-Z, so she’s basically music royalty. You’d take these facts into consideration before coming for someone, right?

Apparently that means nothing for model and longtime girlfriend of Chris Brown, Karrueche Tran.

I really did wake up like this, because my parents never comb my hair.

On BET network’s 106 & Park countdown during a live taping Monday, Tran provided a Blue Ivy impersonation in a skit entitled “Top 6 Things Blue Ivy Thought At The VMAs.” She said, “I really did wake up like this, because my parents never comb my hair.” This was followed by the live audience half cackling and half booing her, to which Tran bellowed, “Sorry Blue! I love you.”

Who is to blame?

According to Karrueche’s team, she was informed of a script change only moments before she and her co-host went on hair, due to the timeliness of the VMAs and the producers wanting to insert the skit into the show (filmed on August 25th.”> She was given the script on the scene and had no time to look over it for her better judgement–or lack thereof.

We (and the ENTIRE world”> think little baby Blue Ivy was the most adorable, overjoyed little girl, cheering on her mom from the audience and later joining dad Jay-Z on stage to congratulate Beyonce with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Aside from us gawking at her uncanny ability to keep winning us over with any and everything–what does the Queen Bey herself think? Beyonce has yet to sound off on the constant controversy and conversation surrounding her daughter’s natural hair.

BET’s commercials and campaigns often provide uplifting messages and products targeted directly toward young women with naturally curly and coily hair, so these hate comments towards the natural hair community are a marked contradiction, and one that won’t go unnoticed.

Is BET bitter or–nah?

On June 29th, Bey was set to perform alongside Jay-Z as part of their BET Awards performance line-up. However, the network ended up resorting to airing a clip recorded at their recent On The Run Tour. At the VMA’s however, Bey shut it all the way down, performing 16 of her songs for the world from her self-titled fifth studio album. The reasons are unclear as to why Beyonce and Jay-Z didn’t attend the BET Awards but we’re guessing the network’s producers still haven’t let go of their grudge with Queen Bey, and are coming for her by any means necessary–even if that means attacking her daughter’s hair.

Recently we’ve noticed an uptick in the number of people criticizing Blue Ivy’s hair on Facebook pages, social media, and traditional media outlets and we hope to be a place for supportive naturals to have their voices heard. By this stage we think it’s pretty clear where we stand (but just in case, we fully support any man, woman or, in this case, child’s right to wear their hair natural without coming under scrutiny”>, but we want to know how you feel about Karrueche’s comments. Let us know in the comments!

By Devri Velazquez · Published August 21, 2014

Wearing a protective style is a great way to protect your hair from damaging elements of the climate–in the summer, the sun; in the winter, the chill. Either way, it’s only effective as you let it be, not matter which time of year you rock it. I hid my curls away into some Marley twists for a couple of weeks– and these are these are the surprising facts that I learned from having them.

1. They’re not expensive.

Some of you are reading the previous line and judging me. But for all you protective-styling newbies (like myself”>, you’ll come to find out that packs of Marley hair are only about $6 bucks a bag. I used 6 1/2 bags of Freetress Equal marley braiding hair. My stylist charged me $80 to install.

2. Installation time is only a few hours.

For those of you who get sew-ins regularly can feel me on this. It’s not fun to sit in one place for hours at a time with your head tilted in all sorts of which ways. Whenever you finally get out the chair your neck is halfway crooked and the sun’s going down already. Not with these bad boys.

3. They open your mind to new options.

Even though I had my hair in twists and not faux locs, it was still pretty easy for me to see myself with other new styles like long, beautiful locs in my hair. I’d been considering locking my curly hair in the past, so this gave me a useful visual.

4. They give you more styling versatility.

Because my hair was temporarily thicker, longer, and different colors (I used 3 different colors from the same brand”>, I was able to play around with different styles that I normally couldn’t with my real natural hair. It was a fun to play dress up.

5. They’re a mini detox for your hair.

As mentioned above, I only rocked the marley twists a little over a week. Still, that was plenty of time to give my hair a chance to breathe, replenish from the sweltering summer heat, and call me crazy but I feel like I even noticed some slight new growth after taking them out.

By Devri Velazquez · Published August 11, 2014

My name is Melissa Etienne but everyone calls me City. I wanted to supply the natural hair community with protective styling options that helped us maintain our natural look for a reasonable price. I’ve been natural myself for a little over a year but I did my big chop in September 2013.

I started Big Chop Hair because I’ve been in the hair industry for a long time and I know high-quality hair. I had been exposed to this hair that I knew other people would want but didn’t know how to get. I felt the natural hair community didn’t have many human hair options available to them.

Whatever you do to your hair is your choice. Nobody can tell you how to be you.

I’m different from other companies because I’m out there for everyone to see. I’m not a secret person, I’m not hiding, everyone sees pictures of me, they see pictures of my family, they’re able to call me, they’re able to text me and have one-on-one conversations with me.

The reward is seeing how happy everyone is once they receive their product. I get so many happy emails and texts from people. They send me pictures, tag me on Instagram and all these things make me so happy because I love seeing that I am supplying these wonderful women with a wonderful product that they love!

Visit my website and social media to see what everyone thinks of Big Chop Hair:

Website | Instagram

By Devri Velazquez · Published August 7, 2014

MsJacenta1 posted a video review on Twisted Sista Urban Therapy. Psst…They’re participating in CurlyNikki’s August Giveaway

What she used

• De-frizz Conditioner
• 30-Second curl spray
• Curl Activator

Her routine

1. Cleanse & Condition using the De-Frizz Conditioner.

2. Shake and spray the 30-Second Curl Spray, saturating the hair.

3. Rub the product in with a flat palm in a constant clockwise motion on your entire head. 

4. Pat about 2 dime-sized amounts of the Curl Activator cream on the entire head. Rub the product in using the flat palm clockwise motion again until curls are equally defined.

Have you tried these products?

Let us know! Head over to our Products Section and leave your review for the NaturallyCurly community!

By Devri Velazquez · Published August 6, 2014

Our Q&A Section allows our dedicated curly community members to post, ask, and answer questions all things hair related. Be sure to stop by to engage with others like you and earn points while doing so! Member Godluvsme101 (3C”> posted this question:

Question:

Answer:

It’s important to understand how a sealing oil works. Grapeseed oil doesn’t have penetrating powers strong enough to do anything other than sit on top of the hair, acting like an umbrella of protection from climate that would otherwise suck moisture from your curls. Grapeseed is also known as a carrier oil, which is something people used combined with an essential oil in order to moisturize.

Depending on what you’re using the grapeseed oil in conjunction with, I suggest testing out other combos of either products or carriers, as each one works differently.

It’s been chemically processed

Grapeseed oil has been through a rigorous process of having its oils extracted from the grape, going through machines, having the solvent hexane, which is actually toxic. Therefore, by the time it’s bottled up and sent to your local beauty supply store for you to purchase, it’s been refined, chemically altered, and then some. Look for the words “cold pressed” on your labels for the raw product in its truest form.

Slather on the shea butter

Next time you’re attempting to seal moisture, add a layer of shea over your hair after you apply oil. For many curlies like yourself with dry hair, this usually works wonders.

Olive oil + Coconut oil

Also, use coconut oil as either a pre-poo or moisturizer on freshly washed hair. It’s known to soften rough spots of hair and add definition to your spirals. I use extra virgin olive oil, and this is also great for penetrating the hair shaft and when used with a water-based leave-in, it’s amazing for high porosity hair.

Look for these

• H&B Oils Cold Pressed Unrefined Raw Coconut Oil
• Eden Body Works Coconut Shea Leave-In
• African Pride Olive Oil Miracle Growth Oil
• Nubian Heritage EVOO Pre-Poo Treatment

Have a wavy, curly, or coily Q?

We want you to have your healthiest, happiest hair possible! If you have any questions, feel free to visit our Q&A Section for helpful advice from curlies like you!

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 18, 2014

Our Q&A Section allows our dedicated curly community members to post, ask, and answer questions all things hair related. Be sure to stop by to engage with others like you and earn points while doing so! Member Tatiana5C recently posted this question:

Question:

Answer:

Tatiana, if we explored in depth every single reason you’re experiencing excessive hair fall, this article would be dozens of pages long, which might defeat the purpose of a straightforward answer that I’m sure you are looking for. And for the purpose of getting straight to the point, I’ll pinpoint these general possibilities and how you may solve the issue:

First of all, know what is normal and what is not.

The average head of hair has 100,000 to 150,000 strands. Losing up to 50 strands is normal, however, anything over that is not. By nature, curly hair sheds more than straight hair.

Stop brushing your hair.

Add vitamins A, D, & E to your daily regimen.

While it’s important to note that there IS such thing as too much of these, it’s also just as important to not neglect them completely from your diet or beauty routine. They both help regulate your hair cycle focusing on length and strength. The antioxidants in vitamin A moisturize the sebum in your scalp. Taking your daily dose of Vitamin E will also promote healthy hair growth, as it increases blood circulation and stimulates the hair follicles. Ask your mom to buy you cantaloupe, carrots, and dark green vegetables. She can also get a multivitamin (containing all of these vitamins in 1 capsule”> that can be found at any grocery store in the wellness section. 

Don’t dye, relax, or straighten.

You mentioned that you no longer flat iron your hair, so we know heat isn’t the culprit in this case. I’m not sure if you have experimented with harmful box dyes or relaxers. Right now your hair is in a super fragile state, so I’d suggest staying away from things like ammonia, lye, bleach and chlorine. Here’s an easy, natural recipe to color and thicken your hair at the same time if you absolutely must color your hair.

Use a scalp stimulator.

Every few days, add a few drops directly to your scalp (per the product’s instructions”> to promote faster hair growth and strength. Castor, tea tree, almond , and jojoba oil will be your best friends for the next few months. We like:

• Eden Body Works All Natural Tea Tree Hair Oil
• Mielle Organics Mint Almond Oil
• Nubian Heritage Strengthen & Grow Serum
• Karen’s Body Beautiful Heavenly Jojoba Hair Oil

Go see your doc.

Hair shed at a young age can be due to an underlying health situation, like thyroid issues, anemia, alopecia, poor diet, or even genetics. Discuss with your mom if anyone in the family experienced hair loss at a young age, and that may help you understand where yours is coming from. Schedule an appointment to see your doctor.

Have a wavy, curly, or coily Q?

We want you to have your healthiest, happiest hair possible! If you have any questions, feel free to visit our Q&A Section for helpful advice from curlies like you!

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 17, 2014

NaturallyCoily James show us his simple way of achieving a defined wash-and-go using styling gel. In this video, he uses Ecoco Eco Styler Krystal Styling Gel to make his type 4 coils pop, shine, and manageability.

Watch the video

1. Condition & Cleanse

2. LOC Method

Use the LOC Method to retain moisture in your coils. James applied coconut oil, a strengthening leave-in with shea butter, and sealed with olive oil. 

3. Section

Divide hair into sections hair using plastic or metal clips. This allows for a neater and faster styling process and encourages clumping.

4. Rake to Apply

Use your fingers in a clawing motion, apply Krystal Styling Gel to each section from root to tip. Make sure the sections are saturated. Don’t forget to smooth your edges!

5. Massage it In

Massage the gel into your hair by run your fingers again from root to tip. This helps to lift the hair and add volume.

6. Shake and Dry

Make your wash-and-go appear more natural by shaking your head a few times while it is drying; that way the coils can ‘fall’ into place naturally. Allow your hair to air dry.

WATCH: Stretched Afro on Short Natural Hair

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 11, 2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAHOGANY LOX

Our Q&A Section allows our dedicated curly community members to post, ask, and answer questions all things hair related. Be sure to stop by to engage with others like you and earn points while doing so! Member TaylorAmor posted this question recently:

Question:

My hair is extremely POOFY & DRY! What can I do to reduce poofiness & add definition & hydration?

Answer:

Well Taylor, let me start off by saying that we all here at NaturallyCurly think “poofy” hair is pretty awesome. Sometimes, bigger is better! Rock that hair with confidence, girl.

Regardless, I understand you may not want the “big hair” effect. Reading your question, I’m making the assumption you do not… therefore I will suggest to you these tips in helping you reduce your chances for frizz and poofy 3B/3C curls. There are two techniques for applying your hair products that can help decrease the “poof:” the shingling method, and the LCO method.

Method #1: Shingling Method

Shingling is a way of applying your products to your hair, smoothing the product over your hair from root to tip in sections:

1. Section your freshly washed and conditioned hair into about 4 large sections.
2. Seal in moisture with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO”>, found at your local drugstore or grocery.
3. Grab your favorite styler (a curl definer like the ones below”> and literally rake the product through your strands from root to tip.
4. Elongate and smooth your strands, starting from the middle of the length of your hair and working your way up. Focus on the tips at the end of the section. 
5. Do not touch your hair during the drying process.

Best products for shingling:

• Bee Mine Bee Hold Curly Butter
• Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Pudding
• Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding
• Ossat Naturals Curling Custard
• African Pride Shea Butter Creme
• Obia Naturals Curl Enhancing Custard

Watch the Video

Curly hair guru MoKnowsHair demonstrates the Shingling Method on type 3 hair below.

Method #2 LCO Method

The LCO Method is an acronym for the order in which you apply your products. LCO stands for liquid, cream, oil.

1. Apply a water-based leave-in. Regular ol’ water usually does the trick for curly hair!
2. Seal in the moisture onto your hair with a cream. 
3. Use an oil for a healthy sheen. 

Best products for LCO:

• SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie
• Miss Jessie’s Leave-In Condish
• Camille Rose Naturals Curl Moisture Milk
• Yes to Carrots! Leave-In Conditioner
• Karen’s Body Beautiful Heavenly Jojoba Oil
• Eden Body Works All Natural Jojoba Oil

Watch the Video

NaturallyGG sisters show how to use the LCO Method for dry, natural hair.

Do you have a question about your wavy, curly, and coily natural hair? Visit NaturallyCurly’s Q&A Section (where it says ASK”> here and post it now!

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 7, 2014

Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, is a fruit which belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. It ripens in wet, wooded areas during the fall season. The sour fruit contains a high concentration of vitamin c and is sacred in Indian culture because of its numerous health and beauty benefits. What exactly can Amla do for you?

The Benefits

Fights hair loss

Indian Gooseberry can be found in many hair ingredients marketed for hair growth. In oil form, it may reduce the chance of hair loss and baldness. The carotene content of Amla blocks free radicals from damaging hair follicles, affecting certain hormones.

Eases cramps

If consumed on a regular basis, you may find fewer or less severe menstrual cramps due to the various vitamins and minerals in the gooseberry.

Flushes out toxins

This fruit is a natural diuretic, meaning it increases urination whenever consumed on a regular basis. This can be extremely helpful in getting rid of unnecessary waters, salts, and toxins in your body. Your kidneys will thank you!

Slows down aging

Amla reduces free radicals throughout your body, slowing down signs of aging and wrinkles.

Boosts your immune system

Indian Gooseberry can give your body an extra jolt of vitamin c, which works wonders for fighting against bacterial infections and viruses. Consume it as a powder or butter in your food diet.

Where to Find It

Banyan Botanicals has Certified Organic Amla powder sold online here for $24. You may also purchase the fruit in a capsule form, online here for $12.

These products contain hair strengthening Amla extract:

• AfroVeda Shea Amla Whipped Butter Cream
• Alterna Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist
• Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Oil Heavy Cream

MORE: 10 Very Scary Truths (& Myths”> About Hair Loss

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 3, 2014

Things are heating up this year as The FIFA World Cup grabs the attention of millions of viewers across the globe and the ultimate football (soccer”> battle begins. While some of us admit to not knowing a lick of what a soccer game entails, let alone who is in the lead right now, one thing we’re all taking notice of is the beautifully sculpted ‘dos the players are sporting this year. Here’s our 2014 list of faves.

Top 20 Deep Conditioners

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 3, 2014

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATURALOLOGY

For transitioners, the natural hair journey can sometimes be a challenge.

For many, it’s the awkward in-between stage of growing pains filled with self-confidence lessons, constant trial and error, and excessive product and technique junkyism. And although it seems like going natural can be more of a battle than a celebration these days, as long as you remember these basic tips for maintaining your transitioning hair, we guarantee you’ll experience a smoother journey.

[prodmod]

Look for products that moisturize and enhance.

For natural hair that has experienced heat and chemical damage, moisture is the key to bouncing back. Encouraging the natural curl in your hair is important, too. For newbies, it can be overwhelming understanding what works for your particular hair type while you are still trying to learn what it is–below are products that many naturals in the community recommend. These popular curly hair products are packed with both moisturizing agents as well as curl-defining ingredients.

• Beautiful Textures Curl Defining Pudding
• Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk Conditioning Styling Pudding
• Cantu Shea Butter Curl Activator Cream
• Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme
• SheaMoisture Raw Shea Butter Extra-Moisture Transitioning Milk

Read: Knowing Your Curl Pattern Helps, Here’s Why

You will learn to love bobby pins, headbands, and headwraps. 

As your transition phase progresses, the different texture in your roots and relaxed hair will likely stand out like a sore thumb. Turn the attention away from your hairline by dazzling it up with a thick headband or headwrap that will conceal the new growth. With bobby pins, you can create updos to tuck away your straight hair and let everyone focus on your natural texture. If there’s ever a visible relaxed piece of hair, pin it up and out of sight.

Watch: 3 Ways to Tie a Head Scarf

Stash up on styling tools.

I’m talking perm rods, flexi rods, and Curlformers…NO HEAT! Especially while you’re transitioning. You need tools that will help retexturize and blend your relaxed ends with your natural hair without causing any long-term damage.

More: Curly Girl Rehab for Damaged Hair

Play with protective styles.

If you’ve ever considered wearing a sew-in weave or wig, now is the perfect time. Braided styles like Marley twists, box braids, and Havana twists are popular mainly because they are intended to blend well with natural hair while covering your relaxed ends.

Read: How Weave Can Help (Or Harm”> Your Natural Hair

Understand that your relaxed hair will never “return” natural.

At the end of the day, if you want to keep your relaxed hair for length purposes, you must know that it is simply impossible to allow time to let it get back to its natural state. If you want your entire head of hair to be natural, you’ll have to eventually chop the relaxed hair off. Get regular trims to maximize your hair’s healthy potential. Avoiding this step will only hurt you in the long run, as split ends travel up the strand and cause you to have more than just damaged ends.

Next: How to Big Chop With Confidence

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 2, 2014

My name is Crystal Colon and I live in San Antonio, Texas. I am an auditor by day, and blogger/owner of Flor Bella Boutique by night. I am also a mommy to two beautiful girls and a wife to naturally curly guy!

I started Flor Bella Boutique in October 2012 after my daughters asked me to purchase bonnets for them.

At the time, my family and I were recovering from my husband’s layoff earlier that year. He had regained employment but of course you know how it is when you are trying to be conservative with your money after going through a crunch. During that time, I had taken up sewing and I decided to make my girls some bonnets as a way of practicing my sewing. I really didn’t know what I was doing. When I finished the bonnets, my husband told me he loved them and told me I should sell them. The rest is history.

I am inspired by my girls, Martina and Carrington.

Everything I do is for them. I try to consider all my choices and how they will impact them and if they will encourage and inspire them. Some of my designs are inspired by what they like. For example, they are into all things Disney princesses and Hello Kitty. That is why I have those designs are child bonnets. Also, I am inspired by prints that are in their favorite colors. They inspire me so much that I named the business in homage to them. I named the business Flor Bella (beautiful flower”> in Spanish in homage to their Latina heritage.Of course,

I also am inspired by fierce naturalistas I see on social media.

I am inspired so many ladies but my favorites by far are Mo Knows Hair, Jenell Stewart, PrincessLinzz, HalfieTruths and MamaNaturalista. They constantly remain positive and are doing big things and they are just genuinely nice people (and of course, beautiful”>.

If you want to become a successful entrepreneur in any industry, read, read, read.

I love to read to learn what other successful business owners have done and are doing. Research and find what resources are available to you such as SBA, etc. Network, network, network. Be polite. I always say, “Please” and “Thank You”. I also would encourage other young entrepreneurs to never give up. Sometimes people don’t’ reply when you contact them. That is okay. Keep contacting other people and eventually you will get a response.

Last but certainly not least, pray without ceasing. Listen for the voice of God (or whomever you worship”> to speak to you and guide you along the right path. I think that is the most important tip I can give anyone.

I am so excited about the future! I have a new ‘Curl Power’ T-shirt line that I just launched with the help of a wonderful graphic designer. I also have another T-Shirt that will be coming soon. I am attending some major conferences this year to help me expand and improve. I will be at the New Orleans Natural Hair Expo which I am excited about because New Orleans is where I began my adulthood and I have lots of family, friends and ties there, so I am excited to be going ‘home’. I am also sponsoring giveaways frequently on IG and FB.

You can follow my blog here at crystalcurls.blogspot.com, my Instagram is @CrystalsCurls. My online shop can be found here- Florbella.storenvy.com

By Devri Velazquez · Published July 1, 2014

I’m Neel, owner of Neel Loves Curls Hair Salon in Melbourne, Australia.

When I was in Sydney in 2005, I went to a hair seminar which taught me about cutting curly hair dry. Sadly, there aren’t many places in Australia that teach curly hair so I went to America to learn the DevaCurl technique. I’ve only just opened up my curly/wavy hair salon so I have much to learn about running a business.

In the next 5 years I would like to train someone up and give my passion for curls to the next generation of hairdressers.

I am always inspired to learn more…

I never want to think I know everything. But the thing that inspires me the most is when a client says “WOW!” after their haircut. If you have passion in your job that helps you stand out. I find most hair salons soulless experiences so I had hand crafted gowns made and my salon is a theatre and the washing area is a jungle with jungle music whilst I wash/deep treatment your curls.

In Melbourne, everyone wants volume and big hair.

I want my clients to go home knowing that…

You can check out my blog and keep up with me here.

And visit my Facebook page for salon details, hours, and photos!

By Devri Velazquez · Published June 30, 2014

Protective Style Summer Inspiration