Search Results: Michelle Breyer
Actress Dominique Fishback, star of HBO’s “The Deuce,” was filming Jay-Z’s music video for “Smile” and needed four different looks. Enter celebrity stylist extraordinaire Monae Everett. Everett gave NaturallyCurly a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoots, and how she created these amazing looks.
“Many naturals with kinky curls feel underrepresented in the media,” Everett says. “Dominique and I decided to highlight the beauty and versatility in this hair texture.”
Cornrow + Fro
I wanted to show off Domique’s unique hairline and sexy widow’s peak so I opted for horizontal cornrows. The coily half wig was a perfect quick addition for any natural hair chemeian and really came in handy or this photoshoot. It allowed me to give Dominique more length, volume, and density. I added a little extra pizazz to the look with gold accessories.
The Skyhigh Pony
This sky high ponytail was accessorized with metal wire to show off Dominique’s sweet and sassy sides. I choose to use kinky curly hair extensions for the ponytail because it matched her natural hair texture.
The Elegant Bun
An oversized, yet polished, high bun is a great look for elegant naturals and draws attention to Dominique’s face.
The Crown
This opulent Tuck and Roll style was prepped with the same kinky extensions ahead of the shoot. I placed it on the center of her head and simply pinned it into place. Some people think it’s too difficult and time consuming to create beautiful updos on naturally curly hair, but this look proves otherwise.
Key Tips
1. Make sure your hair is moisturized. That is the key to being able to change easily between styles. I recommend following the LOC method. Start by using a liquid, I recommend water or a leave in conditioner. For the oil, I’m a huge fan of both olive oil and the Ouidad Mongongo Oil. For the C, which can be cream or gel, I love the Ouidad Curl Immersion Silky Souffle Setting Creme. 2. The LOC method is great way to lay those edges. I always “set” the hairline to make it stay flat with the Eco Styler Gel with Argan Oil. After getting the hairline super smooth, I tie it down with a scarf.About Monae:
Monaé Everett’s client list reads like a who's who of A-list celebrities: Michelle Obama, Serena and Venus Williams, Taraji P. Henson, Mariah Carey, Viola Davis, Connie Britton. She was one of the artists featured on Season 12 of “Project Runway.”
The first installation of our series with Everett, “On the Road with Monae,” showcases her work with Jasmine Cephas Jones to get her curls looking great for her promo shots for her upcoming press tour for her movie “Blindspotting.” Jones made her mark as part of the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Hamilton.” Everett shows off her techniques to get defined, voluminous curls.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NK Naturalz
“Hello, I’ve only been natural for about a month now and now I’ve sort of taken the ‘less is more’/lazy girls approach to my hair. I generally leave my twists in for two days just to let my hair absorb everything that I put on it, after that i might put it a puff, i might pick it out into a ‘fro, and sometimes I just might leave my twists in, keep on my satin bonnet and just rock a beret for the week. While iIlike all of these options I’m kind of bored with them now. i only have 3 1/2 inches of hair (which is mostly 4b with a patch of 4a in the very back”>. is it possible to roller set my hair after I wash it and if so, how?” – CurlTalker
The answer is, yes.
“I love roller sets because you can achieve many different styles while avoiding harsh heat,” says celebrity stylist Monae Everett. “Plus, hair that has been set usually lasts longer with less frizz than hair that has been heat styled.”
We asked Everett to share some of her top tips for achieving the best roller set on natural hair:
- Start with clean hair
- Use a detangler
- Use a light moisturizing styling product. Stay away from styling products that include petroleum and butters that will be too heavy.
- Use rollers with a smooth finish. Make sure that you are using rollers with a smooth texture, such as perm rods (without ridges”> or flexi rods. This will ensure that when you take your rollers out, your hair is not getting caught on the ridges or rough parts of the rollers.
- Use different size rollers. This creates a more natural look. Use larger rollers than you think you need: Your natural hair will want to contract and create a smaller curl.
- Divide your hair into small sections
- Don’t put too much hair on each roller. Too much hair in each section will make it much harder to curl around the roller and take more time to dry.
- Focus on consistent tension when rolling the hair. The hair is more likely to hold the set, If your hair is fine consider stretching your hair with a blow dryer before applying rollers.
- Use a hooded dryer or air-dry
- Make sure your hair is completely dry. This is probably the most important step to achieving a frizz-free roller set. If you remove your rollers when your hair is not completely dry, your hair is guaranteed to frizz, especially in climates with high humidity and high dew points.
- When separating the hair, use a lightweight oil.
- Protect your hair at night. Use a scarf or a satin bonnet to keep frizz at bay
Find out the right roller set for every texture and length.
Some of Everett’s favorite products for roller sets include:
- Mizani Fast-Drying Foam Wrap
- Shea Radiance Moisturizing Hair Milk with Shea Butter
- Aquage Beyond Shine
- Dove Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil
This article was originally published in 2011 and was updated with new information.
You might call her Mrs. Curlgeniality. On Saturday night, Su Joing Sollers will represent D.C. in the Mrs. United States Pageant. The pageant, which will culminate Saturday night, celebrates intelligent women of all walks of life.
When I met Sollers at the Baltimore book tour stop for The Curl Revolution I immediately connected with her. She was there with one of her two curly daughters in the hopes of inspiring her to embrace her natural texture. Little did I know that she’s also a beauty queen, having won numerous titles.
Sollers entered her first pageant in 1996 when she was crowned Miss Teen Omaha. She was named Miss Nebraska USA 2001. Before winning Mrs. D.C., she was Mrs. Maryland America 2015.
Growing up as a biracial woman with a Korean mother and an African-American father, Sollers struggled for many years to accept her natural texture. So I was interested to hear how she learned to embrace her curls, both in pageants and in her professional career as a commercial lender.
NC: How did you come to embrace your curls?
Sollers: I straightened my hair most of my life. I wore my hair curly one time and my husband told me ‘I hope you wear your hair like that all the time.’ From that point on, I’ve worn my hair curly. It still takes a little reinforcement.
NC: How common is curly hair in the pageant world?
Sollers: Every single woman I know wears their hair straight. Of the African-American contestants I know, I’m one of the few wearing my hair natural. I was insecure about it, but I want to be a role model.
NC: Have you gotten pressure to wear your hair straight for pageants?
Sollers: Definitely! A lot of pageant coaches have pushed toward straight hair. But that’s just one thing I will not budge on. If I have a coach that really pushes that, it’s probably the last meeting with that coach. I want to compete as myself, not who they want to turn me into.
NC: At the book tour event, you got pretty emotional when you talked about wanting your two daughters – 5-year-old Ava and 8-year-old India – to embrace their curls. Has wearing your hair curly in pageants had a positive impact on the way your two daughters feel about their curls?
Sollers: Without a doubt, yes! My daughters look to me for beauty and identity, just like I did with my mother. My mother is Korean. I always wanted straight hair like hers. I wanted to be her. It’s rare that I straighten it out anymore but when I do, they ask for theirs to be straight too.
Wearing my hair curly sends a clear message that as moms, we have a leadership responsibility to our children and they watch what we do more than they hear what we say. The most important thing I can teach my children is a strong sense of self worth by showing them that I embrace my uniqueness.
NC: What is your curl regimen for pagents?
Sollers: My pageant hair care regimen goes between DevaCurl & SheaMoisture, and it’s usually a game time decision. If my hair feels limp the day before, I go with DevaCurl routine and of its dry I go with SheaMoisture. I try listen to my hair.
Routine 1
- Co-wash my hair with SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthening & Restore Leave-in Conditioner, leaving in half the product and combing it in the shower.
- Dry it with DevaCurl Microfiber towel
- Part my hair to the side
- Apply SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
- Add OGX Renewing Argon Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil for dry and course hair
- I scrunch my hair
- Then I blow dry my hair with a DevaFuser until it’s about 80% dry then let the rest air dry so I don’t damage my hair
Routine 2
- Co-wash my hair with DevaCurl One Condition Decadence and leave in all the product. I comb it in the shower.
- Dry with DevaCurl Microfiber towel
- Part my hair to the side
- Apply Deva Curl B’Leave-in conditioner
- Apply DevaCurl Super Cceam or Deva CurlArc Angel or DevaCurl Styling Cream
- Add OGX Renewing Argon Oil of Morocco Extra Penetrating Oil for dry and course hair or DevaCurl Mirror Curls
- I scrunch my hair
- Then I blow dry my hair with a DevaFuser until it’s about 80% dry then let the rest air dry so I don’t damage my hair.
Lastly, deep conditioning is a way of my life! I deep condition my hair at least once per week but aim to do it 2 times per week. I use DevaCurl Heaven In Hair or Deep Sea Repair Seaweed Strengthening Mask. I go back an forth between both. I use the Hot Head cap and just put in the microwave per the instructions.
I experiment with products all the time another one I recently discovered is through Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancer. It’s a nice cross between DevaCurl and SheaMoisturize. I love the shine and smell.
NC: What is the most positive impact that participating in pageants has had on your life?
Sollers: It’s taught me that one person can truly change the world. We each have been given a gift by God. It’s our gift back to God if we use it for the greater good.
There is an inner voice in all of us that’s a compass and some of us ignore it because we want to play it safe or don’t want to be judged or offend others. If we feed it, we start to live out our true destiny and be happy.
I believe in infinite possibilities just – because it or an idea hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean you can’t be the one that changes everything!
I’ll be rooting for Sollers. You can vote for her here.
Janice Omadeke of The Mentor Method
Like many young entrepreneurs, Janice Omadeke’s business started because of her own experiences. Smart, driven and ready to take on the world, the young graphic designer wanted to find a mentor that could help guide her as she entered the workforce. “I knew finding a mentor was important for my career development, so I set out to find one at my first job out of college.”
The process was long and awkward. Networking events and in-office programs were impersonal and disappointing. As a young woman of color, she found it difficult to find a mentor that was the right fit for her. Too often, corporate mentoring programs matched her up with people based on her gender, her race or her current job title, but didn’t factor her personality or career goals into the mix. “They would match me with the only other women or black person or graphic designer,” she says. “That was it.”
Image: @thementormethod
Omadeke realized that if she was having these issues, other young professionals like her were also going through the same challenges. “Finding a mentor should be rewarding from the start.”
Omadeke believes that a good mentor-mentee relationship is built on much more than being in the same industry. It’s also important to find someone with a complementary personality who may share less tangible similarities.
“You can’t just wait for someone to help you. You have to help yourself.” – Janice Omadeke, Founder & CEO of The Mentor Method
So she created The Mentor Method — a mentor-matching service for millennial career women that uses a patent-pending personality profile assessment where algorithmic compatibility matches people. It’s like Match.com for mentors and mentees.
In addition to matchmaking, The Mentor Method includes a four-month-long program that comes with a toolkit to helps mentees get the most out of their relationship with their mentor.
Omadeke came up with the idea for The Mentor Method at the end of 2015 but didn’t officially launch until early 2016. She was previously a creative design manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers and a lead graphic designer at BAE Systems.
Image: @thementormethod
The company originally was geared toward selling mentor services to mentees, but Omadeke flipped the business model to sell diversity services to larger companies because it enabled her company to reach more people and have more of an impact. It also provides a meaningful solution for tech companies looking for proven ways to diversify their workforce. Current clients include consulting firm Deloitte and Fannie Mae.
She said that The Mentor Method already has led to promotions, new jobs, entrepreneurial ventures and increased confidence. One of her favorite success stories is Mia, a bar manager at TGIF and was teaching herself graphic design on the side. When looking for a job, she got numerous rejection letters from companies because she lacked a 4-year degree. Her mentor helped her get a paying graphic design internship which is now a full-time position.
Omadeke says her big moment came when she applied for MIT’s Global Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in 2016 – a long shot for her 1-month-old company. At the time, The Mentor Method was a landing page and “a lot of hope.” Omadeke was one of only 74 founders chosen from a field of more than 600 applicants and was flown to Seoul, South Korea for the intense, week-long program.
“I realized, this is what I was meant to do. Something is happening that’s more than me.”
For the past two years, she ran The Mentor Method while working a full-time job but finally took the leap three months ago to do it full time. “I had to make a choice. It’s the best decision I’ve made,” she says, determined now more than ever before. She also mentions that she now has to make it work because she has no safety net.
Xina Eiland of X+ PR
Omadeke knows the power of a good mentor. She credits her mentor Xina Eiland, President & CEO at X+PR, Co-Host of Get Found Get Funded Podcast and recently named one of SheaMoisture’s Community Commerce Fellows, with helping her accomplish her goals. Eiland says she has worked with her mentee on three main values including, transparency, gratitude, and dedication. Eiland feels it’s important to be transparent in communication, “let people know who you are upfront through honest, open and direct conversations.”
“Stay the course no matter how the circumstances may change in life,” says Eiland.
“Being a failure in something is better than being a loser. Losers give up and throw in the towel. People who have failures will eventually succeed.”-Xina Eiland, President & CEO of X+PR
Eiland says she’s watched with pride as her mentee has taken her part-time idea to a full-time business.
Omadeke’s career success is a world away from the life her parents came from. Originally from the DRC Congo, her parents grew up in absolute poverty and came to the United States with three children, barely knowing any English, to provide their children with a better life than the one they had left behind. She is the first entrepreneur in her family. “I have no excuse not to push myself. How could I not try when they put everything on the line for us?”
One of Omadeke’s ultimate goals for The Mentor Method is to help create inclusive workplace cultures by mentoring diverse talent.
“If we want to see more minorities in leadership positions, we have to change the way we provide opportunities to future leaders,” Omadeke says. “We wanted to create a world where minorities and women in tech are viewed as assets, not a way to check a box.”
Omadeke is driven by her own experience. “I know what it feels like when you just need someone to crack the door open for you slightly. Every day, I feel I can help underrepresented professionals who don’t feel they have a place in their company.”
Eiland believes Omadeke will be able to make The Mentor Method into one of the premiere agencies that will help Fortune 500 companies solve its diversity and inclusion challenges.
“I remind her that she has the grit and guts it takes to be an entrepreneur.”
Do you have a mentor? If not, what are some of your struggles with finding one? Let us know in the comments.
About SheaMoisture Community Commerce
This post was created in partnership with SheaMoisture around its focus on Community Commerce, a purpose-driven business model that creates opportunities for sustainable social and economic empowerment throughout its supply chain and communities in the United States and Africa.
Community Commerce focuses on entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, education and wellness. It’s bigger than beauty. It’s about investing in local and global communities, striving to eliminate generational poverty and empowering women. A portion of proceeds from select SheaMoisture Community Commerce collections are invested in its Shea butter, coconut and African Black Soap cooperatives in Ghana and others that supply their handcrafted natural ingredients.
In the United States, their women’s empowerment programs focus on entrepreneurship and education, including fellowships to attend the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business Minority program and Babson College’s summer entrepreneurship program. Most recently, through the $100,000,000 New Voices Fund — created to invest in women of color entrepreneurs to help them build sustainable businesses — SheaMoisture is working to transform the landscape of business and what it means to live a more beautiful life.
Four years ago, while working at a junior high school in Denver, Colo., teacher Analise Harris noticed a troubling trend. Young women of color were wearing bandanas or hoodies – despite the dress code that prohibited them – and they were getting into trouble. In one case, a student was suspended.
Analise Harris of Curls on The Block
“I realized that a lot of times, they were wearing hoodies or bandanas because they were having bad hair days,” Harris says. “These girls were down on themselves and experiencing a lot of low self-esteem, and more often than not, those issues were linked to their hair.”
Harris says she couldn’t stand by and watch this happen, so she organized an event called Curls on the Block (COTB”>, inspired by Black Girls Rock.
Image: @curlsontheblock
There were less than 300 kids in her junior high school, but 30 girls showed up to the first event held after school. COTB was part educational (what is hair porosity, what is your curl type, what kinds of hair products should you use”>, part support and all about empowerment and acceptance. All of the girls got a note card and got to write down their frustrations about their hair – how they were teased, how they broke a comb in their hair, etc. “The girls offered each other support and encouragement,” Harris says. “Parents got a chance to see what their children were dealing with.”
The school administrators walked by and were impressed. “They saw these kids in a totally different light – kids that some of them had written off.” That first event grew into regular events. Harris began to see COTB as an ideal way to get young girls of color excited about science. “I realized, I’m really onto to something here.”
COTB won a $10K grant in February 2016, and Harris created a curriculum to implement a project designed to help girls of color see the connection between their everyday experiences with hair and beauty regimens and the educational and job opportunities within science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM”>.
Image: @curlsontheblock
In addition to these sessions, COTB also created the annual “Miss Curly Self eSTEAM Pageant.” Unlike traditional pageants that focus on appearance, The Miss Curly Self eSTEAM Pageant incorporates cultural appreciation, talent, a healthy lifestyle and involvement in STEAM. Contestants are also asked to share an idea, product or process to address the needs of the curly community. At this year’s pageant, a product company has offered to create a prototype of the winner’s curly hair product idea. “I like pageants with a purpose,” Harris says.
It was through the pageant that Harris connected with Makisha Boothe, the founder at Sistahpreneurs. Boothe not only signed on as a sponsor for the pageant but also became Harris’s mentor.
Makisha Boothe of Sistahpreneurs
“I saw Makisha around at a variety of events in the city, but never had the courage to approach her for her support. Makisha believed in my vision and organization, and after the pageant, Makisha offered her mentorship and business coaching skills.
Boothe says she decided to invest in Harris and her idea because she saw an innovator with a youthful spirit – someone who only needed the encouragement to take her innovations from ideation to reality. “She is a visionary, and I see her career being anything she dreams of. Even the sky isn’t the limit for her.”
Boothe said she was in awe as she watched Harris up on stage, running the pageant, “leading the whole community in celebrating our curls and embracing our beauty. I sometimes wonder if she realizes just how much the lives of these young girls have been changed by her work.
The COTB curriculum integrates science, technology, engineering, art mathematics, and beauty.
Harris now offers weekly sessions as well as individual workshops at schools and organizations around the Denver area as well as communities as far away as California and Illinois. She’s also teaching other women how to support students at their schools. Harris also built a COTB website, creating characters that help the young women better relate to the COTB curriculum. She is also working on her first book, Harriet’s Yellow Jacket.
Overall, she has reached more than 250 girls through her Curls on The Block and Miss Curly Self eSTEAM Pageant.
Boothe believes programs like Curls on The Block and the Miss Curly Self eSTEAM Pageant will attract many young women of color into careers in science and technology and leading to a whole new generation of entrepreneurs. And beyond that, she believes that will lead to more young girls “being proud of their melanin, hair texture and culture.”
“Some of the things I learned about colorism and beauty politics I had to learn in my 20’s. These girls are getting it as young children and teens. Oh, how they will fly!” Boothe says.
Words of wisdom from Harris about starting a business:
- Find your niche! Find what you’re passionate about and pursue that.
- Take it a day at a time. A project like this can quickly become overwhelming. Break it into small steps to make it more manageable.
- Invest in others. If part of your project requires outside help, invest in other local, small businesses to make important connections.
- Listen to the negativity, just not too closely. If you receive negative responses to what you’re doing, try to find areas of growth in what they’re saying but don’t fixate on it
- Pay someone to do what you don’t want to do. It can be unnecessarily draining to take on every part of a project.
- Seek out mentorship. Find someone who’s doing/done something similar that can help guide you.
- Figure out what to monetize. Harris initially found herself doing a lot of services for free, but over time she found ways to monetize COTB so that it was more sustainable.
When working with students…
- Expect the unexpected. Students will say unexpected things– try not to let your reactions be too strong or too opinionated.
- Show empathy. Students may bring up difficult experiences so try to be understanding and empathetic.
- Facilitate, don’t force. Let students reach their own answers.
- Provide space for student voices. As Harris says, provide a structure that they can fill up with “emotions, fears, questions, and joys”.
How has your mentor supported you a long your journey? Let us know in the comments below.
About SheaMoisture Community Commerce
This post was created in partnership with SheaMoisture around its focus on Community Commerce, a purpose-driven business model that creates opportunities for sustainable social and economic empowerment throughout its supply chain and communities in the United States and Africa.
Community Commerce focuses on entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, education and wellness. It’s bigger than beauty. It’s about investing in local and global communities, striving to eliminate generational poverty and empowering women. A portion of proceeds from select SheaMoisture Community Commerce collections are invested in its Shea butter, coconut and African Black Soap cooperatives in Ghana and others that supply their handcrafted natural ingredients.
In the United States, their women’s empowerment programs focus on entrepreneurship and education, including fellowships to attend the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business Minority program and Babson College’s summer entrepreneurship program. Most recently, through the $100,000,000 New Voices Fund — created to invest in women of color entrepreneurs to help them build sustainable businesses — SheaMoisture is working to transform the landscape of business and what it means to live a more beautiful life.
Dwan White’s natural hair journey has helped inspire many of the 200-plus products she has helped develop and launch during her near 20-year career as a product development consultant and head of Global Marketing at House of Cheatham — from Aunt Jackie’s Curl La La Curl Defining Custard to Texture My Way Detangle Easy Comb Crème Therapy to Argan Smooth’s Silk Press Kit for straight naturals.
White joined the 94-year-old Stone Mountain, GA company in 2001 as a consultant, coming on board full time 10 years ago, and 2016 became vice president of global marketing and product development. During that time, her team has grown from one – White – to five full-time employees and 30 contractors consisting of creative talent (graphic designers, videographers, photographers, MUA and hair stylists, etc.”>, project managers, professional educators, brand ambassadors, social media influencers, and administrative support.
“I genuinely love what I do,” White says. “I love making sure consumers’ needs are met in a way that ensures they get good quality products without breaking their wallets. If I develop a product, I want to make sure they both benefit from it and can afford it. It helps that I’m the consumer as well. And I’m a pretty discriminating consumer! It has to pass my quality requirements.”
From its Polly Peachtree products sold during the early 1900s, House of Cheatham is now known as an innovator in the natural hair industry, with brands that address the needs of people of all ethnicities and hair textures. White has created new brands, products and line extensions for consumer favorites Africa’s Best, Aunt Jackie’s, Texture My Way and Argan Smooth. The company’s products are developed and tested at its on-site lab, and 99 percent of them are manufactured at the company’s headquarters.
We had the chance to talk to White about House of Cheatham and how her own hair journey has influenced her work for the company.
NC: You talked about how your own natural hair journey has impacted product development at House of Cheatham. When did you decide to go natural?
White: My hair was first relaxed when in the 6th grade in the mid-70s. DIY relaxers were just becoming popular. Over the next six years, my hair was constantly in a state of severe damage and would break like crazy during summers from swimming and harsh blow drying. Back then, there just wasn’t enough education about at-home relaxing, and the proper care and maintenance needed to keep it healthy.
Throughout my adult life, I’d go natural for short periods of time, doing the Big Chop to take breaks here and there from relaxing. But around 2010, when the natural movement was really taking shape, I decided to Big Chop again to try and make natural hair my lifestyle. Like many, I soon became a product junkie, buying every product the YouTubers were demo-ing. I was quickly becoming discouraged, spending a small fortune, and frustrated that I couldn’t identify the right products that worked for my own texture.
That’s where being a part of the industry became a huge asset. I launched a market research project and started interviewing hundreds of naturals and transitioners to better understand their experiences – what they were missing, what they needed, what they liked and disliked, and their overall expectations. That information led me to work with our chemist to formulate a line of natural hair products that delivered moisture, great conditioning, softness, and shine in ways that many existing products didn’t. That line became the original collection of Aunt Jackie’s Curls & Coils therapies (Curl La La, Knot On My Watch, In Control, Oh So Clean, Quench“>.
Pictured: Dwan with MissKenK & CurlsandCouture at the World Natural Hair Show 2018
NC: What were the biggest challenges you faced going natural.
White: Manageability and time. I have 4c texture, and an on-the-go professional lifestyle that involves lots of travel. Whenever I wear my natural hair in textured styles, the time it takes to maintain and style is challenging. I’ve still not been able to master the styling techniques for the textured styles I want to consistently wear.
NC: Like many women on our site, you consider yourself a Straight Natural – someone who may wear their hair in a straight style much of the time but no longer uses chemical relaxers. Tell me about that.
White: As I talk with other Naturals, particularly among busy professional women, a common challenge to wearing textured styles is that not everyone is good with techniques such as twisting, braiding, bantu knots, coiling, etc. Flat ironing once a week and wrapping natural hair at night, or throwing in some big rollers, helps to give both fullness and smoothness to natural tresses. These are great solutions, as they don’t have the damaging effects of frequent heat, and still keep hair voluminous and healthy.
NC: How do your hair challenges influence the products you develop?
White: The common essentials among natural hair, regardless of how it’s worn (heat styled, braids, textured, locs, etc.”>, are softness and moisture. I develop natural hair remedies, like Aunt Jackie’s therapies, to be ultra-moisturizing, formulated with carrier oils and ingredients that don’t just sit on top the hair, but penetrate the hair and scalp, for inside-out nourishment, and long-lasting hydration. When people use Aunt Jackie’s therapies, their hair is left super soft, well-conditioned with all the good ingredients hair loves, and it’s much easier to manage and style. Curls & Coils stay better defined, Waves are smooth and frizz-free, and even heat styled natural hair stays soft and smooth longer, so that the user doesn’t have to frequently apply heat.
NC: What do you like most about your job?
White: I love conceptualizing new products. I’m fortunate to work with a company that invests in consumer research. Everything I launch has the voice of consumer behind it – from the fragrance, the benefits, ingredients, the language on the label, etc., consumer demand, expectations, and interests help me to develop new products. The consumer has helped us create our products.
NC: Tell us about the development of Aunt Jackie’s
White: Aunt Jackie’s continues to prove that it’s a leader in the natural texture space. It is such an amazing success story. It launched in 2012, and was the first brand we introduced to meet the needs of the natural segment. Since then, it has experienced steady, consistent growth.
Aunt Jackie’s understands that the natural movement isn’t just about hair. It’s about their lifestyle. Our motto is “Get Your Curl On.” Go out and enjoy your life experiences and leave your hair to Aunt Jackie’s.
Aunt Jackie’s has grown to four collections – the Original Waves Curls & Coils with shea butter and olive oil, Flaxseed Recipes, Natural Growth Oil Blends and most recently Coconut Creme. We also have Aunt Jackie’s Girls for kids.
The most popular are Curl La La, a curl cream that works across textures, Don’t Shrink Flax Seed Elongating Gel, a gel that helps stretch the curl without crunch, and Knot on My Watch, an instant Detangling lotion.
NC: I love the names for the products – Knot Having it!, Frizz Rebel, Curl Boss.
White: There is quite a bit of whimsy involved in the branding. We want to have fun names that also describe what the product does.
NC: Texture My Way is also for Naturals. How is it different than Aunt Jackie’s?
White: It’s for the curly girl who is a style chameleon. She likes to go from braids to extensions to wigs. She’s in charge of her natural texture. She may wear it straight one day and curly the next.
Texture My Way includes 7 products that are designed to manage texture, no matter how you want to wear it.
NC: Why was Argan Smooth created?
White: As I did my research on the natural segment, I realized there was a growing segment that’s underserved – the straight natural who wears her hair heat styled. Argan Smooth was launched in 2014 for this consumer. The Silk Press Kit is the star of that line.
NC: Where do you get your ideas for new products?
White: We look at pop culture, market trends and beauty sites. We’re always looking at the trends. We’re looking at how influencers are doing their hair. We’re always stalking YouTube! We’re looking at what has staying power.
In terms of ingredients, we’re always working with our suppliers, and wellness and nutrition professionals to find ingredients that have big benefits to hair growth, manageability, and health.
In the end, whether we are trend watching, doing surveys, or conducting focus groups, we listen to the consumer and take into consideration what appeals to them.
NC: So what can we look forward to next?
White: We have a new Aunt Jackie’s collection launching in Q4 of this year that’s a surprise. It’s going to be a very popular line, consisting of six different therapies centered around styling.
NC: So where can we buy the products?
White: we’re available at Target, Walmart, Rite-Aid, Kroger, Family Dollar and Dollar General, as well as SHOP NaturallyCurly and in just about every neighborhood beauty supply store, nationwide. Globally, Aunt Jackie’s is sold in mass, drug, and cosmetic stores throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. We’re looking forward to adding additional distribution this year.
For influencer Kayla MaDonna, her big curly hair has become her signature. “Everywhere I go, I’m asked about my shape and color. Finding the perfect shape for my hair has definitely been a journey.”
Atlanta curl stylist Robin Sjoblom has helped Kayla create this look. “I’m so grateful to have found Robin Sjoblom and her team at Southern Curl.”
The Curly Cut
Sjoblom described how she gives Kayla her look. “This is a dry cut, curl by curl. To get the shape, I did a deep face frame cut so that the curls push back out of her face. Kayla is growing her length so we just “oxygenate” her ends (dust“> and then build the cut from the bottom up, no tension to allow for her different curl patterns to be visually balanced.”
It’s probably the first thing you notice about Kayla’s hair, but she “loves VOLUME so the focus of the cut is from her temple area up, paying close attention to her head shape and density.”
The Style
You may be wondering, how does Kayla get her hair to look so big? There are a few factors at play. Kayla’s natural width and density definitely play a role in the way her hair looks. As we just learned, her stylist has cut her hair into a distinct shape that contributes to the volume, and there are also styling techniques that help her achieve the look.
Chunky clumps
According to Sjoblom, “Kayla uses a variety of products and methods, but our styling method for her is usually small sections to detangle, then rake and smooth her leave in and gel.” Kayla likes Miss Jessie’s Leave-In Condish as a leave-in, and a combination of the DevaCurl Styling Cream and their UltraDefining Gel for styling. She likes that these products give her definition without any crunch.
“Smoothing in the product is very important as it helps to clump the curls together and give a chunkier effect as opposed to millions of curls.” If you’re someone who prefers very defined, clumped curls, then you likely will not have the volume of a less defined look. But if you’re willing to sacrifice the look of frizz-free curls, you can achieve bigger hair.
Fluff
After Kayla dries her hair by either air drying or diffusing, Sjoblom says “we shake her out and fluff fluff fluff!” Sometimes Kayla uses a pick at her roots for extra volume. On Wash Day Kayla’s hair isn’t at its biggest and boldest – it typically grows even bigger on day 2 and day 3.
You can book an appointment with Robin Sjoblom at Southern Curl here, and follow Kayla MaDonna here.
Stephanie Rodriguez is a light-skinned Latina with 3b curls. When she goes shopping for haircare products, she said she is looking for sulfate-free shampoos and curl-specific products from brands like Carol’s Daughter, SheaMoisture, Pantene and Garnier. “I think it should be organized by hair type/brands so it’s easier to pick out what you need for your hair, rather than just shoving the ‘ethnic’ section in the corner where people can feel left out.”
The terms “ethnic” and “multicultural” are fine when it comes to identifying one’s ethnic origin. But when it comes to shopping for haircare, these terms are increasingly outdated, according to TextureMedia’s recently released Perception Study: Ethnic and Multicultural Haircare Experience.
The study finds that most people with curly, coily or wavy hair – no matter what their ethnicity – consider their hair to be natural, textured or curly rather than “ethnic” or “multicultural. The term ‘ethnic’ on products or beauty aisles causes dissatisfaction among a major group of consumers who consider the term to be causing division.
Martha Fast, who is white, says she always feels like she is “intruding on someone else’s space” when she’s shopping in haircare aisles labeled “ethnic.”
“Curly hair isn’t limited to one ethnicity,” says NaturallyCurly community member Jennifer Jevy.
it’s something I think about every time I have to pick up hair stuff,” says community member Ada Nicole. “It’s no wonder ethnicities feel ostracized. Races don’t need to be “called out”, and not every white person has straight hair!”
For many who do search out the Ethnic aisle in their store for their favorite products, it’s more out of habit. “It points me in the right direction,” says Ebonie Andrews.
The textured-hair category has been one of the fastest growing and most dynamic in the beauty industry. Since NaturallyCurly’s inception 20 years ago, the number of products on the market has grown exponentially, with dozens of new brands launching each year specifically for texture. Every major hair care brand now offers products for textured hair, and traditionally “ethnic” brands have expanded their offerings to a broader customer base that wants to enhance their natural texture. The question about what to call the aisle or section devoted to these products is one of the most hotly debated among retailers.
There was a time when retail stores divided their haircare aisles up by general market and ethnic. As the texture category has exploded, catering to a diverse customer base, naming the section has become more complicated. How do you create a name that’s inclusive and descriptive? How do you attract new customers without alienating others?
We asked our community. TextureMedia’s Perception Study surveyed 613 women – Black, Caucasian, Latina and biracial/multiracial about the terms “multicultural and “ethnic” as it relates to haircare products and their shopping experience We also conducted eight online discussions with 31 NaturallyCurly community members followed by an online survey.
Among the key findings:
- Almost half the respondents believe hair cannot be classified as ethnic or multicultural while some defines ethnic or multicultural hair as hair belonging to someone who is ethnic or multicultural respectively.
- All ethnic groups other than ‘White/Caucasian’ group consider themselves to be ethnic.
- The majority of White/Caucasian consumers started shopping in ethnic/multicultural aisles after getting educated about haircare for their hair types; Most Black/African consumers have always shopped on ethnic/multicultural aisles.
For Heather Wexler, the name of the aisle isn’t as important as what’s in it. “I don’t really care, as long as it’s there and it’s stocked. I understand that as a white/Jewish/Italian American woman with extremely thick and tightly curled hair, I’m not generally the target demographic for these products. I use them anyway because nothing else works for my hair type.”
How do you feel about the use of the words “ethnic” and “multicultural” to describe hair.
Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear your opinion.
Ampro Industries, Inc., has been making hair products for seven decades, and the company’s gels are legendary. The Pro Styl Protein Styling Gel is the best-selling gel in the country, and their Pro Styl’s Olive Oil Gel is a NaturallyCurly Editors’ Choice Award winner.
“I love using Shine n Jam because it can be used on any hair texture to achieve multiple styles such as braids, ponytails, locs etc.,” says Stasha Harris of The Braid Up. “It gives a neat, moisturized and totally sleek finish to styles, and, can be reapplied as often as needed without leaving buildup/residue.”
Ampro doesn’t take success for granted, and is always looking for ways to improve, especially with changing hairstyles, increasingly ingredient-savvy customers, and the development of new technologies. Ampro’s new Shine & Jam Shea Butter DD Crème for Hair | Skin, an all-in-one haircare and skincare treat, is one of the first “dynamic do-all” products designed for both hair and skin.
We asked Ampro’s Vice President of Marketing Camille Wright how the company innovates to improve its existing products and create new ones, especially in such a fast-paced, competitive time in the natural hair world.
NC: How does Ampro come up with new products? For example, how do you come up with new products like DD Crème?
Camille Wright: Our innovations begin with open ears pointed toward our customers. Whether they are discussing our products or others, we tune in and turn up the volume. We care about the voices of our consumers. The problems/issues/disappointments they have with products they are using – even if it’s our own products – lead us to innovate and develop solutions.
We are a very “solutions-driven” company. Whether it be for our current consumers, potential consumers, or distribution partners, we want to provide resolutions and a wonderful product experience.
Our process begins with “lightbulb moments.” Wherever the spark comes from Research & Development, Sales, Marketing, our Professional Stylist Forum, a conversation with a consumer, we all work together to present a path to a new product/category/formula/update whatever it takes to solve the need.
NC: When developing new products or collections, how do you find out about the latest beauty trends?
Camille Wright: Our goal is to provide our customers with products that will give them the greatest benefit while also saving them money. We are very dialed into the beauty industry. Our team travels a lot throughout the United States and abroad to experience the industry. When we see trends pop in other spaces of the industry, our No. 1 goal is to determine whether or not that trend will present a benefit to our own consumers.
NC: What are some innovations that Ampro has come up with before other haircare brands?
Camille Wright: Our customers should know that our best innovations are in what they don’t see. The processes we use to make our gels are very refined, even with the gels we’ve made for more than 70. We are also constantly innovating the way that gel, in general, is made. Each of our gels is crafted differently to make each one unique from our other formulations, and to provide the best product performance, whether it be our Clear Ice Aloe Hydrating StylER, our Protein Styling Gel, or our Clear Ice Coconut Oil Styling Gel.
We don’t just switch one ingredient for another in an effort to keep up with what’s trending. We discover the need, find the ingredients that suit that need and begin crafting the perfect product with the highest level of performance. We believe listening first is what gets us the results.
Being first to market, while important, is not nearly as important as providing the best possible product. It’s critical to us that when our consumer uses it, they have the positive experience they’ve been looking for.
NC: Are there any Ampro formulas that you have changed over the years based on community feedback or changes in technology?
Camllle Wright: One of the innovations we’ve tested for a number of years was our preservative system. Though parabens are tried and true, consumer feedback led us to remove them from our products and find a replacement. We’ve invested years in developing a new paraben-free formula for preserving products that helps to maintain our high standards while giving our consumers products they can feel comfortable using.
NC: Is the Shine & Jam Shea Butter DD Crème for Hair I Skin the first of its kind, and what prompted you to create it?
Camille Wright: Our DD Crème for Hair | Skin, a first-to-market product, was consumer driven. Because of the love our customers have for our Ampro Pro Styl Curl Enhancers, we weren’t often asked why we don’t have a cream. Our curl enhancers do a great job of defining curls and keeping the hair moisturized, but consumers wanted the option of having a different experience in terms of consistency. Some wanted the lusciousness of a cream.
We listened. We captured the idea and then took it a step further. We didn’t simply want our consumers to trade their Curl Enhancers for our DD Crème. We wanted them to enjoy them both. So we worked to craft a “Dynamic Do-All.” The result is an all-over, head-to-toe moisturizer that can be used on the face, but can also be used all over their body. We are a value driven, and wanted to provide them with added utility. We are in love with this product, and our customers are loving it too.
In addition to the DD Crème, Ampro has recently released the Castor Oil Gel and the Shea Edges Edge Control in this collection.
This post is sponsored by Ampro Industries, Inc.
When Phyto is developing new haircare products, the cosmetic chemists look no further than their own herbarium for the powerful botanical ingredients that are at the heart of the brand.
Fascinated by nature, Phyto’s Founder Patrick Ales decided to study the power of plants, their history of use in traditional medicine, and the role they might play in haircare. Phyto works with more than 500 plant ingredients to develop the formulas for its products.
Phyto’s innovative scientific lab – complete with doctors, pharmacologists, botanists and biochemists – is able to identify and produce the most active plant extracts. Their work, validated by rigorous scientific experiments, has allowed Phyto to extract the most active part of the plant (leaf, flower, stem or root”> to use in the most effective concentration.
Phyto’s products are 95 percent natural and are free of chemicals like parabens, silicones, mineral oils, and synthetic and alcohols. For example, Phyto replaces synthetic alcohol in all its hairsprays with beetroot alcohol, which less drying for the hair.
For example, Phyto replaces synthetic alcohol in all its hairsprays with beetroot alcohol, which less drying for the hair.
We spoke with Anthony Cristiano, global artistic director for Phyto, about Ales, the power of botanicals and the newest products for curls. Cristiano met Ales in 1989 while working as an apprentice at Vidal Sassoon and was struck by his passion and the quality of Phyto’s products.
“Innovation is at the core of this company,” Cristiano says. “Phyto still has its own lab and chemists, and grows herbs for its products in the South of France. It’s uniquely developed for textured hair. Each bottle of Phyto is pure integrity and passion.”
How was Phyto founded?
AC: Patrick Alès launched the brand in 1967. Alès noticed that chemically-laden products were taking a serious toll on the hands of hairdressers and the hair of their clientele. He wanted to create a gentler, less harmful range of products.
At the time, he was renovating his old farm house and found three jars of herbs, which became his inspiration for Phyto. He decided to study the power of plants, their history of use in traditional medicine, and the role they might play in hair products. All Phyto products are comprised of 95 percent botanicals.
Phyto’s first products, Huiles D’ Alès and Phyto 7, were created to rescue his clients’ dry, bleached-out locks.
In 1998, Phyto Specific was launched. It is a specialized, professional brand designed to meet the particular needs of curly, coily and relaxed hair. Phyto Specific PhytoRelaxer is the first no-lye relaxer.
Tell me about Phyto Specific’s new products.
AC: The new Cleansing Care Cream hydrates and cleanses the scalp and hair. We recommend applying twice – first to cleanse and second to treat. It can be used on wet or dry hair. We recommend cleansing two to three times a week, alternating the cleansing care cream with your maintenance shampoo. Buildup can clog follicles preventing hair growth.
Both cleansers can be followed with one of Phyto Specifics curl masks, which include the Rich Hydration Mask, the Ultra Smoothing Mask and the Curl Hydration Mask.
We also launched our Curl Legend styling products. The Curl Energizing Spray – a curl spa in a bottle – defines and hydrates loose to tight curls. It can be combined with the Curl Sculpting Cream-Gel, which defines curls and controls frizz without crunch. The Spray is perfect for people with finer hair, while the Cream-Gel is ideal for those with coarser, tighter curls. What’s inside? Quinoa to hold moisture and definition for 24 hours. 98% botanical formulas! Available at ULTA, PHYTO.com and in top salons nationwide.
We also have our Pre-Shampoo Baobab Oil, a luxurious oil that nourishes and regenerates the hair and scalp.
What are some of your favorite Phyto and Phyto Specific products?
AC: My first introduction to Phyto was Phyto Plage L’Original Protective Sun Oil, which I use to style the hair. It has a little tackiness and creates great beachy hair.
My favorite product is the Phytologist Scalp Treatment. Beautiful hair grows from a healthy scalp. It’s a product meant to be used a minimum of two days a week for hair strengthening and growth. Instantly after using, you’ll stop shedding and see results.
I also love PhytoVolume Actif Volumizing Spray, which is a great base for creating voluminous shapes, and Volume Intense Mousse, which provides amazing control and creates beautiful volume.
What are the benefits of layering/cocktailing products?
AC: I love to cocktail products. You want to think about what each product does to each other – how they relate. If I want to break down a gel, I mix it with a cream-based, emollient product. For example, I would use Phyto 7 and Phyto 9 leave-in conditioners with Curl Sculpting Cream-Gel. Or I would cocktail Curl Energizing Spray with PhytoDéfrisant Botanical Smoothing Balm. They complement each other.
Phyto Specific Integral Hydrating Mist is a great base for every curly person. It provides complete hydration, which can prevent frizz. Frizz results when the cuticle is blown open. The spray fills in the cuticle, making it much suppler.
The majority of the Phyto line can be layered because of the botanicals. They don’t leave the hair feeling weighed down or heavy. They just do the job. Phyto allows you to have fun. You can’t really make a mistake.
What are some top trends you’re seeing in curly hair?
AC: People are really embracing their curls. I can see it with my children, especially my 16-year-old daughter. There was a time when she didn’t like her curls because all her friends had straight hair. Now she’s embracing her curls.
We’re seeing more short curly styles – mid-length bobs and layers. We’re even starting to see women with straight hair creating beach waves. Everyone wants texture!
You are a curly yourself. What is your own personal hair story?
AC: I didn’t always embrace my curls. When I was growing up in the ’70s, everyone was wearing their hair with straight. I slowly learned how to enjoy my hair curly in my 20s and 30s, wearing it long. After cutting it short for a while, I’m embracing wearing it long again. It’s down to my shoulders. I’m happy about my curls. But thank God for Phyto!
Phyto’s 9 Top Botanicals
1. Sage
Sage has been used since ancient times to combat hair loss and baldness. It encourages new hair growth as by improving circulation to the scalp, providing more nutrition to the hair follicles.
2. Willow
White Willow Bark is a gentle cleanser, great for clearing out skin pores of excess oil. It helps to balance oily scalps while maintaining a healthy level of sebum for conditioning and protecting the hair strand.
3. Calendula
Calendula oil applied to the scalp promotes growth of stronger hair by increasing collagen production and circulation in hair follicles.
4. Baobab oil
It can be used to treat dandruff/dry scalp, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. It helps with skin and hair regeneration by improving skin elasticity and healing damaged hair. Baobab oil also contains Vitamins A, D, and E to help with dry winter hair and it is packed with Omega 3, 6, and 9.
5. Narcissus Flower Wax
It can be used in hair styling products to impart hold, gloss and hardness.
6. Rosemary
Rosemary contains ursolic acid which helps to increase scalp circulation – this means more oxygen and nutrients will be sent right to your hair follicles, and that in-turn promotes healthy hair growth.
7. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus oil improves shine, thickness, and overall health of your hair. However, too much use can actually reduce the shine and result in a greasy scalp. Most experts suggest using eucalyptus oil for the hair an hour or so before bathing, and then using a good shampoo to remove the residue, followed by a good conditioner.
8. Cacao
Cacao helps increase blood circulation in your scalp, increasing the growth of healthy and lustrous locks. Cacao has anti-inflammatory properties, which helps in minimizing the odds of getting scalp infections.
9. Mallow
The Vitamin E increases blood circulation levels to your scalp, ensuring hair follicles get ample nutrients. At last, you can boast of soft hair with no split ends.
This post is sponsored by Phyto Specific.
AP Images
An article from the Daily Mirror has been making the rounds among NaturallyCurly Editors this morning. The article blasts Jennifer Lawrence’s full, curly look at the movie premiere for Red Sparrow.
“Jennifer Lawrence is famous for making the odd misstep on big occasions, notably falling flat on her face at the Oscars in 2013. The actress made another style stumble last night by swapping her usual chic hair for a rather disheveled ‘do at the premiere of her new film…The puffed-out style also obscures her lovely features, leaving us itching to tuck it behind her ears or pop in a hair slide. Fair play to Jen for trying something new, but we much preferred her sleek, polished appearance at the BAFTA’s on Sunday night.”
Seriously?
I immediately had flashbacks to the 2001 trailer for “The Princess Diaries,” in which Anne Hathaway’s wild curly ‘do and glasses were deemed unprincess-ly (is that a word?”>. The trailer – and the message it sent about texture – prompted a NaturallyCurly boycott of the movie.
Even with all the advances we’ve made in the curly world, too many people are still uncomfortable with texture. An Austin news anchor told me recently that the one day she decided not to flatiron her naturally wavy hair generated some emails asking what had happened to her hair.
Waves and curls – other than those artificially created – have been few and far between on the Red Carpet this awards season.
NewBeauty magazine dedicated an entire article to 7 Celebrities Who’ve Stepped out Proudly Wearing their Natural Texture, implying that it takes courage to do so, “we decided to round up the unusual instances when celebs are caught au naturale.”
It was surprising to see photos of stars like Selma Hayek, Emmy Rossum and Ariana Grande with waves, although the photo of Sara Jessica Parker’s long waves didn’t look much like the natural tighter curls she wore earlier in her career.
I was heartened to see an article in Glamour (by a self-described 3a/3b Jewish American curly”>, who found Lawrence’s style inspiring: “With a little frizz, her soft layers, and a huge dose of volume, Lawrence’s curls’ coming out is like spotting an alternate universe, where curls and texture aren’t hammered out of actresses as soon as they have a hairstylist on call.”
My thoughts exactly.
One of the busiest areas of our CurlTalk forum these days is the Going Gray section.
CurlTalker Newtocurls has trouble finding the right products for her gray hair, “I’m 49, more grey but not all, and can’t seem to find the right, products or cut. I began experimenting with different hair products many, many years ago.
Teachermrw posed the question “Are you Embracing or Running Away from Your Gray Hair?” And Jeepy’s Grey Hair Progress thread has nearly 10K views.
“Grey hair doesn’t make anyone look older. It’s just the media telling us so. Grey is just another color,” says JeepCurlyGurl.
As the time between salon visits for root touch ups has steadily decreased for me, I have toyed with the idea of letting my hair go gray. Even if I color my hair at home, it is a tedious task. But what’s the alternative?
Lorraine Massey, who brought us the bestselling Curly Girl: The Handbook, which changed the lives of millions of curly girls and created a new lexicon of ‘pooing and cones, is providing a guide for those who want to “let their natural light shine.” With Silver Hair: A Handbook, Massey has created another empowering how-to book that is sure to become a bible for women who want to go gray.
Written by Lorraine Massey with Michele Bender, the book addresses the many ways to go silver, along with an overview of the science behind the transformative process, including:
How to grow out the dye naturally, without any chemical assistance
Using highlights, lowlights, and toners to blend color
When to get a little help from silver color
The best cuts to help the process along
Tips on revitalizing wardrobe and makeup routines
DIY recipes, like Blue Dew Toning Hair Bath and “Berry” Effective Hair tonic.
Silver Hair: A Handbook by Lorraine Massey and Michele Bender (Workman”>. Copyright © 2018. Photographs by Jeremy Saladyga.
The book grew out of Massey’s own “uncoloring journey,” which began when she was waiting to meet a friend at an upscale NY salon.
“I kept seeing women emerge from the salon,” she writes. “It was like a conveyer belt of women, who all seemed to be around the same age, leaving with the same bleached-blonde highlights and blowfried, straight hairstyle. ‘Why do they all want to look alike in both texture and color?’ I wondered. . What the heck was my real color, anyway? What had I been hiding all these years?” – Excerpted from Silver Hair: A Handbook by Lorraine Massey and Michele Bender (Workman”>. Copyright © 2018. Photographs by Jeremy Saladyga.
A staggering 75% of women admit to dyeing their hair. Over four decades, a woman may shell out an estimated $70,000 on hair color in Los Angeles – the equivalent of a down payment on a home!
Massey addresses the difference between “letting yourself go” and “letting go.” And how to tone out the critics. One woman had to deal with a husband who told her “When we met, I signed up for a blonde” when she told him she wanted to go gray.
Trae Bodge photographed by Karston Tannis from The Curl Revolution: Inspiring Stories and Practical Advice from the NaturallyCurly Community
I love the real stories sprinkled throughout the book, because no two women will have an identical experience when they go gray.
They include Jen, a 53-year-old personal trainer and yoga instructor. “It’s such a relief to not be going to the salon, because the second I left, I felt like the clock was ticking until I’d be back again.” For her, the hardest part of going silver was the line of demarcation.
Ashley, 30 discovered her first gray hair at 14, and began to color it. After six years, she got tired of coloring and decided to go gray naturally. “My silver makes me feel full and happy.” She regularly receives compliments on her hair.
Janine, 44, had been coloring her hair since her early 20s. But with two young kids, she no longer had time for it. “I get stopped on the street by a lot of people asking questions about my hair and wanting to take pictures. I was even asked to audition for a Dove hair care ad.”
The book also addresses “Silver Wear,” adapting your makeup and clothing to match your silver locks. Tips include “skip khaki and tan,” and “Change the way you think about neutrals.”
I want to give a big shout out to Lorraine, for providing a much-needed inspiration to so many women, including myself. I’m not quite ready, but I feel so much better knowing that someone has provided me with all the tools and options I’ll need when I do decide to embark on my own uncoloring journey.
Snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis may be best known for her three unsuccessful Olympic appearances in 2006, 2010 and 2014. But to me, she will always have gold medal curls, no matter how she does Thursday in Pyeongchang.
She’s one of the world’s top snowboarders, flying down frosty mountains, twisting and flipping down the half-pipe and racing over obstacles in the snowboard cross. But in addition to her superhuman skills, she is known for her thick blonde ringlets that peek out the back of her helmet.
I first interviewed Lindsey in 2007. Unlike most of her interviews, the topic wasn’t about snowboarding or the Olympics. It was about her hair.
Jacobellis has had curly hair since she can remember, but admits she wasn’t always so comfortable with her ringlets.
“They were a pain — a lot to manage for a little kid,” she said in the 2007 interview. “If I wore braids, they turned into dreadlocks. I brushed my hair every night with conditioner.”
Cutting it short gave the athletic kid much-needed freedom. By high school, it had grown long, making it easier to take care of. She didn’t do another drastic haircut until high school, when she donated 10 inches of her long curls to Locks of Love, an organization that takes donations of hair and makes them into wigs for cancer patients.
Jacobellis says she sometimes longs for straight hair, and says it can be frustrating not to wear the latest trendy hairstyle. Her friends have straightened her hair every now and then — a 3 1/2-hour ordeal that requires three people working on her.
“I’m limited in the styles I can do with my hair,” she says. “I pretty much live on the road, bouncing from mountain to mountain.”
When she’s in the mountains, where the humidity is low, she says her hair is easy to work with. But during a recent surfing trip to Fiji, she said the curls turned into a big frizzy poof.
A look through her Instagram feed shows just how much her curls are a part of her identity. In virtually every photo, she wears her curls curly – on the beach, on the slopes, with her dog, at a fancy event. In fact I couldn’t find one photo of her with her hair straight – something refreshing in a world where celebrities seem to grab for their flat iron the minute they get famous.
Lindsey told me that even on those bad hair days, she sees her hair as a major asset.
She is a Paul Mitchell sponsored athlete, and uses a variety of products. Among her favorites:
With her curls, she conditions a lot – both detanglers and masques. Her two favorites lines are MarulaOil and Awapuhi, which are both very moisturizing. She uses MarulaOil Rare Oil Shampoo, MarulaOil Replenishing Conditioner and MarulaOil Intensive Hair Masque because “It’s super moisturizing for when I’m out in the cold.” She also uses the Awapuhi Moisturizing Lathering Shampoo and and Awapuhi Keratin Intensive Treatment. Paul Mitchell The Conditioner is also a longtime favorite, along with the Tea Tree Lavender Mint Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner.
Jacobellis uses Express Style Round Trip to define her curls and Super Skinny Serum to tame frizz.
One of her go-to moves is to put a conditioner in her hair the night before and she braids it. When she takes her helmet off and unbraids her hair, it’s moisturized and defined.
Photo by Konstantinos Angelos Gavrias
Everyone knows the fear and trepidation that comes with looking for a new stylist to cut and color their curls. How do they know a stylist has received special training to cut and style curls?
Christo has gained an international reputation for the cutting, coloring and styling techniques he has created for curly hair. The founder of New York’s Christo Fifth Avenue Salon and the Curlisto® line of products has created a certification program for stylists and salons that receive this training.
Christo has been dubbed as the King of Curls® by Wall Street Journal and Women’s Wear Daily. He has worked with a wide range of clients, from celebrities like Debra Messing and Noel Fisher to everyday curly girls who want to learn to love and care for their natural curls.
He has been teaching his Diametrix Cutting technique to stylists around the globe for several years. The technique features the innovative “inner layer sliding texturizing cut,” which helps to reduce bulkiness and avoid the pyramid-like shape that is often synonymous with curly hair. This unique method inter-locks the puzzle-like layers of curls and will give you fantastic results every time, which work for all curl textures.
NaturallyCurly’s Salon Finder now features Curlisto Certified Salons and Stylists. They include:
J Walker Salon
Stylist: Christona Tranquilli, Dina Xhelo
111 Morristown Rd
Bernardsville, NJ 07924
The Color Zone Salon
Stylist: Bobbie Smith
253 Market St #200
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Chrome Beauty Parlor
Stylist: Jamie Byrne, Jessica Diop
165A Adams Street
Newton, MA, 02458
D. Sabrina Salon
Stylist: Mia
1499 Post Road
Fairfield, CT, 06824
Matricia Songer
Flaunt
491 N State Road 434 #135
Altamonte Springs, FL, 32714
(407″> 951-8041
Panache Salon and Spa
Stylist: Edna
2501 West 12th Street
Erie, PA, 16505
(814″> 838-3333
Salon International
Stylist: Carol Heitz, Renee Bowers, Elissa Karter, Ginny DuBois
1500 5th Avenue South
Suite 105, Naples, FL, 34102
(239″> 261-3899
Strut Oakland
Stylist: Antionette Henderson, Carmen McIntyre
4283 Piedmont Avenue
Oakland, CA, 94611
(510″> 601-9999
Hudson Shears
Stylist: Lule Smajlaj, Kristiana Tana
20 Main Street, Suite 1
Irvington, NY, 10533
(914″> 591-3737
Curly Girls Studio
Stylist: Adina Sherman
330 Steels Ave E
Thornhill L3T 1A8, Canada
(416″> 402-9302
Myracurl
Stylist: Miriam
Rio de la Plata 211
San Pedro Garza Garcia
Nuevo Leon CP 66220,
Mexico
About Faces Day Spa & Salon – Styling Bar
1809 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
(410″> 602-088
Where have all the 3s gone?
And the Grammy goes to….Alessia Cara!
Thank you, Alessia. For your beautiful music, and yes, for wearing your 3b curls, curly on the biggest night in the music industry.
And a big shoutout to Kimberly Schlapman! I have to be honest. I didn’t even know who Kimberly Schlapman was until I saw her interviewed on the Red Carpet. But now I’m a huge fan of Little Big Town’s Schlapman and her beautiful blonde curls.
Alessia and Kimberly are notable because they are two Type 3 curlies who actually opted to wear their hair curly at an award show this year. I’ve been hard pressed to name many curly celebs who rocked their ringlets at any awards shows.
Taylor Swift? My younger co-workers don’t even remember the days when Taylor wore her hair curly and I had to show them photos to prove that yes, she does have curly hair.
Nicole Kidman? Her strawberry blonde curls have been flatironed for so many years that they probably don’t know how to curl.
Sarah Jessica Parker? Nope.
I don’t mean to curl shame these women. At NaturallyCurly, we’re big believers that you should be able to wear your hair however you want, as long as the decision is yours and yours alone. And if you decide to straighten your hair, we hope you’ll do it in the healthiest way possible so that your curls can still curl.
Alessia and Kimberly weren’t alone. There were other examples of beautiful 3a/b curls at the Grammy Awards. Some of my favorites included Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Carra and Rhianna, who wore her hair big and curly. I loved Quin’s short, layered curls. Lorde’s long wavy bob was beautiful.
,0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15″>; margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% – 2px”>;”>
And there were some straight-haired celebs who opted for textured looks, including Kelly Clarkson, Sarah Silverman and Anna Kendrick.
I just wish some curly celebrities would opt for curly looks at high-profile awards shows.
I know there will be some who think I’m making a big deal out of about nothing. “It’s just hair.” But for all the millions of people who watch these events and look at photos of the events – especially the young curlies – wearing hair curly sends a message that curls are glamorous and sexy and yes, award-worthy.
After all, we still live in a time when many women feel the need to straighten their hair for job interviews. Saturday Night Live did a skit earlier this month about the TV show The Bachelor, with one contestant admitting she had a deep, dark secret: “I’m really curly.”
On to the Oscars!
Have you been watching the Red Carpet coverage in recent years and wondering where all the Type 3 curls have gone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The news this week that Sundial co-founder Richelieu Dennis was buying Essence magazine came as a surprise to many in the media business. But Dennis says that for those who know him, acquisition of the iconic publisher of black culture makes perfect sense.
“Anybody who knows my philosophy won’t be surprised,” Dennis said during an interview Thursday. “I’ve always felt that there is an opportunity to serve women of color more deeply across genres, across geographies, across platforms, across content… With Essence, we’ve got a great brand to build upon and an incredible consumer audience to speak to and with.”
Dennis created Essence Ventures LLC, an independent African-American owned company focused on merging content, community, and commerce, to acquire Essence. The group is a completely separate entity from Sundial, with a different leadership team. Essence President Michelle Ebanks will continue at the helm of the company and will also join its board of directors. In addition, the all-black female executive team of Essence, including Ebanks, will have an equity stake in the business.
“This acquisition of ESSENCE represents the beginning of an exciting transformation of our iconic brand as it evolves to serve the needs and interests of multigenerational Black women around the world in an even more elevated and comprehensive way across print, digital, e-commerce and experiential platforms,” said Ebanks. “In addition, it represents a critical recognition, centering and elevation of the Black women running the business from solely a leadership position to a co-ownership position.”
Essence was founded by Clarence Smith and Ed Lewis 47 years ago. They sold a minority stake to Time Inc. in 2000, and the rest of the company to Time in 2005. In November, Time Inc. announced it was being sold to the Meredith Corp. for $3 billion and Essence, which was not a part of the sale, became available. And Dennis jumped at the chance.
“I thought, ‘Wow what an opportunity to take an iconic brand and bring it back under black ownership,'” Dennis says. “We were lucky enough to be the ones chosen to be the custodians of the Essence brand moving forward.”
With the sale, Essence magazine is once again a fully black-owned publication.
Essence has a majority-black readership, with a focus on black culture, entertainment, empowerment, and beauty. Essence currently reaches a global audience of more than 16 million across its various platforms encompassing its signature print magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials, including the Black Women in Hollywood Awards on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network; books; and live events, including the Street Style Block Party during New York Fashion Week.
The Essence Festival, the magazine’s annual music festival in New Orleans, has grown into one of the largest events for the black community – attracting nearly a half million people last year – and is a staple for brands wanting to reach them.
Dennis says he’s long had an interest in publishing, having sold books under the Nubian Heritage retail whole business early in his career. He says to expect big things from Essence, although he didn’t want to tip his hand. “I want people to be surprised by some of the things we’re doing. Keep in mind, everything we’re going to do is about serving and engaging women of color at a deeper level.”
For more articles like this, sign up for our newsletter.
Photo by Tempura — Getty Images
When NaturallyCurly got its start almost 20 years ago, the core of the site was CurlTalk. That’s where our community slowly formed, providing us with the ideas and the energy for NaturallyCurly.
Our CurlTalkers were loyal and passionate, coming back multiple times each day to check in on conversations or start new ones. They helped create the curly vocabulary that we now use – words such as plopping and pineappling and CG (The Curly Girl method”>. They took our 2-4 Curl Type key and created the nuances of 2b and 4a. They created “Grow-Out Challenge” threads where they could get support as they transitioned from relaxers to their natural texture in the days before blogs and YouTube.
Products were created on CurlTalk. CurlTalker Jessica McGuinty’s experiment with flax-seed gel recipes turned into Jessicurl, a curl favorite sold around the world. AG Hair Care used CurlTalk feedback to develop its Re:coil Curl Activator – a 13-year-old product that is still the Canadian company’s bestselling product.
When I was doing research for our book The Curl Revolution: Inspiring Stories and Practical Advice from the NaturallyCurly Community, I found a treasure -trove of great tips, anecdotest and recommendations on CurlTalk.
CurlTalkers initially came for hair topics, but their friendships flourished. Hair boards were soon joined by topics ranging from politics to books to fitness. There were spirited debates about every topic imaginable. A thread debating the merits of E-Z Cheese was hundreds of pages long. The PT Cruiser elicited hundreds of posts. Looking for “Better than Sex” brownies?
The community has celebrated thousands of births, weddings, graduations, new jobs and other accomplishments. They’ve mourned with sisters who lost loved ones, and rallied around members sad enough to consider ending it all. (At least one life was saved by a frantic CurlTalker who tracked down a woman on the brink of suicide”>.
On Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of CurlTalkers gathered online for support. They checked in on their friends in New York and Washington, DC, to make sure they were okay. CurlTalk was their safe space – the place they knew they were sure to find friends at any time of the night or day.
CurlTalk grew into Curl Gatherings – a precursor to meetups. “Any Columbus, Ohio curlies?” “SoCal Curly Meet!”
As other areas of the site grew, CurlTalk took a backseat. But CurlTalkers kept coming back, even though technical issues and all matter of SPAM made it increasingly difficult to do so.
You asked us – begged us – to fix CurlTalk. It’s taken a while, but we’ve finally done it.
Earlier this month, we launched a new, improved CurlTalk with a number of new features including:
-
Elegant new design with improved legibility
-
Better spam-killing capabilities
-
Dedicated moderation team (including Gretchen Heber, who co-founded NaturallyCurly, and has always been CurlTalk’s biggest cheerleader”>
-
New “Best of CurlTalk” section that highlights top discussions
-
New points system rewards long-time and prolific posters
For those of you who loved CurlTalk but left, we hope you’ll come back. For those who have never been there, please check it out.
You can find CurlTalk by clicking Community at the top of the page and choosing Forums.
Twenty-six years ago, Richelieu Dennis and his college roommate were selling products created from his grandmother’s shea butter recipes on the streets of New York. Monday, Dennis’ company, Sundial Brands, was sold to Unilever in one of the largest beauty deals of 2017.
“I feel humbled and I feel grateful,” Dennis, Sundial’s CEO and founder told me Monday, shortly after the deal became public. “I also feel like this is a victory for minority-owned businesses. They’re able to build something of tremendous value and keep it grounded in the community.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and it is expected to close in 2018.
As part of the agreement, Unilever and Sundial are creating the New Voices Fund with an unprecedented initial investment of $50 million to empower women of color entrepreneurs. The intention is to scale the Fund to $100 million by attracting investments from other interested parties.
Dennis said Sundial – parent company of such curl favorites as SheaMoisture and Nubian Heritage – has been pursued by large consumer products companies like Unilever for several years. Several factors made this deal with Unilever especially attractive.
One of the benefits of the deal for Dennis is that Sundial Brands will operate as a standalone unit within Unilever, and the fact that Dennis will continue to lead the business as CEO and Executive Chairman. The company will still be based out of its Amityville, NY headquarters, and its products will continue to be manufactured there, he says.
The investment fund for minority-owned businesses was a huge part of the appeal, Dennis says. For the past two years, he says he’s been focused on how to get capital to help entrepreneurs – specifically women of color – launch and grow their businesses.
“I’ve been looking for a way to accelerate our ability to invest in our community,” Dennis says. “This provided us with the opportunity to do that.”
Acquiring Sundial is a major coup for Unilever, which has been on a buying spree of late with acquisitions such as Dollar Shave Club, Tazo Tea and Carver Korea, the manufacturer of AHC skincare products. Buying Sundial accelerates Unilever’s push deeper into personal care products, which tend to grow faster and be more international than its food business.
“The Sundial team has built differentiated and on-trend premium brands serving multicultural and millennial consumers that enhance our existing portfolio,” said Kees Kruythoff, President, Unilever North America. “Sundial is an important addition to our U.S. portfolio of purpose-driven companies, which includes Ben & Jerry’s and Seventh Generation.”
Sundial Brands has become one of the best-known names in the beauty industry, known for its use of high-quality and culturally authentic natural ingredients. In 2015, Sundial was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States and received the WWD/Beauty Inc. award for “Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year.”
Through its Community Commerce purpose-driven business model, the company creates opportunities for sustainable social and economic empowerment throughout its supply chain and communities in the North America and Africa, focusing on entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, education and wellness.
Sundial took some heat two years ago when Bain Capital took a minority stake in the company. The blogosphere went into a frenzy over what the investment would mean for the company and its products, as well as its commitment to its core consumer.
Dennis wants to make sure consumers know that the deal won’t change what’s in the company’s products.
Dennis says he has seen how Unilever was able to acquire and grow brands without them losing what made them successful, using Ben & Jerry’s ice cream as a prime example. Unilever was able to more than triple Ben & Jerry’s revenue and added hundreds of jobs, while maintaining the company’s social mission and the product’s quality.
“Unilever largely gave Ben & Jerry’s the autonomy to pursue its own agenda, so long as the ice cream kept flowing,” according to a 2015 New York Times article.
Ben & Jerry’s offers its lowest-paid workers more than twice the national minimum wage, and uses only cage-free eggs. The company supports marriage equality and campaign finance reform, and it introduced a flavor, Save Our Swirled, intended to raise awareness about climate change, according to the article.
“When you look at what Unilever was able to to do with Ben & Jerry’s over the past 20 years, there’s an understanding of how you can leverage their platform for scale without losing the flavor of the brand,” Dennis said.
“When our customer opens up her Curl Enhancing Smoothie, what she’ll see is her same Curl Enhancing Smoothie,” Dennis says. “When she uses her leave-in conditioner, she’ll still find her same leave-conditioner. What will change as a result of the acquisition will be the company’s ability to access the latest innovations and the best ingredients for every need. And now we’ll have the resources to educate people about how to use these products.”
Photo courtesy of SheaMoisture’s YouTube channel.
