Search Results: NaturallyCurly

Salons, stylists and citizens in Austin, TX came together for a great cause on March 9, when they all participated in the first ever Matrix Color-A-Thon to raise needed funds for the Bastrop Pregnancy Resource Center. The city of Bastrop, TX was devastated this past fall by raging wildfires. Hundreds of families had to be relocated and lost everything in the flames. The Bastrop Pregnancy Resource Center provides information on pregnancy and adoption, along with counseling and essential items like baby food and diapers, in a loving and non-judgmental environment for women of all ages.

According to Matrix Assistant Manager on Color Sam Goodman, the participating salons — Best Lil’ Hair House in Texas and LeAnn’s Salon of Bastrop and Heavenly Hair Salon and Spa of Elgin — almost doubled the initial event goal, raising a whopping $3,372 for the Center.

Color & Giving Back

Prior to the event, clients were invited to book appointments for a free hair color service, selecting from a menu that included Matrix color glossing, face-framing highlights and grey blending, in exchange for a donation to the Pregnancy Resource Center. Eight volunteer colorists from the three salons, along with Matrix educators Leticia Ysassi, Jessica Viesca and Liz Muniz serviced more than 90 clients throughout the day.

Victims of the devastating Bastrop fire were invited to receive free color services, but according to Goodman, many were moved to make donations anyway because of their strong support for the cause.

NaturallyCurly.com editor, Tracey Wallace, even made the drive out to Bastrop to partake in the event, having her hair colored and getting to experience the first ever Color-A-Thon in history!

Haute Hues

All of the stylists at the Color-A-Thon used Matrix haircolor — including SOCOLOR and Color Sync – the highest performing and most in-demand color among salon professionals in the U.S. Matrix provided the color and backbar supplies for the event, along with refreshments, decorations and the Design Pulse styling products that were available for clients to use in the blow dry and styling room after their color services.

In addition, a massage therapist from Heavenly Hair Salon and Spa was on hand offering free massages, and volunteers from the Pregnancy Resource Center helped out by serving food and providing information. To add to the fun, each guest contributing more than $25 was automatically entered into one of five raffles. Prizes included gift certificates to each of the participating salons plus two fabulous make-up and fragrance gift baskets.

The success of the Color-A-Thon was largely thanks to Matrix Territory Manager Garrett Rossero who organized the three salons and laid all the ground work for a great event.

Continuing to Do Local

The Color-A-Thon was part of an ongoing series of Chairs of Change events nationwide.  Chairs of Change is an initiative, launched by Matrix in January 2011, that empowers, inspires, and rewards hairstylists who are making an impact on their own lives, their communities and in the world.

According to Goodman, at least 15 percent of the Color-A-Thon participants were walk-ins who normally could not afford a professional color service. Many more were introduced to Matrix products and techniques for the first time.

“This event was a great way to demonstrate the power and expertise of professional colorists,” said Goodman. “But even more important, it was a moving demonstration of support — starting with the hairdressers — for a community and for an important cause!”

Coloring, Curls and Cuddles

Seeing a curly hair product on the shelves at a major retailer like Target or Walgreens is seriously just a “buy me now” call. When the new product is in your face, decently priced and screaming, “For frizz-free curls,” it’s hard to ignore. Product line Twisted Sista is no different.

When owner Stephen Durham launched Urban Therapy in the U.S. back in 2008, curly haired women from sea to shining sea tested out the Twisted Sista product conveniently placed at eye level at their favorite drugstore. CurlTalk lit up about Twisted Sista, and although women raved about it, the sulfates and parabens in the product turned away many a curly girl.

Stephen had already climbed aboard the sulfate and paraben-free boat, however, and simply used the NaturallyCurly community’s input as a launch pad for reformulating his product. Here’s what he had to say.

Can you tell me a little bit about your own personal background and the product line’s background?

Definitely. My background is that I basically ran two hair salons in London in Notting Hill for about 14 years. In that time, I developed the Twisted Sista product line with my salon team. Then I decided to really launch it over in the States, and in order to do that, I really needed to be here. I moved here in 2008 and actually started working on reformulating the brand to be on par with more ethical lines.

What happened was that consumers wanted to be able to pick up the brand in stores immediately. They didn’t want to wait on repackaging or reformulations, so we just went for it. In 2009, we launched in New York, which was quickly followed by a trial with about 40 Target stores. That eventually became about 400 stores. Then Walgreens picked it up and put it in all their stores coast to coast. This year, we’ll be launching with Wal-Mart. So we’re growing a lot.

I know when the brand first launched, there was a lot of backlash in the States, specifically from the NaturallyCurly community, about the sulfates and parabens found in the products. The reformulated line clearly states that the products are sulfate and paraben free, and the ingredients confirm that. Can you tell me a little bit about this re-launch?

Well, it was quite funny because, honestly, when I first came here, I was doing a bit of research, and I felt that I needed to get rid of the sulfates, parabens and mineral oils, and when launched, we had some hot debates with your community about those specific ingredients. I kind of had a smile on face the whole time thinking, “Okay, I’m going about this the right way.” Developing the brand without those ingredients is the right way of doing it.

So, from my point of view it was good, because I knew that we were on the right track. It’s just that we had to launch with the ingredients still in there. Product testing and development can sometimes take as long as 15 months, and I’m very, very finicky about product testing. Although I was hearing this hot debate over sulfates and parabens, I didn’t want to rush to market. I wanted to make sure I had the right product first.

Who was your product line developed for?

I developed to a wide audience, which is a really London thing, as it is cross-cultural. I had to develop a product that worked on all types of hair, but that had the sensitivity of curly and natural hair, which is why I’ve come up with the sulfate-free and paraben-free versions now.

When I look at hair from a stylist’s point of view, everyone seems to suffer from frizz no matter what your hair type is, so we needed to develop a product that would address that.

We also found through our market research that the products being used in the marketplace were quite heavy. We said, “Why don’t we add moisture to the shampoo, and start the conditioner off with a lighter weight?” That’s the beginnings of it basically. Hair shouldn’t ever be too heavy when you’re styling it.

You mention shampoo, and a lot of our community co-washes, or conditioner washes. How would your product work for them?

There are a lot of conditioners out there that work for washing your hair. They are kind of like the old fashioned “all in one.” That’s not the way we went.

I do believe, though, that you can wash your hair too much, and it isn’t always necessarily the shampoo or conditioner, but the water. Shower water can be quite harsh. What I have found is that a lot of women use really heavy products and then they have to use a lot of wash to get it out. They would style it everyday and just keep adding products that were just too heavy. The hair is just reacting to the overload.

I think there is a real market for dry shampoos. You obviously want to condition your hair as much as possible without over-drying, and dry shampoos are also a good way to get rid of buildup.

What about your branding? Do you often find that the name “Twisted Sista” is geared towards a specific hair type?

Not at all. Recently, there has been a lot of crossover, and the distributors definitely see it as a crossover brand. Duane Reade initially had the product in the ethnic section, but they have now moved 60 percent of our products to other aisles as well. We are getting the same feedback from Walgreens and Target.

Actually, right now we have a pretty large Latina following, which is why our new bottles are in both English and Spanish.

The feedback we’re getting from retailers is that the product crosses over. People of all ethnicities are buying it.

When and where will the new product be available?

All of the reformulated products are rolling out right now. They released in Duane Reade in February, Walgreens will be pushing it out on March 27 and Wal-Mart will launch it in March as well.

Some of your products still contain silicones. A large portion of our community is anti-silicones. As a hair care professional, what is your opinion on them?

Well, you know you can have waster-based silicones that are water-soluble. Basically, I think that they are necessary. If they weren’t in there, the product would have a sell-by date of two to three weeks.

Silicones work, too, because they give your hair shine and increase manageability. It is all about ease of use. We aren’t trying to be the most natural brand out there. It’s about ease of use for our users, and silicones help with that. There’s a place for them in hair care. Obviously they aren’t a major part of the ingredient list, but I do believe that they have their place.

Free Product Giveway

Want to test out the new product for free? Be one of the first 100 people to like Twisted Sista’s Facebook page, send in your short natural hair journey, and you’ll get to choose which product you want to try for free!

If you’re a new curly, the idea of not using a brush ever  can seem absurd. In our straight haired lives, brushes were crucial. They got out the knots, increased shine and were a necessary tool in the straight haired girl’s arsenal. But over on the curly side of things, brushes aren’t necessary and brushing can actually do more harm than good. Of course, curlies are prone to more knots and tangles, so how do you maintain a head of loose curls rather than knotted ones? Easy: you detangle with conditioner.

Detangling Without Brushing

Spring is right around the corner, and with the warmer weather comes lighter hair colors, and this year even, pastel hair colors. And while there’s nothing wrong with dying your hair nor with being thrift about doing so, there’s nothing better than a horror story to make sure you follow the instructions in the at-home dying kit, all the way down to the skin allergy test.

Meet Carmen Rowe, 25, who was hospitalized for three days after using the Clairol “Nice n’ Easy” natural black coloring kit when her head swelled up, leaving her temporarily blind and causing an avalanche of doctor’s appointments over the following months.

“I looked in the mirror and half of my face was swollen,” said Rowe, according to The Mirror. “It looked like half of my head had been pumped up like a football. I went straight to the hospital, and by the time I got there, my head was swollen everywhere, even my ears were huge. The doctors admitted me immediately.”

Rowe was initially released from the hospital after dosages of steroids and antibiotics, but was required to return four times throughout the next month due to further swelling and open sores.

“The most disgusting thing is my head started to leak pus,” said Rowe. “I had to wrap my head in a towel. It was horrible and it smelled like a wet dog.”

Rowe, who has been coloring her hair since she was 13-years-old, claims that she did in fact follow the skin test instructions, which require that you test the product out on a patch of skin for 48 hours. In addition, she made sure to buy the non-ammonia dye.

“I know children that have their hair dyed at 13 or 14, and it could be ever worse for them,” said Rowe. “I just want to warn parents about what could happen. It is an allergy that could develop at any time.”

For Rowe, the situation worsened when she lost her job due to the amount of time she had to take off to address the allergy.

“The whole situation was very stressful and made me a bit depressed. Christmas was ruined and I lost my job, all for the sake of a glamorous hair style.”

Clairol’s Response

Clairol did reach out to Rowe and issued a public apology.

“We are sorry to hear about Carmen’s situation. Our customers’ safety and wellbeing is our absolute priority and we are keen to help Carmen however we can. Reactions to hair colorants can occur for a very small number of people, in the same way that some individual can react to a variety of foods and natural substances.

They are, in fact, far rarer than food allergies. Millions of people all over the world use hair colorants without experiencing any adverse effects.

Hair colorants are one of the most thoroughly studied consumer products on the market and their safety is supported by a wealth of scientific research.

Our Consumer Relations Department is able to give expert advice and support on the use of hair colorants and also provide access to dermatologists who can help customers to understand their own skin types and how they can best use hair coloring products.”

The Diagnoses

Doctors eventually diagnosed Rowe with an allergic reaction to the paraphenylenediamine in the dye. Paraphenylenediamine is a chemical substance that is used in a wide array of permanent hair dyes. The use of the chemical in permanent hair dye aids in the ability to shampoo hair without losing color. In addition, the chemical is used when perming hair to wave or curl.

Permanent hair dyes containing paraphenylenediamine come packaged as two bottles, one containing the chemical preparation and another containing the developer or oxidizer. According to DermNet, it is the intermediate state in which the chemical is partially oxidized that may cause an allergic reaction. Patch tests such as the one that hair dyes recommend usually reveal the hypersensitivity to the chemical.

If there is any takeaway from Rowe’s terrible experience, however, it is that safety should come first. If you choose to color your hair, be sure that you follow through with a skin test before you apply the product. In addition, using all-natural hair colorants is preferable as you are less likely to have an allergic reaction. The price may be higher, but the pay off in the long run is worth it.

In the natural hair world, whether you have waves, curls or kinks, the blogosphere is essential. Were it not for all of the brave and die-hard naturals out there who took to their video cameras and computers to blast out the word that natural was a way of life and everyone should hop on board, we wouldn’t be here (heck, NaturallyCurly was one of those!”>.

All of us have watched at least ONE, if not hundreds, of styling videos and read through even more styling tips looking for the perfect wavy, curly or kinky hairstyle, regimen, prep technique, on and on and on. So in celebration of our curly celebrity month of love, we bring you curly vloggers who are celebrities in their own right, and to us!

Meet Kirstin Walker

Vlogger Jadison03 shows us how to wet bun type 4 hair (plus she is the creator of “Sh*t Some Relaxed Girls Say“”>.

Today, curlies are faced with many curly hairstyles to choose from.  If you pick up any magazine, you are likely to find literally hundreds of different looks. Some are good, great and amazing. Others, not so much.

Choosing a curly hairstyle that works for you in your lifestyle, and as an individual, is paramount. If you have children, and only have 5 minutes to get ready, it is probably best to choose a natural, wearable look that is quick to style or can dry naturally based on your hair texture, but at the same time is still chic and not frumpy. Then again, if you are a child-free and live the glamorous life each night on the town, then kicking it up a bit in the maintenance area and adding some time to your styling routine is no biggie.

In walks Charlize Theron. Her simple curly hairstyle is ideal both for the sexy appeal and the relative ease in which it is attainable. Go on curlies of all ages and lifestyles, rock your curly bob!

Charlize Theron’s Sexy, Curly Bob

1. Shampoo the hair with a light shampoo that is not too oily or heavy, using a light onditioner on the ends.
2. If your hair is naturally straight, you’ll need to blow dry the hair with a boar bristle brush. To ensure a smooth finish, run the brush from roots to ends with slight tension and follow with the blowdryer. I recommend choosing a great dryer to save time, such as the One Epic Nano Pro. Choose a size of brush that is on the bigger side as your style will be made straight
3. Wrap hair around the barrel, using the Verge Curl Styx, with your fingers in a spiral pattern. Keep in mind that the more of a gap there is between each spiral, the softer and more natural the wave will be. The closer the hair is to itself in the spirals, the tighter the curl will be.
4. For the Charlize look, you are better off to not be so perfect with each curl and do each one randomly and differently than the one before.
5. Using your fingers, softly run brush out your hair until you achieve the desired softness and style that is all you.

Whether your up for a night on the town, a trip to target or even a champagne and strawberry ride on your own jet, this look will deliver! Now you just have to get yourself to somehow channel your inner Charlize which is a two part formula – one part tiger, one part confidence, ROAR!

As New York Fashion Week gets off to a start, and “Texture on the Runway” inches closer and closer (only one day away!”>, we caught up with Miss Universe, Leila Lopes of Angola, to talk about Fashion Week, her hair, her history and where she sees herself going from here.

Keep a lookout for her in NYC, she will be taking the fashion and acting world’s by storm — and maybe wearing a little bit of Kanye’s collection on the way!

Talk to me a little about what you did before Miss Universe.

Before Miss Universe, I was studying business management, and then I decided to compete for Miss Angola.

You just decided?

Well, I wanted to get into it because pageant queens have so much power and influence. They have a voice. I decided to compete because I thought that, as Miss Angola, I could change people’s lives in my country. That’s why I decided to compete for Miss Angola, and luckily, I won Miss Universe, which is even better! [laughter]

No kidding! Now you get to represent and speak for your country and women everywhere on a world stage.

Exactly!

Let’s get in to your hair story. Are you natural?

Well, I used to have an afro. My hair was natural and it used to be curly. When I was 18, I relaxed it, and then I kind of regretted it because I lost my curl and I didn’t like wearing my hair straight. So I decided to give up on relaxing and learned how to go back to my hair naturally. But then, when I decided to compete for Miss. Angola, they said that I looked too young with curly hair, and they said that it would be better if I relaxed again. So I did. Now my hair is relaxed. I relax it about once every three months.

Interesting. How is your hair holding up from being natural to relaxed back to natural and then back to relaxed?

I have very fine hair, so I have to be very careful with it. I use products that are very appropriate for my hair. It gets dry because of the weather in New York, so I need more moisture. I use a lot of CHI products. I started using them when I was down in Brazil for the competition. The products actually just work a lot better for my hair.

Speaking of the competition, there was a lot of talk about you wearing a topknot instead of wearing your hair down. Was that your decision?

Yeah, it was my decision! I remember when the girls, when they saw me wearing my hair up, they were like, “Are you going to wear your hair up doing all the competition?” And I said, “Yes.” And they said, “Wow, you’re brave! Even for the swimsuit?” And I said, “Yes!”

I just wanted to do something different.

Of course, and it obviously worked! So what’s the natural hair attitude in Angola?

In Angola, normally when we are 18, we decide to relax our hair and then we regret it. It’s a tropical country, its hot, you are always sweating, and your hair gets curly easily, even if it is straight. The roots will get curly and then everything gets puffy. Normally all the girls I know regret it when they relax, so we are all going back natural.

Do y’all transition back, or big chop?

Some people do just chop it all off, but most people just wear braids until it gets more natural because it is a hard process, you know? Letting your hair grow back natural is hard because all the hair is susceptible to break.

It definitely is, and it takes a lot of confidence to rock the natural look.

Well, you do have to be confident about your hair. You have to get the right products because, even though you decide to wear it natural, it has to be healthy to be beautiful. So with the right products, we all can get beautiful hair. I believe that you should feel comfortable with your hair.

My favorite thing about my natural hair was that there were so many options. I could wear it down or I could wear it straight. Of course, you have to use a lot of product to make it stay straight for a long time! [laughter] It works though. As long as you know how to play with your hair, it works. I used to be more creative when I had an afro, but now that it is straight, I only wear it down or in a ponytail. I can’t braid it, or anything else.

Right. So when your hair was natural, what were your go-to styles?

Well, I used to really like to braid just one side. Sometimes the left side, or sometimes the right side — sometimes both sides and left the middle out. Everybody used to say that my hair was beautiful.

Do you have nay plans to go back natural after the Miss Universe reign is over?

Yes I do. I prefer my hair natural. The relaxer that I’m using isn’t too strong, so when I wash my hair, I see the curls coming back and that’s really cool. I know that I can go back natural when it is all done.

So what is your hair routine?

Well I wash my hair on Saturdays, on the weekends, on my off-days, those are my washdays. I deep condition every Thursday because, with all the heat that I’ve been using, I need to condition my hair.

When I go to a hairdresser, I take my products with me, especially the CHI Shine Treatment. It is like my secret. I take it everywhere.

Also, I use a reconstructer because the ends of my hair, I have to cut them every single month. So this helps to reconstruct the health a lot.

Sounds like you’re going to have a pretty easy time going back natural if you’re taking such good care of it right now.

Yes, yes, that’s the goal.

So, going back a little bit to the request to relax your hair. Do you think that in the pageantry world, if contestants were to wear their natural hair, that they would have a more difficult time winning?

No, I don’t think so. My organization in Angola, they sat with me and they said, “You, with the curly hair, you look too young.” And, it’s true. I’ve seen pictures of me with the curly hair and I really do look too young. So, they asked if I would straighten it and use some extensions. And, it worked. It worked to make me look older, unfortunately.

But, you’re #teamnatural all the way!

Yes, yes I am!

Brenda [Leila’s PR agent]: I’m always fascinated by talks like these! So, sorry to interject!

No, no, go ahead!

Brenda: Well, I have this friend down in Atlanta, and she has been going to a lot of these meetups, and there really is this movement toward going back natural. My friend is all natural now. She hasn’t had a relaxer in years! She shows me all these pictures of her friends and says, “Girl, she just went natural, too!” And all these women have the same styles that Leila is talking about, you know, transitioning with the braids. But my friend, she just chopped it all off. She had this real cute little boyish cut. It is so cool!

Yea, we call that the TWA – teeny weeny afro.

Brenda: Really? Oh that’s cute!! Leila: Yeah, it is something that is really getting a lot bigger. All these women are going back natural. In Angola, it is really common. Everyone regrets their decision to relax because you want to go to the beach and get your hair wet, but they can’t because it is relaxed. We just prefer wearing our hair natural.

That’s great! What advice would you give women looking to go natural?

Even though I always hear a lot of women say, “Oh, my hair. It is an afro, but it is not curly. I don’t have the beautiful curls!” Well, there are a lot of products out there to help give it the small curls or the big ones, to help define. You just have to love your hair and find the right products for it.

Of course, so going off on a little big of a tangent, I watched your vlog post about how excited you are for Fashion Week and you were especially excited about seeing Kanye West’s collection. Are you a fan?

Yes! I also love Sean John’s line. It is good for me to see famous people getting into the fashion industry and doing well because not everybody can do it, and they are doing great! I saw some coats from Kanye’s past collection at Paris Fashion Week and I’ll say, he is doing great! Kanye West is a businessman.

Definitely. So you’ve pledged to help combat HIV during your Miss. Universe reign. Can you tell me a little more about that?

Yeah, this is my platform, and it used to be as Miss Angola also. I’m very proud to work for this cause. Now that I’m Miss. Universe, I’ve really been learning a lot more. It is good to see people really focus and tackle this disease.

Is HIV something that is prominent in Angola? How did you become associated with this?

Yes, it is big in Angola. Now it is even worse. I was working for this cause before any of the pageantry stuff.

Yesterday I worked with an organization in New York. I took the public test to encourage other people to do the same because I believe it is really important that people get tested, and know their status. It is better for people to find it soon. The sooner you find out that you have the disease, the easier it will be to fight it.

Especially as a woman, it is good for me to talk to other women because we all want to be mothers. It is good when we can get the test so that we can save our babies.

So what’s next for you?

I won a scholarship from New York Film Academy, so I’m thinking about acting classes. I really want to stay in New York for a year longer. I’ll take acting classes and also think about a modeling career because I’ve never been a model.

Follow Leila on Twitter

Find Leila on Facebook

Mariah’s hair has so much potential, as she has managed to save and maintain her precious and beautiful length. Her hair color is successfully showing her dimension in her lower curls, and her golden highlights are well balanced by her golden brown lowlights. Her ends can’t be too light, as her hair is quite weak and fine so precious length can easily look weak, thin and transparent.

She definitely is in need of Curl Keeper as the right side of her hair shows frizz. Mariah’s hair goes flat quite easily and her habit of scrunching her flat spots definitely needs tweaking, which will support her hair creating the volume and bounce she desperately craves.

I would strongly suggest that Maria should try achieving more volume on the top of her head, as her style lies quite flat on the top of her head almost straight at the roots. Her face shape shows her beautiful smile and jaw line, but the hair volume is widest at her cheeks, which is not the most flattering spot for volume, and doesn’t add anything to the look. Learning how to add some gel to the Curl Keeper and with the help of a root brush will only help her beautiful curls, as the gel will support the loose wave in definition, while getting rid of the frizz. Her style will complete the perfect full-bodied frizz-free freedom she can carry.

Reese Witherspoon is a wavy hair idol for type 2 women! Her style at the Golden Globes, or on the red carpet at all, was amazing and gave a shout out to her natural wave with a little enhancement from a curling iron. Amika experts walk us through exactly how to steal her style.

Red Carpet Waves

1. Pour a dime-sized amount of Amika Obliphica Oil Treatment into your palms and rub them together. Work the oil into your hair starting at the ends for shine and heat protection.
2. Using a round soft bristle brush, blow dry your hair using the NRG Professional Drying System.
3. Take a section of hair and loosely wrap it around the largest barrel, the Amika Triple Barrel Curler (32 mm”>. This will create big, loose waves. Curl all your hair in this manner.
4. Tease the hair at your crown slightly to give it some height. For a glossy finish, lightly smooth a second application of Obliphica Oil Treatment over the look.

More celebrity looks: Get AnnaLynne McCord’s Curly Hairstyle!

Naturally curly hair is in a league of its own. It requires special attention to keep it healthy from the inside out. The proper styling tools and products are a must.

Naturally curly hair has its own beauty which cannot be ignored, so here are a couple celebrity hairstyles to model for spring 2012. ONE stylists explain how to take you from average to “A” list with these step -by-step celebrity curly hair style instructions.

Alicia Keys

Deep-condition hair at least once a week and stick to minimal shampooing.

Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle hair while still in the shower.

Cocktail some leave-in conditioner and anti-frizz and run through wet hair to prevent damage. Allow it to air-dry so you get smooth, well-behaved curls. For faster drying towel dry and use a ONE diffuser and EPIC blow dryer to speed the drying process.

A deep side part gives this style extra sexiness – it’s a great way to give curly hair red carpet edge.

Use a VERGE Bubble Wand and wrap 1-2 inch pieces around the barrel, holding the iron parallel to your head. Apply heat to the roots then Start wrapping from just above the middle of each section so your roots lie flat.

Follow this step until entire head is curled. Apply a dime-size bit of shine serum to your hands. And run your fingers through the hair to separate curls so they look softer to finish.

Meg Ryan

Model your hairstyle after Meg by using a combo of leave-in conditioner and curl-enhancing products to maintain your curly mane.

To style, blow-dry hair with EPIC  blow dryer and round brush to shape layers and brush the hair smooth. Then use a 1 inch Legacy Flat Iron section hair from ear to ear. Take 2 inch sections and wrap the hair around the iron. Overdirect your wrist and slide the iron from root to end to craft big, loose waves. Finish the back section first.

Then part jaggedly down the middle and really work the front sections curling away from the face to create volume. Finish with a medium-hold hairspray for an all-day (and night!”> hold.

A combination of blow-drying and air-drying creates a great, balanced style. Curls are in, and a rounder curl is what the celebs want! And we can give it to them! You need the right styling tools to create any celebrity look. I never leave home without my ONE styling tools! Voila!

Guest posting by Dickey of Hair Rules:

Some of my favorite runway styles are the kind that allow me unlimited styling options, particularly when collaborating with a designer and makeup artist. I believe in using a cohesive approach that utilizes the designer’s vision to think outside of the box and transcend ethnicity and texture.

The most creative approach to do this is using hair extensions, wigs and pieces, which come in an endless array of color and texture. Synthetic hair can be molded into any shape or form.

Kanekalon, shown here is an easy way to take any texture and enhance it in minutes. Take either long or short, slick it and crown it into a ponytail. Then you attach the center of the kanekalon hair with bobby pins. The hair already comes with a band tied off in the center, so you can add as many packs as you like. I like to add six so you can cut off the excess into any length or shape.

In the natural hair world, the blogosphere is essential whether you have waves, curls or kinks. Were it not for all of the brave and die-hard naturals out there who took to their video cameras and computers to blast out to the word that natural was a way of life and everyone should hop on board, we wouldn’t be here (heck, NaturallyCurly was one of those!”>.

All of us have watched at least ONE, if not hundreds, of styling videos and read through even more styling tips looking for the perfect wavy, curly or kinky hairstyle, regimen, prep technique, on and on and on. So in celebration of our curly celebrity month of love, we bring you curly vloggers who are celebrities in their own right, and to us!

Meet KinkyKurlyQueen

Vlogger KinkyKurlyQueen gives natural hair updo ideas, how tos and tips.

Katherine Heigl, in her newly released movie, “One for the Money” plays the unemployed and newly-divorced brunette Stephanie Plum, who lands a job at her cousin’s bail-bond business. Of course, her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.

At the premiere, on January 24 in New York, celebrity hairstylist David Babaii created her red carpet look using Grace Kelly as his inspiration. To transform your tresses from brown to a “Hollywood Blonde,” David recommends using the professional hair color Aquarly 20/20 by IT&LY Hairfashion to achieve a long-lasting, natural and healthy looking shade.

Channel Grace Kelly

1. To create this Grace Kelly inspired look, David started with IT&LY’S Advanced Color Protection Shampoo and Advanced Color Protection Conditioner.
2. After gently towel drying, he applied a small amount of Miracle Oil Hair Elixir by David Babaii for its intense conditioning benefits, superior color preservation and thermal protection.
3. After blow drying, he used a medium sized curling iron creating curls and directing them off the face and under.
4. To style, David lightly back brushed the fringe area for some height and smoothed this lightly with a medium paddle brush. He continued the style by using his fingers to loosen the curls into soft waves and drawing all the hair into a loose chignon toward the back of the head and securing with silver coated bobby pins. David finished the style with IT&LY’s Pure Definition Hair Spray.

Its official, Katy Perry and Russell Brand are splitting. Okay, we aren’t the first to report it, but given Brand’s natural locks, we did have a bit invested in the relationship. We aren’t particularly concerned with their split in general. I mean, it is Hollywood where marriages come and go like child actors. Here’s what is worrying us though, and what may need to have you worrying too: divorce can cause hair loss.

Higher levels of stress, typically induced by divorce amongst other things, cause hair loss. Usually, this is a temporary situation in which your hair follicles go into their resting phase early, causing hair loss and thinning. The best way to rid yourself of the problem is to treat the stress itself. Once levels of stress are back to normal, your hair loss issues should disappear as well.

Then again, hair loss can also be caused by what we like to call hand-in-head syndrome in which you can’t get your hands out of your hair. Constant manipulation of hair follicles can cause hair loss, and when you are stressed, you have a higher tendency to run your hands through your hair more often. Depending on how long your increased stress levels last, this can easily become a habit that will be difficult to break – and hair loss will not be temporary.

As curlies, we know that touching our hair often is a big no-no, but at the same time, all the deep conditioning, moisturizing and detangling we do require us to get our hands in there. So for us, stress induced hand-in-head syndrome is not something to be taken lightly!

We would hate to see a natural haired celebrity man start to lose tresses a bit too early, and we would hate for it to happen to you too! So for the love of everything that is natural (including you!”>, get those hands out of your hair and get them busy on something else – like making homemade hair mask recipes with peppermint, which helps to boost energy levels and happiness. Done and done!

White Sands Hair Products’ interest in orchids for hair treatments was inspired from findings showing the flower’s mysterious capacity for immortality, beauty, and its versatility to adjust to different environments with vibrant color. Orchid cell membranes contain a longevity molecule allowing for this eternal quality. In short, as the plant cells age, they  continue to act as if they were brand new.

These unmatched features pushed Fernando Salas, the creator of White Sands, to ply chemists with questions concerning how orchid extracts could affect hair moisture and shine on various hair types (dry, oily, frizzy and curly”>, and if it could improve hair color retention.

After multiple tests, an orchid extract was found to provide the hair with the ability to hold moisture and control frizz which, in turn, gives the hair a high shine and the capacity to hold the desired hairstyle all day long.

Further testing of orchid extracts led to the idea of an oil. This new product, called White Sands Orchid Oil, was infusing hair with many of the same characteristics as the orchid flower.

Orchid Oil Test Results

Moisture Balance

Orchid oil provides moisture balance for hair that has become delicate from chemical treatments, thermal stress and daily UV and UVB exposure. It also brings the hair into a moisture balanced state by storing moisture at a consistent level and using it only when the hair and scalp need moisture. Tests also showed that even in high humidity areas, the oil would not allow an overabundance of moisture to weigh the hair down and make it frizzy.

Brilliance and Shine

Orchid oil fills in the cracks and imperfections in each hair strand giving a high shine and making hair brilliant. When the hair strands are in perfect moisture balance, it closes the cuticle layer and keeps the hair from frizzing, thus giving hair incredible shine.

Light Weight/No Residue

Orchid oil is very light weight and does not weigh the hair down. Unlike most other oils and shine products, it does not affect the hair’s ability to perform when styling. Because the orchid oil is not greasy and leaves no residue, the hair has the ability to hold a style with desired volume and texture.

Coarse and Curly Hair

Coarse and curly hair is the ideal candidate for the orchid oil due to its drier state. During testing, White Sands noticed that when they applied the orchid oil to coarse curly hair, it balanced the moisture and had consistency in texture for defined curls, making the hair soft and shiny. The orchid oil eliminates frizz and works in conjunction with other styling products to enhance texture and repel moisture, while enhancing vibrant color.

Final Thoughts

Would you use orchid oil to help define and moisturize your curls?

In a bind and need a quick holiday hair style for that last minute party? Celebrity hairstylist David Babaii lends his quick and easy style how to’s that will have everyone taking notice of your holiday glamour.

Additional Information about this Tip

1. Begin by applying Couture Colour Pequi Oil to dry hair and create a quick up-do by combing hair back into a low or upper nape ponytail and fasten. Take various size strands, looping, twisting or braiding them into and around the base like David did for Nicole Kidman. Secure with bobby pins. Spray with a flexible hold hair spray to keep in place. Add a decorative pin to finish this party look.

2. Have a busy day ahead? Secure all of your hair into a messy ponytail. The tighter you fasten and twist the ponytail, the more waves you will achieve. Then spritz it with IT&LY HAIRFASHION’s Pure Texture: this will serve as your first style of the day. This versatile style can work for either work or running errands. For the evening, undo the ponytail and you will have instant waves and texture like David created for Olivia Wilde. Flip your head down spritz with IT&LY HAIRFASHION’s Pure Hair Eco Hairspray and then flip back to create volume. For added texture spritz additional Pure Hair Eco. You can also twist one or both sides up and away from the face or add a decorative headband to finish the style.

3. Want a quick illusion like David did below for Scarlett Johansson? Begin by rolling your long tresses under and secure with pins creating a short “faux bob” look. Add headband or decorative pins for extra oomph. For a dramatic look sweep your hair over to one side and cup under for another quick change. Finish with White Sands Infinity Hairspray for a long lasting, flexible hold with shine. Everyone will think you cut your hair!

On Tuesday, December 6, one of our favorite curlies, Shakira, debuted her new, albeit straight, haircut!

Shakira tweeted her new look to all of her fans, saying, “4 hours ago I got my hair cut!”

We’re loving the look, but hoping that she kept her curls in mind when making the cut – or that at least her stylist did! As curlies, we know all too well that a short cut made on wet, straight strands is the LAST thing a curly girl who wants to occasionally rock her natural curls should do!

Granted, Shakira hasn’t been letting her textured tresses loose as often as she used to. Like Taylor Swift, maybe her look is a winter trend since many curlies seem to prefer straight looks during the cooler months.

Whatever her deal is, we ain’t hair hating! The bob is cute and the girl is beautiful. Do you, Shakira. Do you!

Textured hair doesn’t always make a huge presence in Hollywood. Most stars opt for straight, “polished” tresses and leave the curly looks for their stay-at-home days when the paparazzi can’t snap photos. But every once in a while, textured hair makes a massive come back and steals the limelight, even if it is only for a couple cover shots.

Today, curlies, is one of those days!

The New York Times Magazine published an online spread of “celebrity villainy, inspired by nefarious icons and featuring the best performers from the year in film.” And who is the star of the series? Brad Pitt as the madman, textured hair and all!

OK, so textured hair is once again being used to portray a case of the crazies, but on Brad Pitt, we kind of just don’t care!

The series, titled “Touch of Evil,” pays tribute to the best horror cinematographers of our time: Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock, just to name the two that come to mind. Each of the 13 stars is featured in their own one-minute short film, showcasing a traditional “evil” character. Word to the wise: watch these with the lights on!

Of all the stars in the series, only two are featured with texture tresses, Pitt and Glenn Close, who plays a curly female we’re assuming is a crazed widow. All the other actors and actresses sport straight strands, proving that crazy comes in all hair types.

Want Brad’s look for yourself? Curly faux-hawks are definitely in style, and you don’t have to unleash your evil side to get it! Simply pull the sides of your set and dry curls back and pin in place. Then, tease the front section all the way through the back. Have longer hair? Pin long curls up under the teased top portion, or rock the hawk all the way down your back!