Search Results: NaturallyCurly

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 29, 2012

Rare is it that a superstar of Madonna’s caliber comes along. It almost seems as though there was just something to the ’80s with the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna and Whitney Houston making their way into our hearts, society and culture.

Given that two of those three names above now require the term “late” as a predecessor to their names, we want to give a shout out to one of our favorite ’80s superstars and watch her rock her waves through the decades.

Madonna, with you, it always like the very first time.

1987

Madonna, here in Toronto on July 3, 1987, for a concert the next day, displays BJ the puppet, a gift from a fan, following a presentation of an award from WEA Records for selling over a million copies of her True Blue.

Read More: Celebrity Curls: Carrie Bradshaw is Back!

1990

Pop star Madonna sings to a full house at Rotterdam’s Fayanoord Stadium July 24, 1990. Madonna was currently on a major concert tour of Europe.

Read More: SNL Premieres World’s Biggest Afro

1993

A spot light beams over pop star Madonna who gave a concert to nearly 40,000 fans at Istanbul’s Inonu stadium October 7, as part of her world tour “The Girlie Show.”

Read More: Love Ballads to Taylor Swift’s Curly Hair

1998

Madonna holds two Oscars as she presents the award for Best Song to James Horner and Will Jennings for the song “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie “Titanic” at the Oscars, March 23.

Read More: Wavy Haired Kathy Ireland is World’s Richest Supermodel

2004

Madonna performs at the MEN arena in Manchester at the start of her European tour, August 14, 2004.

Read More: Rihanna Takes Her Wig Off at BRIT Awards

2007

Singer Madonna arrives for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons in West Hollywood February 25, 2007.

Read More: First Curly Girl Makes it to “The Bachelor” Top Four

2010

U.S. singer Madonna arrives to open Hard Candy Fitness gym in Mexico City, November 29, 2010.

Read More: Whitney Houston: A Legend Gone Too Soon

2011

U.S. pop star and director Madonna arrives on the “W.E” red carpet at the 68th Venice Film Festival in Venice.

Read More: Celebrity Curls Interview with Miss Universe, Leila Lopes

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 29, 2012

As a newly natural, you might not be used to many of the typical natural hairstyles. But even on transitioning hair, these styles can protect your ends, promote growth and help you get to a comfortable length so you can big chop sooner! Mini twists are a great style to start trying out. They might take a while to put in, but they can last multiple days and stretch out your curls to show your real length and diminish shrinkage. Plus, the more you do it now, the quicker you will become at it! Watch how Strawberricurls does her mini twists, and get to making this a staple style of your own.

Mini Twists for Length

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 27, 2012

Natural and transitioning hair is prone to knots and tangles. To reduce tangled hair and minimize shedding, separate hair into sections, saturate with moisturizing shampoo and gently comb through your hair. You can also detangle natural hair with conditioners, leave-in conditioners, deep conditioners or oils.

Of course, the earlier that you start the detangling process, the less hair you will shed and the more growth overtime that you will experience. So for all of your newly natural babes, go ahead and shampoo in sections and comb the shampoo through. This will give you a jumpstart on the detangling process, save you time later on and result in more growth in the long run.

Shampoos & Conditioners

Products such as Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Moisturizing Shampoo are perfect for detangling natural hair. For conditioners, try Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner or As I Am Leave-In Conditioner, which can both result in more manageable hair and offer a smooth, slick surface to help unknot your locks.

Deep Conditioners & Oils

For untangling tresses with deep conditioners or oils, remember to stay away from hot oil treatments. Hot oil treatments are meant to be used as treatments only. When you use a hot oil treatment, be sure to apply a plastic cap to your head to keep the heat in and ensure that the treatment works. Once finished, shampoo, condition and detangle separately. Try products like AG Hair Cosmetics Conditioner Deep Reconstructing Treatment and Champagne & Caviar Curl Elixir (Hair Oil Blend for Sheen & Hair Growth”>.

Detangling natural hair is simple and easy when you have the right products at hand. Remember, sectioning is KEY to detangling. If you aren’t sure how many sections to create, start small and move bigger when you get the hang of it. It may take time in the beginning, but once you understand how your hair works and what it needs, it will be a cinch.

And as always, naturals, DO YOU!

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 27, 2012

Conditioning is an ESSENTIAL part of every hair routine, but for wavy, curly and coily girls, it is even more important. However, every time you condition your hair, you leave behind residue which doesn’t rinse away fully. Over time, this accumulation can be a problem, especially for people with for fine hair, which is a common wavy girl issue.

Hair build-up from conditioners can make your curls look dull and cause flyaways, limp waves and even grease due to cationic detergents in conditioners.

If you try to wash away a cationic detergent (conditioner”> with an anionic detergent (shampoo”>, a charge interaction occurs between the two, leaving you with hair build-up from both. Low pH shampoo deposits even more anionic surfactant, so this is not the solution.

Short-chain surfactants like alkyl sulfate, alkyl sulfonates (sodium deceth sulfate”> are better at removing this residue than standard sodium or ammonium lauryl/laureth sulfate shampoos. These are often regarded as being harsh on hair, but more effective at removing hair build-up without adding as much to the problem.

If you shampoo regularly (not all wavies do!”>, then be sure to include a clarifying shampoo in your routine at least once a month. If you’re still experiencing hair build-up, which you will see as grease, limp waves or frizz, then up your clarifying routine to once a week.

Keep in mind that clarifying shampoos will strip your hair and scalp of all essential oils while also removing the build-up. This means that your waves will be a bit dried out. By following up with a good conditioner, leave-in and an essential oil (rose oil is best for waves”>, however, you won’t even notice the clarifying effects, other than less frizz, more volume and increased shine!

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 26, 2012

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!

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 26, 2012

If there were two things that all of us knew this morning it was that the “Hunger Games” did really, REALLY well this weekend, and that “Mad Men” was AWESOME last night. The long awaited return of “Mad Men” had fans on edge, and love her or hate her, Betty keeps us coming back for more shenanigans.

Her often childish personality aside, her classic style will surely be a hit this Halloween, but with runways premiering retro style after retro style, you shouldn’t wait until October to steal Betty’s look.

“Mad Men” hair department head stylist Terrie V. Owen reveals her on-set hair how-to for achieving January Jones’ signature wavy hairstyle.

Recipe for Betty’s Wavy Hairstyle

Best for: Type 2 or 3, shoulder length hair.

1. Part your hair on the side you want it to be and section the hair parallel to the side part in small sections. Spray with White Sands Firm Hold Liquid Texture and curl each piece towards the face. Make sure you take small sections that are neat and tidy and curl the entire head. This is an important step: clip your curl with your small clippies in place before you move to next section.

2. With hot rollers, section pieces of hair, spray with the Thermal Styling Spray and set roller parallel to the side part. Place rollers throughout the sides and back of the whole head.
3. Let your hair cool off a bit before you brush it out. This helps the set to last longer. Then, brush hair straight down with a good quality, natural bristle brush. I use a Mason Pearson brush. Brushes are important because a plastic vent brush doesn’t give the same effect. Brush into a smooth style and push the waves into place with some grooming crème on your fingertips and then finish with some hairspray to hold the look in place.
4. You can also modernize this style by just using your fingers to style your hair instead of a brush and get more of a textured piecey look. But I personally love the classic smooth brushed-out look. Classics never go out of style! Who doesn’t want to look like a glamour girl?!

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 26, 2012

Getty

“Sex and The City” is back – sort of. Our favorite celebrity curly girl is back, but this time, it isn’t Sarah Jessica Parker. Instead, AnnaSophia Robb (you may remember her from the Johnny Depp version of “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory” as the annoying little girl”> is stepping out as the younger version of Bradshaw in “The Carrie Diaries.”

Finally, fans and followers of SATC get a well-done, full story line behind the woman that became our modern curly and sex icon in NYC.

“The Carrie Diaries,” also written by Candace Bushnell, follows a young Bradshaw through her early 20s as she navigates New York City. The old flashbacks provided by SATC will be expanded upon, and this new Bradshaw, with her natural curls in hand, promises to keep us on our toes.

A bit of an unheard-of actress, some fans are questioning the decision to hire Robb for the part rather than the likes of Blake Lively or Reese Witherspoon. As for us here at NaturallyCurly, we see the reasoning all too clearly: those natural curls!

Blake Lively, Reese Witherspoon and the vast majority of any actress up to the task of becoming the younger Bradshaw after the spectacular performance and following garnered by Sarah Jessica Parker has to have the CONFIDENCE to wear her natural texture — and we aren’t talking heat applied. Robb (who is only 18 mind you”> has the hair that you would expect a younger Bradshaw to don, and the fact that she already has her own fashion line in real life is just icing on the cake.

So while we might have shed a few tears when our favorite curly girl left the small screen, we are rejoicing in seeing another curly woman step up to to such a big role. And we’re even happier that her curls played a big part in the fact that she got the role to begin with (or so we are assuming”>.

Stay tuned for more updates on “The Carrie Diaries” and AnnaSophia Robb. We are stoked to see her in action. If you are too, and can’t wait for the show’s premiere, check out her music video below. Yes, she is doing it all, and more power to her!

Keep Your Mind Wide Open

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 23, 2012

As a newly natural, you may be a bit confused about how other naturals get that stretched curl look without using heat appliances and without gong through the twist-out process. But never fear! UK company Curlformers created a non-heat product that stretches your curls and gives you that curling iron look without ever touching an iron. As our YouTuber will demonstrate, however, Curlformers have a bit of a learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be flying through the process that can give you a two plus day, heat-free hairstyle!

Mastering Curlformers

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 23, 2012

Wavies are notorious for having fine hair which makes it difficult to find lightweight, wavy hair products that won’t weigh down your curls. No big deal. The key here is to use less product. Trial and error will teach you how much your waves can handle. If you want to learn how to get thick hair, watch how Susannah applies thickening and moisturizing products to her waves to get desired results without the sticky, crunchy or weighed down look.

How to Get Thick Hair

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 14, 2012

As you begin to test out new products made specifically for your hair type, you need to not only pay attention to ingredients, but also to the product instructions. Some brands stick with co-washing, others with deep conditioning and others with oils. Drying times, how you apply the product, and so much more can differ. You might think that the application process isn’t all that important, but these instructions can make or break a product, and you don’t want to give up on a new brand merely because you didn’t follow the instructions. Hair Rules has great products specifically for type 2s, and they’ve put together this great video that shows you the right way to use their products.

How to Use Hair Rules Products

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 13, 2012

Remember what was so great about straight hair? When it ended up frizzing or beginning to wave, you could run a brush through it and slick it back into a sleek pony or bun. It was simple and it was easy, though it wasn’t ideal. Now that you are on the natural hair train, however, finding a quick style that makes you look put together is a little harder. Not to fear, my wavy friends! It is time you toss out the old horse and “pony” trick and opt for an easy wavy updo.

Wavy Updo in Under 5 Minutes

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 12, 2012

So you might not be a newly natural, but it’s been months since you big chopped, and you finally have some tangible regrowth. Ever since the first day that you even heard about the natural hair movement, you have been inspired by the beauty of bantu knots. The style is signature for many naturals from Corinne Bailey Rae to CurlyNikki to your best friend. So, my new to regrowth friend, it’s time you learn how to get the look yourself!

Bantu Knot with Castor Oil

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 12, 2012

As a newly natural, you might find that the whole “air dry” technique is a long process and that it can kind of put a damper on your day (get it – DAMPer?”>. Not to worry, curly girls have a way of offsetting all that drying time without damaging their curls or causing frizz. Welcome to the wonderful world of diffusing. As with so many curly techniques, there are many different ways to diffuse. This video will show you why it’s important to keep the temperature and speed settings both on low and avoid touching the curls. Think air drying, only sped up.

Drying by Diffusing

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 9, 2012

Hey there all you type 3 curlies! Wondering how to tell if you are a type 3b or a type 3c? Well, it’s simple! If, when wet, your curls spiral down, you are a type 3b or 3a. If your curls spiral up, you are a 3c. Either way, your hair washing routines are very similar. Hair vlogger Taren walks us through not only a wash day routine and diffusing session, but also how to properly determine if a product works on your curls. So get ready to get smart about your wash day routines!

Washing Up on Your Hair Washing Routine

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 9, 2012

Product is both a wavy girl’s best friend and worst enemy. Use something a little too heavy, and your waves straighten out, and not to flat iron perfection. Use something that has too little hold and all the sudden the slightest bit of moisture will turn beachy waves into in-your-face frizz. Mousse is a miracle product for wavies. It is light and provides tons of hold. The only issue is in the application, but not to worry. We’ll show you how to use mousse for beautiful waves!

Mousse Molding

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 7, 2012

Sometimes all you need to make your waves POP and get them spiraling in a curly girl pattern are the right products and the right application. Even the order in which you apply products is key. For example, the editor of NC.com uses leave-in on her dry waves, AFTER she applies her gels and diffuses. You’ll see how that works later in the series, but product order matters and changes the way the product works. Hair vlogger Shani shows you how she uses products to define her waves and increase the curl.

Make Your Curls POP

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 7, 2012

For all textured hair, a routine is essential. Some curlies even track their routines via journaling to see which routines work best. Nonetheless, for women with type 4 hair, a hair washing routine is SUPER important. Given that a lot of kinkies wash their hair only once a week (sometimes more, sometimes less”>, wash day is the day that sets up how your hair looks. Starting it off right and getting it right the first time will help you avoid having to mess too much with it throughout the week. So take some of these wash day routine tips and figure out what works best for you!

Wash Day and Done

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 7, 2012

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