Search Results: NaturallyCurly

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

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 6, 2012

If you’re new to the natural hair community, pre-pooing isn’t only a funny word, but a bizarre concept as well. But regular pre-pooing will help to strengthen your hair against sulfates and make the entire detangling process faster and easier. And anything that will help to make detangling less of an hour plus long practice is always well-worth the time!

How and Why to Pre-Poo

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 6, 2012

Like all textured hair, wavy hair is greatly affected by the way in which you apply products. No specific method is the cure-all for everyone, but some general tips and methods are good to keep in your wavy hair arsenal, especially when you are just beginning the textured hair journey. In house product expert Curly Suzy takes you through the process of how to apply creme and mousse for perfect, frizz-free waves.

Scrunch It In

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 6, 2012

Like all textured hair, curly hair is greatly affected by how you apply products, which products you use and your entire routine. If you are just beginning to take the steps towards embracing your curls, you might not have all of these aspects completely under control. Not to worry! Every curly girl uses her own method, but here are some tips and tricks for the entire spectrum from 3A to 3C.

Secrets to Pretty Curls

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 5, 2012

Learning how to seal your ends is perfect for the newly natural transitioner wanting to protect dry and brittle ends. The process is easy and the results are AMAZING. Welcome to the world of hair health, newly natural! We’ve been waiting on you. Sincerely, #teamnatural.

Keeping Coily Ends Healthy

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 5, 2012

We looked all over the internet for wavy women who are offering advice to other wavies. In an odd twist of sorts, we’re realizing that there isn’t all that much info for wavies out there! Don’t you worry though; this month, we are changing that! If you are new to embracing your waves and are setting down heat stylers in preference for curly girl products, you’ve come to the right place. We bet that you’re still wondering how to get the perfect beachy waves that wavy girls are known for, every single time. Well, once you know the routine, its a cinch!

Loose Beachy Waves

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 5, 2012

Giving Aevin Dugas, the record holder for the world’s largest afro, a run for her money, SNL comedians Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig premiered what is destined to be the world’s creepiest “Save the Date” video. The two comedians portray a couple who each, at one point in time, had their own afro. However, after meeting, their “hearts and souls and hair connected.” Now, they must get hitched, considering that the only way to separate would be by cutting the manes of which they are so proud.

Kenan Thompson also makes an appearance, with straight blonde hair and a reference to wanting the natural afro that Samberg and Wigg sport.

This video aside, wigs are seriously becoming the hottest trend around, and you know it’s gone viral when SNL is mocking it (subliminally”>.

Samberg and Wiig’s Wig

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 2, 2012

Rowe during her allergic reaction.

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

Rowe before the allergic reaction.

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.

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 2, 2012

Despite any rumors that may say otherwise, protective styles are definitely NOT a put in and forget about it hairstyle. No, protective styles still need love and care. Even with synthetic hair, you should be treating it very similarly to how you would treat your natural hair. Just beginning the transition process with a protective style? Not to worry, we’ve got some basic wash tips to make sure that you and your protective style stay happy, healthy and beautiful!

Protect Your Protective Style

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 2, 2012

For all of your newly wavy babes out there, Curlformers are something that you will NEED in your wavy hair arsenal. And since they can be used on either straightened or wavy hair, they are perfect for helping you become more comfortable with wearing your natural hair. Plus, they do their thing without heat, which is essential for the wavy girl looking to go on the natural hair journey. Watch the video, see the results and get your hands on some Curlformers, ASAP!

Curlformers & Compromise

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 2, 2012

Having type 3 hair literally sets you up for the best of both worlds as far as the textured hair community is concerned. You can get rockin’ ringlets easily without much product, and you can also stretch out those ringlets for a wavier alternative. If you’re new to the curly lifestyle, it’s probably quite easy for you to flaunt the ringlets, but getting looser waves without heat can be tricky. Luckily, type 3 gals have a few tricks up their sleeves to make the process easy!

Looser Curls Without The Heat

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 2, 2012

You don’t host a NYFW event and not ask the designers, or in our case the stylists, to give you the down low on how they worked their magic behind the scenes. Seriously, it just wouldn’t be right and we would be denying you content that you have a RIGHT to.

So here it is. Matrix breaks down our favorite textured hairstyle from their “Texture on the Runway” presentation. We expect to be seeing you rocking this look on the streets with your, “I got this look look from the runway” swag.

Go on with your bad self.

Pompadour + Braid + Texture

Daniel Roldan, Artistic Director for Matrix, explains how he got the textured braid look at “Texture on the Runway.”

1. Start by applying Biolage mousse to dry hair to create a texture bass.
2. Micro-crimp the entire head from scalp to ends to expand the hair.
3. Once hair is completely micro-crimped, create a horseshoe shape on top of the head. Sub-section the front hairline and clip it away.

4. In the back of the horse shoe shape, section off hair to start the top of a French braid. Then, French braid the hair down the center of the head leaving the sides out, like a mohawk braid.
5. Return to the top of the head, backcomb and create a square cushion and pin into shape. With front hairline, gently backcomb and lay on or overlap the square cushion.
6. To complete the style, on the sides of the head, start to backcomb sections starting externally and working towards the hairline. Create your base and shape, then overlap the hair on to the cushion and anchor it to the braid. Continue to crisscross, side to side and down the back of the head, and braid.

Post your pictures of the style on our Facebook page and you could be featured!

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 1, 2012

Women with all types of curly hair are experts at the out of the shower and ready-to-go routine officially known as a wash-and-go. Of course, with different hair textures come different products, different product applications and a different finished look. This video is for all you wavies out there who are just starting to experiment with putting the flat iron down and rocking your natural hair. Watch a fellow wavy go through her morning routine, then start wearing your wash-and-go daily.

Wavy Wash-and-Go

Heat is the ultimate enemy.

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 1, 2012

Curly type 3 hair diverges a bit when you start to hit the type 3C range, but that doesn’t mean that all tips about type 3 hair don’t apply to all type 3s. In fact, the opposite is true. Because type 3 hair is thicker, especially for 3As and 3Bs, the twisting, sectioning off and everything else that 3Cs have perfected work amazingly well for all type 3s. If you are beginner, then you’re in luck! Follow along with Kira as she explains how to get the perfect wash-and-go using a diffuser.

Wash-and-Go, Quick

Air drying takes time, diffusing takes diligence.

By NaturallyCurly · Published March 1, 2012

Every natural’s go-to style is a wash-and-go. It’s simple, it’s quick (minus the drying time”> and it looks great! But for newbies, a lot of questions still remain. Which products do I use? How much product do I use? Do I section hair off? Will touching it cause frizz? The questions can go on forever. So to solve your newly natural woes, check out how one of our vloggers perfects her type 4 wash-and-go from beginning to end.

The Wash-and-Go Tutorial