Search Results: NaturallyCurly

Check out this great tip from Essence.com:

Fall officially begins in just a short while, but you have a good month before your sexy tan starts to fade! Nothing enhances sun-kissed skin like bright tangerine nails. This juicy, tropical hue pops next to bronzey-brown skin, and looks incredibly chic paired with rich, dark blue shades (rock your orange nails with dark denim, you’ll see what we mean!”>.

Right now, we’re loving Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Orange Fizz ($23″>—this sumptuous shade is impossibly glossy and lasts up to a week without chipping!

Check out these great tips from Essence.com.

With so many new products on the shelves, revamping your makeup bag for fall can be a tad overwhelming. Ladies, we went straight to the top for answers! Here, super-famous celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff (Keri Hilson, Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys are devoted clients”> gives us her picks for the top ten makeup and skincare products every Black woman should have in her arsenal this season. Hope you’re taking notes!

Smith’s Rosebud Salve

“Smith’s Rosebud Lip Salve ($6″> is an old-time favorite,” says Sheriff. “It adds instant moisture and helps soothe chapped lips and elbows. “Plus, when I dab it on top of eye shadow, it gives a gorgeous, glowing affect.”

Cover Girl Queen Natural Hue Pressed Powder

“Cover Girl Queen Natural Hue Mineral Pressed Powder ($8,”> is affordable but gives great results,” says Sheriff. “The shade match for women of color is awesome, it’s long-lasting, and it controls shine up to 30 percent better than leading brands.”

Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme

“Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme ($56″> is my favorite moisturizer for normal or combination skin, which many women of color have,” says Sheriff. “It plumps, softens, smooths and gives a red carpet radiance that’s truly amazing.”

Palmers Olive Butter Formula with Vitamin E

“Palmers Olive Butter Formula with Vitamin E ($6.99″> is my go-to product for instantly hydrating my clients’ skin,” says Sheriff.

Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For Platinum

“Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For Platinum ($115″> gives you dense, gorgeous lashes in as little as 8 weeks,” says Sheriff. “I even saw changes on some of my clients in a month! It’s a once-a-day treatment, so use it at night before bed.”

LipFusion InFatuation Liquid Shine Lip Fattener

“LipFusion InFatuation Liquid Shine gloss ($18″> gives you the luscious, plump lips of a goddess…without the surgery,” says Sheriff.

Black Opal Foundation Stick

“Black Opal Foundation Stick gives great, buildable coverage, from light to heavy,” says Sheriff. “I use it for quick touch ups or to mask dark circles. The matte finish makes it awesome for all day wear.”

Girlactik Beauty Lip Gloss in Stunning

“Girlactik Beauty Lip Gloss in Stunning is a universal flattering on all women of color,” says Sheriff. “It’s great for day…and for night, just add lip liner to make it more bold.”

Whole Foods Market recently announced it has implemented new responsible packaging guidelines for all of its more than 2,100 body care and supplement suppliers companywide and, to spearhead the change, has switched to post-consumer recycled (PCR”> content bottles for several of its store-brand supplements and body care products.

“We’re thrilled by how responsive our vendors have been in making changes to provide even more green options for our customers,” said Jeremiah McElwee, global Whole Body coordinator for Whole Foods Market. “More exciting still is that through the development process, Whole Foods Market has created a forum for vendors to share best practices, helping the whole industry move forward with our environment top of mind.”

Beginning in the summer of 2008, McElwee and his team worked with 25 of Whole Foods Market’s largest personal care product suppliers to develop the new guidelines, which became effective Sept. 1, 2009. The guidelines mandate that suppliers reduce the use of plastic in product packaging, encourage the switch to glass when possible, limit acceptable packaging materials to those that are easily reused or recycled, and/or feature the highest percentage of PCR content. Suppliers were given one year to transition to more environmentally friendly packaging.

All new body care and supplement suppliers must meet the packaging guidelines before their products can be sold in one of the company’s more than 300 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

“At Whole Foods Market, we’re committed to reducing, reusing and recycling waste on all levels of business, and we’re thrilled to be leading the green packaging charge with our store-brand products,” said McElwee. “We knew that PCR-content bottles were the way to go. They require less energy and water to produce and generate far fewer greenhouse gases, while diverting reusable materials out of the landfill and reducing reliance on virgin plastics.”

While the switch to PCR bottles began last Sept., the company expects to switch all of its house-brand Whole Body products, which now use amber plastic PET No. 1 bottles, to PCR packaging by late 2010. The new bottles bear a leaf symbol indicating that they are made from 100 percent PCR plastic.

The Clipper Guy, Ivan Zoot, shares another Curly Minute. Blot—do not rub— your hair to dry it. Have a look at this video. More information at Zoothair.com

What other subjects would you like to see a Curly Minute about? Share below!

Pint-sized Smith shows the world she’s serious about her singing career by announcing her recent signing with Jay Z’s Roc Nation. The music world is abuzz with this big move, but we can’t stop talking about her rockin’ hair!

As the summer winds down, many families are preparing for their last summer vacation. Whether you plan on spending time lying on the beach or exploring the outdoors, Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Patrick Bitter, Jr. offers some essential tips to help parents keep children’s skin safe and protected from the sun.

Summer Skin Care 101

• Know your sunscreens: Every parent knows that the best way to protect your child from sun exposure is to lather on the sunscreen. With hundreds of brands out there all advertising that they are the best, how can you be sure the lotion you are applying is really protecting against harmful UVA rays? According to experts, the best sunscreens should always contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These two chemicals don’t irritate or get absorbed into children’s sensitive skin but still act as a powerful shield. Sunscreens should also always be broad spectrum, which means that they block both UVA and UVB rays protecting not only against sunburn, but wrinkles and aging of the skin.
• BEENS: When it comes to favorite foods, parents know that beans are not on the tops of many kids’ lists. However, in the case of sun protection, BEENS is the best way to keep your child safe. An acronym for the most sensitive parts of the body, BEENS stands for back of the knees, ears, eye area, neck and scalp. If these body parts are properly covered, sunburn is 50% less likely to happen!
• Cover Up: Even with sunscreen, the best option to fully protect against damaging skin is to wear dark, tightly woven clothes. Forget throwing on a white t-shirt. The light color absorbs more of the rays than it reflects. Instead, purchase sun protective clothing such as a kid’s full swimsuit or rash guard shirt which offers an ultra violet protection factor.
• Don’t want to buy new clothes: The Skin Cancer Foundation recently did a study that found that simply using Tinosorb FD in your next load of laundry will instantly leave your clothes with 30 UPF. A laundry additive that contains sunscreen, Tinosorb FD creates protection that lasts for as long as 20 washings!
• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! The National Safe Kids Campaign estimates that every year one in four kids under the age of 14 will suffer from dehydration and heat stroke. The best way to keep your child completely hydrated during the summer months is to have him or her drink at least four glasses of water each hour. Liquids with electrolytes, such as Gatorade, are also very beneficial in balancing the still developing nervous system in children. Early symptoms of heat stroke include dry mouth, fatigue and irritability. These signs should be immediately addressed by the parent.

Parents – Don’t Forget About Your Skin!

It can become easy to forget about your own health needs after fretting all day over your child’s well-being. In addition to following these tips, parents must also remember to protect their skin as well. No time to go to the spa? Dr. Bitter highly recommendsClearly Beautiful’s line of collagen masks for the face, neck, and hands. “Each mask contains essential nutrients that reveal a fresh and radiant glow while hydrating the skin and reducing the signs aging,” says Dr. Bitter.

To keep all hair/scalp types moist, try blending 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 avocado and 1/3 cup sour cream in a blender. Apply mask to hair. Cut a large cube of eggplant and massage mask into hair/scalp with eggplant. Cover hair with shower cap for a half hour, then rinse with cold water for a soothed scalp and moisturized hair follicles!

— James Joseph Salon owner William George

Dryness on skin is actually dehydration . . . as weather gets colder, moisture drops to the ground, and there is less moisture in the air, causing moisture in the skin to evaporate. For dry skin, try 1 tsp finely ground cornmeal, 1 tsp sour cream, 1/4 orange (juice squeezed”>, 1/2 tsp grape seed oil or avocado oil, and 1/8 tsp salt mixed together to form a paste. Gently massage into skin for several minutes and rinse with water.

— Marina Valmy, director of Christine Valmy skincare company

Ivan Zoot shares a Curly Minute on how to properly apply styling glaze to your hair for amazing curls.

Have ideas for other Curly Minute videos? Tell us below!

Ivan Zoot shares the concept of cocktailing, mixing your styling products to create your own custom formulas for personalized hair care product performance

This style was done on a day old twist out with a handful of bobby pins. To twist my hair I used Bee Mine Curly Butter, in the island mango scent, and Safi Avocado Shea Butter on the ends and edges. This style style took me 1:44 to complete!!

Christo of Christo Fifth Avenue in NYC has clients with hair throughout the curly spectrum. And over the years, when it comes to those with tight coils or kinky hair, he’s heard the same complaints about products geared toward them—too greasy! Those products were full of waxes and grease and would weigh down the hair.

“Have you ever watched ‘Coming to America’? Remember that fake hair product? Soul Glo—they were complaining of the same type of thing,” he says. “That’s the typical product that was in the market, and I thought there must be something better!”

Natural Coils, still under the Curlisto brand, aims to resolve the issues that tightly coiled or kinky hair faces without proper care.

“We used more conditioners and more ingredients that will help to soften and strengthen the hair,” he said. For example, extracts of chamomile contain proteins that help to mend damage to the hair, which is primarily made of the protein keratin.

Understanding the properties of a hair type lead to better solutions and better products. For example, the cuticles of tightly coiled hair strands do not lay down flat, he explains.

“This makes them more easy to break and get frizzy, so we incorporated a lot of ingredients that strengthen the inner layer and close the cuticle.”

Closing the cuticle and strengthening the hair also improves the appearance of shine, he says. The product line works to condition and style hair at the same time helping keep hair softer and shiner with each use, he says.

There are seven products in the Natural Coils line. Christo recommends the trio for starters—cleanser, conditioner and masque. The defining lotion is the other product in the line that “everyone was waiting for,” he says. “With one product you can style your coils you don’t need to mix anything.”

“The reason I wanted to come with something more unique is to really cater to their texture. Everybody uses Curlisto, but it’s nice when it’s something catering to you. It makes you feel better, shows you that product developers really care,” he says.

We’ll keep an ear to the ground and report here the scoop on the products our readers are chatting about. Don’t forget that many are available in CurlMart.

Keri Russell stayed true to her curly hair with a simple and pretty up-do at the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards.

— Megan Dorcey

At Sunday night’s Emmy awards, beautiful British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw showcases her natural hair with a simple updo. We can’t wait to see her (and her arm-candy”> on the new NBC series, “Undercovers”.

— Megan Dorcey

So I seem to have become the poster child for the joys of keratin treatments, and how you can use them to keep your curls and make them more manageable.

So when Ron King at Bo Salon in Austin offered me the chance to try La Brasiliana’s new Spruzzi Keratin Treatment, a spray-in treatment that replaces formaldehyde with aloe vera and lavender oil, I said, “Go for it!”

Mind you, I was terrified when I decided to try it out several months ago so I could speak to our curly community from personal experience. But I have learned that with an experienced stylist and good communication, you shouldn’t have any surprises. With so many keratin treatments out there and so many stylists jumping into the fray, please make sure you find someone you feel confident with because it’s still a chemical treatment and they are using a very hot iron.

I was in good hands with Angela Torres, who loves doing keratin treatments and seeing how they make her client’s lives easier. She assured me that this would not straighten my hair, but would make it softer, shinier and less frizzy.

Unlike the other treatments I have gotten in the past, I had to wait two days to wash my hair. So for two days, I had the straightest hair of my life. My husband and daughter didn’t recognize me when I met them at a restaurant.

I enjoyed the novelty of brushing my hair—something I never do. It felt like American Girl hair. It swished! But it wasn’t me. My 10-year-old daughter told me that the hair was pretty, but I look better with curls.

But come Monday morning, I was ready to wash it and get my curls back. So far, so good. I’d say my hair is a 3a now. It’s usually a 3b. It looks a few inches longer. And it’s super shiny.

Danielle shares some of her favorite hair accessories along with a few tips on how to best show them off.

Circuit training is a combination of high-intensity aerobics and resistance training designed to quickly get the body in shape.

Circuit training isn’t just to get your body in shape! PhytoSpecific, which offers a botanical hair-care products for naturally curly hair, knows that summer-stressed hair needs special care. Between hot tools, chlorine, chemical processes and UV rays, curls can benefit from PhytoSpecific’s 3-step hair-care circuit training routine—a regimen that restructures, hydrates and fortifies stressed locks.

PhytoSpecific Revitalizing Oil

1. PhytoSpecific Revitalizing Oil: A pre-shampoo treatment, this ultra-rich, lightweight oil regenerates hair and scalp. Created to target irritation and dryness caused by chemical treatments and excessive styling, the unique combination of peanut, castor and sunflower oils along with keratin amino acids helps stimulate the scalp, fortify the hair shaft and protect hair and scalp from external stress factors.


Intense Nutrition Shampoo

2. Intense Nutrition Shampoo : This hydrating shampoo for ultra-dry, brittle, and porous hair is ideal for anyone whose hair has been sensitized by color, harsh styling, and relaxers, and is in need of extra loving care. This botanically based essential deeply nourishes, strengthens, and protects. A rich blend of macadamia and kukui oils, infused with restructuring wheat proteins, leaves hair soft, shiny, and manageable.


Intense Nutrition Mask

3. Intense Nutrition Mask: This is an exceptionally nourishing treatment for ultra-dry, brittle, and porous hair. It repairs strands all the way down to the ends, improving strength and elasticity. An exotic cocktail of plant marrow, illipe butter, and mango seed and quinoa oils hydrates and fortifies, while hibiscus, elder, euphrasia, plantain, and vitamin E sooth the scalp. The addition of wheat amino acids and wood cellulose helps lock in moisture and detangle. Hair is left hydrated, softer, and stronger.