Search Results: Nora Huber

By Nora Huber · Published April 17, 2015

From curly hair to Hollywood Waves with no damage and no heat? Yes, it’s possible!

Tools needed

Curlformers or GVP (general value product”> curlformers (I got the GVP because at the time Curlformers did not have the extra wide and extra long I needed for my 20″ hair. I totally fell in love with them (Naptural85 also shares this opinion on her channel”>.

• some clips
• brush (I use the Tangle Teezer“>
• microfiber towel
• optional for the indirect heat option: a hooded dryer or a hood attachment and a dryer. 

My favorite styling product combos

• Living Proof Prime & Living Proof Restore Lotion
• SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Styling Lotion (a tiny amount!”>/ Ouidad Mongongo Oil
• Mixed Chicks Straightening Serum
• Design Essentials Mousse

First of all, wash and detangle your hair. I also normally do a deep conditioning treatment, with or without hateful steamer. I prefer using a sulfate free shampoo instead of a co-wash because I like to have super clean hair when I do this set. It gives you more volume and shine.

Wrap your hair in a microfiber towel to take out the excess water. The curlier and the frizzier the hair, the more you want your hair to be wet. So if you have no frizz problem, let them dry till 60%. If you have really frizzy or coily hair, just slightly remove the excess water.

Part your hair down the middle in the back, but create already the side part on top, in the way you want it to be. Clip one side away for the moment. Brush again with the Tangle Teezer to eliminate all the knots and to smooth the hair. The smoother is the hair, the better will be the set.

Golden rule: place the curlformers curling away from your face. In my case, my yellow Curlformers turn right, so they go on my right side, the pink Curlformers turn left, so they go to my left side. Yellow right, pink left.

Placement

I use 24 curlformers, 12 pink and 12 yellow. This is how I place mine, because I do a side part on the left side. I need more of the yellow curlformers on the right side. If you also do a side part, remember to compensate on the other side with the same amount of curlformers.

I use 2 more yellow Curlformers in the right side, so I need to compensate and use 2 less on the pink (left”> side. I simply use the 2 pink at the back of my head in my right side.

On the Left side I do 3 sections with 4 curlformers at the bottom, 4 in the middle section, and 2 in the top section. 442=10

On the Right side I use the 2 pink Curlformers with the other yellow Curlformers. I place 4 on the bottom, then 3, then 4, and again 4 in the top section. 4343=14

This is the placement that gives me the best results. You can play around with it, depending on your hair thickness and density. I have fine hair and medium density. With 28 Curlformers you should be able to cover a head of hair with medium density, doing 7 sections of 4 curlformers each.

Application

1. Twist the hair away from your face a couple of times. This will help you insert all the hair in the curlformers hook. Drag also the hair down to smooth the roots.
2. Insert the hook from behind making sure all the hair is in it.
3. Place your thumb over the hub and push the hair up. Doing this will prevent the hair from escaping the hook.
4. Cover the opening of the hook with the Curlformer so that the hair won’t escape while pulling the hook down and out.
5. Gently pull the hook down.

Now you can air dry or use some indirect heat to speed up the process.

Watch my full tutorial

Take down

1. Remove the curlformers simply pushing the rubberized part on the top and sliding the Curlformer down. It helps if you stretch it out.
2. You have two options: rocking the tight ringlet curls look, or fluffing them into glamorous waves. If you wanna keep it curly, just divide the individual curls until you are happy with the result. A little oil or serum will calm the frizz. To rock the glamorous waves you just need to brush out the curls gently with a wide tooth comb (I know it seems scary but trust me on this”> and then stretch the pattern. To do so you can wrap your hair around your head (Learn to do it my No Heat video“> put it in a bun for half an hour.

Use some hair serum to tame flyaways… and you are gorgeously done!

By Nora Huber · Published March 24, 2015

We all know that practicing yoga has many benefits for both the body and mind. Regularly practicing yoga improves our mood, concentration, mind-body awareness, overall strength and flexibility. It is also known for lowering the blood pressure and is used widely in medicine as a complementary care to support patient recovery and improve the QoF in chronic illnesses. According to a comparative study appeared in 2010 in the The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, “The effects of yoga and exercise seem to indicate that, in both healthy and diseased populations, yoga may be as effective as or better than exercise at improving a variety of health-related outcome measures, acting via the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system.”

Yoga is also extremely beneficial for a healthy hair grow rate. The more down-facing positions you do, the more blood goes to your scalp and follicles, thus proving for faster hair growth.

Child Pose

Extended Spine

Keep your legs straight, feet parallel, and bend gently forward, keeping a straight spine. If you are not extremely flexible–like me–you probably will not touch the floor. But do not worry, it is important that you don’t curve your spine trying to go lower.

Downward Facing Dog

From the previous pose, bend forward and touch the hands to the mat, keeping your head between your arms. Keep the spine flat and try to push your heels to the floor. You will feel your blood warming your scalp. This will also give you a great overall stretch.

Downward Facing Dog On Elbows

If you want to go deeper, bend your elbows. Keep the head between your arms, the spine flat and push the heels towards the mat. Breathe.

Flip

I love this pose because it is so graceful and powerful at the same time. From the Downward Facing Dog push into a plank, than a side plank, then just flip on one side using one foot as anchor and the other to stabilize you. Take a moment to appreciate how elegant you look!

Triangle

You are in a standing position, legs are wide open, feet facing forward. Now, turn the right feet to the front, imagining a line intersecting the left feet. Bend your hips to the right side; try to touch the floor with your right hand, and the sky with your left. Feel the stretch and relax.

Bound Extended Side Angle

From the triangle pose, bend the front leg and interlock your hands behind the back, with the right one passing through your legs to reach the left one. It’s an advanced pose that you can bend your head, making it even more beneficial for the hair.

Camel Pose

This pose can hurt your back, so skip it if you are not really flexible or if you just started. On your knees, simply and slowly bend back, grabbing your ankles with your hands. This pose is great if you are sitting in front of the computer all day, because it will open up your chest.

Bonus Pose: The Fall

If you fall down, do not give up. Everyone has a starting point. I encourage you to try these poses at least three times per week and you will see an improvement in your hair growth and health, along with increased flexibility and a bunch of other benefits. (For everyone wondering, my hair is in a Curlformers set. Looks pretty awesome, doesn’t it?”>

Important note

I want you to be aware that every pose that puts stress on the cervical and lumbar spine, such as headstands, backbending positions, it’s extremely dangerous, especially for beginners. Being a surgical resident, I wanted to throw in this important information. Also, If you have recently suffered from a stroke, glaucoma, you had eye or brain surgery or, to put it simply, you suffer from some kind of disease of the head, do not do any pose that could lead to an increase amount of blood (pressure”> in the head and brain. If you are not healthy or you suffer from a disease, check with your GP before starting any new exercise routine. Make every move responsibly and do not push yourself over your personal limit.

If you engage in these exercises, you are doing so at your own risk and assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge NaturallyCurly and the author from any and all claims or causes of action.

By Nora Huber · Updated March 17, 2015

When NaturallyCurly released their 2014 Best of The Best product winners, I was super excited. Every time it comes out I like to check and see if what I liked throughout the year was a hit for other curly girls too. It is also a good way to discover new products that are “must haves.” But because I live in Europe, I cannot always find all those holy grails on the ground here. I order product several times per year from Curlmart, but there are times when I desperately need a product and I don’t want to wait for it to be delivered.

I have been a Curly Girl since 2009! I have always alternated between local products and USA holy grails, and over the years I’ve discovered several dupes of my favorite brands that are available in Europe.

Generally speaking, the brand Phyto is great for styling products and the brand Lavera for masks, conditioners and shampoos.

The Original is listed first; then, the dupe follows.

They are available at Sephora, Globus and Naturasí.

• Curly Hair Solutions from Curl Keeper – Sanotint, oli non oli
• Kinky Curly, Curling Custard – Phyto, Phyto Défrisante
• Kinky Curly, Knot Today Leave-In – Bio Officina Toscana, Balsamo
• As I Am, Coconut Cowash – Splend’or, Balsamo al Cocco
• DevaCurl, Set It Free – Alchimia Natura, Capelli di Luce Spray
• Shea Moisture, Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Style Milk – Nivea Styling, Flexible Curls
• Curls Like Us Curl Cloths – Your dad’s t-shirt!
• DevaCurl Light Defining Gel – Leonor Greyl, Gel à l’Hibiscus Alcohol-Free Shaping Styling Gel (better than the original!”>
• DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel – Phyto, PhytoProfessional Strong Sculpting Gel
• DevaCurl Low Poo – PHYTOSPECIFIC, Curl Hydration Shampoo
• Carol’s Daughter, Monoi Repairing Anti-Breakage Spray – Lavera, Orange Express Leave-In Spray
• Curl Junkie, Curl Rehab Moisturizing Hair Treatment – Lavera, Organic Repair and Care Intense Treatment
• DevaCurl, MirrorCurls – Lavera, Rose Repair & Care Hair Serum
• Carol’s Daughter, Chocolat Smoothing Blow Dry Cream – Phyto, PhytoKeratine Repairing Thermal Protectant Spray
• Briogeo, Repair Don’t Despair – Louise Galvin, Sacred Locks Treatment Masque for Thick and Curly Hair

Remember

By Nora Huber · Published March 15, 2015

Raise your hand if you have ever done anything damaging to your hair? I am definitely guilty of putting my curls through a lot. I have had it all–coloring, bleach, heat tools, brushing… As a result,  I have a special DIY routine to to battle the breakage, dryness and excessive split ends that damage can bring.

I use these recipes as soon as I start to see my hair getting frustrated. I can easily spot my hair edging near the point of no return. Usually I am able to reverse the situation quickly.

If your hair is feeling less defined, lost its bounce or shine, these simple recipes using what you already have at home. No need to buy fancy hair products! In this mask I combine the benefits of avocado, honey, olive oil and egg yolk:

• The Avocado contains emollients that soften and prevent dryness, vitamins B5 and B6 to nourish the hair follicle and improve elasticity and shine, proteins and amino acids to strengthen the shaft and fill in the gaps, making the hair stronger.
• Honey is a wonderful ingredient to use on your hair because it contains vitamins and acts as a humectant (attracts moisture to the hair like glycerin”>, and has also antibacterial properties, making it perfect to soothe an irritated, dry scalp.
• Olive oil is one of my favorite oils because it can actually penetrate deep in the hair shaft, making it a great oil to restore hair elasticity. When your hair loses elasticity, your curls drop and the hair breaks. Nobody wants that. Olive oil is also packed with vitamins and emollients to nourish the hair structure and the skin.
• Egg Yolk (If you are vegan, feel free to skip this ingredient”> is rich in proteins, perfect to strengthen the hair, but also vitamins to prevent hair loss, super nutrient fatty acid to restore softness and shine and protect and maintain the vibrancy of your hair color.

Note: These measurements are for medium-length, medium density hair. For thicker, longer hair, increase the amount to your liking.

The Ultimate Mask

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 egg yolk

Mix everything together until smooth, apply on the hair for 30 minutes, keeping the head warm then wash out with cold (important!”> water. If you feel your hair being greasy after this treatment, wash them with a sulfate free shampoo or a cleansing conditioner.

The Oil Elasticizer Pre-Poo

Yes, even washing the hair can be damaging. Wet hair loses proteins and water allows the hair to stretch. To prevent the damage caused by excessive washing, I pre-poo: I coat my hair with coconut oil and olive oil, two great penetrating oils that prevent the loss of elasticity. I leave this mixture in my hair for about 15 minutes before washing and conditioning my hair as usual.

The Strengthening Gel

Flaxseed gel is an old time favorite of mine. I have been using it for 7 years, every time I need to give my hair some TLC but I don’t want to compromise my styling. The homemade flaxseed gel gives a light to medium hold (depending on how thick you want it”> and with my added boosters, it is an amazing DIY treatment-styler all in one.

• 4 tablespoons flaxseeds 
• water to cover the flaxseeds
• 1 teaspoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

I prepare my flaxseed gel as usual, boiling the seeds with the coconut flour and then I separate the gel with a sifter. I usually let it sit for 20 minutes until cold, then I add the olive oil.

• The coconut flour provides the proteins and the olive oil has emollient benefits to keep the hair shiny and elastic. I store it in the fridge in little containers of one dose, so I can use it whenever I want. 

Pass these damage-erasing mixologies to all of your curly best friends!

By Nora Huber · Published February 2, 2015

In my phone, I keep a list of things that have disappointed my hair in the past. I call it my “black list.” It includes:

Don’t mistake me–there is nothing wrong in wanting to change our look. The problem is that those changes are not compatible with healthy hair. You will damage your hair and throw away all of your effort, time, money, and products that allowed your hair to be in a certain state. Does this stop us from having what I call natural setbacks? No.

Don’t mistake me–there is nothing wrong in wanting to change our look.

I want to share with you my latest and most ridiculous personal setback ever–because even a curly hair YouTuber, with years and years of knowledge about curly hair and healthy hair makes mistakes on her own curls, too.

You may know about my recent keratin treatment. Even though the term “keratin treatment” WAS on my blacklist, I convinced myself that the new keratin treatments are safer and better formulated. And that is true: my hair was not damaged from the keratin process. The keratin treatment improvement does not apply to the stylist who performs it. My stylist was totally unprepared for the keratin service–and even though I knew it, I sat down in the chair and hoped for the best. The new keratin system by Goldwell lets you choose the strength–you can keep your curls and eliminate the frizz, or eliminate both. 

I asked my stylist to leave my curls and only eliminate the frizz. And I thought that was what happened. Apparently, she used so much unnecessary heat that she heat damaged my hair. On top of that, I discovered afterwards that she used the curl eliminating formula. Great.

Apparently, she used so much unnecessary heat that she heat damaged my hair.

I could not see this before, because my hair was really healthy and shiny. My hair is down my hips, and I don’t have a single split end. The problem is, the hair growing new on my scalp, is so much curlier. On the ends my hair is a 2b, at the roots a 3b. Wow. So, major setback: with my hair down my hips, I damaged my curl pattern. Now I have to transition all over again.

What do you need to remember from my story?

That everyone has setbacks.

Even your favorite, most experienced vlogger has them. One of my faves, Naptural85, just colored her hair and said she would not do it again. So why do we do it, even though we know we are risking our hair’s health and appearance? Because we are humans, and we all make mistakes. We also ignore our little “Don’t do it!” inner voice, sometimes. If you’ve had a recent setback, do not panic. Own it!

Try to see your hair setback as a way to learn more about your hair, a way to experiment with it. In the end, we were given one life and one set of hair, so it is ok to play with it, fail and succeed. You are not defined by the choices you make, you are defined by the way you handle the obstacles you encounter on your way. But, just to be sure… print out your black list and read it often!

This post was written by Nora for NaturallyCurly.com. Follow her journey on her Youtube channel, Shalimarcat and Instagram @Shalimarcat.

By Nora Huber · Published July 30, 2014

This summer as humidity and frizz made their usual appearances, I discovered that my old routine was no longer working for me. My hair was a huge ball of frizz, but to be honest I was kind of expecting it. Every summer my hair goes into a wild rebellious phase in which it behaves like there is no tomorrow…

It typically returns to normal when the dew point drops, but for the entirety of summer it is a nightmare to deal with. Normally I embrace the frizz, wearing my hair in a big poofy style; but this time I wanted to try something new and different: a keratin smoothing treatment.

This was not my first attempt at a keratin treatment. I have tried one before, the Global Keratin Treatment, but for me personally my hair was still a bit frizzy and curly after it, and it made me lose a lot of hair! It grew back eventually, but it was really scary in the shower. In my opinion it was a waste of money.

Goldwell KeraSilk Treatment

This time I saw online a new advertisement about the Goldwell KeraSilk Treatment, that promises to get you “from frustrating to fabulous hair. Discover the ultimate transformation. Kerasilk Keratin Treatment is the first customizable long-lasting smoothing services for hair like silk up to 5 months!”

Fabulous? Customizable? Long Lasting (but not forever lasting”>? Yes, they had me from the word go!

I booked an appointment and… here is my review of the whole system!

The Choices

The interesting thing is that this treatment is customizable: there are two solutions that your stylist mixes together, one is called “shape” and the other “smooth”. You can have both in medium or intense. “Shape” is used to relax the curls (don’t get me wrong, it is not a relaxer!”> and “smooth” takes the frizz away. So you can end up with different results: super silky almost straight hair (if you use the intense version of both”> or just a subtle result, with frizz reduction and minimal curl relaxation. “The KeraShape Technology consists in glycoxylic acid and smoothing ingredients (keratin and silk proteins”>. It creates new keratin bonds into the hair and stabilizes the new hair shape up to 5 months.”

I chose the medium/medium combination.

The Process

First, you need plenty of time. Really, plenty. I am not used to sitting for 5 hours in the same chair so it was pretty annoying. And should we talk about the fact I forgot to bring some good books with me so all I had were those terrible celebrity magazines? Terrible.

First, they shampoo your hair twice (to clarify it”> then they blow dried it, till it’s 80% dry.

They apply the mix of the two solutions carefully on super tiny sections (it took forever because I have tons of hair”>.

The solution sits on the hair for 20 minutes, then the hair is blow dried (again”> and carefully flat ironed with high temperature. This is a down side… I expect some heat damage, but I in order to evaluate it I have to wait until the treatment is fully out of my hair (in 4 months I will report back”>.

Then… the hair is washed again! Yes, you don’t walk out with the treatment in.

At this point when I sat back into the chair my heart skipped a beat! My hair was super super sleek and straight. The stylist then dried it just with the hands and finished really quickly with a round brush (total styling time 15 minutes”> and this was the result (pictured on the left”>.

The Results

I have to admit, right after the treatment I was super scared my hair was relaxed pin straight! It took it a couple of washes to show texture back (it was also very flat”>.

Now my hair is wavy again. I was a Type 2c, I am now a Type 2a with lots of volume and the ability to style my hair pin straight and smooth in 15 minutes because my hair is super smooth and the frizz is gone.

I can walk out of the shower and put nothing on it and be sure my hair will be really nice. With my curly hair this was impossible: I had to use at least 4 products in it and be extra careful not to touch my hair during the drying process.

This is how my hair looks right after the shower no product in it (pictured above on the right”>.

Here is a photo from 2 weeks after the treatment, hair styled quickly with a brush (10 minutes total time used”>.

Do I miss my curls? Yes a bit. But for now summer life is extremely easy with this treatment in!

So does it do what it promises:

• “makes unruly, frizzy hair manageable” – yes!
• “softens waves and smoothens the overall hair structure” – yes!
• “reduces the clients’ daily styling time significantly” – yes!

I feel it is a perfect solution for people like me that find curly hair sometimes too time consuming. Since it is semi permanent, my curls will be back. Even if they do not return fully, at least I won’t have a demarcation line.

Overall, I am satisfied with this product and I recommend it to all the wavy frizzy girls out there!

You can find salons that carry the treatment on the Goldwell site’s salon finder.

By Nora Huber · Published July 16, 2014

Introduce yourself!

My name is Nora and I live in the chocolate country, Switzerland! I’m a medical student and a model, with a passion for fitness and beauty (especially hair”>!

How long have you been wearing your hair in its natural state?

I always wore my hair straight (flatironed but still natural”> till the beginning of highschool, 8 years ago. Then I started to relax my hair, and I kept doing it for 2 years, until one day I decided really spontaneously that I just wanted to enjoy my natural texture!

That happened 6 years ago. Since then, I have been wearing my hair wavy/curly for most of the time.

What inspired you to start a YouTube channel?

I love YouTube and I always enjoy watching videos, especially about reviews (now I never buy a product before watching a bunch of video review about it”> and tutorials. I learned how to care for my curly hair through the videos, but I felt there were not many YouTubers with my hair texture (really frizzy and difficult to handle but with a very loose curl pattern”> so I thought, why not to start filming some tutorials? The first video was so funny that I never stopped!

What are your life passions?

I love beauty and fashion, in every way. I am lucky enough that I can enjoy the beauty and fashion industry through my job as a model, as well through my career as a surgeon, because I will specialise in plastic surgery.

I also love cats, arts (especially the pre-raphaelites”> and I am a passionate reader!

What do you love–or hate–about you hair?

I love that my hair is really strong and really forgiving: I never had split ends or thinning problems, even when I was relaxing it. I also have a lot of hair!

I hate that, despite having a lot of hair, I lack volume because it is so baby fine and soft! I also hate that my texture is loose but frizzy!

What products are you obsessing over right now?

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day line and the Briogeo line. I especially love also the Redken dry shampoo and the Jessicurl Spiralicious Styling Gel. I am obsessed with Curlformers, because I like to play with my hair with heatless styles!

What’s your best tip for curlies with your hair type?

Don’t obsess too much about it. In the end, it’s just hair. Do you boo. If you want to color, straighten or relax it, it’s ok. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, there is no Hair Police, just do what makes you happy! There will be days when your hair is a mess, but that’s ok. Buns were invented for that! Try to stay away from sulfates and leave some conditioner in the hair after washing it, to prevent frizz!

Watch Nora’s best twist-out:

How can we follow you online?

By Nora Huber · Published July 3, 2014

I am a big fan of Games of Thrones, and in celebration of everyone’s favorite queen, I wanted to share this beautiful hairstyle inspired by Daenerys Targaryan! She always has amazing hairstyles, but this one works especially well for wavy and curly hair. No complicated fishtail braids or twists here, so even absolute beginners in braiding can rejoice. 

What You’ll Need

I started with freshly washed hair. I am currently obsessed with the  new line from Shea Moisture Tahitian Noni and Monoi Smooth and Repair. I can be always sure I will have shiny and frizz free hair whenever I use the Shampoo and the Conditioner. I also used a small amount of DevaCare Arc AnGEL for curl definition. The tools you’ll need are a duckbill clip and elastic hair bands.

Directions

Step 1: Air Dry Waves

I let my hair dry naturally and when it was dry I slept with a high bun to stretch out the curls, to mimic Daenerys natural pattern, which is a bit looser than mine. If you have naturally a loose pattern just skip the night time step.  The next day I was ready to transform in a warrior princess! 

Step 2: Part Hair at Ear Level

To recreate this style, part your hair at ear level.  You don’t need to be neat. Warrior princesses have to be ready to run and save their loved ones, they don’t have time to waste!

Step 3: Divide Section into 2

Divide the first section into two smaller sections and twist them separately on the same side, then interlock them on the other side. (It’s easier to do than to explain, see the photo!”>. This will give you the effect of a rope braid.

Step 4: Secure with Clip

Continue rope braiding (or twisting”> until you reach the middle back, then twist a couple of times more, and secure the section in place with a duckbill clip.

Step 5: Divide second section

Just like on the first side, divide the section on the other side of your head into two.

Step 6: Repeat Twist

Repeat the twist from the front to the back.

Step 7: Unclip and Combine

Remove the duckbill from the first twist and take one twist in each hand.

Step 8: Combine Strands

Combine the right strand from one section with the right strand from the opposite section, and combine the left strand from one section with the left strand from the opposite. You should have now in your hand two sections.

Step 9: Keep twisting to the end

Now keep twisting the two sections in the back until you run out of hair.

Step 10: Secure twist

Once you’ve reached the end secure the twist with a hair elastic.

And you have it! A perfect warrior princess style that reminds me of fairytales, enchanted woods, dangerous dragons, fearless kings and unexplored castles!

Skoriot ñuhyz zaldrīzesse ilzi? (High Valyrian for “Where are my dragons?””>

For Nora’s curly hair routine and favorite products, check out this article. You can watch Nora on her YouTube channel Shalimarcat.