Search Results: Pekela Riley
The minimalism mantra of today is “less is more,” and nothing showcases this more than the popular short, curly texture haircuts this year that are bold and beautiful. Just like that hot and short text from your man, a hot and short curly cut has an instantaneous “sizzle” effect. Scroll down to see the hottest short cuts of 2018 that give you all the motivation you need to go for the big chop.
Super Tapered Curl
This is a strong taper curly haircut showcasing the length and the texture on top. It’s perfect for 4C texture because it’s very manageable at this length.
Key Tip: For lasting definition twist it and then rod it. I do this specifically with 4C textures because it can be challenging to create definition. So in order to create a very defined look, twist it and then a rodding it for a double curly effect.
Wavy Flo-Hawk
Although, we love Beyonce’s new verse on “Top Off,” this style gives us flowy waves at the top with the “Sides Off.” This is a blowout with loose curls brushed out with a wave motion technique with a bristled brush. The shaved sides give a deliberate edge to the style. Women rock this look to show that bad girl side and express some sense of level up edgy about themselves. The lower you go on the sides, the more edginess you bring out.
Key Tip: Be sure to use a leave-in conditioner certain and a thermal protectant. Anytime you wear a blowout, heat protectant is essential.
Super Flowy Taper
At Salon PK we debuted this look a year ago, and when celebrity singer Kelis recently lit up our timelines with this exact look, it was proof that it’s still a hit in 2018! This curly haircut is designed to be incredibly soft to allow for the fullness of the natural curls to blossom, with enough length to show the loop of the curls on the side. The top is done with multiple rod sizes, to get that organic look.
Key Tip: Sometimes you see rod sets with one uniformed rod arrangement, but if you want an editorialized look with individuality to the hair, you can use different size rods to create a nice natural look that doesn’t look like a rod set. The rose gold full progression is what I call a “dreamsickle” ;”>
Low Key Fade & Lunar Part
This is for the free-spirited girl that is low maintenance but still wants to push the envelope. This style is a soft fading going inward like a subtle mohawk – with a dynamic lunar part design. It’s meant to bring out the edgy to the highest extent. This is for the lady that wants her hair to be the main focal point when she walks in the room. She doesn’t want her hair to just be done, she wants it to be “too lit!”
Key Tip: Use a curl defining product like curl pudding, along with a sponge which is a must to go around the curls on the top.
Curls Around the World
Who runs the world? Curls! This is a cute, soft and dainty look ideal for Type 3 hair. It’s not overly defined and has the same length of curls all around. The desired effect is a soft frame for texture flow without the rigidness. Hairstylists often talk about what to do, but it’s also just as important to know “what not to do.” When the curls are poppin’, you don’t want to take away from them. To fade it out or cut it would be to take away from the “natural” beauty of this look.
Key Tip: This look requires lots of hydration and moisture because the focus is all about the curl definition. It’s a wet & go for those with higher curl definition.
Twist Sauce
These twists are achieved by adding texture on texture with detail for Type 4 hair, creating a beautiful spiral and light spring array. This look is single twisted and then rodded, creating a dimension of definition and a swell. It’s perfect for the person who wants to play with the shaping, but doesn’t want to commit to the maintenance. You can place bobby pins on the side in different colors, to accessorize and sauce it up it in a cute unique way.
Key Tip: Make certain you have an edge control product that has staying power and isn’t too greasy.
Classic Spiral
Our Salon PK stylist Lauren @hautehairbylauren created these spirals on tiny rods to give the effect of natural curls because they’re so tight and small. They’re well defined and will last a long time. Bright colors like this blonde are celebratory of being natural – unapologetically.
Key Tip: Keep essential oils on the hair and use a satin bonnet at night to help the curls stay.
Press & Curl Remix
This is the style I came into this spring season with. It’s a distinctly, ambiguous hybrid of a press and curls. I love to create this style when I have a blowout that has ran its course. During this time the texture of the hair is coming back, but it’s not overly frizzy, so it can be utilized to resurrect a new look. You can allow the newly formed texture to serve as a pre-stretch for twists or bantu knots. Believe it or not, there’s new life at the end of a blowout.
Key Tip: After you’ve worn out your slay with your hair pressed, twist the hair that’s reverted to your natural curl pattern that night, and then take it out in the morning.
You’ll be seeing more of these cutting-edge short cuts served up for what will surely be one of the hottest naturalista curl fest seasons yet!
https://www.beautycon.com/article/what-makes-natural-curlies-supernatural
https://www.beautycon.com/article/what-a-stylist-wants-you-to-know-before-
Are you going short this season? Tag us in your big chop pics @naturallcurly so we can see your transformation and be featured on our page.
The same weekend the epic Black Panther movie was released, guess where lucky me was scheduled to go? AFRICA!!! Johannesburg, South Africa to be specific. I was on set with a team I assembled for a prestigious hair care company as the Creative Director for a global brand image campaign. So, you know I was ready to give hella “Wakanda” vibes with extra motherland sauce!
As an African-American woman and a creative hairstylist, I was beyond excited to come to South Africa and connect to the culture on so many levels! Primarily because I see Africa as the birthplace of beauty, and often times it’s omitted in the beauty conversation. So this campaign uniquely incorporated Africa and it’s beautiful imagery. The campaign shoot was so special and dope because it wasn’t just about black beauty, but African beauty, which brought about a genuine and unfiltered approach.
South Africa: The Surreal vs The Real
If you think you’ve heard the sweet sounds of birds chirping in the morning, wait until you wake-up for the first time in South Africa. The birds sound like they’re from a symphonic safari projected through the highest quality Beats By Dre headphones! The food was also the absolute best, so seasoned and highly flavored!
But to my surprise, the effects of globalization has developed Johannesburg into a very urban-influenced and westernized metropolitan city beyond what I would’ve thought. I saw more polos worn than dashikis. It reminded me of a South Beach Miami vibe. So being from Florida myself, it felt like it could be a second home away from home.
Hairstyle Trends
Before the trip, I shopped around for fashionable tribal prints, and even contemplated getting braids to fully immerse in the African culture I was expecting to be engulfed in. But none of the women in Johannesburg that I saw were wearing braids. With the exception of one lady wearing gray braids at the airport, reminding me of the classic Angela Bassett in Black Panther, I would’ve appeared out of place if I were to have gotten braids exclusively to fit in for the trip.
Natural vs Texture
What was most common to see were naturals. Type 4 hair mostly, worn in low, well-kept styles that us naturalistas stateside call “teeny weeny afros.” This was so interesting to me because in the U.S. we celebrate texture, but not a whole lot of pure natural. In South Africa, I noticed that they didn’t get into the obsession with texture management and manipulation, or the uber-texture message of a natural style alone not being “enough” until the curls are way poppin’!
Thus, I found myself having to adjust my perception of “natural,” because there weren’t as many curl defining styles and twists. There was a beauty appreciation for simplicity, and not being overly-done. It wasn’t about altering the hair to get juicy curls and twist outs. The natural TWA alone seemed to be enough for the women, to be at work or in public, simply as they were. Extensions were also not as common to see. When I did see them worn, they weren’t nearly as advanced as what we’re accustomed to.
Who’s The Driver of Natural Hair Trends: Africans or Black Americans?
Definitely Black America. South Africa, as I can see based on my week-long trip to Johannesburg, is maybe 3-5 years behind our current natural hair texture movement. There’s definitely an aspiration I recognized amongst many women in South Africa for the #BlackGirlMagic hair and beauty images they identify African-America women with.
Only fifty percent of South Africans currently have internet access, but it’s growing. Social media is used as an aspirational outlet for them to see our styles and trends. I remember the look on an influencer’s face when I finished her natural texture extensions’ styling as she said: “OMG, I have an American weave now!” She had seen it previously and loved it but never had a stylist that could capture that look on her until I styled her.
Stylist Takeaways
I am so thankful for this opportunity I had to do what I love, on the continent where my ancestors are from and where mankind began. It was such a connection in resource sharing. By working on a great campaign with a great company, as well as a team native to South Africa, I now feel a sense of community to Africa at large, that I want to grow.
I was able to work with models from different African Regions – from West, North, Central, and East Africa – in creating a global image of natural African beauty. I was able to use my expertise to advance the style while appreciating the culture and its organic feel for beauty, which I embraced by not executing any style that could be considered over-processed.
My role was not only to showcase Africa but progress it. I was the African-American influential piece to an African project of beauty. That in and of itself is a new chapter, to a great book about our collective culture, that I can’t wait to style and write about again in the near future!
For more on my journey to Africa, check me out on ig @pekelariley!
It takes a specific mindset and a regimen with the right tools to overcome the funk of detangling. Just like good hygiene, detangling is one of those things you must commit to for achieving a smooth and manageable set of hair. Plus you need the right tools! I’ve seen an un-managed tangle knot, even on a Wash & Go, become so tight that it tangled into an unruly state where the person had to consider growing a loc, forced by default to incorporate a style like “The Weeknd.”
Detangling is essential to the outcome of any style and for properly managing the hair. Just like “hitting the spots” with a rag won’t cut it for bathing, you’re not just going to pick up anything and go right through some hair when detangling. However, there are some wonderful tools you can use for detangling natural hair from the root to the tip. As a stylist, these are the 4 tools I recommend everyone have in their detangling tool kit.
#1: Conditioners & leave-ins
Always condition and apply a leave-in before any instrument is used to detangle to prime your hair and prepare it to be moved. Conditioners have a low pH, and lower pH builds the cuticles and provides slip. Also, conditioners provide much needed hydration in addition to achieving elasticity for manageability. Conditioning is so important because even strong hair will snap when it’s dehydrated. Hydration creates flexibility and elasticity, which is the ability to stretch without breaking.
For example, a child can fall down some steps and hop right back up in many cases without being too hurt, because the child’s body and bones are resilient and flexible. However, let an older adult miss those same steps, and they could be in a full body cast.
#2: Friction-free brush
I feel like I’m giving away a trade secret with this one! I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the Wet Brush! I lose my mind if it’s not in my case.
A lot of naturals will come into my salon and panic because of detangling issues, but this Wet Brush does the trick. Other brushes work ok if your hair is wet, but this brush is designed for wet hair. The spacing of the bristles are absolutely perfect – they’re not too close to pull the hair, but close enough to get smoothing. The bristles are friction free and have little balls that are mini detanglers on the end as well. They’re really gentle and smoothing, giving zero friction on the hair.
A rake comb and the Denman brush don’t even make my list. They became cool to say in the natural hair community – but in my opinion the Friction Free Wet Brush is the top detangling tool that trumps them all. My shed test is my wet brush, which allows me to clearly see the shedding and be able to address certain issues with the client.
There’s not a head of hair I do from 1A-4C , relaxed to natural, that I don’t use my Wet Brush on. I love it!
#3: Sectioning clips
A very important step in the detangling process is sorting. If you have hair like a big fro or jumbo curls, you have to clip some of that up to organize a path to detangle. It’s just like a room that needs to be thoroughly cleaned. You have to section off the areas you’re cleaning and attack them in sections. Clips keep you on task and help organize the hair, which adds to a better detangling experience. Clips will also help you keep a clear distinction between the sections you’ve detangled and the ones haven’t so you don’t wind up doing twice the work.
#4: Shears
If you run into an issue where you are experiencing “fairy knots” (also known as single strand knots“> or split ends, a great tool to pull out is the shears. With the shears you can do a light dusting (the most minimal of a trim”> just to get rid of the little ends of the hair. Those split ends are like the bad apples in the bunch at school your parents told you not to hang around. The warning was “if you hang around them, you can become just like them.” Split ends are these bad apples. Split ends lead to more split ends, and go straight up the strands because you didn’t nip them in the bud from the jump. This makes the hair knot up, causing it to break. Check out this full tutorial on how to dust your own hair at home.
Just like showering and bathing, detangling is a step you can’t skip. If you do, it will put your hair in a state of funk that will only compound and cost you in the end.
Depending on your hair type, detangling can be more challenging. On a scale of 1-10, coarse hair is a 20 in detangle challenge. But all hair of all textures, and the healthiest of hair, requires detangling. It will never end, you always have to detangle. Just like showering and bathing, detangling is a step you can’t skip. If you do, it will put your hair in a state of funk that will only compound and cost you in the end.
What’s been your worst detangling nightmare, and what tools did you use to tame it?
Comment below with your detangling experiences and best practices.
What’s being talked about in the chair, just as much as the current season of Power? That would be Olaplex, an in-salon service receiving a lot of buzz in the salon world. It’s still a relatively new treatment for many, so here’s the scoop on what stylists at Salon PK think about “The Big O.”
What is Olaplex?
Olaplex is an additive to your bleach or color that prevents your hair from breaking, giving it more lift or lighting.
Why is it receiving so much hype?
One of the biggest concerns with color treatment is compromising the curl pattern. This is because usually when you bleach and color the hair, bonds are altered and broken, creating unavoidable breakage to the hair. However, with Olaplex you can leave bleach on the hair longer, and instead of breaking and damaging the hair, you’re actually keeping it in a better condition to achieve even healthier hair.
The Good
When I have used this product, all of my thoughts of Olaplex are ALL GOOD… and for textured hair it’s only a plus! I typically apply it with color or a Brazilian Bond treatment. It intermixes with colors well and achieves great lighting. The better looking hair color is always the healthier one. So Olaplex can be the difference between a stunning color, like a sharp blonde that makes heads turn – versus a dull blonde that goes unnoticed.
The Bad/Ugly
There’s nothing bad or ugly about healthier hair, but the biggest complaint amongst stylists is the longer processing time. However, this is just something to discuss before an appointment with the client. Multi-lift color with Olaplex on average takes about an hour longer. Plus with color in general, there are so many variables to getting the color done right. So ladies, don’t try to schedule this during a lunch break or right before picking the kids up from school. But I do believe there should never be a trade-off to exchange time for hair health. Of course it’s an added charge, but it’s worth it. In addition, I wouldn’t use it on extensions. Nor would I use it on a relaxer, just the post treatment.
What natural textures is it best for?
It’s equally beneficial for all types of hair. I highly recommend it if you have more coarse Type 4 hair, because this hair type is more prone to breakage without a treatment to keep the bonds intact.
Is it the next big revolution in hair care?
I wouldn’t go that far. Until there’s indestructible or water proof hair, we have not discovered the perfect hair care miracle yet. However, Olaplex is definitely an added value. It gives the stylist another tool in the #HairSlay belt to create a healthier color.
Have you had a negative or positive Olaplex experience? Let us know below or on Facebook!
Soft hair can represent healthy hair in all textures, including both curly and coarse. As a hairstylist, I hear connotations from all of the time amongst women associating soft hair with weak hair. That’s not true. If one is elderly or ill with an appearance of soft hair, it’s not unhealthy because of its softness alone, it’s due to the hair’s lack of elasticity, durability and correlating strength – which of course can be a reflection of other internal health factors.
SOFT, SHINY, & STRONG
Healthy hair is soft, when in combination with being strong and shiny. Just like how a high performing person, or superhero in the case of Wonder Woman, can have a personality mix of being nice and soft with a magnetic glow while exuding power, and never being a pushover that breaks easily – the same applies to our hair. We want it to be soft and shiny with a lot of pop while being strong without any signs of breakage. Softness is an indicator of moisturized hair and elasticity, which are key factors to achieving healthy hair maintenance. Also keep in mind, soft and weak hair rarely ever shines.
ELASTICITY
In healthy hair, softness reflects a strength property due to its elasticity – which is the measure of how much a hair will stretch without breaking. Just like a rubber band, stronger and higher performing rubber bands can vary in size and thickness, as long as they have the proper elasticity in relation to its size to stretch without breaking. However, when that rubber band is crumbly and dry, at any size it loses its ability to stretch without breaking. This is the same with various textures and degrees of fullness, which all can achieve softness, shine, and strength, with proper conditioning. Coarser textures of hair often require more of a conditioning regimen to achieve its optimal level of softness, shine, and strength. This is because although appearing fuller due to more hairs on the head than other textures, it has a smaller diameter of the individual hairs, which can make it more susceptible to breakage.
Knotting at the end of the hair, and breakage occurs when the hair is not properly conditioned or not properly trimmed. Many are afraid to trim the hair, but keep in mind the best conditioner is sometimes a cut! If that part of the hair is done, it’s best to cut it and move on to a healthier hair state.
PH Balance
Healthy hair is PH balanced. Products that moisturize and condition the hair have a low PH, creating balance. Low PH counters out the effects of the environment that naturally want to raise the PH of the hair. Moisturizers are so important because they also lower the PH by closing the cuticle, which creates a higher shine by reflecting more light. That’s why soft, shiny and strong goes hand in hand with healthy hair.
So keep your hair healthy…by keeping it soft, shiny and strong!
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Yes! Layering is simply the technique of cutting the hair elevated off the scalp. The desired effect is to create an illusion of fullness and thickness. When curly hair and texture is cut into layers it can create a stunning illusion of body and movement. A woman’s adventures through her own hairstyling and beauty is so fascinating because she can creatively explore and project her desired look through the labyrinths of illusion. The magician David Copperfield relied on designing layers of illusion and altered angles to make it appear that the Statue of Liberty had disappeared. From behind the salon chair, we can pull off our own magic as well, through layering….or what we refer to at Salon PK as #Slayering!
The key factors in determining whether to cut hair in layers or not is:
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The weight & density of the hair
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The desired effect
Light and airy hair doesn’t require layering as much, because it tends to already mimic a layered look without the layering because of the shrinkage, which leads us to:
Major Key #1: Layer Hair That Tends To Be Heavy
In the case where the hair is heavy, the length of the hair can drag it down due to its heavier weight, causing a loss in volume. If a person has heavy hair and it drops downward, the layering allows the hair to support itself, so it stands up and creates more volume – because you take the weight away from the end of the hair strand.
Major Key #2: Where You Want The Volume Is Where You Layer The Most!
When it comes to layering on curly hair, it’s very important to minimize or barely layer the sides and the back of the hair. Layering is best suited for the top and the crown. The sides and back should be blended to the top and crown of the head. If there’s a case to layer on the side, just remember long layers, because curly hair has a volume-like effect itself, and if you layer short you can create and undesired effect.
The Calling to The Natural Hair Movement
The desired effect with layering is to create an illusion of fullness and thickness. This was the initial calling and reason why black women went natural in the first place. Relaxers had our hair thin, and consequently less desired and satisfying. So many of us transitioned to natural to achieve a textured look with more voluptuous body. Having natural texture that coils and curls creates natural volume because it takes up space. Texture is the built-in “thickener.”
#SLAYERING
Once again, layering the hair is the illusionary technique achieved when cutting the hair elevated away from the scalp, most beneficial to heavier more dense hair. This can be done in many creative and edgy ways. It’s all in the way you position and hold it, and it can come in an array of different angles and styles. When this is done, you’ve become one with #Slayering!
