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Several of us who have taken the plunge to wear our hair in its naturally curly state have also chosen to go natural with hair products and more. The ultimate goal is no longer just healthier hair, but a healthier body and mind in terms of the way we feel about ourselves and our naturally curly hair.
Those who thought that the very idea of NaturallyCurly.com was much too ridiculously niche-y to be worth it will be properly shocked to know that, last week in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, NY, a yoga class just for women with curly hair made its debut! Of course, the mere existence of such a class doesn’t make it a success, yet 75 curlies were in attendance at the first Yoga to the Curvy Curly class in Brooklyn, NY.
MORE: Curly Hair Care for the Gym
According to the class instructor, Natalie Cosby, one of the goals of the class is to help gals with textured hair to get past “sweating out” their curls, because it can be a real mental obstacle that very curly girls don’t want to scale in order to exercise.
The class is a combination of yoga poses that are meant to stimulate hair follicles for hair growth and health and discussions about hair products and proper hair care before, during and after exercising. If you live in the Brooklyn area, but you’re thinking that yoga is not for you, think again. The class is meant to debunk the myth that yoga is exercise for those who are already fit. It’s not just a yoga class attended by a bunch of ladies with curly hair. Yoga to the Curvy Curly is described by its creators as an experience that “exposes health benefits, strengthens body image [and] informs on active lifestyle hair care.”
MORE: Curly Hair Products for Your Gym Bag
Wish there was a Yoga to the Curvy Curly class near you? Find out more about the classes on their Facebook page!
In June of this year I got the opportunity to try some Brock Beauty products, including Infinite Lash, Essentious Shampoo and Conditioner and the well-known Hairfinity Hair Vitamins. To give a genuine review of Hairfinity and Essentious products, I have to start from the very beginning.
I purchased and started taking Hairfinity hair vitamins in the spring of this year, but after one and a half bottles, I stopped. Mostly, because I’m not very good at keeping up with a daily anything, and also because I did a poor job of documenting any growth I might have noticed if I had done better.
Then, I started again in mid June, when I received all the Brock Beauty products to try. The results have been a bit difficult to see so far, because my hair is so very coily! I also have a bad habit of getting scissor happy when I don’t like the way my ends feel. Sometime in June, I cut off a lot on my ends, and I also got a good trim on the back and sides of my hair at the beginning of July.
I know that I had an index finger’s length of hair that was a chemically texturized around March, and today, 6 months later, after all the cutting and trimming, I have all natural new growth that has grown to about the same length. That’s about 4.5 inches of growth in 6 months, which means that my growth hasn’t necessarily been exponential, but it has been more than the average, steady 1/2 inch per month, especially when you take into account all the trimming. Also, in the back, where I cut it down to a half inch to one inch at the beginning of July, it is already about 1.75 to 2.5 inches, which means I’m getting a solid half inch every month, and I’m happy with that!
On May 27th, before using Hairfinity»
On July 22, after using Hairfinity»
My Coily Texture on August 20»
I also have a sneaking suspicion that all those lovely ingredients have had a wonderful effect on the way my hair feels. Overall my hair tends to feel softer and more manageable and moisturized than it ever has. It also looks more full and shows less and less of my scalp when I do twist-outs. That used to be a major problem after my first big chop. I had let my hair grow a little longer then, but it was not as full as it is today! I have two patches of thinning hair that I believe are due to damage from when I used to relax. I can still see my scalp, and some of it is very fine baby hair near my hairline, but seems a little thicker and longer there than before. I know that isn’t only due to what I put on the outside of it.
Now, I want to take at least a month or two and carefully track my growth with the Hairfinity Vitamins. Then, I will report back with more fabulous results! This time I will be using my hair color as a marker for my growth, as I got my hair colored on September 6th and a new round of Hairfinity vitamins around the same time.
Read on for my review of the Essentious Shampoo and Conditioner on pg 2…
Read More: My Brock Beauty Makeover: Infinite Lash
Essentious
When I looked up the ingredient lists for these line of Essentious products on their website, I was pleased to find a very natural line-up of ingredients in each. Here’s my honest review of them.
Exonerate Gentle Shampoo
I’m not usually big on using shampoos because my coily, springy hair is naturally dry and wiry. It needs all the moisture it can get, so I usually prefer to use cleansing conditioner. That’s why I was honestly not that excited about trying the Essentious Exonerate shampoo, gentle or not. I don’t wash or co-wash more than once a week, but since I sometimes use products with silicones, I do have a need for something stronger than a cleansing conditioner to remove buildup every once in a while. When I read that there are no harsh sulfates in the Exonerate shampoo that would strip my hair of natural oils, it raised my hopes a little higher, and I tried it out.
After washing my hair with Exonerate, I could tell that the buildup had been removed and my hair and scalp were left feeling clean yet not dried out or tangled. My hair is pretty short, so I usually don’t need a lot to begin with, but I still got the impression that a little bit of Exonerate goes a long way. I only needed to wash once for that satisfyingly clean feeling.
If your hair naturally dry or very coily hair, I would recommend this shampoo only for times when you need to effectively remove days or weeks of buildup without losing the barrier of moisture that you have built up around your hair. If you have looser curls that like shampoos, you could probably enjoy using this shampoo twice or more a week.
Essentious Hydrate Conditioner
Right after rinsing out the shampoo, I massaged in the Essentious Hydrate Conditioner. It had a pretty thick consistency that those with finer strands might not appreciate. My hair, somewhere between medium and fine, happily soaked up the moisture from the Hydrate Conditioner, so I gave it a little more. Although Hydrate is pretty thick, my hair seemed to hold on to the moisture from it. It was easy to work into my hair for a great detangling experience. Conditioners are my go-to product of choice, but what I hate the most, is a thick, un-spreadable conditioner that sits on my hair and then leaves it drier than when I started. Hydrate proved to be the opposite of this.
My hair felt super soft and slick (in a very nice way”> after cowashing with the conditioner and using some leave-in conditioner mixed with vegetable glycerine. Even in the dry air conditioned office, my hair felt really wonderful which is never the result of just using leave-in conditioner with glycerine, so it must have been from using the Hydrate conditioner. I couldn’t stop touching my hair that day!
Because Hydrate does contain proteins, it should make a good strengthening and moisturizing rinse out conditioner. As much as we curlies love to leave in a little conditioner, I would not recommend using Hydrate as a leave-in. Any buildup of protein in your hair may leave it feeling dry and straw-like. I tried it as a leave in mixed with vegetable glycerin and the results were okay, but the most benefits of the conditioner seem to come with massaging it in and then rinsing it out.
Read More: Top Fall Hair Accessories
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a way to do a beauty makeover, I would recommend giving Brock Beauty products a try. My favorites out of the ones I experimented with were the Hairfinity Hair vitamins and the Infinite Lash serum because they produced the effect of a dramatic makeover with my own natural hair and lashes! Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a good before and after story?
Interested in trying out Hairfinity or Essentious? You can find out more at hairfinity.com and essentious.com.
Infinite Lash SerumAs Content Editor for NaturallyCurly, I have gotten to try a lot of different products so that I can give my sincere review for any who might benefit from it. This June, I received a few products from Brock Beauty, including the well-known Hairfinity Vitamins. I will share more later about my makeover with each of the Brock Beauty products in the next few days. Right now I want to talk about my favorite so far, of all the Brock Beauty products I’ve tried: Infinite Lash! Infinite Lash is my favorite makeover product from Brock Beauty because I have seen significant before and after results! Who doesn’t enjoy a good before and after story?
Anyhow, before I do anymore raving about Infinite Lash, I should probably tell you a little bit more about it.
Infinite Lash is an eyelash enhancement serum that Brock Beauty claims “promotes thicker, fuller, and longer looking lashes.” It is meant to “thicken the hair follicles while hydrating and strengthening weak and brittle lashes.”
What’s Inside?
Infinite Lash is a blend of botanicals, vitamins, minerals and polypeptides or proteins. If you are wondering if it’s safe contact lens wearers, fear not! I wear contacts almost daily, and I haven’t had any problems or suffered from any eye irritation. Everyone is different, though, so I would recommend trying it out over a weekend in case you have any reactions to it.
Here’s is the ingredient list: Water, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-16, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract(Licorice”>, Camelia Sinensis Leaf Extract(White Tea”>, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract(Eyebright”>, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water(Rose”>, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine
Read More: Curl to Toe Career Makeover
My Before and After
My lashes have always been pretty long, but they were never very full. After using Infinite Lash for several weeks, I suddenly noticed that my lower lashes especially looked longer and more prominent. Then, I began to notice my upper lashes curling up over my my lids in a most dramatic fashion. At last, I could see that I had more lashes so that they looked fuller as well!
The photos almost don’t do it justice, but I hope you can see the increase in length and number of lashes.
Before using Infinite Lash »
After using Infinite Lash: See the increase in length »
Top to bottom: Before using Infinite Lash, After using Infinite Lash, After using Infinite Lash with mascara »
How Do I Apply It?
Here are the exact instructions: Apply along the lash line twice per day for the first six weeks, then apply nightly thereafter. I made sure to follow the instructions to get the best results. Her are some of my suggestions for applying Infinite Lash:
- Apply it along the very edge of your eyelid where your lid meets the top of your eyelashes. Do not try to apply it on the bottom of your eyelashes close to your eyes. This will decrease your chances of getting it in your eye, which stings a bit, but didn’t cause me any long term irritation. Be extra careful and use a Q-tip or your finger to remove any excess if you apply it to your lower lashes.
- If you have excess serum, that could get in your eyes, spread it down the length of your lashes with your fingers. I found that this was like giving my lashes a deep conditioning treatment after wearing mascara all day, everyday.
- Give it some time to dry if you are applying it under eye makeup. I noticed that it was difficult to get my eyeliner to stick after applying if I didn’t let it dry and wipe off any excess.
- Remove your eye makeup completely before applying it at night. I have used coconut oil and it works well to remove even waterproof makeup. The Infinite Lash website even recommends applying a natural oil at night for stronger flexible lashes.
- Keep applying Infinite Lash at night to maintain your results.
If you’re curious about Infinite Lash, give it a try. It claims to enhance the beauty of your lashes and for me, I can say it did just that and more!
Read More: A Hair Makeover That Blows
What if Jennifer Hudson wore her hair naturally curly?Recently my sister said something to the effect that she wanted to go completely natural. I had to hold back my excitement as I answered her questions about how to style and care for her hair while she transitioned. If you’ve been naturally curly for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced the same kind of excitement when a friend, family member or even a stranger on the street declares to you that they have decided to go natural when they see your own natural curls. It’s no surprise that we love it just as much when we get to see women in the media embracing their natural textures and going natural.
Whether they know it or not, as the women that we see in magazines and on the big screen proudly parade their natural textures, they are telling us, “you too are naturally beautiful just the way you are — you don’t have to straighten your hair just to fit some else’s idea of good hair.” What a beautiful message to send to young girls who are watching them as role models!
Even if we have already gone natural, most of us probably wish that we had had women in the media to look to for naturally glamorous hair-inspiration while we were growing up. Even now, we could still wish for more examples of high-profile women with natural hair. Seeing the media increasingly cover ladies like Oprah, Jill Scott, Nicole Ari Parker and Melissa Harris-Perry with their natural hair is encouraging, but it also makes us want to see it more often.
Thankfully we aren’t waiting for the media to catch up — we are the ones who are constantly sending each other this positive message through YouTube, blogs, forums and meet-ups. Still, the little girl in me wants to glance up from my place in line at the check out counter and see the faces of beautiful famous natural-haired women staring back at me from the magazines and smiling as if to say, “I did it and so can you!”
To the women in the media who have yet to publicly share their natural hair: we would love to see you embracing your natural texture!
What if First Lady, Michelle Obama wore a naturally curly twist-out? »
What if Tatyana Ali rocked natural curls? »
What if Keyshia Cole sported a natural updo? »
After capturing two Olympic gold medals, Serena Williams won her 35th of 36 single matches at the WTA Tour Cincinnati Open. Besides battling her opponent, Greek qualifier Eleni Daniilidou, she was also fighting to keep her big, beautiful curls out of the game!
Her curls, held back with a headband, were blowing into her face wildly throughout the game.
“I need to calm it down. It’s really big. It was a little windy, so it was getting in my face…” she commented on the battle with her curls.
She attempted to keep them back with what she called “an 80s scrunchie,” but her curls pulled their way back out in the blustery weather. She still came out on top this past Tuesday in spite of how her hair might have affected her game. This stands in contrast to the complete, non-factor hairstyle was in the victories of another double gold medal winner, Gabby Douglas. Although Williams was able to hold on to this victory, Williams was frustrated with her performance. “That’s shocking. It’s unprofessional,” she stated, referring to the 44 unforced errors she made during the match. “Hopefully I clean up my act for my next match”
Williams still expressed a fondness for her curly coiffure, “The look isn’t new. I’ve just let it go super natural and super crazy and not care. It’s fun.” Well, of course we think your curls are fun too, Serena! It’s great that she has chosen to embrace her curls both on and off the court. We curlies can take a lesson from her attitude in that, even if you have moments when your curls seem to get in the way, they don’t have to stand in the way of you doing what you were meant to do.
Besides battling her opponent and her hair, Serena has supported her doubles partner and older sister, Venus, who has been pitted against some chronic health problems. Venus said of her diagnosis with Sjogren’s Syndrome, “It’s still in my body trying to fight against me, but I’m fighting against it as well…I keep working with my doctors…Nothing can prevent bad days, but the bad days aren’t as bad as they used to be. Now I realize I have to hang in there if I’m not having the best day. My main goal is to be 100%, but it’s not like it goes away.”
When you put it into perspective, a challenging hair day isn’t something either of the Williams sisters would let stand in their way!
Do you ever feel like your curls are “throwing off your game” or are they so much a part of you that you never see them that way?
Conditioners are my product of choice. If I could only use one type of product other than cleanser, it would be a conditioner, because my type 4 hair loves a good conditioner. Here are three of my top picks for leave-in conditioners
Leave-ins for Coily Hair
Curl Junkie Curl Assurance Smoothing Lotion
What I like most about this leave-in conditioner, is the great slip in gives my curls for detangling. Curl Assurance is a good post cleansing leave-in that I like to use underneath other daily leave-in conditioners. It can also work well for refreshing a wash and go from the day before. Another great thing about Curl Assurance is that it works as well as it smells delicious!
CurlMart; $20
Karen’s Body Beautiful Hair Nectar
Karen’s Body Beautiful Hair Nectar is a light, leave-in conditioner that I can use everyday after an initial heavier moisturizing treatment on day one and not get build-up. It’s pretty light, so it is necessary to use it every day, but it moisturizes well and leaves my hair feeling nice and soft. I really enjoy having its pretty scent on my hair all day long!
CurlMart; $16
Aussie Moist
My favorite moisturizing conditioner to date, although its a very recent discovery, is Aussie Moist Conditioner. It’s not a true leave-in conditioner and it does have some ingredients that some people might gasp over, but my hair seems to like it. It keeps my hair soft and moisturized, from day one until I wash again.
My hair, which usually feels rough and dry in the end no matter what I put on it, hasn’t felt that way since I started using it. I slather it on and use it to detangle in the shower and I leave it in my thirsty curls. It’s seems to work as a base conditioner that helps other products, like light daily leave-in conditioners that I put on afterwards to work like they’re supposed to.
I do have to make sure I use other products that play well with it so that it doesn’t produce white precipitates in my hair, but this usually isn’t an issue if cleanse my hair at least twice a week.
Amazon; $3.69
In the spirit of Solange’s Twitter posts last Thursday, I’m about to rant a little bit. Solange is sick of the natural hair police and frankly, so am I. Wearing your hair naturally, the way it grows out of your head is supposed to be liberating for us all. As a community of naturally curly folks, we have the opportunity to encourage one another to embrace our natural textures and to rock our curls, twirls, waves and coils however we please. Shouldn’t being natural be about being free from the pressures to conform to what other people say is an acceptable way to wear are hair?
I know that it makes many naturals furious, or at the very least a bit annoyed, when someone tries to say a curly should straighten because it looks more…you fill in the blank. So why are we doing this to each other now? Actress Nicole Ari Parker said it well on MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry show: “We even judge each other—we were just talking about Solange being very upset on Twitter, but it’s because there is still this thing about getting your hair done. Whether it’s an afro, whether its twists or braids or relaxers, everybody wants their hair done, so [Solange] — you know, embraces just get up and go, and she’s beautiful.”
This natural hair movement that’s more than a movement has finally given us a new sense of pride about our hair and about ourselves. Why kill that by cutting each other down? At the very least, can’t we can agree to disagree about how we want to wear our own hair?
Maybe I’m just being too idealistic, but this is what I think. More importantly, though, what do you think?
While sifting though my emails one day, I was introduced to an international member of the NaturallyCurly community, Christina. She got in touch with us to tell us a little about herself and how much she wished she could come to the Curly Pool Party. Christina, who lives in Egypt, expressed how grateful she was to have found NaturallyCurly, so we knew we had to share her hair story if she was willing to tell it. You can read her Real Texture Talk interview tomorrow!
Christina also shared that she was hoping to get a haircut, but needed help, because of the lack of professional curly hair care service available to her. So here is her appeal to you naturally curlies:
“Hi my name is Christina. I’m an 18-year-old Egyptian with 3b/3c curls who is desperate for some changes. Here in Egypt there are NO curly hair salons and NO special products for curly hair at all, or at least not that I know of, and I have searched for quite some time now.
I need a haircut. I haven’t had one in two years! Last time and the time before it too, I got a bad haircut. The guy cut it all the same length so it gave me the pyramid shaped hair and it was really bad. Since then, I’m really scared to go get a cut, but my hair needs it . If I could find something like a tutorial on how to cut my own hair, then I could do it myself.
I usually wear my hair down. Sometimes I put it in a bun or a ponytail but mostly I wear it down. I want to get a haircut because my ends are so dry and I want to get a new look, because I’m bored with having the same look every day. I guess shoulder length would be best for me and I want something that would make life a bit easier for me like detangling it, which takes a while now.
My curly hair idols would have to be the Queen of Curls, Ouidad. I also love Halle Berry’s curly hair in the bob style, though i’m not sure if its really her hair or not. I do think that curlies rock in a bob if they can take care of it. And I can’t forget Corinne Bailey Rae — how she rocks her curls. Please help me! What length should I go for? Is shoulder length good for my hair? What kind of cut should I get? Should it be layered or not? Should I do it myself or should I go to a stylist? And if I go to a stylist what, specifically, should I ask for? If you have any suggestions please leave comments! Thanks a lot!”
What do you say curly community? What tips and advice do you have for Christina?
At 10:30 am on Sunday morning the scissors came out — nail scissors, that is. Yes, I use nail scissors to trim my hair, because they are pretty sharp and I don’t have proper shears, nor do I have any inclination to shell out any cash for some good ones.
I know I don’t really have time to properly trim my whole head, but I keep trimming here and there. I started snipping out of pure frustration with my dry chemically texturized ends. This kind of thing runs in my family. My mom and one of my sisters are known for their impromptu, self-trimming sessions. You might think it’s crazy, but somehow it always turns out well, to the point that we get compliments on our new cuts.
My TWA Hair Trimming Tips
Maybe you’ve stayed up too late with your hands in your hair, wishing there was 24-hr hair salon somewhere or maybe you’d just like some tips on how to self-trim your TWA. If you’ve ever been there, here are some tips that could save you from the frustration of a self-trimming disaster.
- Nail scissors: If you have legitimate shears, that’s great, but since I don’t and many of you might not, you might have a pair of tiny, razor sharp nail scissors that came with that nail care kit of yours. If not, you can easily purchase some without breaking the bank or doing any the kind of research that would make investing in some good shears worth it.
- How much to cut: First, start out with dry hair. If you need to, you can go back and wet it some later in the cut to make the straighter, drier ends stand out from healthier, curly roots. Because I had dry, stringy, chemically texturized ends, it was easier to tell what I wanted to cut off. If you have dry or damaged ends you may be able to feel the difference and know where you want to cut. When in doubt, trim off less because you can always go back and trim more off. FYI: I did not stretch or blow out my hair prior to trimming.
- Gather twist and cut: I’m obviously not a professional, just a coily who believes that desperate times call for desperate measures. You can modify it, but this is the technique I used. I would gather a small section of coils, no more than half an inch wide, slide my fingers down to the tips of the hair, twist the ends once in my hand and clip the hair just below my fingers. The twisting was a method I developed to help ensure that I was trimming all the hair I had gathered. If your hair is longer or less coily and more curly, if it tends to hang a little more than it sticks out, then I think this method might produce an interesting effect, like maybe increased volume (but I can’t be sure”>. I’m pretty sure, though, that it will keep you from having blunt, unnatural looking cuts. For my 4c TWA, I can’t really see any visual effects created by this method.
- Keep trimming: I would be playing in my hair even weeks later and find more hair to trim off. This is totally fine. Just grab your nail scissors and keep trimming to perfect your cut.
- Use shrinkage to your advantage: I find that shrinkage can be a self-trimmer’s best friend. Just remember, less is more when you are trimming because if you wear your hair in an un-streched state, it will of course look even shorter when it shrinks. How is this a good thing? Well, if you have a TWA that you can pat into place, shrinkage can help to conceal some unevenness in your cut. I know that when I finished my cut it was NOT even by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, one of the first compliments I got was about how smooth and even it looked! If your TWA is uneven when you finish, try this method to fake a smooth flawless cut. Wet, or for better results, cowash your hair, then slather your TWA with as much slippery, curl-enhancing conditioner or leave-in your hair can take. It needs to be something you can leave in that won’t produce white residue. I used some USE Me Moisturizer and Curl Junkie Curl Rehab to moisturize and encourage my coils. With the pads of your fingers make small gentle circular motions in your hair starting at the roots and moving up till your fingertips are hovering over the ends. You can also smooth or rake — whatever you do to encourage curls and coils. For my 4c (1.5 inch stretched”> TWA I made small circular motions in my hair to help my coils clump.
- Encourage clumping: My coils have never really clumped, but since I don’t ever use a comb or brush, just conditioner and my fingers so it doesn’t get tangled, amazingly it has started to clump. In the shower or sink, sprinkle or splash cold water over your hair to help distribute the conditioner. You can pat with a microfiber towel, paper towel or tissue very gently or press some of the water out with your hands, but be careful not to disturb the coils. Get your favorite gel. I like to use Ampro Olive Oil Gel, but today, I’m digging the way Ouidad Climate Control Gel smooths over my coils. Spread the gel in your hands and smooth it gently over your hair like a glaze. If your hair is still dripping, pat, pat, pat very gently with a paper towel or tissue. Also, use that opportunity to pat your TWA into place. You can also pat it into place with just your conditioner coated hands.
If it works for you, you can use this method daily to care for your freshly cut TWA so that it looks as even as if you just stepped out of a salon! If you try out these tips, please share your results! Happy trimming!
Do you self-trim? Do you have any tried and true self-trimming methods?
The other day I was hanging out on Twitter, just checking out what other people are saying under the topic of being curly, when I stumbled upon this trending phrase: “Curly hair, don’t care.”
Being a bit of a newbie to the NaturallyCurly community, I’m wondering where the phrase came from and what exactly does it mean? Is it a positive expression, or could it somehow have a negative connotation? Is it the kind of movement or motto that I might soon see printed on T-shirts and bumper stickers?
Some of the tweets I saw were accompanied by smiling curly, coily or wavy pictures of the tweeters. “Curly hair, don’t care” seems to have become like a motto for these naturally textured women on Twitter who are proudly embracing their texture. For them, perhaps, it is a motto that excepts the challenge of wearing hair naturally curly, coily or wavy. Maybe part of the way they embrace their textured hair is about not caring if others are against their choice, or maybe not caring too much if it rains or if your curls shrink.
Others seemed to use the phrase to express an attitude which doesn’t seem entirely negative, but does equate wearing your natural texture to being lazy or low-maintenance and laid back. Such an interpretation could be offensive to some curlies who are very serious about taking care of their textured tresses, or even find taking care of their curly hair to be anything but low maintenance.
Maybe there isn’t just one of two answers to my question about “Curly hair, don’t care.” It seems to mean various things to people of both similar and different hair textures. But, as a newbie, I wanted to reach out and get the opinion of my fellow community.
What does “Curly hair, don’t care” mean to you? Do you think it is a positive or negative reinforcement for the textured hair community as a whole?
For us curlies, naturally textured hair is always in vogue. But this spring, naturally textured hair has been called a “trend to follow.” Marjon Carlos of Vogue Italy reported that the newest pack of black models are “storming the catwalk in full embrace of their natural hairstyles, from cropped Afros to flat tops to buzzed scalps.”
Spring hair trends are falling in favor of natural hair whether its curly, coily or wavy. This season’s trends are “defined by minimalism and natural beauty,” according to Kari Molvar of Harper’s Bazar.
This spring, hairstyles trend toward a soft, undone, homemade, effortless look. This is the season for pretty, do-it-yourself curly hairstyles. Take a look at how people are wearing these 2012 spring hair trends.
Celebrities Embrace the Spring Trend
Beyonce’s House of Deréon’s Spring 2012 line video features all textured hairstyles including a closely cropped fro, messy, tousled waves and curly hairstyles that seem to have been allowed to get bigger and curlier in the dewy spring weather.
Christina Caradona is beautifully sporting this spring’s hair trend on Trop Rouge with beach-wind blown curls left out or swept up into an intentionally untidy bun. Denise Richards’ big, center parted, nicely mussed curly hairstyle is also characteristic of this spring hair trend.
Specific Spring Looks
Christine Louis-Jacques with a fluffed out ‘fro, side pinned back, has the soft and effortless look of this spring’s biggest trends.- The tousled 20s wave, or curly flapper bob in shoulder length or just below the ears. Illustrator and fashion blogger Garance Doré recently interviewed Valentina Di Pinto, Fashion Editor for Glamour Italy, who wears a spring-trending center-parted, curly bob.
- Wet, glistening and fresh out of the shower looks achieved by hairstylist Guido simply by saturating the whole hair or just the roots while wet with argan oil. Fashionising.com named this effortless wet chignon amongst their favorite 2012 hair trends.
- Sophisticated braids and twists left down and disheveled or pinned up. Loose top and soft fishtail braids were featured on the catwalks for Spring 2012. Another spring hair trend, this can be achieved by braiding or twisting your hair and then using pins to wrap the braid into a slightly disheveled up-do characteristic of this season’s trends.
- Still seeing red. The 2011 trend in either natural or dyed red hues and highlights is a continuing one that can give dimension to your loosly coiffed curls, coils or waves this spring. Silvia Girolami of Vogue Italy says, “Judging by the latest trends, it seems that having red hair is now more ‘in’ than ever. Many celebs have given in to the charm of red, a mania that – as hairstylists are stating – is destined to shine for all 2012.”
- Simply Accessorized. The trend this spring also includes casually accessorizing with floppy hats like those often pictured on The Sartorialist and head wraps and scarves like in a photo taken by Garance Doré at Cafe Colette in New York.
So curlies, which trends will you be trying out this spring?
Congratulations on your big chop and welcome to #teamnatural! So now what?
If you have goals for growing your hair out, you may feel like you just signed up to run a marathon! Don’t panic! You can pace yourself with these tips so that you don’t run out of breath before you reach your grow out goal.
Commit to It
First, make a commitment to your grow out goals and write them down. Knowing specifically where you want to go with your hair will help you know when you get there. Set mini-goals so that you can celebrate your progress and be encouraged to continue.
Try not to create timelines for your goals based on the grow out experiences of others. It’s your journey, and the growth rate of your hair will help set the right pace for you.
Got Patience?
Your grow out journey may be difficult at times, and there’s no formula to tell how long it will take you to reach your personal goals, so patience is a must. You may get bored after doing a wash-n-go for the 45th time, so mix it up and get creative. Even if you still have a TWA, you can always change things up with hats, head wraps, head bands, hair pins and other accessories.
Technically Speaking
Whatever methods or products you choose to use, be sensitive to your hair’s needs. Choose products and methods because they work for you and your hair. Once you find a good go-to product, stick to it and always keep it on hand, especially while you’re trying new products.
Don’t be afraid to try new products, but don’t waste time and money trying every natural hair care product. To avoid accumulating a bathroom cabinet full of products that don’t work for you, look for products that will fill a specific need for your hair.
Live Healthy
Healthy hair is growing hair. If you want healthy hair, strive for a healthy body, because your hair is a part of your body! Take care of yourself by eating lots of fresh nutrient rich foods like veggies and fruits and cutting back on processed foods. Choose water over soft drinks more often. Get moving whenever you can by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking walks, or hitting the gym. You will start to feel healthier, and so will your hair!
Record and Share
Keep a photo journal or video journal of your progress. Keeping a visual record of your journey will give you proof of how far you’ve come if you start to feel like you aren’t making progress. Share your experiences with other curlies and friends who will support and encourage you on your hair growth journey.
Do you have any tips or techniques that you have learned so far on your hair growth journey?
April showers bring may flowers, but they can also bring endless frizzy, poofy hair days for us curly, coily and wavy gals! You don’t have to fear the humidity this spring. You can keep your curls and styles defined and let your curls come out to play with no-frizz instead! Take a look at these spring hair care tips for healthy beautiful curls from March to May.
No Frizz Spring
1. Get a Trim
Start off the season by getting a trim if you haven’t had one in a while. If you notice that your ends are looking stringy or damaged from those winter months, then they need to go. There’s no way to repair damaged hair, and keeping damaged ends can cause more damage which means MORE frizz!
2. Low Poo, No Poo or Co-Wash
You want to get rid of the frizz, not the moisture. Harsh detergents in shampoos and over-washing your hair cause dryness and lead to frizz. Your hair needs moisture to help stop frizz. “It’s the natural inclination of the little strands of your hair to literally lift up off your head and outward to quench their thirst from moisture in the air.
These lifted hair fibers create a poof of frizz,” says Lorraine Massey in her book “Curly Girl: The NEW Handbook.” To maintain your hair’s natural oils, give your hair a fresh start with a gentle moisturizing shampoo, a cleansing cream or a conditioner. MORE: All About the No Shampoo Method
3. Condition
Deep conditioning, conditioning and using a leave-in conditioner are a must for restoring moisture to your hair to combat frizz so that your curly hairstyle will not unravel in the humidity.
4. Sealers and Frizz Controlling Stylers
Frizz occurs when humid air penetrates the hair shaft causing it to swell. The secret is to use sealers and frizz controlling stylers that lock in existing moisture and repel excess moisture in the air.
5. Put the Flat Iron Away
The intense direct heat of blowdrying and flat ironing will undo the work you have done to hydrate your curls and keep away frizz.
If you have time, let your hair dry in braids or twists or use a diffuser to at least dry your hair partially, instead of letting your hair air dry completely. This will allow your curly hairstyle to set before it gets disturbed by the weather or your hands.
6. Second Day Spring Refreshers
To maintain moisture in the fight against frizz, you will need a way to refresh your curly, coily, or wavy hairstyle without having to start over with a fresh wash or co-wash everyday.
Look for frizz-taming, style-preserving products to revive your curls, twirls, twist-outs, or waves.
7. Work with the Weather
If you can enjoy your hair when its bigger, curlier, or shrinking in the showers and humidity, then spring is a good time to just let it be. Remember, your curls love moisture. As long as you take care of it from start to finish, your curls should thrive beautifully, even in the humidity and rain!
Recommended Products
Low Poo, No Poo or Co Wash
SheaMoisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
As I Am Coconut CoWash Cleansing Conditioner
Conditioners
More Products
Sealers and Frizz Controlling Stylers
Jane Carter Solution Nourish & Shine (sealer”>
Queen Helene Royal Curl Curl Shaping Crème
Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper
Oyin Burnt Sugar Pomade (sealer”>
Second Day Spring Refreshers
When I packed up my combs and hair products, I knew where I wanted to go, but I had no idea where my hair would take me. I set out with the desire for fuller, healthier, longer hair. After 16 years of relaxers, my hair was at its longest, but it was thin and listless, slouching at my shoulders without any intentions of growing longer. So after going in search of a healthier hair regimen through hours of online research, I became what you might call a hair product ingredient Nazi. Determined to purge my collection, I attacked the bathroom counters and shelves full of hair products with a vengeance. My plan was to relax less and flat iron the kinks out of any coils that dared to show up at my roots.
My quest for length didn’t last very long. Just before my sister’s wedding in October of 2009, I snuck off to get a haircut to get rid of my wispy, damaged ends. Now I wonder how I could have been so impetuous! But at the time, I felt sassy and brave and I rocked that pixie cut for about four months. Over those four months, I developed a curiosity about my natural hair. For the first time I didn’t groan with annoyance at feeling my kinky, coily roots growing. In fact, I couldn’t keep my hands out of my hair! I got online and found a community of curlies who, along with my natural-haired oldest sister, helped inspire me to go natural. I was mostly inspired by the boldness of their choice to embrace this part of themselves whether others did or not.
In February of 2010, I did my first real big chop. I immediately felt bold and striking. My style changed, because the way I saw myself changed. Joan Juliet Buck described this change aptly in “Vogue” when she wrote, “short hair makes you aware of subtraction as style.” Chopping my hair off forced me to come face to face with my face — no hiding behind my hair. I could see my eyes and I saw myself with new eyes.
When I was a baby, my sisters used to put me in my empty diaper boxes and push me around the house. We have a picture of me like that — a happy big-haired baby sitting in a diaper box. I’m unashamedly envious of the full head of kinky coils I had before getting my first relaxer. After taking a stab at caring for my own natural hair, I don’t blame my mom for giving up on my kinky coils to keep me from wailing every time she touched my hair.
“The hardest thing has been the struggle to accept and enjoy my naturally kinky, coily hair the way it is and not get caught up in curl envy.”
I grew up envying the straight, shiny, long hair of the little girls on the relaxer kit boxes. Every time I looked in the mirror after my mom had dried and curled my freshly relaxed hair, I was always disappointed and confused. Why didn’t my hair look like the girls’ on the box?
It’s weird, but after the high of my big chop wore off and my hair was growing out, I started to feel like that again. My greatest struggle since my first big chop hasn’t been retaining length or finding the right natural hair products to keep my thirsty kinks moisturized and manageable. The hardest thing has been the struggle to accept and enjoy my naturally kinky, coily hair the way it is and not get caught up in curl envy — wishing my curls were more like someone else’s.
These days, I wash-n-go or wet-n-go every day. I am thrilled with the softness and moisture I get from using Shea Moisture Organic Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie and Queen Helene Royal Curl: Curl Shaping Crème together on wet hair. Recently, I big-chopped for the third time and I’m enjoying the ease of having short hair. I embarked on this journey with different goals than I have now. Now, I’m earnestly trying to get to know and appreciate my natural texture.
What have you enjoyed or struggled with most on your natural hair journey?
