Posts tagged ‘naturally curly’
Please Help ME! Making Peace with your Hair
Last week I received an email and the subject line said, “PLEASE HELP ME!” and read as follows:
Hi Jen,
I really need some help and I was wondering if you could help me out. I have really REALLY thick curly hair. It’s longer than shoulder length (about half way down my chest). I am so sick of looking at my hair this way. I was never taught how to manage my hair properly because my mother has the exact opposite of what I have (so I blame my father for my torture. haha.) I’m so sick of looking at it that I want to cut….I want it all done. I want to do a short hair style but is there one that you would recommend? (pictures would be helpful so I can take it to a salon) Thanks so much for your time. – S
Oh S you are not alone. This is my response to her:
Dear S,
I just got your message and would love to help you. Have you spent any time on the naturallycurly.com website? If not, if you could go to the http://www.naturallycurly.com/hair-types page and tell me what kind of specific hair type you have.
I am a 3A, and it sounds like you might be a 3C or possibly a 4A. There are a lot of wonderful techniques and products that I would love you to try. If you can, visit your library and check out the book, “Curly Girl,” by Lorraine Massey, the curly girls BIBLE!
And just hold off for a bit on the haircut until you have researched this out and found a hairstylist that really understands curly hair (not many do). You will want a dry cut, not a wet one, you need someone who spends time to see your curl pattern and can enhance what you have, and no razors allowed, ever!!!
I grew up in a family where everyone had “normal hair” except me, so they were all as bewildered as I was! It took me 38 years to discover the curly girl method, and I am so happy you are going to learn to love your own hair, you really will. Curly girls are IN, we are what is hip and what everyone wants right now, so by learning how to work with it is going to be an amazing experience for you.
I have a ton of articles on Mythbuster Beauty, including the post where I worked with Tracy and she took the three week naturally curly challenge:
The Three Week Naturally Curly Challenge: On this post, you can read where we talk about specific curly hair rules, like no brushing, no shampooing, no blow frying, I mean drying!
Most importantly, learning to accept and embrace your hair is probably one of the most important and difficult things you will face (hopefully) :). Thank you so much for trusting me and sharing this part of your life with me. If you can give me your hair type information then I can search for some photos and continue on this journey to fabulous hair.
Best, Jen
*This is a picture of a rose in my garden, it is the “Love and Peace” rose, which I think is an appropriate theme to making peace with your hair!
Celebrate Your Curls!
Today is not only the first official day of the fall season; today is International Curly Day!
Watch this International Curly Day video and head on over to the Naturally Curly website for great ways to celebrate our curls today and everyday!
One nice way to celebrate is by getting 10% off CurlMart purchases now through September 25th! Use coupon code ICD08.
Big Night Out: What makeup do you wear?
Prompted by a Bionic Beauty post last week called, “What makeup are you wearing today?” I was also inspired by DecoDiva’s great going out post and pics last week on her blogsite. I wanted to ask MBB readers a similar question. When you go out for the evening, how do you “kick it up a notch?”
Evening makeup deserves a more intense lip color, a richly pigmented black mascara, and some fabulous glow. On a recent evening out with my hubby, I went with a bolder berry look, inspired by two of Urban Decay’s new lip products, their 24/7 Lip Pencil and Lipstick.
- Hair: Jessicurl’s Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion, and Confident Coils Styling Solution, set with hair clips, scrunched with a microfiber towel and allowed to air dry.
- Skin prep: SK1N Probiotics Daily Moisturizing Cream
- Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit: Defines and tames my brows
- Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation in Rose, applied with a foundation brush and fingers
- Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Bleu Marine, appliled with flat eyeliner brush
- Profaces mineral eyeshadow in a rosy gold glimmer
- Sugar’s Bronzer/Blush Duo, blush on apples of cheeks and bronzer around face and jawline
- Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer
- Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Wicked, creamy and lasts, truly lives up to its glide on name.
- Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Hotpants, luxuriously creamy and beautiful medium pink shade.
- Napoleon Perdis, Long Black Mascara, one coat
- Light dusting of Aromaleigh’s Illuminator Finishing Powder, a translucent, sheer loose mineral cosmetic powder, that contains reflective minerals to give your skin a radiant appearance. Apply on brow bones, above cheeks and lightly around forehead, chin, and decollete.
- Finish by lightly tapping around face with soft clean towel to set in makeup (tip from Alyson Hoag, makeup artist at Authentic Beauty).
Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment
Here is another fabulous Jessicurl product to add to your must have list: Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment. You don’t have to have curly hair to benefit from this product either.
Summer is particularly harsh on hair. My kids and I have been spending a ton of time at the pool, and between exposing our hair to the chlorinated water and intense sun, our hair is feeling dry and damaged. In the craziness of summer activity I have been forgetting to give my hair a weekly deep conditioning treatment! After wondering why my hair wasn’t looking so great, I decided I better use some of my Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment and feed my hair.
Just follow these deep conditioning directions at the post: Deep Conditioning: How to Feed Your Hair.
You will be blown away how healthy and soft your hair will feel after using this deep conditioner. I also used Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioner on two of my daughters because of how dry and tangled their hair had become. Before using it I couldn’t get a comb through their hair without yelps of pain from them. Little Sarah and Naomi loved how soft and tangle free their hair became after using this conditioner. Naomi even requested to use some a few days ago, “Put the stuff that makes my hair so silky soft again Mom.”
Here is a little blurb from Jess about her Weekly Deep Conditioner:
I’m a big fan of weekly deep treatments with heat. They really moisturize and strengthen the hair, and they’re just plain fun to do. This treatment works best with a plastic cap left on for 20 minutes. This thick conditioner uses Cocoa Butter and Shea Butter to add some serious moisture to your hair. For an even more intense treatment, use it with our Micro Heat Cap.
In the summer months, you simply apply your conditioner and a plastic cap and sit out in the sunshine as your heat source for 20 minutes. The heat from the sun works great and really helps the conditioner fully penetrate the hair shaft. After the 20 minutes let your hair cool off for 5-10 minutes, and rinse and style as usual.
So, if your hair is feeling a bit on the crunchy side, it might be time to feed that hair!
You can purchase Jessicurl’s Weekly Deep Conditioning Treatment at the Jessicurl website for $12.00.
Gee, that is a terrific way to shave…
I just discovered a terrific shaving cream for my legs this morning and had to share.
Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing Cream! I was using this product as my shampoo, and then today it suddenly dawned on me that I should try this shampoo as a shaving cream. Just a small amount added a wonderful slip on my skin for shaving, and left my legs feeling silky, not irritated, no cuts or nicks either. You have to love that this product is all natural as well. I always have hated the store brand shaving creams, with their strong scents and mile long chemical ingredient list.
“Use Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream to wash your hair gently without leaving it stripped and straw-like. The super moisturizing formula will make your hair soft, silky and wonderfully clean. Safe for color treated hair.”
Jess also added:
“This is my personal favorite product, as traditional shampoos had become such a nightmare for me. (For more on my views of traditional shampoo, visit our About Us section) The cleansing agents in this cleanser are two of the most gentle available ensuring that it won’t dry out your hair. If it’s been a few days since you last washed your hair, you might not experience a huge amount of lather on your first application of Hair Cleansing Cream. This does NOT mean that your hair isn’t clean. If you desire a more robust lather, washing a second time through should satisfy your needs. For an even more in depth cleaning, leave the lathered Hair Cleansing Cream on your hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out. This cleanser is gentle enough to be used every day, and is perfectly safe for color treated hair. I also like using it as body wash with a bath poof it leaves my skin SO much softer than soap.”
So Jess knew it all along, I just didn’t read the fine print! I love finding out that a product I already have and love can be used for multiple applications. Yay, Jessicurl’s Hair Cleansing (and Shaving) Cream!
Jessicurl’s CHIRP program
While embracing my naturally curly hair, I have come across some extraordinary haircare product lines. One of my favorite lines is Jessicurl. To learn more about Jess McGuinty and how her company started you can visit my interview with her from a few months back:
Jessicurl: Hair with Heart and Soul. An Interview with Jess McGuinty
In developing a beauty blog, one of my main objectives is to find products that I strongly believe are worth your pursuit and money. Nothing is more frustrating than purchasing something and finding out later that it isn’t doesn’t fulfill your need for it. I first tried the Jessicurl hair care line a year ago and was delighted with the quality, the natural ingredients, and the way my curly hair responded to it. I also loved the natural scents of the products, not overwhelmingly perfume-y! I have a very sensitive nose, and a lot of cosmetics and haircare products can leave me feeling whoozy while using them.
I have recommended the Jessicurl hair care line and her demonstration videos many times, and if you have become a fan of the Jessicurl line you might be interested in the CHIRP (the Curly Hair Incentive Referral Program). Basically the CHIRP program at Jessicurl is an affiliate program to help you build store credit in return for your mentions on your website.
If you feel the desire to sing the praises of the Jessicurl hair care line and would like to join the CHIRP affiliate program at Jessicurl, you can register at: Jessicurl Partners Zone.
Right now I am trying to save up for some silk pillowcases and some more Jessicurl Too Shea Conditioner!
Introduction to the Curly Girl Method: Devachan
In the past year, I have devoted a great deal of time and energy toward learning and obeying the rules of the naturally curly method. Lorraine Massey, the author of, “Curly Girl” created her own hair salon, Devachan, and a several popular naturally curly product lines: DevaCurl, DevaColor, and DevaCare.
Below is a quick 411 introduction video of Devachan and the Curly Girl Method:
Devachan is also responsible for the creation of the DevaSun Dryer DevaFuser. The DevaSun Dryer DevaFuser was uniquely made to suit the unique needs of curly hair. Sheer brilliance! Most hair dryers would merely blow your hair to galactic frizz heights. The DevaSun Dryer DevaFuser is ionically charged to dry your hair without damaging it. The DevaFuser distributes the current gently and lifts your hair through its hand-shaped diffuser.
This morning after my regular conditioner washing hair routine, I added a leave-on conditioner and styling gel, twisted a few areas around my crown, and reached for the DevaSun Dryer Deva Fuser. I am telling you honestly, this ain’t your mother’s hair dryer!
DevaSun Dryer
-ion generating technology.
-6 times more negative ion delivery.
-3 temperature settings specifically designed for curly and wavy hair.
-2 motor speeds.
-2 concentrator nozzles included.
-Unique ergonomic design.
DevaFuser
-The first diffuser innovation in over 60 years.
-360 degree diffused air flow.
-Unique ergonomic design.
-Light weight and quick drying.
-Eliminates frizz forever.
I went from wet, dripping hair, to beautiful tame waves in less than 10 minutes. This dryer is not cheap (retails for $185); however, this is a high quality, intelligently designed hair dryer. If you have naturally curly thick hair this money will be well spent. The DevaSun Dryer and DevaFuser will drastically cut down your drying time, and assist you in achieving a gorgeous head of curls. My only complaint, the DevaFuser attachment doesn’t always stay attached to the dryer, which can be annoying.
But don’t just take my word for it…
Dandelion Mama (Tracy) observations on the DevaSun Dryer DevaFuser:
“..it looks like a strange chicken hat on top of a rocket- but it’s not.”
