We’ve been busy testing new products, trying out funky accessories, researching trends and finding new tricks to manage curly, unruly hair.

Thanks for sticking with us! Much more to come soon.

- Amanda

Women’s Health just announced their 2010 Beauty Awards Winners – a list of 55 of the best hair, face, body, and makeup products – in the June issue of the magazine. We’re here to tell you which HAIR products made the cut…

Readers’ pick:
Best Shampoo
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo ($3, at drugstores)

Experts’ pick:
Best Frizz-Fighting Product
Kérastase Oléo-Relax Slim Volume Control Intense Smoothing Cream ($38, kerastase-usa.com)

Editors’ picks:
Best Leave-In Conditioner
Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair ($24, aveda.com)

Best Product for Curly Hair
Catwalk by Tigi Curlesque Strong Mousse ($15, tigihaircare.com for salons)

Click here for a complete list of all the winners.

Since I began growing out my natural hair (and maybe even a little before), I started reading lots of natural haircare blogs to prepare for the trails and tribulations I knew were inevitable. I’d read lots about people who co-wash their hair but never knew anything about it. . . .until a few days ago. And funny enough, I’ve been “co-washing” my hair for years. So, what is co-washing you ask? It’s sorta like washing your hair, but instead of using shampoo, you wet your hair, apply conditioner, rinse it out the and then style. At some point I realized that washing my hair with shampoo every morning, wasn’t the right solution for my hair which is naturally dry. So, shampooing it more than once a week would just continue to dry it out. But I still wanted to wear “wash-n-go”styles. So I began wetting it and applying conditioner — which I thought would help with the dryness. Now that I have natural hair, I co-wash my hair every morning and let it air dry on my way to work. With only two inches of hair on my head, my hair is usually dry by the time I walk into work. And my hair always smell absolutely delicious!

Where do I begin with my personal hair story? I think every black woman has about the same one, most which go like this: I wore ponytails as a child, my mom permed my hair right before I became a pre-teen, and then my hair and I lived happily ever after, the end! That’s about the gist of my story until in September of 2009, I decided to let my natural hair grow out — after more than 15 years of having chemically-straight, trips to the salon every week, easy to manage, but don’t ever get wet, sit under the dryer for at least one hour hair! Don’t get me wrong, I loved my hair. . . I’ve always loved it. But believe it or not, I love my hair even more natural than I did when it was permed — well, that is for now. I cut my hair short (as in an Angela Davis afro) in April of 2010. And so now, I am on a journey to discover my natural. . .Premium Grade Hair!

We just got word of a private sale on pro hair tools over at Folica.com. Save up to 70% on Sedu products, flat irons, drying sets and more.

You’ve got till 12pm EST today to take advantage. Click here to see the deals.

Miami girls, I’ve already found an amazing deal on hair color. The Seven Seas Aveda Spa and Salon is offering full highlights for $50. Does it get better than that…especially at an Aveda salon? Spa Week is April 12-18 so book your appointment now before it’s too late.

Photo: Just Jared

Can you believe it, I missed the Golden Globes this year! I didn’t even remember to set my DVR. I’ve had to do my fair share of catching up on which hairstyles ruled the red carpet. According to one of my favorite sites, NaturallyCurly.com, loose waves won the popularity contest. Celebrities including Sandra Bullock, Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts all walked the red carpet sporting gorgeous, loose ringlets.

“Actress Rose Bryne definitely wins the best curl award,” said Michelle Breyer, co-founder of NaturallyCurly.com. “Her delicate waves were classic with a modern twist.” We hear that Harry Josh at John Frieda styled her locks!

Other favorites from the night include Zoe Saldana, Evangeline Lilly, Drew Barrymore, Samantha Harris and Renee Zellweger. Want to achieve similar curls yourself? NaturallyCurly.com suggests trying the Curltini™ Curly Cocktail, which includes:

• Curlisto Bio-Gel Mousse – Works as a conditioning styler and gives your hair added moisture to keep it healthy all year long.
• Curlisto Control I Gel – Features shine agents that will make your hair sparkle all night long, while keeping your tresses intact.
• Curl Junkie Curl Enhancing Spray – Activates sexy, sultry curls and gives your hair that extra oomph.
• Curl Friends Seduce Pomade – Helps keep your hair silky smooth and eliminates fly- aways and frizz on those hot, humid days.
• 8.75’ Long Wide-Toothed Shower Comb
• Curltini Recipe Card
• 1 Spunky Swizzle Stick

For more information, please visit NaturallyCurly.com.

Tracy Guthrie, Manager of Salon Technical Training at the Salon at ULTA says, “Our stylists and guests LOVE Keratin Smoothing Treatment. Before we launched this service, we offered expert training and hands-on experience at all of our salons nationwide. Because of this education we’ve seen a tremendous increase in appointments and satisfied guests due to our highly-trained stylists.”

Visit http://stores.ulta.com/store/ to find a store near you.

Australian scientists who discovered the ‘curly gene,’ or the trichohyalin gene, are now developing a pill to make hair straighter or curlier. The discovery will also make it possible to predict whether a baby will have straight or curly hair. And it may even help police with DNA found at the scene of the crime indicating how wavy a suspect’s locks are.

I wonder how far out we are from having this pill become a reality. Read the whole story here.