So, maybe chopping off all of your hair is the new trend (hopefully, replacing the half-shaved head which I personally think is ridiculous)? Well, if so, Janet Jackson is the latest celebrity to join the bandwagon. What do you think about her new do? Always gorgeous whether she wears short or long hair? Or big mistake? I’d love to hear your thoughts. . . .
John Frieda experts are on a Salon Tour across the county giving free hair consultations and style transformations. If you’re sick of your haircut and ready for a change – you may want to attend one of these sessions. It can’t hurt, right?
Miami is up next, then Houston, LA, San Francisco, Minneapolis and last but not least Chicago. Get more info here.
I admit it, I’ve officially become a hair product junkie. Every time I go to a drug store I immediately head straight for the hair products aisle to check out new products. The verdicts still in if the majority of these products actually do anything different for my short hair. My cabinets are stuffed with half-used products. And my pockets are feeling the squeeze as I shell out money for cheap and expensive products, alike. Despite it all, I figured I’d share with you a few of my favorite products these days. . . .Enjoy!
Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk — A friend of mine uses this product on his natural hair and recommended I try it. Men are usually a lot less picky than girls about hair products (I’ve known many to buy the cheapest shampoo/conditioner on the shelves), so I was a little skeptical. But this turned out to be one of my fav products. It is a very light substance, but gives me just enough conditioning for my hair. It’s also the most popular product in the Carol’s Daughter haircare line.
Aveeda Be Curly Curl Enhancer — I love, love, love this product and know you will too. I’ve got super curly hair. . .and when I say curly, I mean tight coils that shrink up so much, you have to look closely to see them. Well, I love this product because it helps define my curls, controls frizz (super important in Miami summer weather) and conditions my hair. Seriously, you have to try it for yourself.
Cantu Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream — Well, if you can’t tell from the above products, it’s super important that whatever I use conditions my hair thoroughly. That’s why I love my Cantu Repair Cream. It’s perfect for days when my hair needs that extra bit of conditioning. In addition, its super light and leaves my hair feeling soft. I only use this once a week (usually on the weekends) since it doesn’t have anti-frizz. But believe me, it’s still worth having in your cabinet.
Now, I’d love to hear from you – what are your favorite products?
Soul signer Chrisette Michele recently decided to go natural and cut off all of her hair. . .and when I say all, I mean everything. When I decided to cut my hair, I brooded over it for about a week. I fretted over the stigmas of having short hair. Would men still find my beautiful? Would a short haircut fit my face? Would my hair “fit in” in the corporate world? In the end, I decided to cut it simply because I wanted to do so. . . it’s just hair, right?
In an interview with Vibe.com, Chrisette had this to say about her big chop:
“My advice to women all around the country is to keep it simple. Don’t make everything such a big deal and don’t be so judgmental as to why other people do things. Jst enjoy them. . . Sometimes I wish, especially in African American community, that Black women would just calm down and have a little bit more fun.”
So tell me, could you chop off all of your hair?
Ever hear of Russian Amber Imperial Shampoo? It’s actually been raved about by Vogue, Lucky Magazine, and REDBOOK beauty director Cheryl Kramer Kaye and beauty editor Krista Bennett DeMaio declared it a “Most Valuable Product.” But a 1.8 oz bottle will cost you $140! It is a multiple-award-winning shampoo, but still!? Could you bring yourself to spend this much? Don’t know about you but now I’m curious…
From work to the gym to yoga on the beach and long runs over Key Biscayne, the last thing I want to worry about is how my lifestyle is killing my hair.
Thankfully, a surfer babe in La Jolla Shores, California, Lauren Otonicar, felt similarly and so she created the Tonic hair care line. I’ve spent a couple weeks with Tonic in my shower and only have good things to say about the brand. A little background info – Tonic offers a complete organic hair care regimen, is 100% Earth-friendly, and includes NO sulfates or parabens….you have to figure since an outdoors-loving surfer chick developed the products!
Out of the three Tonic products I tried, my favorite is the Luster Tonic - a leave-in conditioning mist with powerful UV-inhibitors and natural botanical oils designed to protect hair from the damaging effects of sun, salt, wind and chlorine. Let me tell you, this product comes in handy in Miami’s tropical, humid-ass climate. Luster Tonic goes from cream-to-mist and can actually double as a moisturizer for your skin. You know how I am all about multi-purpose products. Great for split ends, breakage and dry, tangled hair, Luster Tonic contains aloe vera, grape seed oil and wheat protein. Here’s a breakdown of how these key ingredients keep hair healthy:
· Aloe Leaf – The source of aloe and aloe juice. The leaf acts as an emollient and absorbs ultra-violet light.
· Silk Protein – Protects the hair against dehydration, leaving it smooth and soothed.
· Wheat Protein – Contains elastic properties that also add moisture, condition and firmness.
So if you’re planning on spending your weekends at the beach this summer, taking a cruise vacation or just want to protect your hair from everyday wear and tear, check out Tonic.
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!
Photo: StyleTips101
I went for a run this morning and it was very apparent summer is here! Well, at least in Miami anyway. Humidity is in full force, there is no doubt about that. On the topic of summer, we had the chance to talk with Marcy Cona, Clairol’s Global Creative Director for Color and Style. She gave us some great tips on how to maintain your hair color in the summer. Read on!
PGH: What are some tips/products to help make color last?
MC: The key to long lasting beautiful hair color is first to start with the right hair color product, if you desire a lighter shade with beautiful dimensional results, I would recommend a Nice ‘n Easy shade because it is permanent. If you would like to stay close to your natural hair color with a hint of shimmer or tone I would recommend Natural Instincts.
Another tip for keeping your hair color fresh is to promise to use weekly the in box conditioners found in each of the Clairol kits. These conditioners are designed to condition, refresh and renew your shade until you are ready to color again!
PGH: Is it still a trend or more so a “beauty rule” to go light in the summer, dark in the winter?
MC: Going “Lighter” is always on trend for summer; the new trend for this summer is the combination of going lighter and mixing it up with a new tone and dimension.
PGH: What are some hot colors/shades for this Summer?
MC: My favorite shades for Blondes:
Nice ‘n Easy 102G – Natural Light Golden Blonde
Natural Instincts 03G- Rich Light Golden Blonde
My favorite shades for Brunettes:
Nice ‘n Easy 116 Natural Light Caramel Brown
Natural Instincts 21 Rich Medium Brown
My favorite shades for Redheads:
Nice ‘n Easy 107 Natural Strawberry Blonde
Natural Instincts 22 Medium Auburn Brown
PGH: After dying, how many days should you wait before getting in the pool/going to the beach?
MC: I recommend that if possible you wait 24 hours, and if you need to be out in the sun right away, keep your hair covered with a great looking hat or scarf.
PGH: What are you recommendations to get rid of the freshly-dyed scent? Sometimes it can be very overbearing!
MC: Rinse, Rinse, Rinse, and condition! The reason for lingering odor of color is due to the porosity in your hair, the best way to get rid or minimize the odor is to rinse, use your ColorSeal Conditioner and Rinse again!
PGH: Any other tips related to color in the Summer?
MC: Tip 1#- Enjoy the Summer, but remember your hair needs some attention! The summer rules are the three C’s- Color, Cut, and Condition every 8 weeks!
Tip 2#- For your beach and outside activities, make sure you have a few hair accessories to keep your looking good, while adding protection. Hat, headband, ponytails, fun hair clip, mini water bottle to mist your hair while keeping it protected.
Tip 3#- Use your ColorSeal Conditioner in and out of the shower, take your conditioner to the beach or pool for an additional layer of protection- add a small amount (dime size) to your dry hair, next use a wide tooth comb remove tangles, place in a ponytail, headband or leave natural.
Celeb stylist Ted Gibson perfected the beautiful and very talented Anne Hathaway’s hair last night for the 2010 Met Ball. With such a statement, embellished dress, it was important for Ted to maintain a classy, simple hairstyle. Re-create Anne’s hair in three easy steps.
1. Blow dry hair using the Ted Gibson hair sheets to help tame frizz.
2. Use a small barrel curling iron on the ends to create body.
3. Finish with a few sprays of Ted’s beautiful hold hairspray.
I give pop singer Pink credit for always taking risks with her hair…but this new boyish ‘do is just not working for me. Really? Pink? What were you thinking? There is nothing sexy about this haircut. Maybe she was going for the Halle Berry look and her stylist got it all wrong. Her color is pretty plain jane too…don’t you agree? Like her better as a blonde.
