Last weekend I was in Atlanta for the truly wonderful Fro Fashion Week event at the Hotel Melia downtown. And this weekend, I’ll be in New York during all the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week madness, for two awesome natural hair related events! And you know I’ll be tweeting all of the glitz and glamour for you, right? Follow me! And let me tell you about Curls Unleashed. The brand new product line by Organic Root Stimulator will be hitting store shelves soon. To drum up even more anticipation for the product line, they’ve been throwing some really cool events in major cities!

Last week in Chicago I attended my first Curls Unleashed event — at The Shrine — and it was phenomenal! Swanky and chic, and singers Jaguar Wright and Eric Benet performed. Click here for photos via Uptown!

This Thursday I’ll be in the midst of another Curls Unleashed event in New York City. The Curls Unleashed launch party will be hosted by my amiga, YouTube phenomenon Taren916, and attended by myself and the lovely Kim Coles amongst many other naturalistas! I’ll be your official insider tweeting the news for you all!

And on Saturday night there’s TextureMedia’s Texture on the Runway event which is sure to be BEYOND fabulous, and packed with a veritable who’s who of the natural hair blogger world — be sure to check out their dope website, TextureOnTheRunway.com for the livestream! I’ll be reporting live from Saturday’s event to keep you up to date on the sweetest styles to sashay down the runway.

You can follow on Twitter @Curls_Unleashed, and on the evening of the event follow the hashtag #CurlsUnleashed to see what the brains behind the brand are working on. And on Facebook (at facebook.com/CurlsUnleashed) tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at their inspiration boards and artistic team to see what makes a fashion event come to life! And check out the product line itself at CurlsUnleashed.com – I’ve been testing it out and I love what I’ve tried so far!

See you soon, NYC!

Nobody wants to talk about how beautiful she is, how luminous her skin is, or what she’s wearing. The media is obsessed with issues like weight, size, and how many pairs of Spanx she may or may not be wearing. For the record, Octavia addressed it all very eloquently via her Facebook page — click here to read how she feels about all of THAT. And click here to join the Octavia Spencer fan page!

When I see Octavia Spencer on the red carpet, I see a woman I can relate to. A woman who looks amazing, and has beautiful hair, makeup, and a fabulous dress on — Tadashi Shoji at the SAG’s and at the Golden Globes (will she rock Tadashi at the Oscars, too? Can’t wait to see!)

Octavia Spencer’s makeup artist is the beautiful Val Noble — follow her on Twitter @MissValNoble! I contacted her to ask the hard hitting beauty questions. Like, how did this beautiful relationship begin?

“I met Octavia 6 years ago on the set of a Comedy Central show. I was doing hair and makeup and we stayed in touch after the show and she called me when ever she needed her makeup done or to have some foundation mixed up for her.”

Now that awards season has kicked into high gear, Val Noble is a BUSY woman. Val is a self-taught makeup artist with over 30 years experience doing hair, and she was involved in Octavia’s looks for both the SAG’s and the Golden Globes. “Because I do both hair and make-up, sometimes I have to do one or the other. For the SAG awards I did her hair (The fabulous bun). For the Golden Globes, I did her makeup.”

Here’s the official breakdown on Octavia’s Golden Globes look!

“For foundation I used Iman stick foundation on the T-zone, cheek area and Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Benares blended out on the forehead and jawline.

Powder is next because you need it to set the makeup and stop shine. Most women need 2 colors because the T-zone, cheek area and forehead jawline are a different colors. I use Nars pressed powder in Mountain on the T-zone and pressed powder in Heat on the forehead and jawline.

I used an ELF pro mini eyeshadow palette for her eyes. Matte mauve on the lid, black along the lash line to outer corners close to the brow bone and a light shimmer right under the brow arch. Individual lashes and Fluidline gel liner by Mac in Blacktrack.

Cheeks are a Mac powder blush in Fever. And Lips are lined with Iman Luxury Lip Pencil in Tan and Nars Lip Gloss in Fever.

My favorite make-up brands are Nars, Elf, NYX, Revlon and L’Oreal. The drugstore brands are pretty nice nowadays, especially the lip colors and mascaras. The Pro Brands do a little better with eye shadows, blushes (deeper pigments) and foundations (more colors for darker skins).”

I loved her mix of high and low, drugstore and department store! That’s my kinda makeup! I had to ask Val her advice for me, seeing as I’m headed to the Oscar red carpet for the very first time.

“For your Oscar look you can’t go wrong with a muted eye with lots of lashes and a nice eyeliner winged up in the corners. I am in love with the new brighter lip colors which will give you a fresh new look with the muted eye. If you want to take it up a notch, add a glitter shimmer on the lid only. It will give a hint of shine and twinkle when you blink. Make sure to have some blotting papers on hand…. They are perfect for absorbing shine without over powdering.” GREAT advice, Val!! Thank you so much!!

For up and coming artists, Val also offered stellar advice: “For a new artist, I would say to never give up… make sure to work neat and clean (clean your brushes after every client), and don’t be afraid to try something new. Sometimes you can use blush for eyeshadow, or eyeshadow for eyebrows or contouring, etc. Also make friends with other successful artists because when they get busy, they will need help.”

For more of Val’s AMAZING work check out her bi-monthly magazine RegardMag.com or follow them on Twitter @RegardMagazine. For more of Val’s awesomeness, follow her @MissValNoble.

Can’t wait to see Octavia Spencer at the Oscars! My fingers and toes are crossed for an interview opportunity!

What was your fave of Octavia’s red carpet looks, bellas?

While I was at home, I made sure to visit Trinidad’s beauty meccas. I went back in time to my earliest beauty experiences, and then visited some boutiques and tried out some products that represent the future of beauty in Trinidad. Allow me to share my experiences!

– Fabi Cosmetique

The lovely gentleman you see in the above photograph is Mr. Frank Blake, better known to me as Uncle Frank (we call family AND friends Uncle and Aunty as a sign of respect where I come from)! When I was seven or eight, I won a question and answer contest at a fashion event. Uncle Frank gifted me with my first fancy beauty item, a bottle of Fendi body wash. That Christmas, I helped out at Uncle Frank’s store — then located in what was known as Westmall, which is now The Falls at Westmall. Fabi Salon was the origin of my beauty story, and helping out there at such a young age shaped who I am today. It was SUCH a pleasure to take a drive down hustling bustling Ariapita Avenue, and find Fabi in a brand new location! And Uncle Frank looking well as ever!

Fabi Salon is now Fabi Cosmetique and it’s located at 62 Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain which is an utterly brilliant location, especially around Carnival! Besides popular mainstream fragrances and cosmetics, they also offer bottles of liquor for sale, and there’s a large refrigerator with a variety of beers and beverages. It’s a store both men and women wouldn’t mind shopping in!

– Body Beautiful on d’Avenue

One or two stores down from Fabi, and right across the street from excellent, popular Trinidadian restaurant Veni Mange, is Trinidad’s new natural hair mecca. I was SO impressed by Body Beautiful on D’Avenue — click to check out their Facebook page! Fully stocked with all the popular natural hair lines including Kinky Curly, Curls, Shea Moisture and Naturalista Cosmetics, and natural body products like Tree Hut and Afrikan Republic! I stopped by and met Allison Goddard, one of the owners.

She is lovely and so helpful!! And while I was there she hooked me up with some Sunny Isle Jamaican Pimento castor oil and my scalp is LOVING it. Thank you!!

– Hair It Is

I have always loved Woodbrook and the neighborhood has changed so much! Now old timey Trinidadian residences share the street with cool local boutiques, mas camps, and restaurants. At 21 DeVerteuil Street, an old school friend of mine — the stunning and super sweet Danielle Jones — has opened a hair emporium! Hair It Is sells products for locks, weaves & everything in between. If you’re looking for high quality clip in hair, or products like Moroccan Oil and Mixed Chicks, this is where you go! Click here to follow them on Facebook!

– Cher-Mere

If you know anything about Caribbean made hair products then I am sure you are familiar with Cher-Mere, the original natural hair spa and product line of the islands! Most of Cher-Mere’s products are made with extracts of aloe vera, tea tree, and rachette — NOT “ratchet” like how it’s used in American slang today. Rachette is also known as Opuntia Vulgaris, a species of cactus related to the prickly pear, that is popular in West Indian hair care (especially amongst rastas. This Black Hair Media thread breaks it down). Cher-Mere’s creator biochemist Cheryl Bowles is a family friend — I am so in love with her Aunty Joyce, she’s like a godmother to me! And I love stopping by their store in Long Circular Mall to pick up products — another beloved relative, Elsie, runs things there and is quite the expert on what products you should try. Love what they do!

– Immortelle Beauty

Immortelle Beauty is a new product line out of Trinidad, dedicated to giving Caribbean feet the pampering and love they deserve! Formulated by cosmetic chemist Kathryn Nurse, she launched the beauty line in 2008, and last year my sister and mom attended a lovely product launch she had in Trinidad. Immortelle’s foot spa products are made with Himalayan sea salt, and essential oils of Jamaican allspice, African bitter orange, and French lavender, and they smell decadent and delightful. Loving it so far!

– Sacha Cosmetics

Sacha Cosmetics is THE O.G of Caribbean cosmetics. Founded 30 years ago in Trinidad, it is makeup dedicated to the range of skintones that Caribbean skin comes in. I grew up using Sacha — my very first lipstick was Copper Rosa, and when I went home my wonderful Aunty Gemma gave me a special gift — a brand new tube of Copper Rosa! It’s just as beautiful as I remembered. Travelers to Trinidad, keep your eyes peeled for a big, beautiful Sacha Cosmetics booth just past the security checkpoint, where the departure gates are at Piarco!

Those were my greatest finds and experiences at home, regarding beauty products and places to buy them. I didn’t get out of the Port of Spain area so I hope next time to share some finds from the South and the East of Trinidad!

Trini bellas, where did I miss and where should I visit next time?

As the star of such films as Love and Basketball, The Wood, The Best Man, Brown Sugar, Out of Time and most recently, Stephen Soderbergh’s Contagion — she began her acting career at Yale, performing in Shakespearean plays while attending the Yale School of Drama. Sanaa has been in top level productions on every level of acting. She’s done stellar work on television — in the early 90′s she cut her teeth on episodes of Moesha, Family Matters, and NYPD Blue, and now she’s the voice of Donna on The Cleveland Show. Her film career made her a household name for young black women like myself, who were looking for beauty icons to admire and be inspired by. On stage Sanaa has won major accolades for her performance in The Vagina Monologues and she won a Tony nomination for her work on Broadway in A Raisin In the Sun alongside Audra McDonald, Phylicia Rashad — and yes, Sean Combs.

Sanaa Lathan is a grown woman, an accomplished actress, and an established force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Sanaa Lathan is talented, beautiful, and inspiring. And now she is the new spokesperson for Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion!

I interviewed the lovely actress about this new role that she describes as “a dream.” Listen in to hear Sanaa’s tips on keeping her natural hair safe despite Hollywood’s expectations, and her favorite products, tips, and recommendations when it comes to Pantene’s hair products!

In part 1, we discuss her favorite Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion products, and her feelings on relaxed versus natural versus what I prefer to call “assisted hair” in her industry.

In part 2, we discuss her makeup and fragrance FAVES. Who knew Sanaa Lathan loved MAC’s Ruby Woo and Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume as much as I did??

You can follow Sanaa Lathan on Twitter @JustSanaa or join her Facebook fanpage right here.

Thanks to Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion and to Sanaa for the opportunity! And THANKS to my new video editor Krystle of Kriss Did It for the AMAZING work!

I’ll be speaking on Saturday, February 4. The topic? Bloggers, Brands, and Brunch! If you’re coming to the event, I’d love to hear from you. What would you like me to address?

I’ll be in the A for most of the Fro Fashion Week festivities, and so will quite a few of my friends and favorite people in the natural hair blogosphere! Kim Coles is hosting the Saturday night penthouse party, my homie for life Felicia Leatherwood will be there, and many of Atlanta’s top natural hair bloggers will be in the house. This is more than just a celebration of fabulousity — there is MUCH to learn, and an awesome series of workshops to get involved in.

Click here to get your tickets, click here to follow Fro Fashion Week on Twitter, and click here to like them on Facebook.

Hope to see you in early February, bellas!

When I tell some people that, they gasp or seem surprised by how young I was. But the majority of folks aren’t surprised at all. Because they probably went through the same thing at that age, and now it seems that little girls are getting their hair chemically straightened even earlier than ever before.

Image comes from bell hooks classic children's book Happy To Be Nappy

About a year ago, I saw a little girl at an electronics store with her parents. The first thing I noticed was how long her relaxed hair was — it was midway down her back! The second thing I noticed was how thin and lifeless her hair was, and how I could see the shine of her scalp through her hair. She couldn’t have been more than four. I was horrified then, but a recent conversation with a grade school teacher here in Chicago left me downright depressed. This teacher came up to me at a Christmas party and asked me “how do I talk to the parents at my school?” Why? Because she says every little girl in her third grade class either has a relaxer or a weave already, or wants one more than anything else.

Recently I was interviewed by Karyn Parsons (!!!) on her new MadameNoire.com web series Mommy in Chief, all about kids and natural hair.

Click here to see!

One of the main points I was trying to hammer home there was the importance of self esteem, and how parents can instill that into their kids from such an early age.

But like I said earlier, I’m not a mom yet so I can’t speak from experience. So I turned the question over to Facebook, and got some GREAT responses. Click here to read all of the natural hair tips shared on my Afrobella Facebook wall. And below, I’ll share a few of my own.

This photo comes from Madame Noire’s helpful post Black Hair Tips for Kids.

- Familiarize yourself with natural hair sites dedicated to kids, like Happy Girl Hair and Girls Love Your Curls — great advice and styling tips to be found!

- When you’re ready to begin, choose a sensible time. Don’t wait until an hour before church when you’re gonna be late. Plan a convenient time, well before you need to be somewhere. Now prepare your little one. Has your daughter taken a nap? Had a snack? Had a drink? Gone potty? OK. Then it’s time to begin!

- Make hair combing seem like FUN, not work. Not a challenge. Let her know it’s time to take tender loving care of her crowning glory and there’s no reason to dread doing it.

- Give your little one something to DO. Some parents give their girls a book or a favorite toy. Some parents use a favorite movie or cartoon, or a handheld video game. Some parents include their child in the process and let them detangle their own hair (carefully and under supervision, of course). You have to decide what works best for both of you!

- Watch what you say and how you act. Exasperated sighs, escalating voices, and statements that make your child’s hair seem like a heavy burden and a bother — those things penetrate. Be PATIENT.

- Find the right products. Cara B Naturally is a great company that focuses exclusively on little girl hair and their products are about to be available at Target soon — January 20! Visit www.mycarab.com for details! Shea Moisture is also available at Target and has a great product made for kids.

- Reinforce that her natural hair is beautiful with toys, books and images that let her know there are others who look like her. bell hooks book is a classic, and the trend of making Barbies with natural hair is also a great way to take an existing toy, and making it more relatable to your little girl!

For more advice (from real moms!) click to read.

What’s your best advice for moms dealing with their little girls hair?

Around this time of year it’s a beautiful thing to be given a gift — but it’s even more beautiful to be the gift giver. I reached out to some of my favorite brands to arrange special holiday giveaways for Afrobella readers, and I hope you love the products as much as I do! Fifth on the holiday giveaway list? The Beautiful Curls Holiday Gift Basket.

My hair is getting longer and the weather is cold and dry. Not a great combination for natural tresses that tend to get matted together if you wait more than a week for a thorough detangling. Sometime in mid-fall, I got a beautiful package in the mail that helped to solve my seasonal hair blues. Beautiful Curls by Alaffia is a nourishing, creamy, shea butter based hair care line that offers moisture to hair that’s curly to kinky, wavy to curly, or even for babies and up!

I’ve been using the curly to kinky variety and the Curl Activating Shea Butter Shampoo and Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment have been great for keeping my hair detangled and moist when I let my hair get to the point of no return. The shampoo, conditioner, and curl activating cream are my favorites thus far. I will admit that I don’t love the smell of the Shea and Coconut Hydrating Curl Oil but when my hair looks super parched, it helps to replenish my gloss.

For the holidays Beautiful Curls has been selling beautiful Alaffia handwoven African grass baskets filled with hair products especially chosen for your texture. And now the kind folks of Beautiful Curls are offering FOUR baskets to lucky Afrobella readers!!

How do you enter, how do you win?

Leave me a comment telling me what your hair texture is like (curly to kinky? Or wavy to curly?) and tell me which of the Beautiful Curls products you’re most looking forward to trying, and why.

This contest will be open until December 27 to contestants within the US, so you have lots of time over the holiday week to enter (and hopefully win!)

Thanks to the Alaffia Beautiful Curls for this opportunity — click here to follow Beautiful Curls on Twitter and Beautiful Curls on Facebook!

Good luck and MERRY CHRISTMAS, bellas!

I want to thank everyone who voted for me for the CVS Beauty Club People’s Choice Awards contest. As you might know by now, I didn’t win — my friend Nadine Jolie did, and she’s gonna rock the red carpet on January 11!!

But as a special thank you to all of you who supported me during the voting process, I’ve got a special CVS Beauty Club giveaway in store. It includes some of the items I used in my PCA red carpet look!

5 lucky Afrobella winners will get a special CVS Beauty Club package including my red carpet favorites like COVERGIRL and Olay products (COVERGIRL Lip Perfection in Embrace is everything!!), as well as Herbal Essences Hello Hydration and Aussie Three Minute Miracle for your hair, Venus Embrace razors AND a $25 gift card to complete your CVS Beauty Club needs!

How do you enter, how do you win?

Leave me a comment telling me which of the above mentioned items you’re more looking forward to trying, and why.

This contest will be open until December 27 to contestants within the US, so you have lots of time over the holiday week to enter (and hopefully win!)

Thanks to the CVS Beauty Club for this opportunity — click here to follow them on Facebook!

Good luck and MERRY CHRISTMAS, bellas!

Celeb stylist, Ursula Stephen

It’s always interesting interviewing celebrity stylists — my perception is always that they’ll know more about relaxed hair or weaves than natural hair. But Ursula offered helpful tips for bellas both natural and relaxed! And she was SO cool!

In this video interview, Ursula offers holiday hairstyle tips for natural hair (as well as tips for ALL hair), winter hair strategies and product recommendations from the Motions haircare line (I do have love for the CPR, I used that a LOT when I had relaxed hair and it helped when my hair was super damaged).

Ursula also offered tips on at home hair color (she says DON’T DO IT!) and makes predictions for hair trends in 2012.

I LOVED that Ursula was about more than just relaxed hair! Such a fun interview!

How will YOU be styling your hair for the holidays, bellas?

Bellas, the monthly series dedicated to inspiring women in the workplace to wear their hair in the style which makes them feel most free, confident and comfortable is officially BACK on both Afrobella.com and CurlyNikki.com! Look out for fresh inspiration every month, and if YOU are a professional who wears her hair in a natural style, please contact us!

The Naturally Professional series was created by Afrobella and Curly Nikki, to make a positive statement. Our intent is to disprove false and long held beliefs that wearing ones hair in a natural style — including locs, sisterlocs, and loose natural hair — makes a person somehow not professional enough for a corporate environment. Natural hair IS professional, beautiful, well taken care of, and welcome in any kind of workplace.

This month we feature Marisa!

Marisa, Twist-Out

Name: Marisa
Age: 32
Title: Reliability Engineer

I work at an electric and natural gas utility company in Michigan. It is a conservative company.

Tell me about your natural journey. How long have you been natural? What led you to wear your hair in a natural style?

I am in my 28-month of being natural. In August 2009, our family decided that we would make a conscious effort to better our health. We began reducing the amount of chemicals we used and ingested. We eat an organic and whole food diet. So I figured, I might as well include my hair.

Have you ever faced any undue scrutiny and/or adversity in your career because of wearing their hair natural?

No. I have not faced any undue scrutiny or adversity in my career because of wearing my hair natural. I think it has benefited me in that it has reduced the amount of times I am confused with the other black women in my office.

That being said, I have received a range of comments, questions, and reactions from a diverse group of people, including:
Blank stares
Side eye
“What’s up with your hair? How did you do that to you hair?”
“Did you stick your finger in a light socket?”
“Are you doing to your hair what Chris Rock is talking about in his new movie?”
“I was watching Oprah with the wife, and they were talking about natural hair. Is your hair natural?”
“I hope I do not offend you but…I really like your hair. “
“Girl you need to comb your hair!!!!”

Do you think there is an issue today with acceptance overall in the corporate workforce for women who choose to wear natural hair?

Yes, overall there is an issue with acceptance in the corporate workforce. There have been times when I was preparing for a meeting and thought, “ Should I wear the twists?” However, things seem to be changing. I think people do not really care what we look like as long as we are producing quality results. I am an African American woman, so, generally, I do think there is a perception that we all look the same even if we do not.

Are there any particular natural hairstyles they feel are no-no’s for the workforce or a particular style that is “safer” or more accepted than others, based on your experiences?

For me the no-no’s are hairstyles that are too big and not neat. I will not wear bantu knots or regular corn rolls to work. I had my share of apprehensions about styles. When I was in the TWA stage, I wasn’t sure about wearing twists. Also, I was apprehensive in the “almost a big ass afro” stage. As I became more comfortable and confident, the apprehension with wearing various natural hairstyles lessened. I have made presentations to senior management wearing twists, twist outs, bantu knot outs, and afros.

How do you or have you handled any questions or issues you’ve faced regarding your hair?

I answer all questions, even the uninformed and insulting ones. I figure I am saving another person from having to answer the questions in the future. I know some people have the opinion, “I am here to work, so do not ask me about my hair”. Or “I don’t ask about your hair, so don’t ask about mine”. That’s fine and all but education is the best way to root out the misconceptions about natural hair.

There is always discussion and sometimes concern about wearing your hair natural and working, as well as succeeding, in the corporate workforce. What strategies can you offer other women who wear their hair natural on handling issues they may face in the workplace regarding their hair choice?

First of all, don’t get defensive, even with the jackasses. Most people make comments because they are uninformed. We work in diverse environments and all employees must adapt, even those confronted with issues to which they have no frame of reference. That being said Regardless if you are in twists, locks, braids, braid-outs, twists outs, keep it neat and make sure you stay within the confines of your company’s corporate policies.

As a leader what insight can you offer women in general, natural or not, on succeeding as African American women? What are the top 3 tips to success you can offer?

Develop Organizationally Savvy skills. I recommend reading the book “Survival of the Savvy”. It addresses the taboo topic of corporate politics and gives practical tips on how to handle differences with employees of different styles, rather than always reacting to your differences emotionally. Also, I highly recommend attending one of the workshops given by JTW Affiliates on the topic of Organizational Savvy. You will be enlightened on secrets of the “inner circle”.

Understand your coworkers and yourself. Know yourself from an objective viewpoint, and understand the “people styles” of those with whom you interact. Develop communication skills such that you are able to convey any point you have to anyone in the company, regardless of title.

Finally, ask for what you want. Sometimes we think some folks have an edge over us based on relationships with others at work. While that is often times true, that should not preclude you from speaking up when you desire a better assignment or project or even an opportunity for more training.

Thank you, Marisa!!

Are you Naturally Professional? Do you know someone who fits the description? Then please send an e mail to bella@afrobella.com or to nikki@curlynikki.com using “Naturally Professional,”as the subject line. Please include the nominee’s name, photos, and a reliable email address.