When I first went natural, it was all I thought about. I spent so much time in my first three or four years of natural hair, figuring it out. Creating a natural hair regimen can seem daunting at first. The products your hair responded to when it was relaxed, won’t have the same effects anymore. Your hair needs totally change. There are a million and one blogs, message boards, photos and YouTube video tutorials to check out, to try to answer your hair questions. But what it truly boils down to is trial and error.

I think it took me maybe 4 years to FINALLY come to peace with my natural hair. It took me that long to make sense of my curl pattern, to know how often I needed to shampoo, what kind of conditioner I needed and what ingredients my hair responded to the most. And then when I moved to Chicago there was even more figuring out to figure out. Now I was contending with FOUR seasons and my hair was dramatically different for each one. Winter left my hair depleted of all life. Summer brought the frizz. And Spring and Fall made my hair curl to perfection – my hair loves those seasons! Somewhere along the way, I more or less figured it out. I could understand my hair and what it needed, and how it looked best. I realized I didn’t care about stretching my hair or trying to achieve a certain length – I wanted it to just do its thing and be happy and healthy, and because my face is round I like a certain shape of hair and I need some upward volume to make my face not look TOO round.

I like it like this.

I figured out a wash and go style that more or less works for me, 365 days of the year. And then I stopped thinking about it as much. Lately I’ve had quite a few people ask me about my hair routine or hair regimen, and I realized I didn’t necessarily have one. Not one that I’d spent time thinking about lately, at any rate.

Don’t get me wrong, I still get super excited about new products and I’m always down to review a new styling cream/pudding/soufflé, or a new leave in conditioner or hair oil, deep conditioning treatment or cleansing cream. I prefer not to try any and every shampoo, having had a bad experience with some homemade shampoo by an indie brand not too long ago. There are some hair treatments I may have tried in the past but don’t feel comfortable doing myself anymore, like color. I used to see myself as something of a hair guinea pig for the people, and there was a point when I’d try almost anything. But now I really gravitate towards products that I think will work well for my texture based on ingredients and experience. The products you see reviewed here on Afrobella have been tried and tested, they are determined to be of quality and are worth your hard earned money. The products that don’t work for me, you don’t hear me talk about ‘em.

So what IS my hair regimen right now? I don’t really have a set routine that I stick to. This is pretty much it:

- I wash my hair using shampoo every 7 to 10 days, depending on my activity level. When I wash my hair with shampoo, I really focus on the scalp and use the pads of my fingertips (no more scratching with fingernails for this girl). Shampoo makes my scalp feel fresh and clean and helps to get rid of the product buildup.

- I conditioner wash more often, usually every 3 days, just to keep my situation moisturized and detangled. I try to work out several days a week, so after working out I either rinse my hair with clean, fresh water and then style for the next day, or I conditioner wash and detangle my hair as needed.

– I try to deep condition my hair once a week, and I’ll get fancy with it and use a hair oil, or intensive treatment. I might use the steamer once a month. Maybe. Tops. I used to use it more often but my apartment is small and I’m lazy.

– When my hair is freshly washed and still wet, I slather on hair product. It really depends on where I’m going and what I’m doing, but my hair responds best to creamy, moisturizing hair products. My hair also adores coconut oil, jojoba oil, and aloe vera based products. Pure, heavy shea butter products weigh my hair down a lot so I usually use those in the winter only.

– After I wash my hair I use a wide tooth, rat tail comb by Umberto Beverly Hills (available at Target stores and in Umberto’s salons, not online alas) to give my hair lift at the roots, so it doesn’t dry all flat on my scalp. I wish I had more talented fingers for cool styles and up-dos and twists…but I don’t. I have stubby incapable fingers.

That’s pretty much it.

I don’t do hair product challenges because I lack the discipline required. I will forget by day 2. I don’t have the skill or patience for elaborate styles. I take my hair day by day and don’t think about it a whole lot all the time. It is a reflection of me and my personality but the days of letting it be an obsession are in my past. I’m not at all bored with my hair, I love it as much as I ever did! I just don’t worry about it as much as I used to. And that’s funny, coming from the girl who used to switch up her hair color on a monthly basis back in her relaxed days. When did this nonchalance happen?

I want to hear from you – are you a long-term natural who’s still got an intense hair regimen? Or are you at the “it is what it is” point in your natural hair life, too?

The post Natural Hair Confession – I Don’t Really Have A Hair Regimen appeared first on Afrobella.

What with the proliferation of natural hair brands taking over retail store shelves at places like Target and Walgreens, it’s even easier these days for aspiring naturals to enter into the world of natural hair products (and potential product junkie-ism). There are indie brands who have made it big, big brands who continue to grow, and brands that really focused more on relaxers in times past who have come to realize the wisdom and profits in natural hair sales. Ahem.

There are great brands to be found in mainstream retail stores and they are also amazing brands that have not yet been discovered by those mainstream retail stores. Some of these brands are ready to be prime time players, others will continue to thrive in a handmade mom-and-pop capacity. That’s the beauty of entrepreneurship!

I wrote a similar post to this in 2012 – click here to read Natural Hair Products – Who Got Next – and it was so cool to look back and see which brands made it to the mainstream! So now let me tell you about five of my favorite little independent hair brands that are doing it big in terms of quality and integrity. Some you’ve read about here before. Others you may not have heard about yet! All are worth your attention.

Coco Curls is intended to be the ultimate multi-use styling product for natural hair. Made by Jeannell Darden, the product came about after she dealt with damage after relaxing, drying and blow drying her hair into a frenzy. Jeannell went natural and found that there were too many products out there confusing and cluttering the market. Her engineering background came in handy in creating her Curly Styling Aid – the only product in the Coco Curls family right now. I love it as a hair moisturizer and styling product, especially in cooler months. Click to buy!

OBIA Natural Haircare is all about the moisture! Every product I’ve tried has been fabulous in terms of delivering the hydration my hair needs. Their Curl Moisture Cream and Curl Hydration Spray are both awesome. And for men who need natural hair care, there’s a men’s line too! Great quality everything. Click to buy!

Anu Essentials stepped into the natural hair arena with credentials galore. Created by renowned natural stylist, Anu Prestonia, founder of the Khamit Kinks salon in Brooklyn, these products simply deliver. Anu Essentials has specialized hair care for natural needs – I’m loving her Moisturizing Curling Cream right now! But the brand doesn’t stop there. Body butters, soaps, perfumes – is there anything Anu can’t do? (I doubt it)! Click here to shop!

Komaza Care is building a big, fabulous reputation in the natural hair community!  I was introduced to them by my homegirl Felicia Leatherwood of the Loving Your Hair With Natural Care Workshop. She put me onto their Coconut Hair Pudding when I was out in LA visiting last time, and she was so right – my hair fell in LOVE. I was sleeping on this brand, but I’m not anymore! Click here to shop!

Soultanicals has the whole package, if you ask me. Innovative products, cool packaging, and a genuine aesthetic for natural hair. Created by Ayo Ogun McCants, the Soultanicals credo is all about fresh, handmade, afro vegan LOVE. I’m a big fan of the Hair Sorrell Knappylicious Kink Drink. My hair loves it just as much as this Trini girl loves sorrel at Christmastime!

Add these to the list of national brands that I think have got next, alongside Koils By Nature, Naturalista cosmetics, Oyin, Cara B and so many other brands!

Those are my latest favorites of the independent natural hair brands that I have been blessed enough to try. Do you have any new favorites that I need to know about, bellas?

The post Five Little Independent Hair Brands Doing It Big appeared first on Afrobella.

When I opened the floor for Camille Reed of Noire Salon to share her opinions based on experience in the Hair Blogger Falsehoods post, I had no idea we’d strike such a nerve. There were such vehement responses that I had to ask Camille to come back and address the issue further. I realized the main complaint wasn’t so much with what Camille was actually saying – the information was incredibly valid, and in weeks since I’ve seen other blogs tackle “natural hair myths” without creating a response of overall outrage. Many expressed issues with Camille’s perceived tone, and to me, that comes from the projected feelings many of us have gotten from stylists in our past experiences. That led me to write a follow up of sorts, Hairdresser Horrors, Who Hurt You – about my own hair salon experiences, the very experiences that led me to go natural and avoid going to hairstylists. And it led Camille to return to the topic at hand.

Three On One by Annie Lee

This time, her words of wisdom and experience are addressed both to the natural hair lovers who responded to her first post with anger, and also to the stylists who have done the craft a disservice and created this rift of distrust to begin with.

We’ve got to do better.

Take it away, Camille!

“I love who we are and what we represent. We have an opportunity to build the spirits of one another so that we can all be great.

Black girls are a special kind of amazing. We are witty, smart, chic and in possession of a lot of character. However, what tends to stand out the most about us is our physicality. I have such beautiful sisters who have an immense range of complexions, with supple seeking eyes, round noses and cheeks, curvy hips and derrieres. There is a cultural fixation on our looks, so how does the majority culture expect us not to share this fixation when it comes to our hair? See, the hair of the black girl was the one thing to which we could effect much change. It could alter (just in a subtle way) how the population would perceive our character. I realize that this seems unfair. Why do we feel like this? The history is so complicated. From the horror of the slave trade and the several hundred years of legalized slavery, killings, towns destroyed, families split and broken apart – despite all of these things, our hair has still managed to have a major spiritual connection to a sense of community that will never be broken.

All That Glitters by Annie Lee

The black hair salon is a safe house. A black girl leaves her place of work and sheds her mask as soon as she walks in. She can look completely relaxed or express her true exhaustion. The hair dresser is her therapist and just like a priest, who sees her at her most vulnerable. She leans her head back in the bowl and closes her eyes and for a little while, is transported to a place where no one is judging her, where her family isn’t being so demanding, where she can speak freely about politics and religion. The salon is the place for the things that matter to our hearts.

We are told, from young girls that our hair is our crown. What effervescent little black princess wants a tarnished crown? So we put a lot of money and time into our hair. Hours and days spent and never to return, stories told and heard and at the end…a blossom of a thing that sends us out into the world renewed and refreshed.

A giant schism is being created in the natural hair world as a result of what sisters have endured in “the classic black salon” which takes the aforementioned things and turns them completely turns them into something grotesque and unrecognizable. Gone is the place where we could be free and open and enter the salon culture of rudeness, hustling, cheating and stealing. Some places have become so malevolent that clients become victims of crimes, or to the effect where illegal activities are taking place within the salon space.

Some sisters have gone to salons, vulnerable and open, and have been abused by the same women that they have trusted. They have had their scalps seared and burnt, their hair broken or cut with unwarranted fervor. Some ladies have endured such violence as a result of their stylist not wanting their client to be “cuter than them.”

Burn You Baby by Annie Lee

Their trust has been seared into a scar that is having a hard time healing. Ladies are leaving the shops in droves, and taking their hair care into their own hands (where a few unscrupulous individuals are tending to lead them down a path of more hair-related misfortune). My mother would call this “jumping out of the pot and into the fire.” What many of these ladies want is the return of the safe place and the guidance that they were used to. Sisters want to feel safe again and we, as stylists, need to do whatever it is that can be done to create the healing atmosphere that has inspired their strength throughout the ages.

I challenge each of us to understand the gravity of this responsibility and bridge the growing divide between the stylist and the sister. We need to open our mouths and communicate our knowledge, unafraid, and willing to revere our jobs as the priesthoods that they are. In African culture, the hairdresser was a central figure…a helper. Let’s take this natural hair movement away from just profiteering and reclaim the rich ministry that it truly is.” — Camille E. Reed, www.noiredesignconcepts.com (and you can follow her on Twitter & Instagram at @Noireboss1).

All artwork featured in this post is by the legendary Annie Lee, click here to visit her official site.

The post Open Letter From A Hairstylist to Natural Hair Lovers & Fellow Hairstylists appeared first on Afrobella.

I don’t know if you’ve been reading my blog for a long time or not so forgive me if I’m repeating myself, but back in 2006 I wrote a post titled Hairdresser Horrors. It was an Ask Afrobella response to a reader who was lamenting the state of hair salons, in terms of price and professionalism. In that post I went on to detail the history of my hairdressers past. You can click here to read the whole thing – IMHO it’s one of my best written posts and someday when I write a book, that post will make it in there. I thought about that post for the first time in years, as I read the comments on Camille Reed’s guest post, 5 Hair Blogger Falsehoods Debunked by a Professional Cosmetologist.

I’ll be honest, I was kinda surprised by the comments on that post. Some were appreciative. Some were angry. Some were eloquently expressed. Some came in, guns blazing with that CAPS LOCK key firmly clicked the whole time. Some were people who – according to their IP addresses – had never even visited my blog before, but despite that fact they felt the need to tell me, “don’t write these kinds of posts anymore.”

Because of the comments and the blog posts written in response to that post, I have come to see Camille’s post as necessary. It was like ripping off a plaster from a wound and realizing the wound didn’t need the plaster, what it needed was fresh air to help it heal. We’re airing out the wound. And in doing so, we have the power to heal the wound that’s scarred the relationship between DIY natural hair and the stylists who actually are trained and studied, professional experts in caring for our hair.

How many of us have had this experience?

**image of hairstylist via Shutterstock

So many of the responses were full of outrage and offense, and that let me know that some readers took that post really personally. I’d like to extend an olive branch because it was not Camille nor my intent to offend, and the response made me wonder why people seemed to be so put off by this particular post.  I’ve had people tell me it was about the tone of the article, as if it were intended to talk down to the reader. But when I read it and edited it, I didn’t see it that way at all. I saw it as Camille Reed speaking to what she’s seen in her chair from clients who have shown signs of hair damage based on what they’ve read online. She is definitely not the only professional stylist I’ve interviewed who’s spoken to me about their concerns and experiences here. She’s just the first to share it in written form on this blog.

If you’ve developed and learned methods that work for you, that’s great! I’ve got my methods I’ve learned online too! So why take offense at professional information? It’ll either work for you, or not.  You might learn something, or you might not. Why then assume that a licensed professional with so many years in the business has “no idea what they’re talking about”, or is just “worried about losing money”? I see that as projecting. That’s making an assumption based on your own interactions and experience. And it comes from having been hurt and angered by hairdressers in your past.

I get it. I’ve also been hurt by hairdressers in my past. I look back on my history of hairdressers from Trinidad to America and realized that I’ve had no shortage of bad experiences that made me want to run away from the salon.

Let me tell you who hurt ME and who kept me from wanting to go back to the stylist’s chair.

– The stylists who relaxed my hair without any kind of protective base. For years I thought it was supposed to burn like fire and my scalp was supposed to be all scabbed up after relaxers. Seriously. I could never stand the sting and the scabs. In my heart I knew there had to be a better way but I was young enough not to know how to speak out about it.

– The stylists for whom time wasn’t an issue. How many hours of my life have I spent sitting and waiting at salons in my life? TOO MANY. I especially remember a stylist in my teens who smoked and gossiped and you could easily spend 5 hours there – 3.5 of those hours spent waiting, 1.5 spent on actually doing your hair. It was so extra and so unnecessary.

– The stylist who made an offhand and under-breath, offensive remark about my natural hair, suggesting I use chicken grease to style my hair. Oh yes. That happened.

– The stylists who have changed their prices from what was listed, based on my texture of hair. That’s happened too.

– As I disclosed in Hairdresser Horrors, I came to realize one of my longest and most beloved hairstylists was – sad to admit — essentially a functional cocaine addict, and despite his talent as a stylist and his bubbly and loving personality, he did make terrible decisions that put himself and all of his clients in danger. It was sad and it was tough to witness and experience.

– The stylist who relaxed and colored and relaxed and colored and relaxed and colored my hair to the point where it was so damaged I had to essentially do a big chop for my fried, damaged beyond repair hair (see above).

– The many, many stylists through the years who quite simply gave me That Look as I walked in the salon door. You know the look. The look that lets you know they’ve judged your hair and they know it’s gonna be a lot of work for them and they probably are hoping you don’t wind up sitting in their chair. That look.

I’ve been offended, I’ve been hurt, and I’ve LITERALLY been burned before. But did those experiences scare me out of the stylist chair forever? No. Because I recognize that there are unprofessionals and hacks in every industry, and there are also true professionals out there who know what they’re doing better than I do.

Clearly I’m not a licensed and experienced cosmetologist or trichologist who can say that I’ve touched many heads of hair besides my own and can speak with knowledge about what works for everyone. I can’t say that I’ve truly studied and practiced hair science in any kind of meaningful way. I’ve figured out what works for me based on what I’ve read and what I’ve tried. That is awesome and I’m proud and happy to be part of the natural hair community. I’m proud of the fact that we share so much with each other, through forums, through blogs, through YouTube and Pinterest and Instagram and social media in general. I have learned so, so much from the online natural hair movement and I’m grateful for all of it. But does that knowledge mean that I would dismiss tidbits of knowledge from a professional? No. Although I have learned what my hair likes and what works for me, I know I can always learn something new about styling or caring for my hair.

So I told you who hurt me. I’ll also tell you who HELPED me. Because I’ve learned a lot while sitting in the stylist’s chair, too.

- I’ve learned not to scratch my scalp and to use the pads of my fingers when I shampoo. I used to be a scalp-scratcher, and I loved that feeling. But I realized I was injuring my scalp in tender places, and visiting a professional stylist showed me that gently using the pads of my fingers is way better.

– I’ve learned how to give my natural hair lift when it gets flat on top – using a rat tail comb (see last week’s Umberto experience post)

– I’ve learned that I still love hair color but it is better for me to let a professional handle that for me

– I’ve learned that I do need a shape and to regularly trim my hair so that it has the look I desire. I like my natural hair with volume at the top. I keep it more or less the same length because that is how I think my hair looks best. I’ve had some incredible haircuts that have shown me the look I want for my hair.

– I’ve learned the value of listening and communicating. There’s something beautiful about sitting with a professional and discussing your hair concerns, and having those questions answered. There’s something so awesome about coming to a stylist with a photo or an idea of a style you’re unable to execute yourself, and watching it come to life. I love those moments.

I’m gonna keep watching YouTube videos, and reading forums, and trying new products based on reviews I’ve met online. I’m also gonna keep going to stylists when I feel the need to, and I’m always gonna keep my mind and my ears and my eyes open for new products, tips, and advice for taking care of my crowning glory, where ever it comes from.

I shared my hairdresser horrors. Now please feel free to share yours! Have you ever had an experience that made you not want to go back to a salon ever again? Tell me about it! And tell me the good stories, too!

The post Hairdresser Horrors. Who Hurt You? appeared first on Afrobella.

My Target Inner Circle trip to Los Angeles in March remains a fabulous memory that feels more like a dream. Within just a few days, I experienced so many amazing things. I already told you about my Essence Black Women in Hollywood experience, and my Napoleon Perdis smoky eye makeover. Now let me tell you about the full luxury hair experience I enjoyed at Umberto Beverly Hills!

From the moment the taxi pulled up to the stunning white building, I felt like I was transported to another dimension. The zip code is 90210, literally. The doors open unto a two storied space with Italian frescos on the walls. For the briefest moment, I felt out of place. But I soon came to realize that I wasn’t in some austere Hollywood hair emporium. In fact, I was about to get my hair done at the fanciest mom and pop operation I’ve ever been in.

Afrobella and Umberto

Umberto Savone is a hair genius. His wife Babette runs the show. During my visit, his daughter stopped by to say hello. In the midst of the family and staff that’s worked there forever (most of the staff has worked with Umberto for a decade or more), there’s a nonstop parade of celebrities and Hollywood influencers coming in to get cut, colored, styled and pampered. During my visit, I entered right behind horror movie innovator Eli Roth, bedraggled and deeply tanned from a film set in South America. We were both greeted with the same friendly professionalism and I immediately felt more at ease.

Umberto doesn’t ask questions, he assesses your situation. And he LOVED my hair. He ran his fingers through it and pronounced it “perfect.” I love when a hairstylist shows appreciation and love for natural hair, and Umberto was totally about it. He gave tips and a general direction to stylist Nina Avitea and we went off to execute the vision.

This is Nina. She is AWESOME. And she knows her stuff! She admitted to me that she’s had clients who have been concerned about her ability to work with their hair texture before, but she prides herself in making every client happy and proving her ability to work with everyone’s hair. Nina especially loves natural hair, and all of the products Nina used are available at Target.

Umberto Beverly Hills sells everything from hairbrushes to shampoos to styling tools – all made to exacting, quality controlled perfection in Umberto’s factory.They pride themselves on creating ahead of the curve products for healthy hair. Some products are available at his salons, and others are available at Target and on Target.com. “I always wanted to create something. I wanted to go to one place, create incredible products and get them to the consumer easily. Target believed in me, and I believed in them,” he told me.

Nina gave me subtle, perfectly placed highlights using Umberto’s color sachets, we cut some of my dead ends off, and we used the following products on my hair:

Umberto Repair Shampoo (it’s sulfate free)!

Umberto Repair Conditioner

Umberto Controller Conditioning Spray

Umberto Roman Oil Serum

And Nina gave me some styling tips that totally have helped. She told me I need to style my hair using a leave in conditioner and then a styling product, and I should section off my hair and apply product from the back sections of my hair and work towards the front, from roots to ends. Nina could tell I wasn’t applying enough product to my ends, or the very front of my hair. And when she styled my hair, she didn’t use her fingers. Using your fingers to style your hair can lead to frizz, and disrupt the curl pattern. Nina used a wide tooth rat-tail comb and used the comb’s end to lift my hair up so my curls wouldn’t dry flat at the root, and poofy at the ends. I’ve been following her tips and it’s definitely made a difference. My hair was totally drying flat on top and in an poofy inverted triangle shape. Now I’m using Umberto’s rat tail comb to give my curls a lift, and I’m loving my wash and go style even more!

I’ll admit to being cautious going into this hair experience. I wasn’t sure my natural hair would be received well or styled right in such an establishment and I’ve experienced my share of hairdresser horrors in the past. I’m happy to report that the folks at Umberto Beverly Hills not only did right by my hair, they made me feel like a princess. While I was under the dryer, I was getting this amazing manicure. My brows got snatched to perfection. When I left, I felt ready for the red carpet and absolutely blessed by the experience.

You can find Umberto’s amazing products online at Target.com, or in his salons (click for locations).

Thanks to everyone at Umberto, and thanks to Target Inner Circle for the experience!

The post The Umberto Beverly Hills Experience appeared first on Afrobella.

One of my earliest hair-related memories was watching Diana Ross’s concert in Central Park, 1983. Of course I wasn’t actually there – the concert was televised, and I remember watching it with my parents in Trinidad. I was so little and I remember watching this goddess of a woman with this resplendent mane of kinky, curly, long hair utterly transfix what seemed like an ocean of people. I even wrote about that memory in my first ever blog post, back in 2006. When I found myself sitting to essentially create this blog, that memory of Diana Ross, singing in the rain, came back to inspire me.

After seeing Diana Ross’ concert, I would take a towel or teeshirt, put it on my head and sashay down the stairs singing “I want muscle!” not even realizing that song was way too grown for me. Back in 1983, Diana Ross directly shaped my ideas about natural hair being beautiful, regal, desirable. For that and for so many things, I thank her.

Today Diana Ross turns 69. I wish her a happy birthday and thank her from the bottom of my heart for the inspiration she gave to me and so many others through all these years – in her music, in her style, in her innate, eternal beauty.

The post Happy Birthday, Diana Ross! Thank You For Everything appeared first on Afrobella.

I love what the natural hair movement has done for us in terms of empowerment and self-validation, entrepreneurship and inspiration. Future generations of women with natural hair now have an industry of products made for us, and a bounty of information offering advice and insight on handling our hair texture. We have ignited an online revolution and transformed the mainstream standard of beauty.

I love the natural hair community and I love so many natural hair blogs. But one of the things I don’t love, is the misinformation and negativity, and the criticism of others for their choices that can exist within our space. It does concern me that some in the natural hair communities seem to value the opinion of amateurs over hair care professionals. It can create a kind of confusion in the community. When most people are sharing the techniques that work for them, then how do you truly know what will work for you? What if the techniques that every blogger and vlogger are raving about, turns out to be detrimental to the health of your hair? How do you really know you’re following a sensible hair regimen, if it isn’t rooted in hair science and acquired education?

 Hair photo via Shutterstock

Recently I noticed natural hair professionals complaining about this on Twitter, but in a much more informed way. So I wanted to share that voice of experience, and reach out to someone who can critique from a place of knowledge and love.

Meet Camille E. Reed, the creator of Noire Design Concepts salon in Silver Spring, MD. She’s a genius with natural hair and an expert in hair color. She is licensed, she is professional, and she is frustrated with some of the misinformation that’s proliferating on the internet.

Camille sees it on an ongoing basis – the women who come into her salon with hair damage resulting from following bad advice they found from an unprofessional source. She’s here to debunk what she sees as the top 5 hair blogger falsehoods. Take it away, Camille!

“Hi everyone, my name is Camille E. Reed. I am an educator, licensed cosmetologist and natural hair stylist of 14 years and also the owner of Noire Salon in Silver Spring, MD. During the course of my career, I have estimated that around 17,000-26,000 heads of hair have sat underneath my hands and have been scrupulously tended by them. So it’s a bit startling to hear some of the natural hair bloggers spreading misinformation about hair care. I am sure they meant no harm. However, what most stylist and pros know cannot be Googled or passed down as second-hand information, without a great deal of both practical wisdom and a keen understanding of cosmetic chemistry. Here I am going to assist many of you back on to the right path. My concern is that some of this misinformation will cause your strands to behave in a way that causes your home hair care to become troublesome, over time. There have been terms that the hair bloggers are using or have created, that are neither scientifically sound or are what professionals use (and have been using) since the onset of Modern Cosmetology in the 19^th and early 20^th century.

1. Co-washing:

This is where bloggers and vloggers are instructing readers and subscribers to forgo using shampoo and “wash” their hair with conditioner.

The problem with this method is that it promotes the misuse of product. Within Cosmetic chemistry, certain products have certain roles. The shampoo, with either its surfactants or saponins, opens up the hair cuticle in an alkaline state to release dust, dirt, lipids (fats) and other products from the strand. The cleaners are molecularly attracted to these items and adhere. Water comes in as a solvent and removes both the shampoo and residue. Conditioners come in at an acidic state to relax the cuticle and bring pH balance back to the skin. Commercial conditioners (the ones people are using for these co-washes) contain an additional number of mild chemical sealants to add a bit more protection to the hair strand. It is designed to mimic the natural fat that comes from our scalp, called Sebum (also slightly acidic).

Misuse of conditioner leaves several layers of film on the strands that, after a few months, will start to retard the cuticle from opening properly to allow the strand to swell with water. The result is a low-porosity strand that becomes increasingly fragile and starts to break.

The good thing for ladies in this current hair care market is that companies are making sulfate free shampoos and organic shampoos that contain saponins (natural, non chemical cleansers) that will get your hair clean WITHOUT over-stripping. Understand that all of these other methodologies need to be carefully scrutinized and compared to actual cosmetic science before they are co-opted.

2. Dusting (aka trims):

I see more bloggers and vloggers instructing young ladies not to cut or trim their hair, showing off what they deem to be fabulously long hair without having been cut in multiple months or years.

The ends of your hair are the oldest and weakest part of your hair fiber. Yes, hair is a fiber and like most fibers, it has a shelf life. The ends are nearing the end of their shelf life and no amount of product will revive or repair fiber that is old and weather or style beaten. It just simply needs to be removed in small, but regular increments throughout the year.

I stick to the rule that 6 micro trims (read ¼” to ½”) every two months, will leave you with more than enough healthy hair to work with, especially since most healthy women average about an inch of growth in an 8 week time period.

A trim is not something easily done at home. Take the leap, do the research, find a pro. If you can’t find one in your area, contact me @Noireboss1 on Twitter and I will help you! I have pro friends all over the country that are ready and willing to help.

3. Permanent Hair Color at Home:

I have been a licensed Cosmetologist for several years. The more that I learn about color, the more I realize how dangerous these chemicals can be in the wrong hands. Here, chemicals are being re-arranged and keratin (the chemical protein that makes up the hair) is being affected. There are some kinds of color that can be done safely at home, such as semi permanent or water-based rinses. I see the worst compound damage occur when sisters are trying to blonde or bleach blonde themselves at home. Going blonder removes protein from the hair. Most natural sandy colored and blondes have very sparse, fragile hair. Structurally it is not very strong. So imagine this, if your natural color is a very dark brown…lifting 4-6 (or more) levels is going to severely weaken your hair!

Save yourself the heartache of watching your hair break and deteriorate. Call a pro! Make sure said pro is a licensed professional with color experience (and images to prove it!).

p.s. Coloring your hair also means you must change your shampoos to being sulfate free. Even if it’s “all natural.”

4. The Green House Effect (aka Deep Conditioning w/Cap)

This term really tickles me because most professionals call this a “deep conditioning treatment with a cap.” That’s all this is. No magic. Heat opens the cuticles slightly. If your conditioner contains some organic oils or other materials that the fiber can absorb…then this is wonderful. Otherwise, if your conditioning product isn’t doing its job in 20 minutes, then it is a cheaply made conditioner and a huge waste of your time.

5. Shampooing Once a Week:

I have gotten a ton of new clients in 2012, and their chief complaint is that “my hair is dry!” I will then ask them about their routine; what they are using and how frequent their shampoo & conditioner rhythm is. Most ladies are simply washing too frequently.

Commercial shampoos contain surfactants (chemically designed cleansers) that are designed to attach to dust and oil molecules and then be removed by water. There are glands in your skin that respond to this rhythm by producing a lipid (fat) called Sebum (pH of 4.5). In a healthy head of hair, the glands take about 3-5 days to reproduce this sebum at a rate that will not only calm the skin, but condition the hair closest to your scalp (within a half-inch or so). If you are washing every 7 days, you are telling those glands to increase the supply of this lipid to your scalp and skin. Some people’s scalp responds accordingly, mainly those who are using more organic shampoos that are created with saponins (natural, non lab created cleansers).

However, those who are using chemical detergents (yes, even of the sulfate free variety) will still end up stripping away too much of the Sebum before it has a chance to adequately calm the skin and hair. What I have found is irritated and itchy scalps, flare ups for my eczema clients, and overly dry ends for everyone! Rinse your hair as often as you want, but save the actual use of chemical shampoo for every 10 days or so. You will see vitality and suppleness return to your strands right away.”

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Camille! You can follow Camille E. Reed – owner of the Noire Salon on Twitter & Instagram as @Noireboss1, and as Noire Salon on Facebook.

Have you followed any of this advice and had adverse effects before? Do you prefer to get your hair done by a licensed professional, or do you do your hair yourself and follow the advice of bloggers and online experts? Tell me what you’re going through!

The post 5 Hair Blogger Falsehoods, Debunked by a Professional Cosmetologist appeared first on Afrobella.

Every awards show, it’s the same thing. A cavalcade of celebrities get gussied up for the event. Hair, makeup, accessories, and of course a dress to die for. Most of the time, all of those things have been provided by a brand. And most of the time, the brands then send press releases about what they’ve provided for the celebrities. If it’s a hair company, you’ll get a full breakdown of how the style was achieved and which products were used. If it’s makeup, you’ll get a step by step on the look including which specific products and shades were used. If it’s a dress or accessories, you’ll get the info and hopefully a link where said items are available if you’re lucky.

During awards shows, my inbox is inundated with this kind of information. Before the stars have even gotten down the red carpet and into the venue, their PRs are fervently working on sending this kind of info out to print media, online media, and bloggers like me. And during every awards show, I notice a huge disparity regarding celebrities of color. Meaning – very few people send press releases about them. It happens very rarely, and only for a chosen few. And as a blogger who specializes in highlighting women all shades of beautiful…it makes my job more difficult and it also makes me sad. So I’d like to publicly state that I think this is a shame, and I encourage celebrities of color to seize the moment! If you’re getting your makeup professionally done and your hair done and you’re wearing a fabulous dress – there are so many outlets that would LOVE to have that information. Have someone send it out IMMEDIATELY on your behalf and don’t let everyone else stand in the spotlight besides you. I say this with love.

OK, off soapbox. On to the looks of last night!

From the moment I spotted Alfre Woodard in the audience, I gasped. That chartreuse Kevan Hall dress looked stunning on her!  Her look was accented by jewelry from Erica Courtney.

Via PeopleStyleWatch

Kerry Washington always looks stunning in her signature Olivia Pope white. Her SAG Awards dress was by Rodarte – via The Fashion Bomb and her makeup was by Chanel, via Beauty Blogging Junkie.

Viola Davis came to slay in a turquoise Monique Lhuillier Spring 2013 gown, and via Huffington Post we learn that she completed the look with Jimmy Choo heels and Cathy Waterman jewels.

Mad Men star Teyonah Parris made waves on the red carpet with her pink Monique Lhuillier dress and beautiful natural hair (follow her on Twitter @TeyonahParris ). Well that hair was styled by the one and only “natural hair whisperer” and creator of the Loving Your Hair With Natural Care Workshop, Felicia Leatherwood! I was able to hit her up and exclusively get the breakdown on her amazing hairstyle!

“That’s a variation of a fold and tuck that I like to do – it’s a variation that worked for her and was red carpet ready. This is all her hair. I shampooed her hair with Dr. Miracle’s new cleanse and condition shampoo. After that I used LRC’s leave in and serum, then I blew her hair out – she was so amazed at how fast I blew her hair out! And then basically I used Hicks Edge Control, and then I used Entwine’s moisturizing, hydrating styling product, and then I sprayed it with LRC natural holding spray and cinched it with Fantasia IC mist – it finishes everything perfectly!” says Felicia.

Thank you for giving it all context, Felicia! Teyonah looked GORGEOUS and I look forward to seeing her natural style enhance many red carpets to come!

Who was your favorite look on the SAG Awards red carpet last night?

The post SAG Awards Fashion & a Public Announcement for Celebrities of Color appeared first on Afrobella.

This week, temperatures in Chicago were reading in the negatives and single digits. As a woman born and raised in the Caribbean I hope you know that I am not about that cold weather life. Neither is my skin (see yesterday’s post) and neither is my hair. Thanks to the extreme chilliness of outside and the drying effects of indoor heat, I’ve had to step up my hair care regimen. Now it’s not so much a wash and go as a WDTM&G as Curly Nikki would call it. I find myself having to deep condition more often, detangle more often, and use more product to retain my hair’s moisture. Otherwise it is tumbleweed city up in here.

I recently was featured on HelloBeautiful.com, where I shared my must have hair care products.

Click here to read that! Those are all products that are helping me get through this season. I wanted to highlight them and a few others I keep going back to here as well.

Here are 7 products I recommend for surviving winter with healthy natural hair!

Karen’s Body Beautiful Secret Weapon Restorative Hair Treatment – seriously, in these climactic conditions my hair NEEDS a product like this. Weekly hair treatments are essential for kinky curly coily hair at this time of year, whether you concoct a hot oil treatment (a la Naptural85 via BGLH) or use a product like KBB’s Secret Weapon.

Oyin Handmade Honey Hemp Conditioner like I said over at Hello Beautiful, I love the whole Oyin brand and aesthetic. I stan for Oyin. And this conditioner is my go-to for a wash and go style this winter. My hair drinks that healthy moisture up!

EDEN BodyWorks Jojoba Monoi Deep Conditioner – for an easy detangling process for my weekly (or every 4 days) deep conditioning, this is my go-to. It smells amazing and works great with ye old school heat cap.

Pooka Pure and Natural Shea and Olive Hair Butter – please don’t sleep on Pooka! This brand makes incredible body products and just a few hair products, but the three that they make are amazing. This Shea and Olive Hair Butter is like a thick styling pomade that melts into my hair and gives it internal moisture and shine. I love it in heavy winter months.

Coco Curls Moisturizing Styling Cream smells awesome and is the right weight for my hair in this weather, not too heavy, but not too light. When I experiment with twists, I reach for this.

Koils By Nature Shealoe – My hair responds well to shea, but it responds even better to shea with another additive. Shealoe is pretty much my hair’s favorite combination – moisture + curl definition FTW!

Sunny Isle Jamaican Organic Black Castor Oil – I’ve come to realize that my hair NEEDS oil. It needs oil all the time, but especially when it’s cold, dry and windy. JBCO has a reputation for a reason. They make many amazing oil blends and oil based products, but that extra dark has my heart.

Those are some of the products I’m loving at this time of year – I have a steady rotation of products I review but these are mainstays I keep coming back to.

What’s your winter hair care routine? Any product recs?

The post Natural Hair, Winter Care. 7 Products I Recommend appeared first on Afrobella.

On Monday January 21, we witnessed history as Barack Obama was sworn in for a second term as President of the United States of America. I voted for Obama in November and it was a truly proud moment for me as a brand new American citizen. For me, watching the inauguration today was an experience layered in emotion and significance – four years ago, the inauguration of Barack Obama indirectly led to my decision to leave my day job behind. And now four years later to be amongst the proud citizens who voted him back into office – today felt great for many reasons.

I also enjoyed watching the ceremony for many reasons – not the least of which was the fashion and beauty on display. I know the constant fawning over Michelle Obama’s fashion sense has been criticized by some, but it’s hard to help it when she looks so absolutely stunning!

Image via Styleite

Today EVERYONE is talking about Michelle Obama’s silk jacquard menswear inspired Thom Browne coat and dress – thanks to The Fashion Bomb for nailing the details! Thom Browne is both “proud and humbled.” 

Image via Glamour.

She gave the coat some flair with a killer J. Crew belt which of course is already sold out and now will apparently be retired, alas. And I absolutely loved the detail of her fuchsia gloves, which were also J. Crew.
Cosign Buzzfeed — Malia and Sasha stole the show in their coordinating bright, spring, Easter colors – Malia wore a J. Crew coat and switched the buttons for ones with gold rims, while Sasha wore Kate Spade.

Pool photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images/MCT

LOVE these girls, and the photos of their expressions throughout the day were adorable and hilarious!

Dr. Jill Biden is no slouch in the fashion department – she wore Lela Rose to the inauguration, and satin Vera Wang to the ball – thanks to Glam.com for the details!

Image via The Guardian

I absolutely loved Beyonce’s dress and makeup for the inauguration ceremony – she did justice to the anthem! She looked flawless as always in her Pucci dress and Dior fur – thanks Hello Beautiful for the deets! Beyonce’s bright orange manicure was by Lisa Logan and she rocked ncLA’s I’m With The Band (thanks Solessence for that!)

Via Zimbio.

Makeup artist Mally Roncal did Beyonce’s makeup, and she provided all the details (of course she used her own amazing products)!

Photo via MallyBeauty.

· To first set the skin, apply my Perfect Prep Poreless Primer all over the face and my Cancellation Concealer directly underneath the eyes.

· To achieve natural-looking coverage, first, apply my Ultimate Performance Liquid Foundation. Next, add a sweep of my NEW Diamond Unpowder that will illuminate the skin followed by brushing on my Effortless Airbrush Highlighter and Blush Duo to the cheeks in order to provide a soft, radiant glow to the skin.

· To achieve a rich, smokey eye – try my Evercolor Shadow Stick in Saddle Shimmer. Apply this all over the eyelid and underneath as well. Next, select a few shades from the Mally Beauty In the Buff Palette and sweep that onto the eyelids. Finish the look by applying a small amount of my Age Rebel Shadow Stick in Chocolate Diamond on the bottom lid right under your eyelashes to open up the eye followed by using my Lightwand Eyebrightener to the inner corners to instantly brighten this area. Lastly, to achieve this bold eyeliner at-home, try using the Mally Beauty Evercolor Starlight Eyeliner in Midnight, layered with the Ultimate Performance Ink Eyeliner (which is exclusive to QVC.com).

· Compliment this confident eye by pairing it with a mascara that will enhance the overall look – such as the Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara and/or my NEW Instant Impact Mascara. To create glossy, Beyoncé worthy lips try my High Shine Lip Gloss in Mally’s Look or Mally’s Baby.

· And last but not least, before you leave the house, apply the Mally Beauty Face Defender to lock your makeup in place and Perfect Prep Hydrating Under Eye Brightener to make the eyes pop!

Visit QVC.com and MallyBeauty.com to get what you need for this gorgeous look!

And that was just the daytime fashion. Michelle Obama didn’t play games when it came to the inauguration ball! Our FLOTUS was the lady in red, resplendent in Jason Wu.

STUNNING.

Photo via The Sassy Peach -- along with details on her shoes and accessories! I LOVE this look on our FLOTUS.

Incredible fashion illustrator Veronica Marche-Miller was instantly inspired, and drew such a beautiful sketch, I had to share!

How beautiful is this?

I absolutely adored the fashion and beauty of yesterday – what was your favorite inaugural look?

The post Your Official Inauguration Fashion and Beauty Roundup appeared first on Afrobella.