Whether you’re relaxed, natural, transitioning, or wear a weave have short, medium, or long hair add some fashion to your ‘do with a stylish headband. Go the good girl route with a Gossip Girl-esque one or pay tribute to the late Isabella Blow with a height-defying spectator-like headband.
Quick tips:
1. Avoid headbands with teeth or only wear them for very short periods of time. The teeth can dig into the scalp and/or pull out the hair
2. Make sure your headband doesn’t fit snug on your head. Nothing brings a headache, a hair bump, or even in extreme cases pattern baldness faster than a too-tight headband
3. A bad hair day isn’t the only reason to wear a headband. Plop one on whenever you feel like
According to TheYBF, Lil’ Kim will be joining forces with cousin Katrise Jones to open additional Salon Se Swa spas in North Carolina and next in Atlanta. Katrise Jones opened her first Salon Se Swa back in 2004 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Check out some of the prices proposed to be offered at the salon: $10 wash and sets, $10 haircuts, & $35 and up perms. Whaaaat? That’s what I used to pay at a Dominican salon waaaay back in like 2001 when I was in college.
While not the first celeb who comes to mind when you think hair salon, Lil’ Kim is sure working these promo pics shot by famed photographer Derek Blanks!
Reader Andrea from Cali recently wrote in asking about the Brazilian Blowout or Brazilian Keratin Treatment and if it’s good for Black hair. She said, “I’m in the process of trying to find a good salon that can help me get my hair healthy, but that’s hard to find in San Francisco. But a few of my co-workers are getting Brazilian Blowouts done and I was interested, but I don’t want to damage my hair anymore. Any information you have would be great.”
Having heard of the treatment and knowing fellow beauty bloggers who have had the treatment done but never trying it out myself (sounds too expensive for my blood…lol), I dug in to do some research.
Turns out the ‘Brazilian Blowout’ is actually a trademarked name. According to www.brazilianblowoutblog.com, it’s often misconstrued and explained wrong as there are a number of “Brazilian” hair techniques on the market at the moment. In fact they ask you to not confuse the process which uses keratin with processes that use formaldehyde. Yes, formaldehyde–the stuff used to embalm dead bodies. *shivers*
The Brazilian Blowout is the most innovative and effective professional smoothing treatment in the world! Through the use of a Brazilian Super Nutrient Complex and a proprietary polymer system, the Brazilian Blowout actually improves the condition of the hair by creating a protective protein layer around the hair shaft to eliminate frizz and smooth the cuticle. The end result is smooth, healthy, frizz-freehair with radiant shine!
So what makes them different?
What makes us different? The ONLY Professional Smoothing Treatment that improves the health of the hair. No Damage! and No harsh chemicals! NO FORMALDEHYDE!! Entire treatment completed in just 90 minutes! No down time! The minute you leave the salon, you can wash and air dry your hair, and it will be smooth, frizz-free and radiant! Results last up to 12 weeks. Leaves hair smooth, shiny and frizz-free! Acai aftercare products ensure longest lasting results.
What’s with all the exclamation marks? *shrugs*
So what’s the procedure?
After the hair is shampooed and conditioned with special Brazilian Blowout products (the hair must be squeaky clean in order for the products to work effectively), the hair is then towel-dried and sectioned into four parts. Then the Brazilian Blowout Professional Solution is applied and combed through the hair. After the solution is applied, the hair is blow-dried and then flat-ironed. The hair must be as smooth as possible.
After heat is applied, the hair is then rinsed and the Brazilian Blowout Mask is applied and then rinsed out. Brazilian Blowout Leave-in Conditioner is applied and then you style the hair as usual. Your hair might curl or kink up again when you wash it or it gets wet, but the pattern is much more loose and supposedly remains this way until the treatment wears off. According to videos I’ve seen, your hair will straighten easier and faster with the help of heat styling tools.
I had my hands folded tightly while I mouthed “We don’t believe you, you need more people” because most videos and pics I’ve seen feature non-Black women.
But then I came across this one of a stylist in California performing the treatment on a client who had been in a weave for two months.
The client seemed to have about 6 inches of natural hair with some relaxed ends. The procedure was performed like in the Brazilian Blowout training video but I couldn’t help but cringe over the excessive amount of heat used for this procedure—and even more seems to be needed for curlier or kinkier hair. I’m also not at ease with the amount of tugging done on the hair (our hair whether relaxed or natural is too fragile for all of that) and also with the hair needing to be squeaky clean (hello, hair stripped of its natural oils).
So should you try this?
Well, I’m no Wilfred Beauty Academy or Sheneneh’s Sno Nuf Hair Salon grad, but I’m giving this the side eye for now. If you’re natural and want to switch things up with a straight style, I feel you run the risk of damaging your kinks. We all know the story of a friend of a friend who had natural hair until she went to a salon and her hair was inadvertently heat trained. And if you’re relaxed, all the added heat and tugging with this treatment seem to be excessive. Arguably, some might say a relaxer just might contain more chemicals than the Brazilian Blowout. Might be a point there.
Remember the Rio perm was also supposed to be safe, too. I bet there’s still ladies out there recovering from the bald spots.
Would you try this?
Have you tried the Brazilian Blowout? What were your results?
You spend your hard-earned money at the salon so in order to get exactly what you want, you should:
a. Strong arm your stylist until he/she gives you what you want
b. Grab the flat iron and do it yourself
c. Create open and clear communication between yourself and your stylist
Um, duh—the answer is sooo A!
Just kidding, it’s C.
Here are some ways to strengthen the bond between you and your stylist so you can get what you want at the salon:
1. Know the lingo. If you’re unable to clearly state what you want your hair to look like using some stylist lingo, those Beyonce curls you dreamed of might turn out to be Jermaine Jackson jheri curls. For instance, according to Daily Makeover, knowing the difference between a “trim” and a “dusting” might save you from having a total breakdown the next time you get your hair cut. A dusting means that you only want to cut off the dead ends so that you won’t notice a difference in your hair length. A trim implies that you want to take off at least an inch and actually see that your hair is shorter.
2. Be realistic. Just because the blonde-streaked pixie works on Rihanna, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Your face shape, lifestyle, and hair condition completely determine whether or not a hairstyle will work for you. For instance, if you already chemically relax your hair and it’s clinging to life from all the damage you’ve done to it, no matter how much you want it, adding a permanent color will bad news for your hair. Unless you like the bald look.
3. Use products for your hair type. As a skeptic nation, we often have a reflex to say no to anyone trying to push product on us. But next time you may want to listen up and pay attention to the products your stylist uses on your hair. What you use on your hair affects your hair’s health and your hair’s health affects how good your style looks. For instance, if you have dry hair you’ll want to avoid loading up on products containing alcohol because they’ll dry your hair even more and can lead to breakage.
4. Bring plenty of pictures of what you want. A picture speaks a thousand words so bring plenty of them to show your stylist what you want. There are way too many images of different hairstyles available on the net for you not to.
5. Seal the deal with a great tip. If you love what your stylist does with your hair, if you can afford it, give him or her something extra beyond the customary 15-20% tip. If you can’t afford anything beyond what you already pay to get your hair done, get creative. Does your stylist like a certain type of coffee or cake? Bring it to the salon! Or send more clients your stylist’s way. People love to be rewarded and will feel appreciated when you give. They’re also more likely to remember you. Hey, it may even get you an appointment on a crazy-booked day or a freebie conditioning treatment.
6. Know it’s okay to part ways if you and your stylist just don’t see eye to eye. If you’ve been going to the same stylist since the third grade and she still leaves you sitting with relaxer in your hair while she catches up on her “stories” or always triple books your appointment which totally deebos your whole Saturday afternoon, it’s time to part like the Red Sea. No need to feel guilty—this person doesn’t have your hair’s best interest at heart. And if you do feel guilty, I guess a handwritten note explaining how while you love her/him to death, you’ve just decided to go with someone else would suffice.
Have any hair salon nightmares? Good experiences? Share them in the comments :)
Whether you just did the big chop or prefer to keep your hair in a short crop, British model Tolula Adeyimi is a perfect inspiration of ways to style your ‘do. Switch up the color, do twist-outs and braid-outs—your options are much more vast than you may think.
Check out some of her looks and then read on for some hair tips.
Short, Natural Hair Tips:
1. If a short do is your transition style to longer locs, don’t get discouraged. Your hair will always grow, it’s all about retaining length that’s the issue. Retain length by keeping the hair moisturized and avoid heat styling and unnecessary stress on the hair and hair line brought on by too-tight wigs and braids. Also keep up your confidence. There will be many people who think they have carte blanche over what they say about your hair. Don’t listen! Instead keep yourself surrounded by images of women with similar ‘dos.
2. Vary your style options by switching up your color. See how Tolula looks great in everything from jet black, golden brown/blonde, and highlights? You can, too! Just be sure to see a colorist who specializes in natural hair as you do not want to make a drastic change from very light to very dark (or vice versa) at home unless you really know what you’re doing. And just because there aren’t any other chemicals in your hair, don’t make the assumption that natural hair can take a hair dye beating without serious setbacks like breakage. Be sure to keep your ‘do moisturized and protect your color with color-enchancing products.
3. Add some variety to your hair via twist-outs, braid-outs, and straw curls. Yes, all three can be done on short hair and are all great ways to temporarily change the texture of your hair.
4. Go eazy on the razors. One of the best things about having a short natural ‘do is that you can easily plop yourself down in a barber’s chair for a quick shape-up or cut. But since brown skin can be very sensitive, it’s very possible to have ingrown hairs and razor bumps sprout out from repeated use. Try a solution like Tend Skin to help prevent ingrowns and to sooth existing ones. Also try to avoid cutting the hair extremely close to the scalp to avoid ingrowns from showing their ugly heads.
5. Most importantly—have fun! Going or being natural is a very trying but extremely rewarding experience as you experiment with your hair’s natural texture and a host of hair styles.
What short natural hair tips would you add? Spill it in the comments :)
~Danielle
Going to parties after my day job makes me realize that I’m getting old…lol. But I dusted my dentures off, oiled my joints, and saddled on down to Manhattan last night to attend the Vibe Luster’s Smooth Touch Party in celebration of singer Letoya Luckett’s debut as their hot new spokesmodel. How cool is that?
Luster Products Inc, a black-owned and operated hair company that has been in business for over 50 years, launched the Smooth Touch line of products geared to meet the needs of younger, style conscious women who want healthy, head-turning styles (sounds like us!) and tapped Ms. Luckett as the brand’s face.
The line includes products formulated for relaxed and natural hair and include:
Smooth Touch Go Glitz Olive Oil Sheen Spray
Smooth Touch Hydration Vibe Olive Oil Hair Lotion
Smooth Touch A Reason to Gloss Shine Polish
and for those who relax, Smooth Touch New Growth Relaxer Kit with Triple Strength Olive Oil Conditioner
So after checking-in I electric slided into the main room and caught a glimpse of both Letoya Luckett and actress Keshia Knight Pulliam looking head to toe GORGEOUS!
Let’s just say photography isn’t in the cards for me…lol.
Both ladies were super sweet. Letoya is very humbled and excited to be the face of Luster’s. Her pic is on the relaxer box :)
And I also decided to channel my inner-Claire and snap some Real Style pics. Now, I’m not as smooth as Claire is with this so I missed a few names. If you’re pictured and you’re reading please let me know who you are…lol.
I loved this girl’s pretty-in-pink one-shoulder dress and how she contrasted it with the black belt and shoes. Her name is Jewel Danielle and she has an accessories line coming out so I’ll have more info on that soon.
This fly guy is Aldin Morgan and he’s on Jewel Danielle’s accessories line team. I love his fitted jacket paired with jeans and accessorized with those fly shoes, newsboy cap, and Louis Vuitton messenger bag.
Next up, this foxy lady’s jumpsuit and straw hat were too cute to pass up. I love her arm candy, too.
This cutie’s classic navy blue wrap dress caught my eye. Love how she paired it with the tan belt and shoes. Cute smile to match.
I fell in love with this statuesque beauty’s chic white shorts, jacket, and lovely pearl bracelet.
And last but not least these two gentleman came through in some sharp jackets paired with jeans looking too smooth.
Well that wraps up the event!
How did I do on my first go of capturing Real Style? (BTW, nobody has on yellow contacts–that’s the flash…lol)
Will you be checking out the Smooth Touch products?
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