Heart & Soul » Beauty Matters

The New Natural

Julia Chance — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:48:24 +0000

Comedienne Wanda Sykes does it. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross and “Extra” co-host Tanika Ray have made it their signature. It’s always been a part of Jill Scott’s style repertoire. Even Beyoncé’s little sister, Solange, is flirting with it. What’s the “it” that these beauties share? They’ve embraced their textured tresses and are taking the look to stylish new heights. And according to top stylists we spoke to, they’re not the only ones.

A major reason for this style shift, says Anu Prestonia of Khamit Kinks natural hair care salon in New York City, is “a generation of young women who feel freer to experiment with natural hair. Rather than wearing braids, locs or twists, they’re going for freer styles” that emphasize the waves, curls or coils that come naturally for a lot of us.

In addition, says Craig Carter of Carlos Lobo salon in New York City, “There are a lot of new hair products on the market made to enhance texture. These innovative styling gels, creams, lotions and serums are moisture enriched, define texture like never before and have softening agents to make hair more manageable.”

Convenience is another draw toward textured ’dos, says Anthony Dickey, who’s been at the forefront of this trend with his New York-based Hair Rules salon and product line. “These styles are easier to maintain and require less work,” he says. “It’s the closest many black women have been to having fuss-free hair.”

Since a lot of the ways we’ve styled our hair over the decades have involved straightening, many of us have lost touch with our true texture. We don’t know how to style or care for it. The traditional Afro, in all its picked-out glory, was an earlier attempt toward our acceptance of natural hair, but “it involved pulling the hair out for length and volume,” Dickey says. “We pulled the curl detail out so we never saw what it could do.”

And stylistically it had its limitations. “Whether it was short, medium or a big old Jackson 5 type of ’fro, it had a certain precision and structure to it,” Prestonia recalls. “Today it’s more about free-flowing ’fros and not being so uptight about what the shape looks like.”

Another factor that prevented many of us from knowing our hair was the lack of products on the market formulated to bring out its best characteristics. A lot of the shampoos we used to get our hair squeaky clean were actually robbing it of the moisture that tighter textures need. And then there was hair grease. “We used pomades to control our hair, but many of them were petroleum based and not good for the health of our hair and scalp,” Prestonia says. Now, says Dickey, “We understand a whole lot more about hair, so it’s about choosing products that are texture rather than ethnic specific.” The beauty of this new way of rocking natural hair is the individuality it offers, he continues. “It’s brought about more diversity and uniqueness to the ways in which black women style their hair.”

There’s never been a better time to discover the beauty of your hair’s own texture. The best way to determine it, says Carter, is to observe your hair when it’s wet. “That will indicate how tight or loose your natural curl pattern is.” From there it’s all about researching products and techniques to help you maintain and style it.

The topic of textured hair has sparked several Web sites and blogs dedicated to all things curly and coily. For styling tips, product and salon recommendations and forums and more, here are five of our faves:

CurlyNikki.com Psychotherapist Nikki Walton’s blog promotes the beauty and healthy benefits of natural hair; featured testimonials and photos submitted by readers are style inspiring!

NaturallyCurly.com This comprehensive site, dedicated to wavy, curly and kinky-curly hair, is a virtual celebration of texture.

Nappturality.com What began as a Yahoo! forum by founder Patricia Gaines nine years ago has evolved into a full-fledged Web site and popular information exchange for natural hair wearers.

Hairrules.com Stylist Anthony Dickey’s site features product application videos and a practical photo-illustrated “Kinky, Curly, Wavy” hair guide.

Nappyhairaffair.com Writer Linda Jones’ hair affirmations site grew out of informal “hairepy” sessions with friends who preferred natural styles.

Photo: Keston Duke

The New Natural is a post from: Heart & Soul

Beauty Q&A With Celebrity Makeup Artist Roxanna Floyd

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:26:09 +0000

Q: How can I be sure I’m buying the correct shade of drugstore foundation without trying it on?

A: Start by doing your homework before you shop. Go on the Web sites of the cosmetic lines you want to try and get as much information as possible about their foundations. You may find more helpful visual cues online than what’s available in-store. At the store, most foundations are arranged from light to dark, and within that spectrum some brands will group them according to those with red or yellow undertones. Also don’t shop for drugstore foundation when you’re in a hurry.

One of the best ways to match foundation is by bringing what you currently use and comparing it to what’s on-shelf. Since drugstore brands are relatively inexpensive, don’t be afraid to experiment. If you see a foundation you think is your shade, buy it along with a slightly lighter and slightly darker shade. Save your receipt and return whichever ones don’t work. (Yes, you can return opened foundation.) Some drugstore brands now have in-store beauty advisers. Use them; they’ll have testers you can try.

Roxanna’s Inexpensive Foundation Picks:

• Cover Girl Queen Collection “Their neutral shades are well-balanced—not too red or yellow.”

• Black Opal “They have dark brown shades in a range of formulations, like liquid, cream to powder or stick, that offer different textured finishes with full, medium or light coverage.”

Note: This Q&A was conducted before Roxanna Floyd died last month. We offer condolences to her family. We will miss her. For more on her passing, click here.

Beauty Q&A With Celebrity Makeup Artist Roxanna Floyd is a post from: Heart & Soul

Good Hair Ain’t Half Bad

Julia Chance — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:12:53 +0000

When I first heard that comedian Chris Rock produced a documentary exploring the complex and complicated relationship black women have with their hair, I thought, uh-oh. It’s no secret that Rock’s brand of humor often involves taking women, especially black women, to task where love and relationships are concerned. If he approaches this sensitive subject in a similarly acerbic way, I concluded, he’s going catch heat from a whole lot of sisters who will certainly take offense.

Fortunately Rock doesn’t go there in Good Hair. The film is funny in the way you’d expect this type of comedic documentary to be. There’s plenty of humorous beauty and barber shop banter, where stylists and clients weigh-in on the topic of good hair and the lengths many black women go to in order to sport straightened ‘dos. Extension-wearing celebrities like Nia Long, Raven-Symoné, Meagan Good and Salt-N-Pepa good-naturedly admit to wearing faux tresses and explain their choices (for black actresses trying to get roles in Hollywood, it seems, weaves just come with the territory).

Rock even includes popular back-in-the-day commercials for products like Vigorol and Dark & Lovely relaxers that are comical for their ‘70s era campiness. And what film about black hair would be complete without the requisite visit to a hair show? Rock heads to Atlanta for the annual Bronner Brothers trade show, where hairstyling competitions reach Olympic proportions with plenty of Vegas-style glitz.

While Rock never really breaks from playing funny man – he is a comedian after all – he does a commendable job of revealing some sobering facts about the multi-billion-dollar black hair products industry. He visits a chemist whose gross-out show-and-tell demonstrations about the dangers of sodium hydroxide, the active ingredient in relaxers, silenced viewers in the theater. Asian beauty supply owners give frank opinion on why “black” hair, in its natural nappy state, is not desirable – or profitable.

In a surprising twist rapper-cum-actor Ice-T and Rev. Al Sharpton, two men with an intimate knowledge of perms, give enlightened and eloquent takes on the absurdity and misplaced values that our preoccupation with attaining straight hair often poses in our community. Sharpton really brings it home by making the point that those profiting the most off of the black hair industry are not black, and that no other group allows outsiders to come into their communities to sell a coveted commodity back to them.

This all culminates into what for me was the film’s most arresting moment: Rock goes to a Hindu temple in India and observes the practice of tonsure, where hundreds of women, men and children have their hair shaved off as an offering to the gods. Women here in the U.S. buy and wear much of that hair.

What’s woefully lacking in Good Hair is historical context. Rock never really explores the roots of why so many black women find their natural hair inconvenient and bothersome, pertinent information that could have easily been included without sacrificing humor. (Books like Hair Story by journalists Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps and Hair Raising: Beauty, Culture and African-American Women by Princeton professor Noliwe Rooks could have provided him with more than enough research on the topic.)

Rock even features commentary from A’Lelia Bundles without ever identifying her as the heir to the black hair care pioneer Madam C.J. Walker. Nor does he cite Walkers legacy and contributions to the hair care industry. And with the exception of Tracie Thoms, an actress who adamantly defends her choice for wearing natural hair, you don’t hear from those on the other side of coin – black women who’ve made a conscious decision not to succumb to conventional straight hair dictates.

Good Hair is hardly revolutionary, but it is entertaining thanks in a large part to Rock’s effectiveness as an interviewer and narrator. While it doesn’t necessarily tell black folks much we don’t already know, it may work to start dialogues about how we still cling to outdated notions about our beauty and acceptability, and make us question and scrutinize the way we spend our money in our quest for what’s “good.”

Speaking of good hair, be sure to check out my article of the same name in the current issue of Heart & Soul. In it you’ll learn how you can have beautiful, healthy hair whether you wear yours straightened or natural, in a weave or in locks. There’s also plenty of care recommendations and product suggestions from the pro stylists I interviewed.

On another hair note, NaturallyCurly.com has teamed with Miss Jessie’s hair care products for the 2009 Grow Out Challenge. From now until March 31, 2010 they are challenging women to shed their over-processed and damaged hair in order to transition to healthier natural tresses. To start the process, simply become a registered member of NaturallyCurly, then create blog posts and upload images to document your progress. You can also read blogs by other contestants. Each month four winners will be selected to receive a personal hair prescription and products from Miss Jessie’s valued at approximately $150.00. For tips on transitioning or for additional information on the 2009 Grow Out Challenge, visit: www.naturallycurly.com/growoutchallenge.

Julia Chance is senior editor, beauty and fashion, at Heart & Soul. Also read an interview by contributing editor Joyce E. Davis with Good Hair co-producer Nelson George in the Downtime section of the October/November issue.

Good Hair Ain’t Half Bad is a post from: Heart & Soul