Cassidy Blackwell

This past Saturday, almost 500 fabulous naturalistas from all over the Midwest gathered for the first ever CurlyNikki Chicago Meet Up.  Sponsored by top hair care brand Motions, all attendees received a goodie bag filled with products from the new natural hair care called Naturally You!  Attendees also received a deluxe gift set of Strawllers, a unique hair tool that creates perfect spiral curls on all textures of hair.  (Even NaturallyCurly’s own Michelle Breyer tried them out and rocked a Strawller-do to the event!)  Motions’ Celebrity Stylist Ursula Stephen, who has worked on starlettes such as Rhianna, demonstrated three signature styles on models, showing how to use the new products to create two-strand twists, Strawllers sets and up-do’s.

CurlyNikki, rocking a 4-day-old wash’n'go, was a-glow in the midst of sharing this special experience of meeting her Chicagoland fans with her St. Louis-based family who joined for the event.  As always, Gia a.k.a. “Boogie” was in the mix cheesing for the camera and generally being adorable for her adoring fans.

Check out some of our favorite snaps from the event!

CurlyNikki Chicago Meet Up

sponsored by Motions

Over the past several years, the beauty industry has been revolutionized by the introduction of keratin smoothing treatments. With an ever-growing demand for this texture management solution, the keratin market has flourished. In just the past two years, the keratin landscape has undergone a rapid evolution bringing with it not just new treatments, but also a suite of keratin-infused retail products and tools geared toward providing and maintaining smoothing solutions for all textures of hair. As keratin smoothing treatments have evolved, so have consumer need and demand for aftercare products.

The Evolution of Smooth

Keratin treatments were first introduced to the market as a nonpermanent solution for those who wanted to straighten their textured hair. There are now a plethora of available keratin options ranging from in-salon thermal applications to retail products that allow clients to choose from a variety of finished looks, from frizz free curls to sleek, smooth hair. “When GK Hair was founded, we had a high demand for poker straight hair,” explains Ashley Fenice, marketing coordinator for the company. “Everybody wanted the sleek, super-tamed look. Today’s consumer now is mainly looking for flexibility. More and more women are starting to embrace their curls and they want to be able to easily change from curls to straight hair.”

The keratin retail product and aftercare market has evolved as a response to the shift in demand.“It’s no longer about having just straight hair,” says Farouk VP of Shows and Education, Lisa Marie. “Clients want controlled volume and body. Keratin products are about providing your clients with the versatility to wear their curls naturally or blow dry them straight in a fraction of the time it formerly took, while making sure that the hair stays healthy and the treatment lasts.”

Read More: Texture! Behind the Cover

Every stylist has had a curly-haired client ask for a smooth blow-out in order to look professional at a work conference or to make a good impression at a job interview.

“I find that clients with curly hair believe that they’re taken more seriously if their hair is straight,” explains Morgan Wilheite, creative director at Ouidad. Having frizzy and unruly hair at a business meeting can be the equivalent of showing up wearing a tank top and shorts, so curlies either straighten their hair or slick it back into a ponytail.

But curls and briefcases need not be mutually exclusive. By getting a curl-specific cut and color and using the skills, tools and care routines you need to maintain it, your curls will be workplace-ready. “Professional curly hair is all about maintenance and how you present it,” says Marie France, owner of Madusalon in San Francisco. “Dry hair tied back in a ponytail is not professional; it just shows lack of attention. What says ‘professional’ is moisture. It’s a cut, it’s style, it’s care.”

The Foundation: A Good Cut

Whether you plan on wearing your hair loose or pinned up in a style, your hair must be cut in a way that enhances your texture, not works against it. The cutting of textured hair presents a unique opportunity not only to create volume, shape and dimension, but also to control the curl. “The key is to make sure the hair is cut in a way that is conducive to the curl pattern, especially if the client plans on wearing her hair curly,” explains Rafe Hardy, artistic creative director at Sexy Hair Concepts. “If you’re cutting waves, for example, don’t cut the hair in the middle of the S-pattern, because that’s when it will kick out. Make sure to cut at the beginning of the wave so that it naturally curves under.”

Executing a proper curly hair cut using techniques you wouldn’t use on straight hair presents an opportunity for you to develop and demonstrate an expertise in texture. “Stylists who specialize in curly cuts tend to have a cult following,” Hardy notes. “If you can build up a business that includes people with textured hair, you’ll be sure to gain influence in this specific curly niche.”

Read More: Texture! Behind the Cover

Last September, my best friend asked me to stand up as a bridesmaid in her wedding. On the one hand, I was thrilled to play an important role in her special day, but on the other, the natural hair blogger side of me had great concern about what to do with my hair. Not only do I have an asymmetrical hair cut, a style that doesn’t easily lend itself to updos, but my trusted San Francisco stylist at Madusalon wouldn’t fit in my suitcase to make the trek back home to Minneapolis for the event. I considered just wearing my signature wash’n’go, but wanted to do something special for the black tie event.

Finally, the bride selected a salon at which all of the bridesmaids would be getting their hair done. I immediately hopped on the salon’s website and saw that they were a Deva retailer. “Oh joyous joy!” I thought to myself, “We’ve got a curl friendly salon!” But after a conversation with the stylist who admitted quite honestly that she didn’t want to ruin my curls with her lack of actual texture knowledge, she suggested that I should go talk to the stylists at a different salon. In a supreme stroke of awesome, she even went out of her way to find and recommend a curl-friendly salon for me: East 42nd Street Salon.

East 42nd Street not only immediately welcomed my texture, they also expressed excitement in working with my hair to create a totally unique style for uber fancy affair. During a trial run two days before the ceremony, we devised a style that would combine flat rolls and a bouffant that would compliment my texture and accommodate my asymmetrical cut. The final style was absolutely gorgeous, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out!

Here’s how we got the look:

1. Begin on dry hair and use a rat tail comb to create half-inch vertical sections along one side of the head.
2. Flat roll upwards using a gel or pomade and secure with a bobby pin leaving about ½” loose at the end.
3. Continue flat rolling rolling the entire side and back of the head.
4. Tuck the ends of the flat rolls under, creating a larger flat row “crown” around the perimeter of the smaller flat rows.
5. Begin with the loose hair at the crown and pull sections of hair taut to create a woven look across the back.
6. Pull the front and sides upwards and back to create a bouffant, tighter on the sides with more volume in the front. Here you can play with the shape and direction.
7. Finish with a light hold spray to prevent any frizz or flyaways!

Final Thoughts

Updo’s require a lot of manipulation, so be sure to begin on well-conditioned hair. When removing the style, apply deep conditioner first to soften the gel and hair spray before washing and styling as normal. Good luck and happy wedding season!

What is the best curly formal hairstyle you have had? What salon did you go to or did you create the look yourself?

Contrary to popular belief, not every natural has coarse hair. It took me months to figure out that while I have extremely thick hair, my strands are very fine. Discovering that I’m a fine-haired gal was one of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my natural hair journey. Here are 10 tips for women with fine curly hair.

1. Treat Your Hair Like It’s Antique Lace

I read this on the CurlTalk forums years ago and it is my mantra when it comes to how treat my hair. You wouldn’t pull and yank and shred fine lace would you? Nope. Same goes for your hair.

2. Beware of Protective Styles

Many naturals believe that protective styles are key to growing and retaining length. I have found that keeping my hair OUT of protective styles is how I can grow my hair. Protective styles can require a lot of manipulation, which can be extremely damaging for fine hair.

3. Pro-protein

My fine hair loves a dose of protein. It fortifies my strands and helps to clump my curls together. I love both conditioners and stylers that with a touch of amino acids, protein or keratin.

4. Detangle With Care

There are a lot of detangling options out there, but removing knots is one of the times your fine hair is most susceptible to damage. Begin first with your fingers, then with a wide-tooth comb. Once a month, I like to use a Denman Brush or Tangle Teezer to thoroughly remove shed hairs.

5. Easy on the Oils

When I was first figuring out my hair routine, I thought that sealing was an essential part of the process, but my hair was always left greasy and weighed down. Once I found out I was fine-haired, I stopped using butters and oils and my hair, not to mention my pillowcase, is much happier.

6. Keep it Light

Moisturizers are key, but make sure you use one that’s not too heavy, not to light, but just right, Goldicurls! My favorites are translucent, water-based and more liquid than creamy in consistency like Karen’s Body Beautiful Sweet Ambrosia or Bee Mine’s Deja’s Hair Milk.

7. Be Gentle

I know I already listed this one, but it is so important. Try not to tug your coils while you idly sit at your desk or rough them up while drying. Antique lace, ladies! Antique lace!

8. Protect While You Sleep

Yes, all curlies should protect their hair while they catch their Z’s, but this especially goes for fine hair. Cotton will tangle, break and dry out your fine strands so make sure to use a sleep cap or satin pillowcase!

9. Deep Condition Once a Week

My fine coils need all the nourishment and moisture they can get. I try to steam or deep condition under a hooded dryer at least once a week to keep my hair hydrated and prevent splits on my fragile ends

10. Trim Regularly

Because your strands are more prone to damage, make sure to keep splits in check by trimming every 3-4 months. I can tell when my fine strands are ready to be clipped when I see more tangles at the tips because the ends have become more ragged from daily wear and tear.

What special treatment have you noticed that your fine hair needs?

Styled with Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment

Contrary to popular belief, just because I’ve got coily hair doesn’t mean I’ve got coarse hair. In fact, my strands are the exact opposite: super fine! As a result, I rely on protein hair treatments including conditioners, moisturizers and stylers to fortify and nourish my strands leaving me with plump, defined curls. I like to deep condition with a protein conditioner and a super deep treatment once a month. Some of my favorite stylers pack a protein punch too! Here’s a round up of my favorites!

Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment

Thick, creamy and protein rich, Repair Me is everything I love in a protein conditioner! Because it is infused with keratin amino acids, this heavy-duty protein conditioner is my go-to for my once-a-month super deep treatments.

Read More: All About Proteins

Yes, the new line of Paul Mitchell Curl products were the hottest thing to debut at The Gathering this year, but as every curly will surely want to know: do they actually work?

Trying the NEW Paul Mitchell Curl products

The Cleanser, Leave-In and Styling Gel Cream on my 4a coils

Pretty groovy, right? Well we all know that you can’t make a final judgement call on sopping wet hair so I recorded a second video when my curls were fully dry before I headed out for the night.

How it all turned out

My final review once my coils were fully dry

Final Thoughts

After sleeping with a satin night cap, I woke up the next morning to enjoy superb second day hair. I was impressed again by the fact that I can go through my whole wash’n'go styling routine with only two products and how touchably soft my hair was. The Paul Mitchell educators, such as Robert Cromeans or LaDonna, all encourage the cocktailing and mixing of products and I look forward to playing with different variations, uses and applications.

Paul Mitchell hosts a yearly event in Las Vegas for all of its stylists and salon owners to come together for three days of learning and styling inspiration. Each year the event is kicked off with an opening ceremony featuring thematic showcases featuring that year’s particular style initiatives. This year’s opening was indescribably dazzling boasting an onstage, curl-inducing rain shower, a levitating pony ridden by a redheaded curly, a glittery female vocalist performing to the cutting of ultra-blonde locks, a gothic ballet performance, dancers, bikers, skaters and even a holographic cameo of the late Paul Mitchell himself. Sound too good to be true?

See it with your own eyes!

Paul Mitchell The Gathering

Highlights from The Grand Opening

Team NaturallyCurly is out in Las Vegas for the annual Paul Mitchell Gathering, where thousands of stylists and salon owners from around the world have gathered for three days of hands-on education and hair fun. This year the gathering is totally curl-centric as Paul Mitchell launches a new product line called CURL. The four-product line includes a detangling shampoo, leave in conditioner and two stylers. Drawing from years of curl expertise, NaturallyCurly has been involved with the development of the product line from the start. To see so much attention and praise being given to curly hair of all textures by one of the largest product lines in the world is truly a victory for all curlies! Watch this video as NaturallyCurly’s own Michelle Breyer talks about her role in helping bring these great new products to life!

Michelle on the New Paul Mitchell Curly Products

Learn about NaturallyCurly’s role creating this product

Director of Marketing for Strength of Nature, Charlene Bastien, was present at the African Pride Beauty Suite at the Essence Music Festival. Cassidy talked with Bastien about the excitement surrounding the launch of their new product collection that the Director says, “celebrates women who are exploring their natural texture.”

New Shea Miracle Product Launches!