Curl Heaven! :: Love Your Curls
Having curly hair can be a trial- most stylists just want to shear off your curls,or they try to force you into straightening them, or they expound on how "thinning" with shears is actually good for you!
Texas journalists Michelle Breyer and Gretchen Heber have lived with curls all their life, in weather that normally gives you a good hair day only if you "Aqua Net" it to death. However, they knew that curly headed men, women, and children had options. Options like products that were made specifically for them. Options like hairstylists who not only understood curls with all their permutations, but reveled in designing styles for them to shine.
Yes, curly people saw Keri Russell, Orlando Bloom and Sarah Jessica Parker’s curls in the limelight, but the average person doesn’t have access to Hollywood magicians. It’s hard to consistently find curly hair care information in the media as well. They wanted to share the information that they had garnered, so in 1998 they created NaturallyCurly.com. With over 15,000 registered users, there’s a wealth of information only one click away.
What’s in those webpages?
As contingents of curly headed people know, curly hair ranges from tight spirals to loose waves and everything in between. Other than leaping on total strangers and asking them what they use, where can a curly head go for information? Visit the NaturallyCurly.com ’Curlmunity’ section of the site, and you’ll find every question (and some answered) on their boards.
CURLTalk’s bulletin boards have over 15,000 participants from all over the world logging in almost daily. Depending on your hair type - type 2 (wavy), type 3 (curly), and type 4 (kinky) and there are sub groups like 2a, 3b, etc. - readers can go directly to that specific board and exchange information and ideas. Other boards include everything from dealing with anti- curly attitudes, general hair care, how to transition from processed to curly hair, over 40 curls, curly care for children, and reader product reviews. What to do with unused products that are gathering dust? Check out their reader’s product swap boards- there’s six of then- Euro, Aussie, Canadian, other beauty products and even a book exchange.
Speaking of a book exchange spot on the BB; other non-hair boards are loaded with recipes, fitness tips, meet-ups with fellow curlys, and there’s even a spot to exchange political views.
CURLTalk however, is just one section of NaturallyCurly.com. Every month they highlight a salon that specializes in curly hair. For August, the salon is the Elie Elie Salon, with two locations in Virginia. Past highlighted salons include Fiddleheads in DC, and Christo Fifth Avenue in New York. If you’re looking for a salon near you anywhere in the world that specializes in curly hair, you can find it by simply clicking on their maps. Not only will you get information about the salon, you’ll read raves and rants from NaturallyCurly.com members.
Also on the site are articles on hair care, interviews with experts, and of course hair care tips. Check out one of their five columnists and learn everything from keeping it natural to the latest cosmetic news. Feeling down about the curl? Perk up by heading on over to the CURLFun section. Read some of the many uplifting quotes that are listed in their CURLquotes section. Here’s a great quote from hairstylist Serge Normant from Allure magazine, "I’m pretty happy this season because there’s a lot of big hair. You hear people say less is more, but I think more is more." Can anyone argue with that? Readers also find anti-curl quotes; post them in the Hall of Shame (found in CURLFun), and reply to them!
The CurlPix section contains photos of celeb curls, hair styles from around the world and over 56 pages of readers showing off their curls. That’s right- over 56 pages of proud curls!
Baby Curls
Growing up curly isn’t easy: kids make fun of curly hair, straight-haired parents don’t understand, and every girl child secretly dreads the "Pixie Cut." What four-year old wants to look like a sexless Mia Farrow? Little boys have it even worse- if their parents let their curls alone, little old ladies smelling like mothballs try to steal their curls, or the poor kid ends up with a cut that makes them look like a mini Marine. To save everyone’s sanity, CurlyKids.com was launched 2006.
Relieved parents will find everything from articles on how to pool-proof a child’s curly hair, to salons that specialize in curly kids. "Kids Tales," is a place where curly haired tots can write in how they feel about their hair; the good and the bad. Look for words of wisdom from their four columnists who give advice for tweens and teens, a Q & A column for parents, and a monthly column on textured hair care.
In the picture section, parents can upload photos of their cherubs or peruse the latest styles for little curls. Parents can post hair care tips from getting rid of lice to what’s a good leave-in conditioner in the Tips section.
Shopping
More and more products for every type of curl are being created every day. There are so many new options it can be hard to figure out what’s great for you and what’s not. The CURLProducts tab is divided into two information packed sections; "Our Favorites," product picks from the NaturallyCurly.com team, and "Your Favorites," product picks from the site’s readers.
NaturallyCurly.com’s online store, "CURLMart" carries boutique brands like Carol’s Daughter, Mixed Chicks, Jessicurl, Curlisto, Blended Beauty and big names like Ojon, Deva Curl, and Phyto Specific.
The team at NaturallyCurly.com was kind enough to send this curly- locked reporter, some of the products they carry to road test in humid New York City. Here’s what I thought:
Turbans have never looked as chic as Mimi’s
Winning product number one is Mimi’s Diva Dryer Hair Towel by Aqua’s ($12). It comes in pink or white, and one little button keeps the turban on your head. It’s made from super absorbent microfiber, so it sucks all the moisture out of your wet locks, making it way easier for you to style. Since your hair is dryer than it would be from towel drying, you have fewer chances of creating spilt ends or frizz. As a bonus round, with the turban on, you can practice your best Joan Crawford impression. The only accessories you’ll need to pull that off is a martini and a cigarette holder.
AG Recoil Activating Balm ($16) will really help define your curls without crunch. It’s lightweight, and contains an herbal base of sage, nettle, hops, rosemary, yarrow, cherry bark and other excellent ingredients. AG Recoil Activating Balm leaves your hair soft and silky.
Ojon Revitilizing Mist breathes new life into curls
Everyone raves about Ojon products, and they should, because your hair will suck in the vitamin rich ingredients and undergo a transformation. The Ojon Revitalizing Mist ($26) is a lightweight, spray-on, leave-in conditioner made (of course) with Ojon’s famous palm nut oil. Simply shake the bottle to activate the suspension (which is PH balanced), and spray on. Adding this item to your repertoire of hair care will help reduce damage from styling. It’s an excellent treatment for dry, damaged or color treated hair. And it smells good.
ISO Prescriptive is an entire hair care line for curly hair. Their Bouncy Cleanse ($11) and Bouncy Condition ($12) gently clean and condition your hair. Both contain corn, soy and wheat proteins. Sunflower derived conditioner and polymers have also been added to both products to help curls retain their bounce. As and added bonus round you can use the products if your hair is color treated.
The ISO Bouncy Crème ($9) and Bouncy Spray ($9) are styling tools that work with textured, wavy and curly hair. You can use them separately or together to create well defined curls. Both are formulated with ISO’s Tri-Active Technology. This process unites positively charged vitamins, proteins and moisturizers, allowing them to work more effectively by penetrating the hair shaft.
The Bouncy Crème will help re-define curls, add separation, shine and bounce to your hair. The Bouncy Spray is a lightweight curl activator that can be used on wet or damp hair. Spray this on and your curls will spring back to life.
JessiCurl’s Confident Coils Curling Solution
There really is a Jess in Jessicurl. Until she was 14 she had straight hair; then puberty set in, and the next thing she knew she had curls. The only problem was that she didn’t know how to take care of them. Surfing the net in 2002, she found NaturallyCurly.com and hit the message boards to find out how to handle her tresses. One day she came across a recipe for hair gel and started experimenting. Now Jess has an entire curly hair care line; Jessicurl.
If you have extremely damaged hair and are looking for an alternative to gently cleanse your hair, try her Jessicurl Cleansing Cream ($12). It’s a super rich and moisturizing alternative to shampoo with ingredients like avocado oil and hydrolyzed oat flour. The Jessicurl Confident Coils Curling Solution ($12) gives you outstanding results with separated and beautiful curls. It defines them and lets them shine.
Christo, the hairstylist of Christo Fifth Avenue, has haircare lines for both adults and children. All of his products contain natural ingredients like kiwi and mango fruit extract, and aloe barbadensis leaf juice. They also do phenomenal things for your hair. His Curlisto Botanical Shampoo ($10) and Curlisto Bio- Gel Mousse ($20) are my longstanding favorites from his line of products. If you thermal style your hair (diffuse it), use his Curlisto Control 1 ($25) to style your hair. On crazy humid days you might want to step up to Curlisto Control 2 ($25) his other weightless styling agent to keep your locks curly. What I do when it’s insanely humid is to create a cocktail using a bit of both of them.
NaturallyCurl.com’s philosophy is to educate and inspire curly locks everywhere. Gretchen and Michelle believe in the beauty of curls and the beauty of choice. Whether you embrace your curls or want to enjoy straight hair for the day, you’ll find all you need to know and more on how to make your inner and outer ’you’ shine.
Whether it’s browsing through their CURLMunity or any of their other six sections, curly haired people from all over are sharing their knowledge and pride in their glorious hair. With NaturallyCurly.com on your side, every day is a good hair day.
