by Nay | May 19, 2013 | Mane Styles
A model with a wickedly cute curly bang and cut
When First Lady Michelle Obama displayed her newly shorn, straight fringe a few months ago, it was like the snip heard around the world. True to its name, bangs have come, gone, and resurfaced once again. Bang! They can decorate a mean bob, as seen by Anna Wintour, legendary editor-in-chief of American Vogue. They also soften beautifully angular features, as seen in Mrs. Obama.
Anna Wintour & Michelle Obama bangs it out the ballpark.
Bangs can frame just about any face shape, depending on how they’re cut. Every girl can be bangin’! Most importantly: They can be worn with a curly mane. Use them to top off a bun, twist, or pony. There are several ways that you can werk a curly bang with natural hair. Here are a few:
Natural
If you’re sporting a full-frontal, froey fringe, make sure that your curly mane frames your face. The fuller the look, the better. Don’t be afraid of volume! In fact, whip out an Afro pik to add some lift.
Style your afro-textured bangs as you do with the rest of your hair. I like to use my usual layering method consistent of a leave-in conditioner and gel. If your curly mane frowns on gels, use a leave-in and seal with an oil or butter. Just remember, a little frizz never hurt anybody. 🙂
Songstresses Rihanna and Beyoncé are stunning with faux curly bangs and hair.
Defined
For a structured look, try a wet or dry braid-out or twist-out. The smaller the braids or twists, the more defined the look. Add curlers to the ends to accentuate the style.
If you’d like a looser bang, use curlers or perm rods on the entire length of your wet or dry bangs. I recommend doing both styles on wet hair that has been combed out, so you can better manipulate your natural texture and set the look.
An American Idol contestant and Jada Pinkett-Smith are spotted wearing curly bangs.
Half bangin
If you have short layers in the front or bangs that are growing out, a side part is your friend. Once again, use an Afro pik to volumize the layer or tuck/bobby pin these hair under your ear or on top of the hairs at the side of your head. Whether worn naturally or defined, a half bang still looks completely chic.
Curly Bangs by Nay. All rights reserved.
Faux Bangs
Afraid to commit to a cut? Clip-ins and extensions are the way to go for a quick change-up. Adding faux bangs can add a new spin on an old look. If you’re wearing a curly clip in, make sure that the magic hair matches your texture. Once again, make sure that the magic hair matches your own texture. This may require some manipulation of the curly clip-in/weave by cutting, braiding, twisting, or curling the hairs. Remember the goal is for it to look realistic … not like a brokedown palace!
Can’t find clip-ins that are the same as your texture? Try purchasing full-length clip-ins or weaves that are a close match. This DIY method may require some cutting, sewing, sweating, tearing (ha!), and bobby pinning of the hairs into your own. You may want to don a headband over the area where the weave meets your real hair in order to hide the transition. Want to really switch it up? Try coloring your magic hair. Now that’s bangin’!
by Nay | May 15, 2013 | CurlSpotting
Actress Zoë Saldana, as seen in Allure‘s June 2013 issue
Yes, Zoë Saldana is that tough girl you’ve seen in Avatar and Star-Trek, among a host of other movies. No, she isn’t typically whom you think of as having a curly mane, but the actress surprises us (at least me) by sharing some of her hair care routine and personal experiences within InStyle Hair, a special spring edition of InStyle magazine. Of course, you know I had to pour myself through that one!
First things first. Yes, I am showcasing images of Zoë Saldana from the June issue of Allure, while referencing an interview she conducted with InStyle Hair. After all, she is killing it in the Allure pics. No, I won’t continue to go back and forth with the yeses and nos. Ha! Let’s move on to Saldana. The half Dominican, half Puerto Rican beauty shares information on her culture, hair, and overall identity.
She says to InStyle, “In Latino culture, hair carries a lot of history, a lot of weight, and a lot of energy. I always liked my hair. I never wanted to have any other skin but my own, any other hair but my own. I never had that identity thing where I looked at a blond girl or an Asian girl and thought, ‘Why don’t I look like that?’ Women who spend so much of their lives wanting to have something else miss out on learning to appreciate what they do have.”
Two snaps in Z formation for that one! Saldana credits her mother for raising her and her sisters with a strong sense of self and for teaching them to question whatever they felt did not make sense. She may just be our kind of gal after all.
As for her hair, she admits that, after using a Japanese straightener for the past 10 years, she is now missing her curls.
“It’s been eight months since my last straightening treatment, and I’m going to let it all grow out. I miss feeling the thickness. It’s been a long time since I’ve woken up with my hair looking like an Afro. I want to have that again,” says Saldana.
Does this mean that we’ll soon see Ms. Saldana sporting her natural tresses à la actress Viola Davis? From the looks of the magic hair she’s werking in these magazine spreads, textured hair really does suit her. I’m looking forward to the new Zoë, Afro and all.
In case you were wondering, Saldana also breaks down her hair routine. This includes monthly treatments with products from Kérastase’s Force Architecte collection. She also washes her hair every two days using Pantene’s moisturizing shampoo and pre-poos with the Parisian oil, Leonor Gryel Huile de Palme.
“Child, let me tell you—it’s pretty expensive, but it works!” she says.
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, you can always pre-poo with olive oil and, of course my favorite, coconut oil.
You can catch Zoë Saldana and her stylish mane this summer as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek into Darkness. The full interview with Zoë can be found in InStyle Hair, on newsstands until June 14. You can also check out more stylish photos and learn more about Zoë Saldana’s beauty routine in June’s Allure.
by Nay | May 8, 2013 | Hair-raising
Ah-mazing gray, natural hair
I know what you’re thinking. Where have you been??!! Sorry guys. Yes, I have been MIA, but it’s been a hectic month filled with lots of life juggling. You know how it goes. Unfortunately, blogging took a hit … but I’m back! And I’ve got news for you.
Before I break the news, let me take you back to last summer. I was styling my hair, when I noticed … a long, glowing, silvery white strand among the mass of dark tendrils. It was my first gray hair! Gasp! Yes, I had a mini panic attack. I backed up from the mirror, remembered to breathe, and returned to the mirror to double-check. I shook my head in disbelief. There it was!
I don’t know why I was as stunned as I was. You see, I had a heads up a few months prior … when I got my first gray eyebrow hair! Yeeeesss! I-am-transfooorrrming. AH!
Well, recently, I calmed down and made up my mind that I would be that 80-year-old woman with long, curly gray hair. Just as I came to terms with … growing up (gulp!), in came breaking news this week … well, breaking news for us!
There’s new research out that may raise hairs and a few questions. A joint group of researchers at Germany’s Institute for Pigmentary Disorders at E.M. Arndt University of Greifswald and the UK’s Centre for Skin Sciences at the University of Bradford have simultaneously come across a potential cure for gray hair and the skin disease vitiligo, which removes pigment from the skin, according to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology .
Medical Daily states that gray hair is caused by an accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the roots of hair follicles, causing oxidative stress. The same condition occurs in vitiligo, causing depigmentation in the skin and eyelashes (and eyebrows??).
“The idea that loss of pigmentation in the hair and skin are related is extremely interesting on a basic science level,” says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s department of dermatology in an interview with Yahoo! Shine. “The traditional treatment of gray hair with hair dye is cosmetic and doesn’t get to the root of the problem. A treatment that prevents or reverses the underlying graying process would revolutionize our approach to hair care.”
Oh, yes it would! No need to schedule time to mix your brew of L’oréal or Féria, apply it to your hair, and wait for the magic to happen. No more hair dye and henna stained sinks and tiles. No need to spend money for that go-to colorist to return your hair to its natural hue. Where hair is concerned, this possible solution apparently turns back the hand of time. Curlies would have the option of forever maintaining their natural hair color, changing their color out of preference (not necessity), or simply going gray. Options. Options. Which one will you choose?
On a side note, for true vitiligo sufferers, I’m sure there are many who will be relieved by the news. I’m also sure this will raise new claims and accusations of skin bleaching … uh, huh. There are many bubbling up on the net, but I digress.
Now that there is possibly a cure for graying, will you run for the solution once it’s available to the masses … perhaps in another decade or so?! Chime in below or vote. [poll id=”2″]
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