For the night shows stars and women in a better light.” ~ Lord Byron, Don Juan
You spent all day proudly sporting your best mane style, but now it’s time for bed. How do you go about preserving the ‘do you worked so diligently on? First things first, remember satin and silk are your best friends.
Satin and silk materials do not absorb the moisture in your hair (unlike cotton), preventing your hair from drying out and breaking.
Your hair will effortlessly slip across the fabric. Try it and see!
The slipping action is great for your face. Satin/silk pillow cases do not cause creases across your face like cotton pillowcases, thereby reducing wrinkles.
You can prevent having “bed head” and smushed ’fros.
Cons:
If you are sans air conditioning, you will sweat a lot!
Long-Haired Curly Gals:
Before bed, pineapple your curly mane at the top of your head. Huh, what? New to school? This means gathering your hair at the very top of your head and tying it with a band, so it literally looks like a pineapple. I like to use a scrunchie since it leaves little-to-no hair dents. I also prefer to gather my curly mane at the very front of my head, close to my forehead. It tends to look more like a unicorn than pineapple, but it works! The unicorn method is especially good for us wild sleepers. It also keeps your ends safe from being rubbed by the fabric of your sheets and pillows (if you skip the satin/silk pillows), preventing splint ends.
Sleep on a satin/silk pillow case, or stuff your hair in a satin/silk cap.
Short-Haired Curly Gals and Teeny Weenie Afros (TWAs):
Wear a satin or silk cap before heading to bed. You can also go the extra mile and wrap your hair with a silk or satin scarf before putting on the cap. If your covering stays on (lucky gentle sleepers), you can sleep on a regular pillow case.
If you’re a wild sleeper (toss and turners, leg kickers, and sleep walkers all apply), sleep on a satin or silk pillow case as a backup method.
Straightened Tresses
If you want to preserve your fresh presses and blow-outs, wrap your hair with a satin or silk scarf. When I first began taking better care of my hair, I found this to be tricky, as it was nonexistent in my routine. I would just sleep on a cotton pillow and proceed to cook my hair with a flat iron in the morning. And I wondered why my hair health suffered!
Bonus Tip: If you smooth Vatika oil on longer straightened hair and place it in a bun before bed, you will wake up with silky waves. This particularly works for me when using my Maxiglide hair straightener.
Sexy Sleepers
Let’s face it, there may be occasions where you are in others’ company and want to “sleep sexy,” even just for your own comfort. Bolder curlies will call a spade a spade and keep on trucking with their routine. “Sexy sleepers” can try the pineapple and satin pillow case method, or at the very least keep a pillowcase handy, particularly if you’re traveling. They may call you a diva, but you’ll be waking up with your style preserved!
And while you’re sexy sleeping, don’t forget your body spray, cute socks, and lip balm/gloss. It may sound a little over the top, but I know ladies who go the extra mile!
Do you have sexy sleeping hair techniques? Pass them along and sound off.
I use the afro pik to lift hair at the roots, while using a blow dryer.
Although I have watched many a family members pick out their hair, I have to admit that I am late in discovering the benefits of the tried and true afro pick. Just a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon vlogger and curly hair extraordinaire, taren 916 aka Taren Guy’s video of her wash and go. She finished by using the ever reliable afro pick.
Taren’s hair went from flat curls, which were quite cute, to full on mane. Roar! I was mesmerized. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I guess it’s because when I think of an afro pick, I picture thicker, fully picked out fros. I didn’t realize that I could use it to “pick up/out” my hair from the roots. I tried it, and it works!
For my desired look, I work with hair that has been styled from my wash and go. Once this is finished, I grab a pick and only pick up the first ½ inch to 1 inch of hair (at the roots) and blow dry these areas with a hair dryer on high heat, high speed. It’s typically recommended to use low heat, high speed, but I up the heat due to my old dryer.
If you’re going for full on fro aka Afro Samurai (love that movie!), then motion the pick completely through your hair. You may not need heat to do this. Just make sure that your hair is moisturized. Play around with your picking motion to achieve the look that works for you. Results will vary depending on your hair texture.
If you like the fully froed out look, at under $5, this will do the do.
“What could possibly be wrong? I mean really, you’re cute!” Wendy Williams complements a curly audience member … and her mane. You know she was checking out the mane!
Curlspotted at Wendy Williams!
I see you curlie! Shaking that mane. Shaking that mane.
It happened to me once before when watching Bethenny Frankel’s talk show, and now again at Wendy Williams’ June 27th episode. Another great curly mane is spotted! That’s twice in one week that a naturally curly haired audience member stole the show.
This curly girl, Sasha, stood up to ask Wendy a question. Her picked out fro was in full display. Wendy proceeded to say, “What could possibly be wrong? I mean really, you’re cute!”
I, like Wendy, proceeded to stare at Sasha’s hair (see photo). Her style appears to be a picked out afro. I just hope her dilemma (can’t remember what it was, blind sighted by her mane) was finally solved.
I nearly died when I watched this tutorial by a vlogger named Mya aka frugalartist on Youtube. Reasons why I-die (you’ve got to say it like my undercover curlie girl Rachel Zoe!):
Her hurrr is fiiiiiierce
Love the throwback Hilary Banks hair style at the end
She says “hurrr” a lot (like me)
Hi-la-ri-ous (very witty!)
Now, I’ve had misses with Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie, which has proved successful for this curly girl. She makes me want to revisit this, especially since I have a whole jar remaining under my bathroom sink.
Her mane is different from my own, but her technique includes all the essential steps: wash, leave-in conditioner, oil, style, DON’T TOUCH, dry. The key takeaway, which I mention in my 10 steps for a wash and go, is to not touch your hair after applying products and before drying. Mya/frugalartist also infuses Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil, one of my products staples, into her hair. She uses it to seal in water or a leave-in conditioner. I occasionally skip this step and just add oil after my hair is dry (to moisturize and soften hard holding products).
Sit back, watch this amazing mane, and feel free to droool as I did.
If you watched this tutorial and are now feeling blue, remember the following:
I will embrace and celebrate other curlies as well as my own hair. I will use their gorgeous tresses to motivate and encourage me to respect and nurture my curly mane.” ~Nay
Nicole Richie and her curly mane, courtesy of Glamour magazine
I haven’t had much time to indulge in my deep love of fashion, but this month’s Glamour magazine caught my attention, “manely” (yes I went there) because it features Nicole Richie. In an interview with the fashion trendsetter, Glamour shares 5 Fab Beauty Ideas To Steal From Nicole Richie, including details of her curly mane.
“I have naturally curly hair, so ‘natural’ beach waves are not so natural for me. I like to braid my hair at night and then let it out the next day. And I also curl my hair with a flat iron,” says Richie.
While Richie’s hair is clearly stylized for the above photo, the self-proclaimed hair pro has naturally curly hair. Although she often rocks a mean blow out, I would like to see Richie’s natural texture. Fat curls or skinny ramen noodles?
What are your thoughts on Nicole Richie’s curly (or straight) mane?
Kudos to the photographer for the beautiful spread!
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