It’s been a long while, but I’ve finally put together this video tutorial! My wash and go routine remains the same, and the consistency has proven positive for my curly mane. You’ll notice that I still use my go-to products but feel free to swap them out as needed to work with your hair. I hope this helps your curly mane. Got questions? As always, drop your q’s down below. Want to see more videos, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Actress Danai Gurira from The Walking Dead
Picture this. In a Zombie Apocalypse, most of your days would be spent practicing your killer moves, hiding, or running for your dear life. But what would your hair look like? … Yes, I’m thinking waaay out of the box here, but it’s a detail that hasn’t been lost by the creators of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Dead Heads like me have noticed that there are now two female, African-American characters with natural hair who have joined the cast of intriguing characters. There’ s Michonne, a silent but deadly warrior, who’s quick with a sword. She fights fast and fearless, all while whipping around lengthy dreads. Yes, she truly whips her hair back and forth!
As you can imagine, in this impressively detailed and believably written, end-of-the-world scenario, there would be zero room for flat irons or relaxers. Ladies, count ‘em out. It’s all about survival here! Thank goodness the writers got this right and showed all the ladies in a natural light, regardless of race. In real life Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne, wears her hair in a short afro, which highlights her attractive facial features and allows her to go unrecognized by die-hard fans. In an interview with Zap2it, Gurira discusses the strong and unreadable female role she plays.
“A lot of people just love that she’s a bad-ass. A lot of female friends keep asking my brother, ‘Was she always tough like that? How did she get like that? What should we do to be like that?’ … It was very deliberate to make her unreadable and an enigma. She’s not going to be the sort of character you get to know quickly. That’s who she is. The desire people have to see her unravel in a way, it’s not going to be what they get,” says Gurira.
*Rubs chins mysteriously.* Hmmm. I definitely get it. (more after the jump)
Actress Sonequa Martin-Green from The Walking Dead
In addition to Michonne, there’s a new character named Sasha, who is among a newfound group of the living. Sasha, played by actress Sonequa Martin-Green, is sweet and courageous. She also has natural hair that is kept neatly swept from her face, you know, in case she has to attack some creature or another. In real life, Martin-Green like Gurira has beautiful, natural hair that amplifies her looks. You can catch her sporting a fluffy ‘do or straightened style on the red carpet or in her recently cast role in ABC’s Once Upon a Time.
Now that you know that two naturally fab ladies are among the cast, will you also spend your Sunday nights peering from under the sheets in fear of who would be taken out next? Are you already watching? How would you style your hair in a Zombie Apocalypse? For me, I might have to go with a low afro since I’d have bigger fish to fry. 🙂 Chime in below, but please no spoilers!
@mycurlymane Yeaaaa!! 🙂
— Sonequa Martin-Green (@SonequaMG) May 26, 2013
This curlie was spotted literally working realness on the Wendy Williams Show.
Whether you’re tuning to the tube or flipping through mags, these days it’s tough not to spot at least one curly mane shining brightly. *My curly mane drops down and throws hands in the air.* Oh, thank you! Thank you curlies for embracing your manes! It’s thanks to you that me and other former lone wolves don’t have to field endless questions about what’s going on at the top of our heads. Yes, there’ll always be some questions and general interest, but at least we’re no longer gawked at like some form of endangered species.
This is one of the reasons why I love to spotlight those of you who are out there, proudly sporting textured tresses. This includes curlies, who while shelling out products, are also inadvertently (or advertently based on who’s puppet-stringing in the marketing division ;)) showcasing natural hair. This group also includes those talented ladies, who while working their wicked manes, stand out for simply being themselves.
In case you’ve missed it, grab a snack and relax. Let me fill you in on the latest batch of curlies—spotted!
On January 13, 2013, The Wendy Williams Show featured American fashion designer Norma Kamali. She is best known for her sleeping bag coat, a garment made from silk parachutes—think of your fave blanky remixed with Missy Elliot’s “I Can’t Stand The Rain” garbage bag outfit and stitched to meet the sophistication of Audrey Hepburn. Still with me? Picture it for a moment and come back.
While Kamali was at Wendy, she treated us to a mini fashion show of her latest threads worn by real women. Out of the group, my eyes could not stop staring at a curvaceous curlie killing it on the catwalk. She’s not only stunning, but her hair is to.die.for.! Lady, we applaud you.
You already know that Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the hottest phones on the market. So, I almost ignored the commercial when I heard it coming on the TV. That was until I looked up and spotted—another curlie! This curly girl had me running to the TV to freeze frame and drool over her hair. Although I’ve been rocking a middle part for the last month, I’m now contemplating how to construct a wickedly deep side part ala this mop-top maven.
Forget the phone, I want her hair!
We all know the facts. Beyoncé killed it at the Super Bowl. While I was in a daze, taking Bey in and two-stepping it to “Single Ladies,” I paused for just a second. Can you guess when? Not when Kelly and Michelle popped up onto the stage. Not when Beyoncé started super stomping and dutty whining. Yup, you guessed it. It was when famed guitarist Bibi McGill took the stage with her exploding guitar and electric mane. McGill, the event’s musical director, delivered not only in the presentation but also with her fierce ’fro.
All of the ladies mentioned above are showcasing the beauty of wash-and-go hair. If you’re still wondering how you can get solid wash and wear results, read and try my 10 steps.
Yvette Nicole Brown discusses her use of magic hair on the Wendy Williams Show.
On the NBC sitcom, Community, actress and comedian Yvette Nicole Brown plays Shirley Bennett, a recently divorced mother of three who attends Greendale Community College. While Brown is a celeb and Bennett is a sassy student, they have a single, glaring commonality—natural hair! Thank you to the writers for allowing Brown’s character to sport a curly mane (faux or no)! Thank you Yvette for embracing your textured tresses!
When I heard that Yvette Nicole Brown was going to be featured on the Wendy Williams Show a few weeks ago, I tuned in to check out her hair … of course! To my delight, Wendy sparked a conversation about the topic. Yeesssss! Score! Cool points for Wendy. Here’s how it went:
Wendy Williams: The last time I saw you, it was all natural hair. And I told you, as soon as you start doing a whole lot of TV, and events, and stuff, wigs make it easy. So now what are we doing?
Yvette Nicole Brown: She (apparent reference to stylist) told me to keep some hair in a bag. Now this front is mine. A little bit of mine is springing out everywhere. But this [majority of hair] is somebody else’s. I don’t even know. I don’t know whose, and I don’t care. I just want to personally thank her.
Wendy went on to mention Yvette’s best friend and actress, Sherri Shepherd, who is also a devote wig wearer. In the interview, Wendy seemed clearly team magic hair. Okay. Correction. She is a wig lover with some pretty impressive styles and wigs that she even names. You may have already heard all about her wig head, Shakeetha. LOL! It all makes me thiiiissss close (brings thumb and pointer extremely close together) to wanting to test drive wigs … maybe … just once. This also brings me to the topic of women with natural hair wearing faux hair, specifically wigs.
Yvette Nicole has beautiful natural hair, and to preserve it while undergoing frequent changes for appearances, she wears wigs. Natural hair just won’t hold up to the entertainment industry’s many styling demands. For instance, going from straight to wavy and back again in a 48 hour period.
For us every day ladies, our hair may not have rigorous demands, so a wig may not be a necessity … or is it? Looking back at the times spent straightening my hair and perfecting my natural look for professional occasions, I wonder if it would have been better for my hair if I just wore wigs. I’ve never done so and enjoy styling my hair, so I’ll continue to work with what I have for now. Just remember curlies, even if you are a wiggy, you still need to give gentle care to your natural hair.
Are you a wiggy by day, natural by night? Let us know why you’ve been pulling a quick change and how you maintain your natural hair while wearing wigs.
The authentic self is the soul made visible.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach
Photo Credit: Examiner
Award-winning actress Viola Davis legendarily shocked curlies and non curly headed girls alike when she revealed her beautiful, natural hair during this year’s Oscars. It was a moment that seemly set Hollywood on fire, with several celebs whipping off their wigs, taking out weaves, and putting down flat irons to reveal their curly manes. Let’s count them up. There’s been Raven Symone, Tamera Mowry, Angela Simmons, and recently The Big O–Oprah, among the bunch.
This week, Miss Davis stunned us once more by showcasing her curly mane during the red carpet premiere of her new film, Won’t Back Down. Like her film’s title, Viola is unapologetic when it comes to her hair. On Anderson Live with Anderson Cooper, she discussed her natural hair and struggles with the Hollywood beauty beasts.
“For me, I felt like every time I put on a wig, I was apologizing for who I was, being a dark-skinned woman with very curly hair. I felt like I was hiding it,” says Davis.
Her statements are sad but not new. Historically, in the African-American community, women are taught to hate their hair due to deep-rooted issues dating back to slavery. This negativity festers in families and/or community members. As Viola stated, “there’s not enough time to explain the hair issues” … well, except here at My Curly Mane!
This history, which spans across different lands and cultures, may come as no surprise to you, but the shocker is that we’ve just gotten to the point where celebrities are also supporting the cause, allowing women to know that there is no shame in having naturally curly hair. The kinks, fluff, coils, poof, and all the other variations of our hair is amazing. It’s also appreciated when these celebrities don’t just jump on the bandwagon, but instead, they are willing to address their own issues and the pressures to maintain the images forced upon them. This is beyond just wearing magic hair and wigs for fun or a preferred style. This is about hating your natural hair and those of others and finally coming into self acceptance.
For Viola, she felt as if she wasn’t being authentic by hiding her hair. It sounds as if there was a certain amount of shame associated with it, which many women face. Making this step towards self acceptance on a global platform like the Oscars or any red carpet takes a lot of chutzpah! For myself, I rode the roller coaster ride of hair acceptance before choosing the road less traveled. That path is always the hardest, whether it’s about your hair or simply being authentic to your beliefs, just being yourself.
Do you recall a time when you weren’t being your authentic self? Have you ever hid your hair in shame?
Viola’s hair is tightly curly in one of my fave colors–red. If you have natural hair, you can mirror this look by doing a wash and go. Literally, wash and let your fro go … unless you need assistance through a few products and quick tricks. As always, you can apply a leave-in conditioner and styler to wet hair, twisting your curls into neat formations with your fingers. Once dry, you can leave as is, or gently separate and tug on your hair for more volume.
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