Hello Curlies! I know. I know. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve posted information to My Curly Mane! My hiatus was much longer than anticipated. I’ve had a ton of personal changes (wedding, move, and more) that took me away from writing, but I am hoping to resurrect this blog this year. I’ll include a more detailed post on my M.I.A. status for those of you who are scratching your heads.
For others who are wondering what’s new in this neck of the woods, I’ll cut to the chase and present to you this video courtesy of Chime Edwards AKA Haircrush. Yes, this is the same YouTuber with the endlessly long tresses with the fitting former name. She did some digging on the history of black hair and came up with the following video. I hope all is accurate. It would be nice to view a more detailed list of her sources.
I found this video informative, sad, and very interesting, particularly as black hairstyles seem to be coming full circle. Watching this, you realize that “it’s not just hair!” There’s a lot of history involved in all of our curly manes. Tune in and let me know your thoughts!
Once upon a time, when I was a littler girl, I dreamed of looking like a doll. Better yet, I wished that my dolls looked like me, so I could enter the land of make believe and live vicariously through them. However, given the doll options during that time, chances were sliiiimm.
Nowadays, young ladies (and some of us girls who remain Toys “R” Us kids,) can actually have their dreams brought to reality! There are a couple of fashion dolls out there that are done up with natural hair! These dollies have real-like curls and waves and look just like us! … or better yet, what some of us “Barbie girls” hope we’ll look like when we grow up 😉
In case you’re seeking a great present for some lucky, young girl (yourself included!), here’s the breakdown on a few, hot natural hair dolls on the market:
Barbie Girl With Curls
In 2011, fashion designer Byron Lars created a line of edgy and stylish dolls for Barbie Collector. These dolls killed it with their clothes (Lars doesn’t get enough fashion cred), and particularly, with their hair. From TWAs to afro puffs, these dolls must be seen to be believed. Many are sold out, but I want them all! I still get giddy when walking down the Barbie aisle in toy stores. If these dolls were on the shelf, it would be dangerous!
Most, if not all the Barbies in this line, are sold out. Sigh. However, you can still check them out online. I posted the image above of Byron Lars’ Sugar™ Barbie® doll. Yep, stunning. It’s just one out of many natural-haired catwalk queens in the collection. Check out the other dolls.
Custom Curls
If you’re seeking a wider variety of Barbie-esk, natural-haired dolls, then Karen Byrd has got you covered with Natural Girls United! Byrd has cleverly created a line of custom ethnic dolls with locks, twists, and huge ‘fros. You’ll be impressed by the variety of styles and colors in both hair and skin tone. These dolls are also quite stylish.
Of course, it came as no surprise that Byrd has a long wait list for her dolls. Tempted to jot down my own name! Oh, and in case you missed it, check out the Ken-like dolls with dreads. Really cool and cute! See all the options from Karen Byrd’s Natural Girls United!
DIY Method
Still haven’t found the doll of your dreams? Funds are a bit tight? No need to fear. There are DIY methods to give any doll naturally curly hair. Thank heavens for you crafty folks out there!
Kristl, the blogger behind How To Play With Barbies, has created step-by-step instructions on how to make what she calls a “rotini or halo hair.” It’s a genius method that allows you to really get experimental making over doll’s hair from straight to curly. The final result is seen below. Yes, that doll had straight hair the morning before–ha!
Now, if you ODed your doll’s makeover, or you had a dolly hair cut go wrong, there’s hope for you. Just like in real life … your doll can sport a natural hair wig! Yes, you heard right. There are wigs for Barbies, courtesy of Tabloach at Etsy. Take a moment to let that process.
I think it’s both a clever yet funny idea. Why not? I have at least two old Barbies that were locked away because of some causality I caused to their hair. If only these wigs were available then. Check out the before and after image, and you be the judge. Smart!
Social commentaries and concerns about Barbies aside, these dolls are helping to diversify the dolls that are out there. What do you think about these natural-haired dolls? Giving you life?
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″]
Singer Solange Knowles is photographed and included in the November issue of Vogue.
After the hustle and bustle of a crazy work week, I like to kicked back and crack open the latest issue of any fashion magazine. I just need my fashion fix! This time, it was the November issue of Vogue. Did you see it? Do you know where I’m going with this? Well, in case you missed it, I’ve gotcha covered. 😉
There was a reoccurring theme that I noticed in the fashion bible’s pages—curls! Okay, that was an easy one. 😉 True to New York’s Fall Fashion Week, curls popped up in a couple of places beneath Vogue’s covers. Here’s the low down:
There was a spread in which a fair skinned model worked throwback, circa 1950’s dresses and frizzed out hair. It is the same look as if you’re on day 4 of your natural hair, and your curls are in their frizzed out, froey state. The model looked sophisticated and feminine. Her hair worked with the easy, breezy tone of the spread.
Similarly, there was a lengthy profile of former model and legendary fashion editor Grace Coddington. The feature included a professional photograph of Coddington aka “The Cod” with what appears to be her naturally curly hair in a frizzy state (seen below with a flower in hair). While the focus of the article was Coddington’s mark on the fashion industry (she is the person who inspired supermodel Twiggy’s decorative eyelashes), her frizzy haired pic left a mark on me. Her photo once again demonstrated the effortlessly chic way in which natural hair can bring out a woman’s beauty.
Finally, for my highly textured ladies, there was a photo of singer Solange Knowles wearing an ahhh-mazing yellow dress and her hair in a natural state. I know. I know. Solange is known to wear wigs (I’m almost certain this one was among her collection), and there wasn’t a diversity of models with a range of curls shown in the mag.
Here’s the thing. At the very, very least, some sort of texture is being spotlighted and shown to accent high fashion and ready to wear looks. Why is this important? The more that textured hair–particularly afro textured hair–is re-introduced and accepted in the media, fashion, etc., hopefully the less stigma that will get associated with it. Perhaps we can move away from seeing natural hair as risky or solely statement making and more as it being our curly manes in its natural state.
What do you think about fall’s ’fros and fashions?
FYI-For my fashion and photo lovers or just those who love flipping through the pages of Vogue and dreaming, check out the documentary In Vogue: The Editor’s Eyes, which chronicles the magazine’s 120 years.
Photos of models in the November 2012 issue of Vogue magazine.
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.
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?
Get This Look
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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