HAPPY NEW YEAR!
How long are people allowed to say that? I think this is the last week I’m going to be wishing people a HAPPY NEW YEAR but I think it’s totally fine here since I haven’t blogged since September. I just went back and read that post and WOW. It’s great to document feelings because you can go back and see how much you’ve grown (changed).
The Great Sulfate Debate. The No Paraben Trend. It’s clear that we natural hair mavens are particular about what we use on our crown and glory. We’ve read all the blogs and reviews and wanted to share the rare perspective of chemist Falen Smith, creator of Finickey hair products. She shared some hair science along with the good, the bad, and the not so harmful.
By Sakita Holley (@MissSuccess)
When Ken Burkeen launched Huetiful in 2009 his sole focus was on bringing the Huetiful hair steamer to market. Today, that mission and vision has evolved into a more robust beauty company that creates and manufactures healthy hair care solutions such as the hair steamer and the nanoSMOOTHING curl loosening treatment for women with textured hair.
Earlier this month, Ken celebrated the opening of Huetiful’s first concept salon in Atlanta, GA, which is another major milestone in the company’s short history.
After that event, we caught up with the innovation guru to talk about his journey in the beauty industry, why he’s so passionate about educating women about their hair and championing the creation of more high end hair care experiences for women with textured hair such as curlBOX and the new Huetiful salon.
By Sakita Holley (@MissSuccess)
Michelle Breyer was born with “curly [hair] in a straight world.”
Frustrated by the lack of resources and product information she found for her multi-textured hair, Breyer created NaturallyCurly.com with friend and business partner Gretchen Heber in 1998. Almost 15 years later, the website she launched to fill a void that addressed her immediate hair care needs has blossomed into a full blown social media and e-commerce platform known as Texture Media.
Texture Media, which is home to the original NaturallyCurly.com, also supports CurlyNikki, CurlStylist, the mobile app Curls on the Go, syndicated market intelligence service TextureTrends and CurlMart, an online boutique that aids in the discovery of up-and-coming hair care brands.
Breyer, who now manages a staff of “just under 20 employees,” chats with the curlBOXBLOG about her humble beginnings, being a natural hair pioneer, plans for growing her curl community and how she handled recent allegations by a prominent journalist that only “an idiot would invest in a social network for people with curly or kinky hair.”
Its September! Autumn is soon approaching and you know what that means! YOU MUST prepare your skin for the weather change. Like anything in life, you have to have the proper foundation and the same goes for your skin! In the cooler months, our beautiful brown skin tones go from that summer glow to the winter snow in a matter of seconds (ashy skin is not the jam ladies!) Keep the Summer skin all Autumn long with these products!
Exfoliants:
- Bath & Body Works True Blue Spa Invigorating Spa Scrub $24.00
True Blue Spa is a fairly new line at Bath & Body Works and it is the BOMB.com! I Love how this scrub exfoliates the skin and soothes the senses with a hint of eucalyptus! Natural sea salt detoxifies the body, so rid yourself of toxins while pampering your beautiful temple!
Do you have Fairy knots? They may feel like little beads along the hair shaft. They are annoying and most women comb as much hair as they can towards the front of their head, grab a pair of scissors and begin clipping away any knots in view. First, let me state that I do not advocate trimming your own hair, especially with any pair of scissors. Dull scissors can fray the ends of the hair shaft, leaving them in the same condition they were in before the makeshift trim, if not worse. Most importantly, there are some irregularities of the hair shaft that cause consistent knotting. This is most commonly seen in curlier hair types. Unfortunately some women will experience knots in their hair shaft on a regular basis. These knots are not always at the end of the hair shaft. Instead, single or multiple knots can be seen and felt along the length of the hair shaft. We have nicknamed this phenomenon “Fairy knots” but the technical term is Trichonodosis.
I had this idea to share what a typical day in my life is like and every time I think about it, I start and then I get busy or I try to remember and when I actually have a chance to sit and document I have forgotten most of it and I’m just so darn tired that I just say to myself, “they’d much rather have good products and service and images or WHATEVER as opposed to ME sharing MY daily ins and outs.” I felt differently today … Today is my first day off since July 7th.
By: Sakita Holley (@MissSuccess)
Funlayo Alabi is the co-founder of natural hair and body care product company Shea Radiance. After seven years of hard work and persistence, the company she created with her husband will have its products sold in Target stores nationwide. Last month, the couple celebrated their Target launch in a Maryland mansion, which could have easily served as an emblem of their increasing success.
As one of the company’s that was an early champion of curlBOX, it’s fitting that we kick off our ‘Beyond the Box’ series with this inspiring entrepreneur.
We caught up with Funlayo to learn more about her business philosophy, get her thoughts on curlBOX and to take a deeper look at the woman behind Shea Radiance’s success.
Tourtoise geek glasses – street vendor
Earrings and lace bib – Forever21
Cream chiffon blouse – Forever21
Tan shorts with attached brown braces – Papaya
Camel colored “Lita” inspired boots – H&M
Black bag with gold hardware – Forever21
*SCREAMS*
We’re featured on MSN’s site Glo.com as the best in beauty subscriptions!
The Buzz: Made with African-American girls in mind, the site zeroes in on hair supplies.
The Philosophy: ”Curlbox is an affordable approach to finding the best for you,” says founder Myleik Teele.
The Goods: Five to seven deluxe and full-size samples from companies like Hair Rules, Ouidad and Ultra Sheen.
The Terms: $20 monthly, $220 a year.
The Perks: Every box has discount coupons for full-size products; their blog gives tips.
We’re honored to be in such great company! For info on curlBOX, please visit: www.curlBOX.com
